Bengals may have to deal with a familiar problem this offseason thanks almost entirely to bad luck

Picks 35-39 would follow suit, but it ended with New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, the No. 40 pick. Shough was going to be a rookie starting quarterback and stood firm with that leverage.

Howell’s agents at Excel Sports Management have incentive to use Shough’s deal to push the cutoff line even further into the round. They wouldn’t have this angle if Howell was picked anywhere else after No. 40.

The Bengals just so happened to have the exact pick for this situation to potentially occur.

How the Bengals will manage Cashius Howell’s contract negotiations

We know the playbook. Cincinnati doesn’t budge when it comes to guarantees it doesn’t have to give out. There has never been a player picked outside the first 40 picks who received a 100% guaranteed contract.

That’s the precedent, and the front office will refer it to Howell’s agents.

The No. 41 pick from last year’s draft was Buffalo Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. Sanders’ deal was signed a day before Shough inked his, and he accepted 94.6% of his deal being guaranteed instead of 100%. He knew he didn’t have the leverage of being a starting QB, and created the new line of demarcation.

Cincinnati will expect Howell to realize the same. He’s going to be a rotational EDGE in a deep defensive line group. Can he afford to let an elongated negotiation get in the way of preparing for his rookie season with the rest of the team? His former teammate, Shemar Stewart, tried that last year in an effort to have offset language excluded in his rookie deal as the No. 17 pick, but ultimately settled for receiving more of his guaranteed money immediately.

Howell’s potential situation won’t be the same as Stewart’s, but for the average fan, it would feel all too familiar. This wouldn’t even be a problem worth discussing if he was picked anywhere else in the round.

This may also be resolved very quickly, instantly becoming old news. All parties involved would prefer that path. It simply comes down to whether or not Howell’s side wants to push the Bengals into setting a new precedent.