With roughly 24 hours to go before the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off, the Cincinnati Bengals have been dealt a pair of bad draws. Tee Higgins has already requested a trade out of Cincinnati, and now Trey Hendrickson has joined him.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hendrickson, who is set to have a $20.1 million cap hit, has requested a trade due to Cincinnati’s refusal to offer the long-term security he’s seeking. Other Bengals insiders have since confirmed Hendrickson’s trade request.
Hendrickson, 29, is also under contract through the 2025 season too, where he has a cap hit of $18.6 million.
It comes at an odd time for the Bengals, after their director of college scouting recently hyped up how close the team was to competing for their first-ever Super Bowl victory.
“We know we are close. We’ve got a really good roster. It’s far from perfect. There’s definitely some holes we need to fill. What our holes may be perceived as of right now are not necessarily what they could be in the future.”
“There for sure is a sense of urgency. We think we are right on the cusp of being where we want to be. We’ve got 10 picks. We’ve got flexibility. If there’s certain guys that we really target and really covet and think can get us over that hump, we would be stupid to not go and do what it takes to get a certain player if we think it can make that kind of impact.”
Bengals director of scouting Mike Potts
Trading Higgins and Hendrickson may help Cincinnati reduce costs, but it wouldn’t make them a better team in 2024. Sure, the trade capital the Bengals would receive would undoubtedly help, but again, we’re talking about trading two proven players in exchange for scratch tickets that aren’t guaranteed to pay out.
However, if the Bengals did honor Hendrickson’s trade request, which teams make the most sense for the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher?
Related: Final 2024 NFL mock draft: Full 3-round 2024 NFL Draft projections with trades
Trey Hendrickson trade landing spots
- Los Angeles Rams: Having lost multiple pass-rushers in recent seasons from Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, and Aaron Donald, the Rams now need to replenish the talent on defense. Hendrickson may not offer much on run defense, but this is a player who recorded 53 sacks across the past four seasons. That kind of production fits anywhere, especially with the Rams.
Related: Los Angeles Rams Could Be In On Trey Hendrickson
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: After seeing Shaquil Barrett join the Dolphins, now the Buccaneers must find a replacement. Who better than Orlando, Florida native Trey Hendrickson? He fits this team’s desire to win now, and depending on what the Bucs would have to part with, it would allow the front office to use the 26th pick on the best player available instead of focusing on a specific need.
- Arizona Cardinals: While the Cardinals won’t admit it, they’re essentially rebuilding or retooling. This may mean that a player of Hendrickson’s age (29) isn’t of interest to Arizona. But if the Cardinals are serious about competing any time soon, adding a proven pass-rusher could go a long way toward improving Jonathan Gannon’s defense.
- Atlanta Falcons: A popular pick to select the first edge rusher in the NFL Draft, the Falcons have a big need at the pass rusher position. Adding a rookie would help, but that shouldn’t exclude Atlanta from considering multiple upgrades on their front seven. Hendrickson could not only show a young rookie the finer points of ‘winning’ versus NFL opponents, but he could make life easier on the secondary by ramping up the pressure for the Falcons.
- Washington Commanders: After trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young, now the Commanders are starting over at defensive end. Boasting six picks in the top 100 selections, Washington has the draft capital to trade for Hendrickson if they want. Having allowed the most points in the NFL last season, the Commanders will have to get creative to become even above-average in Dan Quinn’s first season as head coach, and Hendrickson could provide the perfect spark.
