Usually, the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t one of the first teams mentioned in rumors ahead of the NFL trade deadline. That’s unlikely to change this season either, but perhaps the team’s rough start leads to a mindset change from the organization’s modus operandi.
The Bengals have reached the Conference Championship or better each of the past two seasons, and even though their 3-3 record indicates they may not be set for the same success, Joe Burrow’s calf injury is in the rearview, which means Cincinnati’s worst may be behind them.
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic suggests fans shouldn’t hold their breath for the Bengals to swing a deadline deal, but if Cincinnati’s front office were considering roster upgrades, adding a tight end and a third-down running back would likely be at the top of the list of needs.
Yet, he cautions against getting involved with the biggest names mentioned at the NFL trade deadline due to GM Duke Tobin’s preference to retain his own draft picks. Instead, the Bengals could be more interested in a player that doesn’t require a huge trade haul, something like a late-round pick swap, where Cincinnati agrees to take on immediate salary in an effort to upgrade the roster.
We’ve seen several examples of this in the NFL already this season, from the 49ers trading for Randy Gregory to the Eagles landing Kevin Byard and many more. The Bengals have the fourth-most amount of cap space this season, so if the front office still feels like this is a Super Bowl-caliber team, adding another piece for the cost of a late-round pick swap might be too good to pass up.
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