The Cincinnati Bengals have used league-wide roster cuts as a way to upgrade their roster in the past.
Long story short, if the Bengals have extra players they might cut that they can offer up to upgrade elsewhere — or even via offering a late-round draft pick — they’ll generally pick up the phone and try to make something happen.
This is especially the case if they see someone on another team they think might get cut and want to guarantee they land him. It’s an opportunity to get a guy they tracked for a long time but didn’t get to draft, for example.
Here’s a look at a few potential trade targets for the Bengals to pursue right now.
OT Isaiah Wynn
Wynn is a former first-rounder on a fifth-year option paying him roughly $10 million, which makes this a bit tricky. He’s also moved from left to right tackle and is now losing that job. But still just 26 years old, Wynn might have some upside and be worth considering a trade for if the Patriots are willing to eat some of his contract to make it work.
OT Alex Leatherwood
We’ve already detailed Leatherwood a bit here. But the short of it is simple: Leatherwood had a disaster of a rookie season and he has no ties to the current head coach and GM in Las Vegas. Throwing out a late pick to get him on the chance he can be a good backup and blossom into a starter is a no-brainer.
Edge Quincy Roche
A sixth-rounder in 2021, Roche played more than 400 snaps last year with the Giants. But PFF has reported he’s a trade candidate after a regime change in New York. The sheer dominance he showed in the AAC and ACC in college makes him worth a flier.
OL Teven Jenkins
A 2021 second-rounder, Jenkins remains a rumored trade target despite fighting for the right guard job in Chicago. It seems unlikely at this point, but maybe all it will take is the right offer. He’s another line reclamation project already, but if the Bengals liked him enough coming out of college, he’d be an immediate upgrade to depth.
Edge Malik Reed
Reed has 13 sacks over the last two seasons and is still just 26 years old, but Denver’s riches at pass-rusher might push them to trade someone just like him. He’s roughly the sixth-pass rusher in Denver but could strength the rotation in Cincinnati, making it worth a phone call.
