As the trade deadline draws closer, it’s fair to wonder about the Cincinnati Bengals.
Winless through six weeks and counting, the pressure of the deadline and some of the calls undoubtedly coming in from other franchises could entice the front office to make a move or two.
While the Bengals haven’t shown any signs of wanting to host a fire sale, if the right offer comes in for one of the following guys, it might be hard to ignore the potential return, especially with these players in limited roles or potentially getting replaced in the near future anyway.
Tyler Eifert
We went in-depth on this one recently. While there’s some debate about how much Eifert would net the Bengals via trade, he’d be a rental for a contender who has dreams about his 13 touchdowns in as many games all those years ago. The Bengals aren’t doing much with him now and they invested a second-round pick in Drew Sample.
Carlos Dunlap
Dunlap just had a 115-game active streak broken. He’s 30 and unlike interior defensive linemen lately, other teams might be willing to pay up big for an edge rusher like him. If play from the line has been any sign of the future so far, some of the veterans might be on a downswing as it is.
Dre Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick isn’t nearly as bad as the fanbase likes to think and he’s really stepped up well as a veteran leader. But now he’s hurt, going on 30 and still has two years left on a $52 million deal. Offloading the contract might be on the table if the right offer comes along.
Billy Price
Price isn’t going to fetch much on the market. But his inability to win the job at center and then his not being the first choice of the coaching staff at left guard is a terrible sign for a front office that has been horrible at drafting offensive linemen for years. Cordy Glenn was originally supposed to be the left guard, so it’s hard to see where Price fits for the long term, barring a massive rebound in play.
A.J. Green
This is a conversation Bengals fans tire of, understandably. The coaching staff has already shot down the idea. But like the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, a coach or front office person saying something doesn’t always mean a ton. If the contract situation was so easy to figure out, the two parties would have done so by now after the market was set by Julio Jones and Michael Thomas. But those deals are part of the problem — Green is oft-injured, going on 32 years old and still hasn’t returned to the field. While Green would be an incredible piece to have if the Bengals decide to use a high pick on a rookie passer, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon and John Ross aren’t a bad supporting nucleus either. This would still take an offer the Bengals can’t refuse and it would take changing Green’s mind, but the NFL has shown us lately just how wild things can get.
Andy Dalton
Never say never — remember when fans said it about Carson Palmer? Mike Brown made a point this offseason to say an extension wasn’t on the table for Dalton just yet. Reading between the lines a bit, it probably meant the front office wanted to see how he meshed with a new head coach. So far…not well. It will be interesting to see whether the front office is sympathetic to Dalton given his surroundings or whether they’re just ready for a new era. A lot of it might come down to what Zac Taylor wants — the front office has bent to his demands so far. But throwing north of $100 million at Dalton as he heads for the age of 32 and in the middle of this miserable season isn’t something any team should be running to do. If an offer from a contender with an injured quarterback comes in and the payout noticeable, maybe the front office lets it happen. The biggest decisions of the last year have centered on reconnecting and reenergizing the fanbase — ushering in a new era at quarterback might be viewed along those same lines.
