The Cincinnati Bengals have remained adamant ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline that they aren’t trading anyone — including and most importantly, A.J. Green.
The stance isn’t terrible if valuable offers aren’t coming in over the phones. Teams are likely lowballing a Cincinnati front office that usually does the same, meaning the return for a Geno Atkins or Carlos Dunlap doesn’t make a ton of sense.
But A.J. Green might be an outlier, especially if contenders like the New Orleans Saints or Philadephia Eagles come calling.
Green is the one trade chip the Bengals might receive a gigantic offer for at the deadline. And at this point, the pros might outweigh the cons. This 0-8 team isn’t one player away from winning. Green isn’t fixing the offensive line or linebackers. He’s not fixing the severe growing pains for an inexperienced coaching staff.
As Bengals fans are well-versed with now, Green is not even a guarantee to stay on the field. A year ago, he tried to get back during a lost season and got hurt right away. Right as he stepped on the field for the first day of training camp, he got hurt again.
The running tally now is six or more games missed in three of his last four seasons He’ll turn 32 next July, yet command a big contract extension this offseason, which wouldn’t be all that softened by incentives. And if the front office has to use the franchise tag, which they would, it would imply an impasse with a fan favorite.
These are merely details to keep in mind. Green is a franchise legend, and all parties say they want to stick together. But an additional first-round pick, even if it comes in the late 20s, is another chance at a prospect to help along a battered offensive line or an ancient linebacker unit while the offense moves forward with Tyler Boyd, John Ross and highlight-reel machine Auden Tate.
While an uncomfortable topic, it seems a necessary one. Keeping Green if a big offer doesn’t come in makes plenty of sense — but so does sending him to a contender and giving him a chance to win a Super Bowl if a team like the Eagles or Saints comes in with an offer so laced with quality rebuild fuel the Bengals simply can’t say no.
