When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals, the big trade idea right now is shipping quarterback Andy Dalton somewhere — like perhaps the Chicago Bears.
But what about the Bengals getting aggressive and bringing on an outsider?
That’s an idea floated by Eric Eager of Pro Football Focus, who suggested the team as a suitor for Detroit Lions corner Darius Slay. He pointed out the Bengals picking so highly in each round could equate to, for example, a high third-round pick feeling like a second-round pick in negotiations.
It’s not bad logic on the compensation front. And Slay is one of the better corners in football at the age of 29.
That said, Slay has implied he wants to be one of the NFL’s highest-paid corners after being a cap hit of about $13.3 million in 2020. The Lions are also in a position to bargain for a massive trade return.
While the Bengals do potentially have a need at corner with Darqueze Dennard heading to free agency, Dre Kirkpatrick is already on a bloated contract and they’d like to extend William Jackson. The team is more likely to roll with what it has, especially with Darius Phillips on the rise.
