While the team hangs out in Spain and gets ready for a game against the Atlanta Falcons, much of the conversation around the NFL trade deadline and Cincinnati Bengals positions them as buyers.
Joe Burrow’s Bengals, after all, have injury woes creating needs at the deadline. Struggling spots like linebacker and the secondary could use some help, too.
But that doesn’t mean the Bengals don’t have a few trade assets of their own to offer up in deals, either.
Here’s a quick look at a few names who could interest other teams at the NFL trade deadline.
Bengals trade candidates at NFL deadline
QB Joe Flacco
Other teams liking Joe Flacco doesn’t mean the Bengals would trade Joe Flacco. Burrow and Co. love having him in the building. Flacco wants to be in Cincinnati and re-signed earlier than most expected last
offseason when other jobs might’ve been available.
But one would be fooling themselves to think quarterback-needy teams aren’t considering, or outright calling the Bengals to see what the price would be. Everyone saw what Flacco did last year when forced into action the same week he came over via trade.
DL Kris Jenkins
The upside with Kris Jenkins, as a former second-round pick, might be the only thing he has left going for him. The Bengals said it all this offseason when they added Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen to start in front of TJ Slaton and BJ Hill. Jenkins is left fighting for scraps with seventh-round success story Landon Robinson.
The return for Jenkins wouldn’t be huge, but he’s a good example of a player with some traits other teams, even rebuilders, might like. The Bengals still really like Howard Cross on the practice squad, too.
WR Dohnte Meyers
Dohnte Meyers has been one of the most enjoyable stories of the Bengals’ season. As they get healthier at wideout, though, other teams with big needs might poke around the wideout depth chart in Cincinnati. The Bengals have rookie Colbie Young getting healthier, Mitch Tinsley is back and they also roster Noah Thomas, Jordan Moore and Ke’Shawn Williams on the practice squad, so there's a little wiggle room. Extremely unlikely, but Meyers has made a name for himself.
DE Shemar Stewart
We’ve written endlessly that the Bengals won’t trade Shemar Stewart. But it’s obviously notable that reports say other teams have considered him a trade candidate.
The reality? Stewart has zero trade value. The contract stuff upon arrival last year, multiple injuries, then injuries this past summer have dramatically held him back. He was a healthy scratch a few weeks ago because he can’t get past depth guys like Cedric Johnson. The injury to rookie Cashius Howell, another guy ahead of him on the depth chart, might not even lead to significant snaps for Stewart.
At this point, the injury bug has hit, so the Bengals wouldn’t consider a deal. And they wouldn’t come close to getting anywhere near justifiable value compared to his first-round investment.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 4 Bengals trade candidates ahead of NFL deadline
