The Cincinnati Bengals feel like a team that should be doing due diligence on a trade for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
Those Bengals have shown an aggressiveness to make win-now trades and moves lately, while the Colts have struggled to start the season and just fired a general manager.
Now, with the Colts seemingly ready to open up the fire sale doors at the NFL trade deadline, ESPN’s Stephen Holder noted that several teams have already called or would be calling about Taylor.
Might the Bengals be one of those teams?
One year ago, the answer is an easy no. In the aftermath of the Dexter Lawrence trade, though, that answer isn’t as firm.
The Bengals need a better ground game. Some of that comes from figuring out what’s going wrong
with the under-center looks. But Samaje Perine looking better in the offense than expected breakout candidate Chase Brown is a regression the team can’t afford.
Does a new running back fix that? Maybe not, but Taylor is one of the very best in the NFL after 18 scores and 1,585 yards last year. Put him in a Joe Burrow-led offense and who knows?
The Bengals probably won’t like the fact Taylor is a cap hit of $21 million or more in each of the next two seasons. But if that’s in the ballpark of what they would have paid Brown on an expected extension, it becomes more interesting.
Ultimately, this is still super unlikely. But the Bengals wouldn’t be making every effort to win if they didn’t at least call up the Colts and see what the asking price is on Taylor, just in case.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Are Bengals one of the teams calling Colts on Jonathan Taylor trade?
