The Cincinnati Bengals told onlookers with the Dexter Lawrence trade that they’re all-in around Joe Burrow and willing to do what it takes to win now.
Message received: The Bengals are going to often be mentioned as a trade destination for top names now.
Case in point, a few weeks from the NFL trade deadline, the Bengals have been brought up as an option for trade-block candidates.
Over at PFF, Bradley Locker lists the Bengals as fits for cornerbacks Brandon Stephens of the New York Jets and Zyon McCollum of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On McCollum, Locker wrote: “The Bears and Bengals could also make particular sense given McCollum’s superior man coverage work (69.4 PFF coverage grade) and their higher rates of utilizing the look, although McCollum was
actually better in zone in 2024 and 2025.”
Stephens will be more appetizing, but also costly. As Locker notes, he’s sitting on a 70.2 overall grade, which ranks 14th out of 40 at his position.
This is a conversation at all around the Bengals because Jalen Davis is hurt, which pushed Dax Hill back inside to the slot. That’s exposed backups DJ Ivey and rookie Tacario Davis to work on the boundary.
Right now, if the Bengals project to make a trade, it would probably be a low-cost move for help at a spot like running back. But cornerback is something to keep in mind for immediate help, never mind the fact DJ Turner and Hill need extensions, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL trade deadline buzz quickly brings up Bengals projections
