The Cincinnati Bengals have two obviously lagging problem areas on defense at the bye week: Linebacker and safety.
At this point, it’s abundantly clear from Zac Taylor and the coaching staff that they won’t do much to push Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter at linebacker, for better or worse.
Safety might be a different story.
Two-interception game against an 0-5 team or not, Jordan Battle continues to be a serious problem at safety. Kyle Dugger, a veteran who could perhaps take a big percentage of the snaps, is hurt.
It makes one wonder about names like Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals.
Those Cardinals are annually one of the worst teams in the league and look to be sellers after trading Marvin Harrison Jr. The 30-year-old Baker could be next
and is still under contract through 2027. Things are so bad in Arizona that even a former standout player like Adrian Wilson is calling for the Cardinals to move him.
Normally, the Bengals wouldn’t feel worth mentioning in an idea like this. Baker will likely cost an early Day 2 pick. But the Dexter Lawrence trade changed things. There’s an all-in, modern air around the team right now.
Most likely, the Bengals keep rolling Battle out there next to Bryan Cook and leverage big snap counts Dugger’s way if he keeps struggling. But it’s fair to wonder what might happen if the position remains injured and/or even costing the team games as the trade deadline approaches.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Would Bengals trade for a safety before deadline?
