Even after a crushing 34-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week that dropped the Cincinnati Bengals to 3-5, they could be thinking “buy” rather than “sell” at the trade deadline. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Bengals aren’t throwing in the towel on the season. Though in-season acquisitions are incredibly rare for them, 2024 could be the year they go all-in.
“This isn’t the Bengals’ style, but they have strong belief in this team and intend to get back to, at least, the AFC Championship game,” Russini wrote in a Saturday column. “Despite sitting at 3-5, Cincinnati has been poking around in search of a cornerback and a defensive lineman to get defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo some help.”
As Russini notes in a quality “stat of the weird,” the Bengals don’t make these types of moves. In the last 52 years, they’ve only traded for a player twice. Assuming that means a picks-for-player deal and not one that involved players-for-players (which they have done several times throughout history), they acquired CB Deltha O’Neal from the Denver Broncos in April 2004. The Broncos traded their No. 24 overall pick and O’Neal for the Bengals’ No. 17 and a fourth-rounder. O’Neal spent four seasons with the team, leading the NFL with 10 picks in 2005. Frankly, I can’t find the other, assuming those are the parameters of Russini’s nugget.
But that’s history. In the present, the Bengals are looking for help on defense. They’re just 23rd in points allowed and 24th in yards allowed. They have the 27th-ranked red zone defense with only 12 sacks on the year. When healthy, the offense can score. But winning 34-30 shootouts isn’t sustainable.
Who they could target is unclear. Russini doesn’t connect them with a particular player. In the article, she notes New York Giants DE Azeez Ojulari and Green Bay Packers EDGE Preston Smith as pass rush options. In the secondary, the Los Angeles Rams appear open to trading CB Tre White. Whether or not the Bengals have interest for the price tag it would take is anyone’s guess.
The broader point speaks to the Bengals’ mindset. They are still optimistic despite an ugly first month to the year and dropping a tough one to the Eagles Sunday, stalling momentum in the AFC North race. With the Pittsburgh Steelers at 6-2 and Baltimore Ravens 5-3 (who have beaten the Bengals once already), a Wild Card spot is looking like their only path to the postseason.
Buying under those circumstances is a debatable decision, but they could be one of three teams adding at the deadline. Baltimore has already brought in Diontae Johnson while the Steelers still have interest in a wide receiver. Of course, a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders later today would drop them to 3-6 and scrap those “buying” plans. However, Russini notes the team has no intention of trading away WR Tee Higgins despite the high probability he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2025.
