Cincinnati Bengals’ trade deadline priorities include upgrading two key positions

Usually, the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t one of the first teams mentioned in rumors ahead of the NFL trade deadline. That’s unlikely to change this season either, but perhaps the team’s rough start leads to a mindset change from the organization’s modus operandi.

The Bengals have reached the Conference Championship or better each of the past two seasons, and even though their 3-3 record indicates they may not be set for the same success, Joe Burrow’s calf injury is in the rearview, which means Cincinnati’s worst may be behind them.

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic suggests fans shouldn’t hold their breath for the Bengals to swing a deadline deal, but if Cincinnati’s front office were considering roster upgrades, adding a tight end and a third-down running back would likely be at the top of the list of needs.

Yet, he cautions against getting involved with the biggest names mentioned at the NFL trade deadline due to GM Duke Tobin’s preference to retain his own draft picks. Instead, the Bengals could be more interested in a player that doesn’t require a huge trade haul, something like a late-round pick swap, where Cincinnati agrees to take on immediate salary in an effort to upgrade the roster.

We’ve seen several examples of this in the NFL already this season, from the 49ers trading for Randy Gregory to the Eagles landing Kevin Byard and many more. The Bengals have the fourth-most amount of cap space this season, so if the front office still feels like this is a Super Bowl-caliber team, adding another piece for the cost of a late-round pick swap might be too good to pass up.

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The suddenly slumping San Francisco 49ers try to get back into the win column on Sunday when they host the Cincinnati Bengals.

After seeing their comeback attempt fall short on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, the Niners (5-2) head back home looking to regroup quickly. While San Francisco still leads the NFC West, a two-game losing streak by the team has allowed the Seattle Seahawks to inch closer to the division leaders.

 

As such, the 49ers return to Levi’s Stadium where they are undefeated through three games this season and they’ll go for their fourth home win when the Bengals (3-3) come to town.

Speaking of which, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are last in the AFC North — an unfamiliar position for Cincinnati in recent years. They’ve turned things around with a two-game winning streak to climb back to .500 after losing three of their first four games of the campaign, but an increasingly competitive division puts the onus on Burrow and Co. to maximize their returns on every game from here on out.

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