Due to injuries, the Bengals had a dismal year in 2023. Here’s how they can return to their playoff-caliber form.
The Cincinnati Bengals made a significant leap in the 2021 season, reaching the Super Bowl after finishing 4-11-1 the previous year. The Bengals ran the table in the playoffs, defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. The Bengals built on that success, returning to the AFC Championship game before losing to Kansas City in a rematch in 2022.
In 2023, however, they were unable to match their success. Due to a slew of injuries, the Bengals managed a 9-8 record, but it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs. The Bengals will be in their fourth season of contention, and expectations for the franchise are rising. With that said, Cincinnati has some issues to work out.
In terms of cap space, the Bengals are in good position, especially since their young quarterback, Joe Burrow, is already under contract. Cincinnati presently has approximately $24.6 million in available cap space, ranking them in the top half of the league with the tenth-most.
Cincinnati is also well-positioned in terms of draft capital. The Bengals will make ten picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including two in the third round and two each in the sixth and seventh rounds.
With plenty of contract room and a plethora of high-quality draft picks, the Bengals are in a good position to add players and strengthen the squad this summer. The following are the Bengals’ most likely trade targets and candidates.
Top Cincinnati Bengals Trade Targets.
Upgrades at defensive tackle, cornerback, and the offensive line may be necessary.
The Bengals’ big stockpile of draft picks now provides them with plenty of trading options. They have a pick in every round and multiple picks in three rounds, making this their most valuable asset in trade negotiations. If Tee Higgins, who requested a trade, is moved, they will likely have even more draft cash to work with.
Cincinnati has $24.6 million in available cap space, but they must use it wisely. The Bengals will need to utilize some of that money to sign draft picks this year. While it is not detrimental to any trade negotiations, it is something the team should consider.
Patrick Surtain II, cornerback, Denver Broncos.
This is a name that GIVEMESPORT has covered extensively this offseason, and for good cause. Surtain is one of the top corners in the NFL and plays for the Denver Broncos, who are currently rebuilding. It’s understandable that his name is all over the trade market.
The Bengals current cornerback core includes Cam Taylor-Britt, D.J. Turner, Mike Hilton, and Dax Hill. It’s not a bad group, and they’ve all been solid in the NFL. Still, Cincinnati doesn’t have a ton of premier talent at the position, and no sure-fire starter on the other side from Taylor-Britt. Surtain would fill their need at cornerback, and his talent would transform their entire defense.
Surtain is a star, and is on track to have a career that might land him in the Hall of Fame if he keeps this pace up. With Jaylon Johnson being taken off the market, Surtain becomes the only real star in the position that’s available.
Rumors have floated that the Broncos’ asking price for Surtain is two first-round picks. The Bengals have four picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft, as well as all their picks next year, so they’ve surely got the ammunition to make this deal happen. While they must be cautious and avoid overpaying, Surtain would be worth the cost.
Contract-wise, Surtain is on his rookie deal. He could, and likely will, demand an enormously expensive (and deserved) extension. However, the Bengals wouldn’t have to give him that until 2026, giving them some time to free up more cap space.
Teven Jenkins, OG, Chicago Bears
Teven Jenkins is a very solid offensive lineman when he’s healthy. Unfortunately for him, and the Chicago Bears, he hasn’t been able to be on the field consistently.
It feels like the Bengals have been in need of help on the offensive line for quite some time now. They’ve managed to compete regardless, but with Burrow coming back from his second major injury now, it’s a position that they need to take a serious look at. Jenkins does have some injury issues himself, but would bring a calming presence to the middle of an offensive line that is currently lacking one.
Out of 50 games that Jenkins could have played in his three years in Chicago, he’s appeared in only 31, while playing through injury in some of those as well. That inconsistency has led to his name being floated on the trade market.
Jenkins is an incredibly solid run blocker who is smart and can hold his own while pass-blocking. The 26-year-old wouldn’t cost much in a trade, and is on the last year of his rookie contract. He’d be a cheap, yet solid option to upgrade on the line.
Ed Oliver, DT, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have been a serious contender in the AFC for several years now. They might continue that this season, but the recent trade of Stefon Diggs now puts into question the Bills’ intentions for the future. If they continue to try to retool their roster, Ed Oliver might be a solid trade target.
By trading Diggs, the Bills will free about $19 million off their books for the 2025 season. For now, though, they only have a little over $4 million in cap space for 2024, and they still need to sign their draft picks. Simply put, they’ve got some work that must be done to help maneuver their financial situation.
Oliver is set to make over $9 million in 2024, but that number jumps up into the $20 million range over the next couple of seasons. If they’re looking for cap relief, Oliver might be a good place to start.
Oliver has been very solid since coming into the league in 2019. He’s been a staple of a Bills’ defense that has been very good at times, and has quality in both the running and passing game. He’d make sense for the Bengals, who were atrocious against the run in 2023.
The Bills are also thin at defensive tackle, so the Bengals could be forced to send one in return, along with draft compensation, which should be around a high-mid-round pick.
Top Cincinnati Bengals Trade Candidates
It might make sense for the Bengals to part ways with two of their best players
Most of the time, when the Bengals have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, it’s regarding Tee Higgins. Higgins was franchise-tagged by the Bengals in February, keeping him on their roster for the 2024 season, but that hasn’t quieted trade rumors down at all.
Aside from that, there hasn’t been much speculation regarding the rest of their roster. There are a couple of moves that could be made, ones that could really help them out in the future, including these two.
Tee Higgins, WR
Higgins was drafted in 2020, and has quickly developed into one of the best receivers in the game over the course of his career. Higgins has at least 900 yards in three of his four seasons, while sharing the field with Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd. The only year Higgins didn’t reach that mark was in 2023, when he appeared in only 12 games.
Higgins was franchise-tagged following the 2023 season, which locked him onto the roster with a $21.8 million cap hit for the year. After the 2024 season, though, he’ll be a free agent.
The two sides haven’t made any progress on an extension, and Higgins has openly requested a trade, so his future in Cincinnati doesn’t look bright at the moment. Any team that trades for the star will keep that in mind, and might prepare an extension upon completion of the trade. The fact that there is only one year left on Higgins’ deal could hurt his trade value
However, Diggs just got traded to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick, albeit in 2025, with no future guarantees for the Texans after the 2024 season. With Higgins being significantly younger, it makes sense that a return for Higgins should at least be a second-round pick. By trading Higgins, the Bengals would also free up over $20 million in cap space.
Sam Hubbard, EDGE
Sam Hubbard has been a quality player on the Bengals for quite some time now, and he’s been a solid compliment on the other side of Trey Hendrickson. Through his career, he’s been a very consistent pass rusher, and a staple on the defense as a whole.
Hubbard signed a four-year extension worth $40 million before the 2021 season, and that contract will run through 2025, leaving two years left on his deal.
Hubbard has not been bad by any means, but it’s fair to claim that he’s reached his peak. The 28-year-old’s career high in sacks is 8.5, which he reached in 2019. Since then, he’s averaged around 6–7 sacks a year. Hubbard is not a star, but he has been a quality starter year in and year out.
Hubbard is a great run defender who establishes the edge effectively. However, as a pass rusher, his performance is mostly determined by the level of competition he faces.
The Bengals hold the 18th pick in this year’s draft, giving them a chance to select one of the best edge rushers available if they trade Hubbard. Dealing him will also save them $10 million in cap space over the next two seasons, propelling them from tenth to third place in the league.
The trade market for edge rushers is rather dry, thus Hubbard’s trade value may be higher than usual.
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