The Cincinnati Bengals have turned into a powerhouse in the AFC in recent seasons. They have advanced to two straight AFC Championship Games, both against the Kansas City Chiefs, with each team winning once.
With one season remaining on the rookie contract of quarterback Joe Burrow, followed by his fifth-year option season, this is the time for Cincinnati to get aggressive in upgrading the roster. Having a quarterback on a rookie deal is the best building block in the NFL and the Bengals need to take advantage.
Things are going to start getting very expensive for the Bengals starting next offseason when wide receiver Tee Higgins is up for an extension. Burrow is eligible for an extension as well, while a decision will have to be made on the fifth-year option for fellow wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Keeping all of them would be ideal, but retaining entire cores is virtually impossible. Look no further than this offseason when starting safeties Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell both departed as free agents.
What kind of splash move could the Bengals look to make? One player that has been suggested as a potential trade target for the Bengals is Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry.
Henry is entering the last season of his contract and the Titans are toeing the line of a rebuild. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill could also be on the move in the coming weeks as a new era is nearly upon the franchise.
What could a deal between the Bengals and Titans look like? Cincinnati could offer their 2024 second-round pick and 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Henry and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Tennessee gets one premium draft pick in exchange for Henry, who likely isn’t in their long-term plans if a rebuild is on the horizon. The Titans would also save about $6.3 million on the salary cap by trading away their star running back, a significant number regardless of their plans.
For the Bengals, they would be getting a huge upgrade on Joe Mixon in the backfield. Mixon was a lumbering player last season and adding someone like Henry into the mix would make them much more dangerous.
The next two years should be all about maximizing the roster around Burrow while he remains on his rookie deal. Henry’s presence would take a lot of pressure off of him as opponents would have to respect what Henry can do on the ground against a favorable numbered box. That would open up their dynamic passing game even more, putting them in a position to have the best offense in the NFL.
