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The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the more disappointing teams during the 2024 NFL season. Cincinnati finished the regular season 9-8 and missed the playoffs despite having an incredibly productive offense. The Bengals ended the season on a five-game winning streak, but it was not enough to overcome the massive hole they dug for themselves.
Now the Bengals are transitioning into offseason mode and trying to figure out how to fix all of their problems from this past season.
The offensive side of the ball is not the problem in Cincinnati. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase both had incredible 2024 campaigns, but did not get enough help in many crucial games.
Cincinnati enters the offseason with roughly $47.6 million in cap space and the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. If the Bengals spend their resources wisely, they can upgrade their roster enough to become a contender in 2025. If the Bengals went one step further and used some future resources, they could really improve the roster in a hurry.
Below we will explore two potential trades that could see the Bengals acquiring important players they’ll need in 2025.
It should be no surprise that these trades are both for defensive players.
The Bengals did not excel in many areas on defense in 2024. However, the one area that hurt them the most was their run defense. Cincinnati allowed 2,122 rushing yards during the regular season at an average of 4.4 yards per carry.
This became a huge problem for the Bengals in a few different ways. Their leaky run defense helped their opponents sustain drives and set up manageable second and third downs. It also meant that the Bengals could not stop opponents from draining the clock after gaining a lead.
The Bengals have plenty of needs on defense. With these two trades, we will attempt to significantly upgrade the entire defense. That means adding one player that addresses run defense and another that upgrades the secondary.
I’ll have Cincinnati going big game hunting, so they’ll have to pony up by spending some draft capital to bring in quality players.
First, the trade terms.
Bengals receive:
Colts receive:
The Colts need to make some serious changes this offseason. Unfortunately, that could mean parting ways with veteran Grover Stewart.
Stewart is a powerful defensive tackle whose calling card is his incredible ability to defend the run. He is also a capable pass rusher who can push the pocket but will rarely be disruptive.
Stewart would plug in as an immediate starter for the Bengals, likely playing next to B.J. Hill in base defense. He is under contract for the next two seasons, which would allow Cincinnati to get the last drops of greatness out of him before...
