Cincy Jungle
Joe Flacco was on fire on Thursday night, and the Bengals got back into the win column. Could the successful trade for Flacco and their playoff aspirations make them buyers as the November 4th NFL trade deadline approaches?
Here are some players they should consider targeting.
It is no secret that the Bengals desperately need to add a pass rusher opposite Trey Hendrickson.
There are a lot of edge defenders currently on the trade block, but they will not come cheap.
The Dolphins are rumored to be shopping both Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.
Chubb has 4 sacks this season and had 11 in his last full season (2023). While there are definitely positives, he has a massive cap number for next season when he will turn 30, and those are not two things the Bengals like separately, much less together.
Phillips is younger (26) and playing on the club option this season. He only has 1 sack on the season and hasn’t had more than 7 since his rookie season.
New York Giants edge Kayvon Thibodeaux has 2.5 sacks this season and had 5.5 in 12 games a year ago. He is only 24 years old and in his last year of his rookie deal before his club option goes into effect for 2026.
Carl Granderson is 28 years old and is having an excellent year with 4.5 sacks. The Saints’ defensive end is under contract for two more years, but his cap number shoots up $12 million after this season. That still only puts him at $18 million, but that, combined with his age, could make this deal hard to swallow for management.
There is another option in New Orleans. Cameron Jordon currently has 2.5 sacks, putting the 36-year-old on pace for his most productive year since 2022. He is in the last year of his deal and is said to be considering retirement. Perhaps the Saints will do Hendrickson’s former teammate a solid and let him go chase one more championship in exchange for a late-round pick.
The Titans were the first team to ditch their head coach and might just start a fire sale on other assets. Arden Key has 1.5 sacks this season and had 6.5 in 2024. He is 29 and in the final year of his contract.
Best Move: Kayvon Thibodeaux for Mitchell Tinsley and 3rd Round Pick
Thibodeaux has two years left on his deal and is only 24 years old. If they can get him to produce like he did in 2023 with 11.5 sacks, this would be a huge move. The Giants need offensive weapons, and Tinsley’s preseason film may sweeten the pot just enough to get them to pull the trigger.
Best Value: Arden Key for a 6th Round pick
Key has never had crazy sack production, but has posted 6 sacks in 3 of the past four seasons. That would certainly help this group, and he would likely be comparatively cheap to acquire.
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