The Cincinnati Bengals have already watched an AFC North rival make a move involving Philadelphia, with the Baltimore Ravens landing former Eagles center Cam Jurgens. If the Eagles are willing to part with a starter like that just one year after signing him to a big extension, it opens the door to wondering whether other names could be in play before the trade deadline.
Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice floated a handful of Eagles who could bring back solid value if Philadelphia decides to sell, and two of them stand out as possible Bengals fits: edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Tariq Woolen.
Smith is the more straightforward name. Kempski suggested the Eagles could get a strong return for him, especially with the team having signed a lucrative deal and likely preferring Jalyx Hunt. Smith, the former Georgia star, could wind up being the odd man out.
For Cincinnati, the price might not be as steep as it sounds. A Shemar Stewart-for-Smith framework, along with a Day 3 pick, would at least make sense on paper. Stewart is under rookie control through the 2028 season, while the Eagles exercised Smith’s fifth-year option, keeping him under contract through 2027.
There’s also the salary angle. The Bengals would be taking on a fully guaranteed $13.9 million deal, while Stewart’s contract still has $7.7 million in guarantees left. This isn’t the NBA, but the financial side still matters, and Cincinnati could have to send another contract back to get closer on the books.
The Bengals don’t exactly have to panic about edge rusher, either. Cashius Howell, Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, and Cedric Johnson have all been playing well enough that the spot is not a glaring emergency.
Still, if Stewart is going to sit around taking up a roster spot on game day, the Bengals may be better off turning him into something useful. Through four games, Smith has two sacks, two QB hits, and three tackles for loss.
Stewart has matched him with the same number of sacks and tackles for loss in his Bengals stint.
Woolen presents a different kind of possibility. At first glance, the idea of the Eagles moving their starting cornerback, especially after signing him to a one-year deal in free agency this offseason, sounds far-fetched. But Philadelphia just moved on from a starting guard who was originally its starting center, so nothing feels completely off the table.
For Cincinnati, the fit is easy to see. The Bengals are thinner at corner than they were when the season started, and they’ve already gone back to playing Dax Hill in the slot despite his clear preference not to. Woolen could help on the outside and inside, and his experience could make him a candidate to handle the slot while Hill shifts back to the boundary.
There’s another layer here, too. Woolen’s ability to match up with tight ends one-on-one could matter for a Bengals defense that has continued to struggle covering them. He could also help rookie corner Tacario Davis settle in, especially with Cincinnati taking the former Washington Huskies defensive back while thinking about long, 6-foot-4 corners with huge wingspans.
PFF has Woolen ranked 48th through four games, ahead of Dax Hill and DJ Turner, who sit 77th and 54th, respectively. That may or may not mean much, but it’s part of the case.
And if the Bengals can’t work something out with Hill’s or Turner’s agents, Woolen could become a useful piece in a leverage game. It would also help that he does not share an agent with Cincinnati’s starting corners.
None of this makes Smith or Woolen a sure thing. The Bengals likely have bigger concerns to chase before November 10th.
But if Philadelphia does make either player available, Cincinnati would have good reason to at least kick the tires. Both would add depth, and both could give the Bengals a little more flexibility in the process.
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