The Bengals left Madrid at 6-2, and the win over the Falcons only sharpened the conversation around Tuesday’s trade deadline. A 34-17 result in the NFL’s second-ever game in Spain showed Cincinnati can handle business, but it also exposed the same roster questions that have been hanging around all season.
If this is a team with real AFC ambitions, standing pat would feel like a missed chance. The front office has one last look at the roster, and there are a few names that make sense if Cincinnati decides to be aggressive.
Zack Baun is the cleanest fit on the defensive side. The Bengals got a game-icing interception from Barrett Carter, and Sunday was solid enough from the linebacker group overall, but the run defense still gave up too much.
Bijan Robinson ran for 100 yards on 19 carries, a 5.3-yard average, and that kind of production can turn into a problem fast against teams like Kansas City or Buffalo. If opponents can keep moving the ball on the ground, they can keep Joe Burrow on the sideline, and that’s exactly what they want.
Baun has already been mentioned as a possible target, and the Eagles’ situation makes the idea even more interesting. Philadelphia is 2-7 and riding a seven-game losing streak.
Before the season, PFF ranked Baun as the fourth-best linebacker in the NFL, and the source material makes clear he’s still playing at that level. He reads offenses well, especially against the run, which is exactly the area where Cincinnati needs help.
The price could be steep, possibly multiple draft picks, but the Bengals would be buying a player who could change the defense.
Jonathan Taylor is the splashy offensive name, and yes, it’s the obvious one. It also feels like a long shot.
Still, the logic is simple: give this offense a running game and it becomes even harder to stop. Cincinnati already has plenty of firepower, but a real ground threat would help it close games, something the team has historically had trouble doing.
Chase Brown had flashes against Atlanta and finished with 57 rushing yards, which was his best game of the season. Even then, the run game too often got stuffed for one yard or less.
If the Bengals want to go all in, Taylor is the kind of back who fits that mindset. Reports say the Colts would want a first-round pick, but if Cincinnati is serious about making a move, this is the sort of swing that would fit the moment.
Budda Baker rounds out the list, and the safety spot is hard to ignore. Jessie Bates or Amani Hooker would have been better fits, but Bates is in Jacksonville and the Titans are reportedly not moving Hooker, so Baker becomes the option.
Safety has been a concern all year. Bryan Cook has been solid, but Jordan Battle, PJ Jules and Kyle Dugger have all struggled, especially with missed tackles that keep showing up in this secondary.
The Falcons did not light up the Bengals through the air, with Michael Penix throwing for 162 yards and one touchdown. Even so, Cincinnati still had trouble forcing incompletions when Atlanta went to its top targets.
Drake London caught all five of his targets for 68 yards, and Robinson caught six of seven for 47 yards. Baker would give the Bengals another piece at safety, one who can handle tight ends in coverage and also help in run support near the line.
With the Cardinals sitting at 3-6 and Baker 30 years old, he looks like a player Arizona could be willing to move.
In Other News...
Bengals Edge Pursuit Collapsed Over A Cost Fans Never Saw Coming
The Bengals spent part of their edge-rusher search trying to work out a deal for Arnold Ebiketie, but the path to getting him from Philadelphia never got close to simple. Cincinnati was willing to send a 2027 sixth-round pick, yet the real issue was not the price on the trade itself. It was the draft capital the club could have put at risk down the road, a complication that turned a relatively modest swap into a much bigger decision for the front office.
Ebiketies status with the Eagles created the kind of compensatory-pick wrinkle teams spend months trying to avoid, and the Bengals ultimately decided the cost was too steep. As a result, Cincinnati will not land Ebiketie and is unlikely to chase any player who came off the board as a compensatory free agent this offseason. For a team still looking to strengthen its pass rush, it is another reminder that roster-building is not always about what a player costs today, but what he might cost later. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Defense Has A Demetrius Knight Problem Al Golden Must Solve
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Bengals are weighing more than just whether to add help on defense. The bigger question may be whether Al Golden can get more out of the pieces already in place, or whether Cincinnati needs to look outside the building for a fix. That leaves the defense at a crossroads, with the front office, coaching staff and current roster all part of the same conversation.
At the center of it is Demetrius Knight Jr., whose early stretch has been uneven enough to force a closer look at how he is being used. His issues in run support and coverage have stood out, but the Bengals also see a player who can affect the pocket in the right situations. If Golden is going to squeeze more production out of this unit, the answer may lie in a system tweak that better fits Knight and the rest of the linebacking group rather than waiting for a deadline move to solve everything. [Read more 🡒]
Dexter Lawrence Just Added To Bengals Fans Joe Burrow Hype
Dexter Lawrence has wasted little time settling in with the Bengals since arriving from the Giants in April, and he has already found a way to add to the buzz around Joe Burrow. The three-time Pro Bowler has been openly complimentary of Burrow, saying he respects what the quarterback has done and wants to see him keep pushing the offense forward.
For Cincinnati fans, it is another reminder that Burrows strong play is not just carrying the team through its recent winning stretch, it is also earning the admiration of accomplished players around him. Lawrences message has been simple and confident, matching the tone around a quarterback who has looked every bit like the centerpiece of the Bengals season. [Read more 🡒]