Let’s be honest: every offseason brings a wave of speculative trades from outlets like ESPN. Most of the time, it’s good fun — a chance to imagine stars in new places and fix team weaknesses with a single bold move. But when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals, the logic often breaks down.
In this latest ESPN piece, the proposed trade involving the Bengals is off-base. It’s either rooted in a misunderstanding of how this front office operates or a disregard for the team’s current competitive window. The Bengals have a young, dynamic core — Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (pending contract), and a revamped defense built for long-term success. They’re not rebuilding; they’re contending.
Yet, ESPN’s hypothetical trades always seem to treat the Bengals as a team looking to offload talent or shake things up drastically. That doesn’t align with how this organization works. The Bengals have been conservative in trades, preferring to build through the draft, develop their players, and retain their core pieces. They’ve been deliberate, not splashy — and it’s worked. Back-to-back AFC Championship appearances, a Super Bowl run — this isn’t a team in crisis.
So when a trade scenario suggests moving a key starter for draft picks or bringing in an aging veteran at a high cost, it feels lazy. These moves may “make sense” in theory, but not in the real-world context of Cincinnati’s strategy.
If you’re going to create hypothetical trades, at least make them fit the team’s timeline, identity, and philosophy. Otherwise, you’re just reshuffling names for clicks.
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