NFL Trade Deadline 2019: 5 Trades that should’ve been made
It’s baffling to me that the Cincinnati Bengals were quiet at the 2019 NFL Trade Deadline in terms of selling off of their assets. They made news on Tuesday, to be sure, announcing that they’re benching quarterback Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. But that move makes it even more maddening that they didn’t do anything at the deadline, particularly with A.J. Green.
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Green hasn’t played a down in the 2019 season but the 31-year old pass-catcher is slated to return at some point this year. Having said that, he’s in the final year of his current contract. And considering that the Bengals are heading towards a top-two pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, holding on to a veteran receiver while a rookie quarterback takes over the offense does the team no good at all.
More frustrating than that is a team like the Green Bay Packers almost surely would’ve come calling about a guy like Green. With Davante Adams injured for the past few weeks, the lack of depth at wide receiver that Aaron Rodgers has to work with has been a glaring issue in Green Bay. Thus, adding a proven player like Green would be hugely beneficial to them.
In return, the Bengals could’ve gotten mid-round draft capital for a player that they are only going to get compensatory picks for if he leaves in free agency, which he should. For a team that is currently winless and needing to build for the future, that’s far more valuable than holding on to Green for whatever reason they did so.