Dion Jordan to the Cincinnati Bengals?

Aug 9, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan (95) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Everbank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Would the Miami Dolphins trade Dion Jordan to the Cincinnati Bengals? Would Marvin Lewis and a conservative front office take a major gamble at a steep cost to obtain the No. 3 overall pick from the 2013 NFL draft?

While it seems unlikely, the thought of Jordan joining the Bengals may not be so outlandish.

First, the issues in Miami. A new regime is in place, and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald recently reported that the staff does not see Jordan as a starter in 2014:

"The coaching staff loves his tools but believes he needs to add more muscle mass to play the run more effectively (he intends to) and shore up his pass rush moves. He would not project as a 2014 starter."

CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora then dropped this bombshell:

So yes, things are a bit bad in Miami at the moment. Allegedly. The new bosses in place apparently may view Jordan as a mistake from a past regime. Giving up on a player after one season is usually a huge mistake, but this is Miami — where logic has evaporated from the pool quite some time ago.

Really, Jordan would not be a starter next year. He is not going to beat out Olivier Vernon or Cam Wake at defensive end, and he won’t see the field enough as a 4-3 pass-rushing outside linebacker to justify the hefty price the Dolphins paid for him.

So about those Bengals.

For one, defensive end is a bit of a need. If Michael Johnson walks in free agency, all the Bengals currently have to fill his void is Margus Hunt. The jury is still out on Hunt in the same way it is on Jordan, but nabbing Jordan on the trade market would at least help to protect the Bengals from inefficiency at the spot. Besides, we all know the scheme works better when a deep rotation is in place.

Jordan played just 339 snaps last year as a “tweener” and weighs in at 6’6″ and 260 pounds.

Let’s see, which coaching staff in the NFL has done a stellar job of taking fringe 4-3 defensive ends who need to bulk and turning them into every-down starters who eventually demand the franchise tag and a hefty price tag on the open market?

That would be the Bengals.

The cost for Jordan at this point is likely a second-round pick. Miami understands it is not going to get equal value, but a second and a later-round pick seems to be a fair cost at this point for a player they may no longer want who just happens to be a rare athlete in need of some proper coaching.

The risk is high for the Bengals if they want to make the move, but shipping away a second-round pick for Jordan may be a better investment than using the same pick on a rookie end who has never played a professional snap.

At the very least, it is something for the franchise to consider if the trade rumors are true.