Minkah Fitzpatrick: Should Bengals Have Paid the Price?

On Monday Night with football fans across the world watching, The Bengals suffered a humiliating loss to the Steelers. Here, we explore a scenario where Minkah Fitzpatrick would have ended up on the other side.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton might be diagnosed with PTSD after the amount of hits he took in the backfield, as he was visibly frustrated all night. This is a guy that almost always seems calm, almost too calm

In the movie Remember the Titans, defensive star Julius Campbell makes a sack on an opposing quarterback, then stands over him and says, “You better make yourself comfortable down there. Real comfortable.” Dalton got comfortable on the turf at Heinz Field.

The offensive line should see the return of Cordy Glenn soon,  that will help the floundering unit that has seen injuries and retirements galore since August. However, for this article, I want to talk about the Steelers and a move they made recently.

Just over two weeks ago, the news broke on Monday Night Football that the Steelers were sending their 2020 first round, fifth round, and sixth round draft picks to the Dolphins for second year cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick and 2020 fourth and seventh round picks.

In a lot of ways, this was a head scratching decision by the Steelers after losing Roethlisberger the day before. However, Fitzpatrick is an electric player who makes big plays and can quickly help form a defensive identity. Fitzpatrick, who struggled lining up at free safety, is naturally gifted at covering the slot. In his rookie season, Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him at a 79.3 when covering that area of the field.

In just his first game with the Steelers, he forced a fumble and intercepted a pass from Jimmy Garoppolo. With the evolution of offenses and scoring, the objective of the modern defense is not just to create stops, but to create turnovers in this passing league. Fitzpatrick does just that.

It is too early to call this a good or bad trade. That being said, there is no denying that trading for Fitzpatrick after his stellar rookie season was as close to  first round pick value as you can get.

My question to Bengals fans is would you have traded what the Steelers did, a first, fifth, and sixth round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a fourth and seventh round pick?

Looking at the safety position for the Bengals, Fitzpatrick would have fit tremendously. Jessie Bates, who just a year ago looked to be a steal in the second round, is off to a terrible start. PFF currently has Bates’ player ranking at 42.1, which ranks as one of the worst in the league. Shawn Williams is not much of an upgrade. He also ranks terribly with a score of 53.7.

This trade would have made more sense for the Bengals for several reasons. It may have saved Zac Taylor’s first year instead of it going sideways so quickly. Secondly, it is not a foregone conclusion that the Bengals are going to turn a new leaf at quarterback next season. Right or wrong, it is very possible that the Bengals extend Dalton. Gulp.

The Bengals haven’t committed to tanking like the Dolphins have, but trading with them for their best asset would have helped the immediate roster. Also, this would’ve been an exciting use of the 2020 first round pick. Who knows what the Bengals 2020 draft plan will be, but there is no guarantee it will include a player as good as Fitzpatrick.