4 available veterans the Bengals could sign to fill in for Trae Waynes
By Aaron Burd
Bengals’ potential Trae Waynes replacement: Ross Cockrell
Throughout his six-year career, Ross Cockrell has been a journeyman in the NFL. So far, he has played with the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers. With the injury of Trae Waynes, Cincinnati could be his next destination.
Coming off of a 2018 season that he missed to injury, Cockrell disappointed in 2019. However, before an injury derailed his career, the former fourth-round pick had earned overall grades of 70.0+ in three straight seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. If given an opportunity with the Bengals, he could get his play back on track.
Recently, Cockrell and the Giants had seemingly come to an agreement to reunite. Fortunately for the Bengals, that deal fell through and the veteran corner is still available. Apparently, money was the issue between Cockrell and the Giants. This could indicate that Cockrell’s asking price is too high for the Bengals, but that shouldn’t stop them from testing the waters.
If he returns to form, Cockrell could be a solid starting corner in Waynes’ absence. If he replicates his 2019 performance, he can still be an okay depth piece behind Darius Phillips. Overall, he’s a high upside player for the Bengals to take a look at.