Bengals should place these 3 players on the trade block

Football is back! The preseason is here! There are roster moves to be made! And everyone loves a good trade by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Here are three Cincinnati Bengals players the team could potentially include in a trade before the beginning of the regular season.

Jessie Bates

Ideally, the Bengals should have signed Jessie Bates to a long-term contract. They did not. Thus, they used the franchise tag on the star safety. Doing so sparked an interest in Bates’ services around the league. If the Bengals can drive up interest from multiple teams, they could get back a good player and/or future draft picks.

One potential landing spot for Bates is Philadelphia. The Eagles were rumored to be interested in the safety even before the Bengals tagged him. Philly is amidst an offensive line competition centered around Jack Driscoll and Isaac Seumalo. The Eagles do not want to lose Driscoll or Seumalo, especially now with Jason Kelce out with an injury.

Seumalo still has the edge in the right guard competition. Landing Driscoll, who performed admirably last year at both right guard and tackle, along with a draft pick, could be an excellent pickup for Cincinnati.

Furthermore, we know that the Bengals are not averse to playing offensive linemen at spots they have never played before. A player like Driscoll would provide even more competition at the left guard spot.

Another team rumored to have an interest in Bates is the New York Jets. It just so happens that they have a position battle going on at safety. Will Parks, Ashtyn Davis, LaMarcus Joyner, and Jason Pinnock are all vying for the free safety position in New York.

Pinnock is a converted slot corner who played well at safety last year when he was called on.

Pinnock is looking to have a more prominent role this year after having a promising rookie campaign last year. If the Bengals were to go with this trade, at the very least, Pinnock could offer depth behind rookie first-rounder Dax Hill.

The expectation is that Cincinnati will let Bates walk after the 2022 season, even if he does eventually show up for the regular season. Also, Vonn Bell is in the final year of his contract, so moving on from Bates this year would help buffer the Bengals against a future where the team loses both starting safeties in one offseason.

Pinnock, who is still on his rookie deal, could provide depth and compete for a starting role with the Bengals this year and beyond.

Cincinnati could make Bates available and let the offers come to them. There would be many suitors for his services if Cincinnati were to go that route.

Jackson Carman

The Bengals drafted Jackson Carman last year in the second round. The hope was that he would immediately become the starter at right guard. That, however, never came to fruition. Currently, Carman is listed as the starting left guard, and hopes remain high for the young lineman.

Remember that time when Cincinnati played Billy Price all preseason at center and guard just to trade him during the final cuts to the New York Giants for B.J. Hill? Then, many believed that Price’s place on the squad was safe. Since then, B.J. Hill signed a multi-year extension with the Bengals, and Price is currently a free agent.

If they were so inclined, the Bengals could play Carman in the preseason only to try to move him for another player. He is penciled in as a starter. However, Carman is perceived to be the weakest link along the offensive line. Cincinnati could find a better option either currently on the roster or with a surprise cut when teams get down to 53.

In the same way that there was interest in Price, a former first-rounder, there could be a team interested in Carman. The Bengals could look to move him if they were to find a suitable upgrade.

Samaje Perine

Finally, Samaje Perine is a player the Bengals could look to move before the start of the regular season.

Perine is a very good running back who produces when given a chance.

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He also has the complete confidence of the coaching staff. That includes having him in the game instead of Joe Mixon on the final drive of the Super Bowl.

However, the Bengals have a young, explosive running back in Chris Evans, who has earned more playing time this season.

If that happens, it will come at the expense of either Perine or Mixon. However, since there is no indication that Cincinnati will ponder the notion of trading Mixon or limiting his touches, Perine is the likelier to see his playing time reduced.

If guys like Trayvon Williams and Jacques Patrick perform well in the preseason, receiving assets for Perine could be a good play by the Bengals.

To paraphrase Tony Stark, We love the Bengals three-thousand. Who Dey?!