The Cincinnati Bengals need help on defense in the worst way. Do you hear that sound? it's all of Who Dey Nation quoting Jerry Maguire to Duke Tobin, "Help me...help you!"
That's what I'd be doing if I were in one of the select few posts of the Bengals' minimalist personnel department. To his credit, Tobin did swing a trade for a new starting quarterback in Joe Flacco, but he's also the man responsible for putting an unacceptable defense on the gridiron. A fireable offense in my humble opinion.
So will Tobin and Cincinnati's front office swallow their collective pride, stop leaning so much on failed draft picks, and swing a blockbuster trade before the No. 4 deadline? Probably not. But if Tobin did do it, here's how it might happen...
Bengals trade 2026 1st-round pick, 2027 3rd-round pick for Jets DT Quinnen Williams
Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz maintains that the New York Jets are willing to listen to trade proposals for Quinnen Williams. While they're not eager to deal him away, a Godfather offer could do the trick.
The question is, would the Bengals pony up enough draft capital to get it done? Again, probably not, but at this point, they've whiffed on so many premium picks. Trading for an established star, who they got a close look at in Week 9's awful loss, seems like an ideal scenario.
Cincinnati's interior d-line rotation doesn't feature McKinnley Jackson. He was a 2024 third-round pick who doesn't play at all. Jackson's classmate, Kris Jenkins Jr., was taken a round earlier and offers little as a pass rusher.
Williams had six sacks a season ago, and although he's slowed down in that department this year, he stands as PFF's No. 1 run defender at the defensive tackle position. The Jets just ran for 250+ yards on the Bengals this past Sunday.
Quinnen Williams to the Queen City. Has a nice ring to it. GET IT DONE, DUKE!!
Bengals trade Shemar Stewart, 2026 2nd-round pick, 2027 6th-round pick for Packers EDGE Rashan Gary
This wouldn't be so much about Cincinnati punting on rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart as it would be about the golden opportunity to land Rashan Gary from Green Bay.
Pairing Gary with Trey Hendrickson would give the Bengals a dynamic pass-rushing duo on the edge. Stewart has all the physical tools to be a future Pro Bowler, but let's face it, he's gotten off on the wrong foot in Cincinnati from the day he was drafted. An ugly contract holdout in the offseason preceded a Week 2 ankle injury to slow his development.
Since the Packers already have superstar Micah Parsons, and adequate depth on the edge in Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare, Stewart is a fine piece to add to the mix.
That also makes Gary tradeable if the price is right, even though he already has 7.5 sacks in seven games.
Sacrificing Stewart in this trade would mean the Bengals must at least franchise tag Hendrickson in 2026. They're liable to do precisely that. It'd be worth the headache at the negotiating table to put Gary and Hendrickson together for the rest of this season — and hopefully beyond.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler recently speculated that the 49ers (among other teams) would check in on Gary around the deadline to gauge trade interest. If the Bengals bring this offer to the table, wouldn't Green Bay be hard-pressed to say no?
Bengals trade Cam Taylor-Britt, 2026 3rd-round pick for Dolphins EDGE Jaelan Phillips
Quite a steep cost for a player in Jaelan Phillips who has a significant injury history. Nevertheless, the Bengals lit two third-round selections on fire last year between Jackson and wide receiver Jermaine Burton. No need to be precious about such an asset.
I've advocated for Cincinnati to get in business with the Miami Dolphins, a 2-6 team whose depth is decent at the edge defender spot. Phillips is in a contract year, but so is Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.
All indications are that CTB has worn out his welcome and won't be coming back next year. Phillips' aforementioned injury woes mean he won't command top-market value as a pending free agent, so the Bengals can scheme a way to pinch pennies and not shell out massive money for him.
Seems like an ideal fit. Miami is in a pseudo-rebuild and could use more draft currency. The Fins are in dire need at the cornerback position, too, so Taylor-Britt is an ideal low-risk, high-reward flier.
Phillips had 15.5 sacks in his first two NFL seasons, and six through eight games in 2023 before tearing his Achilles. The 26-year-old missed all but four games last season due to a torn ACL.
And yet, Phillips is still the 13th-best pass rusher among edge defenders in 2025, per PFF. Sign me up.