The Cincinnati Bengals are in utter disarray on the back end of their defense after Week 8. Not ideal circumstances to be in, especially with such an excellent defensive line keeping the unit from the blues of yesteryear.
Even though DJ Turner's heel injury is only of the day-to-day variety, the Bengals should shift their trade deadline priorities toward the secondary. Outside of Turner and splashy free-agent safety Bryan Cook, nobody should be safe.
Bengals beat man Charlie Goldsmith broke down how much of a fiasco the cornerback rotation was in Sunday's win over the Titans in which Cam Ward of all people threw for over 300 yards:
Here's how the Bengals' cornerback rotation went yesterday.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) November 2, 2026
DJ Turner and DJ Ivey started out wide with Dax Hill in the slot (the same that is has been for the last few weeks).
On the first third down of the game, Josh Newton subbed in for Ivey and played the slot, setting up…
That's enough to make your head spin, eh? Hey! Speaking of Tennessee, as we kick things off here...
Amani Hooker, S, Tennessee Titans
Who better to solidify the safety position than Amani Hooker!? This dude intercepted Joe Burrow not once, not twice, but thrice in Week 8. That is no small feat.
I get that Burrow had valid excuses for all those INTs. The first of them was a miscommunication with Ja'Marr Chase. On the second pick, Joe Shiesty was hit as he threw. And on the last one, let's call a spade a spade: Joe threw a quacking wounded duck well short of Ja'Marr, who'd burned the Titans deep.
But it's not by, like, some blind luck that Hooker was in position to make all those plays. He clearly has excellent ball skills. Oh, and he's a strong tackler. Ninth in PFF grades among safeties in coverage and run support. That's about as good of a combo as you can hope for.
From The Athletic's recent NFL trade deadline big board, this excerpt about Hooker's incredible versatility is most noteworthy:
"Though Hooker is under contract through 2028, he does not have any fully guaranteed money on his deal after this season. He is a versatile safety who can fulfill multiple responsibilities — post safety, split-field safety, nickel, dime, underneath zone and man-to-man on tight ends and slot receivers. He is a strong tackler who can impact the running game, and he has the instincts in zone coverage to feel routes and bait quarterbacks into throws."
...And I'm not convinced Joe getting hit on that second INT made that much of a difference on the play. Hooker made a great break on the ball. It didn't look like the ball lost meaningful velocity on its way toward Mike Geiscki, but hey, maybe I'm a loon.
Whehter you play Hooker at safety next to Cook, supplanting Jordan Battle, or you stick him in the slot to keep Dax Hill on the boundary, it's a massively winning move for Cincinnati's defense.
Love that Hooker is under contract for two more seasons. The Bengals would have to pay a premium for him since Tennessee would eat $8.6 million in dead money to part with him. Seems worth whatever the price is to me.
Amik Robertson, NB, Washington Commanders
As the No. 2 PFF-graded run defender amongst all cornerbacks, Amik Robertson would bring a physicality the Bengals could really use at the nickelback spot.
As good as Dexter Lawrence and that d-line are, the Bengals are vulnerable to outside runs and quick perimeter screens. These are exactly the types of plays Robertson specializes in snuffing out before they turn into chunk gains.
You just wonder whether the Commanders would be willing to part with Robertson. He has one year beyond this season left on his contract. One of the rare wins of the Adam Peters GM era in Washington. Don't know if I've been less impressed with many GMs in recent years than that dude.
With Peters and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn possibly having their jobs on the line right now at 2-4-1, maybe they think they can still do something this season.
Regardless, if I'm Duke Tobin, I'm getting Peters on the horn to see what it'd take to get Robertson to Cincinnati. Because it doesn't seem like Jalen Davis is coming off injured reserve any time soon, and he's nowhere near the player Robertson is.
Riq Woolen, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
Just happened to list these guys in order of when their contracts expire. Riq Woolen is a temporary rental guy, but his freaky athleticism and length on the perimeter would create clarity in a different way for the Bengals' cornerback corps.
To be fair, Woolen is someone I've long coveted for Cincinnati for a long time. I'm not going to sit here and pretend he's having some great season. He's not. Seven penalties and a 116.1 passer rating allowed (career: 83.2 rating). Hence why a change of scenery would be good for him.
There's no questioning Woolen's talent or the high-end ability he's flashed in the past. Everyone just seems checked out in Philly. And I'm not saying that's a great look, but I get it. Just imagine being in a losing environment with Nick Freaking Sirianni as your head coach. Gives me the vicarious ick, yo.
I mentioned recently that Josh Newton has inside-out versatility in theory, but he's far better suited on the perimeter. A viable long-term slot starter Fig is not.
Newton recorded a dreadful 39.6 PFF grade in Week 8. He got barbecued for six catches on seven targets for 86 yards and a TD. As much as I prefer Dax Hill as a boundary corner, he's the best option the Bengals have in the slot right now.
In lieu of being able to get a versatile safety like Hooker or a pure nickel type like Robertson, snatching Riq The Freak from the quickly-collapsing Eagles to fill that CB2 role opposite Turner is a solid play for the Bengals.
Add us as a preferred source on Google