Bengals must consider uncomfortable call to Steelers about Nick Herbig

With the Cincinnati Bengals missing out on a hybrid outside linebacker type — combo LB, elite pass rusher, or whatever nomenclature you wish to use — they might need to find alternative ways to acquire the type of player they're looking for.

The good news is that there might be some available via trade. The bad news is, the Bengals might have to trade with the hated rival to achieve their goal.

Hopefully, dealing with the Pittsburgh Steelers will not prevent the front office from picking up the phone to inquire about linebacker Nick Herbig.

Steelers could make Nick Herbig available for the right price

Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig could be available for trade at the right price. And what the “right price” is for some teams might not be the same for a division rival.

Since they would likely have to give up a day to pick, possibly their third-round selection, the Bengals could attempt to lower the draft cost by sending a young player on their rookie contract back in the deal. 

The salaries would work out, unless that player were Shemar Stewart. But that option should also be on the table in this hypothetical situation.

Getting a second or third-round pick plus a player would be an incredible return on investment, considering Pittsburgh drafted Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Another option would be to offer Shemar Stewart straight up for Nick Herbig. It would be interesting to see how that phone call would end.

Herbig could be the perfect option for what the Bengals need

Last season, Herbig recorded 30 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 18 QB hits. He played in 15 games but started only six. 

For reference, Myles Murphy had 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits in 10 starts. Now, some are jumping at the chance to say that the Bengals should exercise the fifth-year option for Murphy.

According to ESPN, Herbig led the NFL with an edge-pass-rush win rate of 25%. He only played the edge 12% of the time.

Herbig’s age, versatility, current contract, and production should put him near the top of any list of trade targets that the Bengals are compiling.

Contract and playing time frustration could push Herbig out of Pittsburgh

One reason Herbig might be available for trade is that he wants to become a full-time starter. Currently, he's stuck behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on the depth chart. Coming to Cincinnati would immediately grant him starting status as a player who could lineup as an edge, rusher, outside linebacker, and middle linebacker.

Also, a trade for Herbig would come with the understanding that the linebacker is seeking a new contract, heading into the final season of his rookie deal.

Spotrac puts his future market value at $55.9 million over four years, with an average annual salary of $14 million.

Linebacker Devon Lloyd recently signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Carolina Panthers, averaging $14 million per year.

The Bengals were reportedly in on Lloyd in free agency. Perhaps they could direct those resources to a younger player who hasn't reached his prime yet.

The fifth-year option for Myles Murphy will be $14.4M.

While the Bengals were interested in adding to the linebacker room in free agency, their efforts yielded zero acquisitions at that spot. A trade for Herbig would alleviate that particular problem.

The draft may not offer a better option than Herbig

Hopefully, the Bengals did not procrastinate on giving a head start on this year's draft class. If they did not, like the fan base, they know that linebacker and pass rush are things that the team needs and how that compares to the available talent in this year's draft.

If the scouting department does not think that there is a player available in this year's draft in the third round who is better than Herbig, they should give strong consideration to trading for the 24-year-old linebacker. 

Herbig would solve the combo linebacker dilemma that many who cover the Bengals have been speaking about this offseason.

Herbig would also provide a proven commodity over the unproven ones that come with Day 2 or Day 3 picks in the draft. And when it comes to drafting edge, rushers, and linebackers, men don't have confidence in the personnel department to make the best decisions.

No sweetheart deals between bitter rivals

Perhaps the biggest hurdle beyond Cincinnati's willingness to give up a draft pick is working with the Steelers, especially after their former head coach, Mike Tomlin, criticized the Bengals for acquiring quarterback Joe Flacco from another AFC rival, the Cleveland Browns.

Despite Tomlin no longer being in Pittsburgh, the sentiment remains the same. Their organization is not going to help a division rival improve in any way. If they were to entertain a trade with the Bengals, their asking price may become too high.

We should not expect any trade that will end up as the first story on SportsCenter, if that still exists. However, the Bengals wouldn't be opposed to trading player for player, hoping to land BJ Hill in his first year after trading away first-round bust Billy Price. 

Cincinnati's front office committed highway robbery with that deal. Now, they are in a situation where they must once again consider donning a mask and taking down another unwitting victim in a trade.

Unfortunately, as we sit here today, it is difficult to contemplate such a situation. Therefore, Cincinnati needs to be aggressive in the trade market, and a good place to begin is by picking up the phone and having an uncomfortable conversation with the hated rival Steelers to inquire about Herbig’s availability.