The Cincinnati Bengals granted Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, but they aren't necessarily operating like a team that wants to move on from the star defensive end.
According to ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano, some potentially interested suitors have been "turned off" by Cincinnati's high asking price, which is reportedly set at a first round pick and more.
One general manager even called Cincinnati's current asking price for Hendrickson "ridiculous," according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Clearly, the Bengals aren't trying to move Hendrickson just for the sake of doing so. They want to be blown away by an offer in order to part with their best defensive player. Perhaps they're even hoping that the steep sticker price scares teams away with the hope of keeping him for themselves.
Recent reports indicate that Bengals have extremely high asking prices for both Trey Hendrickson and Tee Higgins
After all, Hendrickson still has one year remaining on his current contract, and the Bengals have stated that they want to keep him. Perhaps delaying a potential trade with a sky-high asking price will provide additional time for Cincinnati to produce an acceptable offer.
The same could be said about star wide receiver Tee Higgins, as the Bengals don't sound like they're trying to move him either after designating him as a franchise player for a second consecutive season. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Cincinnati is also maintaining an elevated asking price for Higgins.
"The asking price for Tee Higgins is quote 'crazy' from one person. Very high," Wolfe said on air. "And so this definitely seems like a situation where the Bengals are not in a position now with their asking price to trade him."
The Bengals have repeatedly stated that their goal is to come to an agreement on a long-term contract with Higgins, so it makes sense that they're not really receptive to trade offers for the star receiver at this point in time.
If we inch closer to the July 15 deadline and there's still no agreement in sight, perhaps that could change. The same logic could apply to Hendrickson. Cincinnati started with an extremely high asking price, but perhaps it could drop as the offseason wears on.
For now, though, it doesn't sound like the Bengals are close to moving on from either Hendrickson or Higgins, which is good news for fans hoping that both guys will still be suiting up in Cincinnati next season.