It's rare for the Cincinnati Bengals to be involved in major trade rumors during the trade deadline. This year, though, Cincinnati has been linked to one of the biggest names on the market.
Over the last few weeks, the Bengals have been linked to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, with many pundits saying that he's a good fit for the team considering their deficiencies on that end.
After dominating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, these rumors need to die down in favor of trading for another defender.
Bengals' offense perfectly fine, even without elite run game
The Bengals' offense is a complete anomaly in today's league. Over the last few years, elite offenses have almost always had elite rushing and passing attacks. A weak rushing attack, in particular, is seen as a red flag, no matter how elite their passing offense may be. It's considered a feast-or-famine strategy, as defenses are able to run two-high shells to neutralize the passing game.
The Bengals have an elite offense in spite of their abysmal run game. Chase Brown hasn't been as explosive as he was last season, and Cincinnati has basically ran less because of that. They're once again near the bottom of the league in run rate (35.3%, second-last before Week 9), and their expected points per run play sits at 0.088 (23rd in the league).
Yet, the Bengals have one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Even with a mediocre 5.5 "explosive play" percentage, Cincinnati has been excellent. They have a 77.4% down conversion rate before Week 9, good for fifth in the league. In Week 9, they converted six of their 10 third downs, with a majority of those third down misses coming late in the game in garbage time. They got 24 first downs and kept the chains moving pretty well.
Joe Burrow is playing at an elite, MVP level this season, completing 74% of his passes. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are a nightmare for teams to defend, especially with Burrow throwing them pinpoint passes.
They also have Mike Gesicki and Dohnte Meyers as solid release valves who have stepped up at various points. The offensive line continues to hold up against the pass, and they're getting better at blocking for Brown and Samaje Perine in their run game. All of these factors combine to make an unstoppable offense that effectively nullifies their mediocre-at-best run game.
Bengals need to aim for defense at trade deadline
Because of that, there should be an increased focus on strengthening their defense instead. Cincinnati already has a strong front four, but their back seven seems incredibly suspect at times. Their linebackers are playing better than last year, but they're still pretty susceptible to rookie mistakes and missed coverages.
Another area that's needed help this season is their nickelback position. One of the more important positions in modern-day football, the Bengals don't exactly have a good player they can trust to play the nickel. That, combined with their lack of depth at the linebacker position, has led to a pretty soft second level that opposing teams have been able to attack.
Fortunately, there are many players available at the trade deadline who can immediately help the Bengals get better on defense.
The biggest name that fans want is Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun. A wily vet who's also one of the best coverage linebackers in the league, Baun would immediately help fix Cincinnati's most glaring weakness this season. The other player at the LB position linked to the Bengals is Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks, who was already one of the fanbase's favorite targets during the offseason.
The nickel position offers a lot more intriguing options for the Bengals. Two strong candidates for Cincinnati come from their most recent opponents: safeties Jessie Bates III and Amani Hooker are potential trade candidates who will immediately boost this team's defense. Other potential names are Jets CB Nahshon Wright, Cardinals S Budda Baker, and Eagles CB Tariq Woolen.
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