The Cincinnati Bengals are riding high this week after their 35-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, in what was a huge AFC North result. The Bengals' offense was on fire in the second half, putting up all 35 points, with Joe Burrow throwing four touchdown passes.
However, it wasn't all good news. Tight end Erick All Jr. went down with a knee injury and was ruled out. The Bengals confirmed it is indeed a third torn ACL for All, who's had multiple surgeries on the same knee in college and since coming into the NFL.
With Tanner Hudson also on injured reserve, the Bengals just have Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample and seventh-round rookie Jack Endries at tight end. Because of this, they decided to sign Cam Grandy from the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad. Grandy was with the Bengals for the past two years, but was cut in the summer; He is now back in Cincinnati.
The Bengals should trade for a tight end, and Cade Otton is a prime target
Grandy is very much a career backup and has only seven receptions in two seasons, totaling 35 yards. He also lost a fumble last season, and his longest career reception is just nine yards. It's very clear that he's no replacement for All, who is a good receiving tight end, who is also a strong run blocker too.
Instead of settling for Grandy or an unproven/green player in Endries, the Bengals should trade for a tight end, after all, they are in win-now mode this season. The front office showed in the offseason that they were going to be aggressive this season, with the Dexter Lawrence trade, so why not add to an already stacked roster by trading for a replacement for All.
A name that stands out is Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton, who has struggled to make an impact this season. Otton is a good receiving tight end; he has 226 career receptions for over 2,200 yards and has caught 11 touchdown passes. He is also a very good run blocker, which could be useful to help unlock Chase Brown.
However, this season, he has just 19 receptions for 186 yards, and could be a potential trade candidate, especially considering that the Bucs sit at 2-5 after a very disappointing start to the year.
The Bengals could strike a very cheap deal for Otton, with a fifth-round pick likely enough to persuade the Bucs to ship him off. It would give Burrow another top weapon, and we've seen how effective Gesicki has been this season, so there's no reason why Otton couldn't do the same in this high-powered offense.
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