Much of the crux of the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive woes in 2025 stemmed from their inexperience at linebacker. They started two rookies in Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter. Neither were ready for that responsibility at the NFL level.
In fact, Knight and Carter were so bad that it leads one to question whether they're still a year away from being a year away. If you ask me, they're more like special teams-caliber players.
That's no knock on Carter. What do you expect from a fourth-round linebacker? All-Pro status? It is a knock on Knight. He was a Round 2 pick. Didn't come close to living up to that billing.
Long story short, Cincinnati is in dire need of linebacker help. I'd personally find it via double-dipping in free agency, but that's just me. Maybe the Bengals could target a two-time Pro Bowler who, as of Wednesday, is officially confirmed to be seeking a trade.
Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds should be prime Bengals trade target
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported that the Bears have given Edmunds permission to seek a trade as he enters the final year of his contract.
Although Edmunds would be a rather expensive $15 million cap hit for 2026, he'll hit the open market next offseason. This is precisely the type of all-in move Duke Tobin referred to in his Combine press conference where actions would speak louder than words out of Cincinnati for once.
Unfortunately, I believe it's inevitable that Knight is still a starter for the Bengals come Week 1. The least they could do is swap out Carter for a far superior veteran like Edmunds.
Just look at several key stats for undeniable proof that Edmunds would be well worth the cost, even as a one-year rental. He had four interceptions in 2025, allowed an 87.2 passer rating, was PFF's 16th-best linebacker in run defense, and missed only 8.8% of his tackles.
Now let's dig into how Carter fared in those same categories: One INT, a 114.6 opponent passer rating, 83rd out of 93 qualifiers in run defense, and a 14.8% missed tackle clip.
This isn't that difficult, is it? Now that it's public knowledge that Edmunds is actively searching for a trade partner, the Bears have little leverage to ask for much in a trade.
Instead of using a Day 3 draft pick on another player like Barrett Carter, why not ship it away for a star of Edmunds' caliber? His many years of experience, production, and leadership would make him a most welcome arrival to the Bengals' locker room.
Another funny anecdote to bring us home: Edmunds has eight solid NFL seasons under his belt and turns 28 in May. Demetrius Knight Jr. has one dreadful pro season on his resume, and he'll turn 26 in July.
Stay tuned to see if the Bengals skew older with one of their top two picks in this year's draft! Can't wait!