There have been tons of question marks surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals' running back situation this offseason. Will they keep or cut Joe Mixon? What would they do at the position in free agency and/or the draft?
Well, as of now, Mixon is still on the team. The Bengals spent a fifth-round pick on Illinois running back Chase Brown. They didn't do anything at the position in free agency other than re-sign Trayveon Williams, who probably isn't anything more than a third-stringer.
Even after Zac Taylor expressed his desire to have Mixon remain the starter, people are still speculating if the Bengals will add more of a kick to the position.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports listed the Bengals to not just one, but two potential running backs on the trade block.
Could Bengals add a running back via trade?
The first running back that Benjamin discussed as a possibility for the Bengals is Derrick Henry. The former Alabama Crimson Tide running back was a second-round pick in 2016 and has been a juggernaut for the Titans' offense pretty much ever since.
Injuries have certainly started to pile up more for Henry, but he had over 1,500 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while totaling nearly 400 receiving yards this past season. The dude is still a nightmare to defend. He'd make this offense nearly unstoppable.
The other running back connected to the Bengals was Dalvin Cook. A second-round pick in 2017, Cook didn't miss a single game this past season, dashing for 1,173 yards and tallying 295 yards through the air. He had a total of 10 touchdowns.
For the Bengals to land either of these guys, they'd likely have to part with a Day 2 selection in next year's draft. The team is definitely in win-now mode, however, so if they think adding Cook or Henry could put them over the top, they shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a trade for either of these guys.
The Bengals seem content with having Mixon as their RB1 for the 2023 season and letting Brown serve as his backup. It's Mixon's final chance to show that he still has what it takes to be a starting running back though. If he can't succeed in this offense, it's time to part ways.