Trading for Clelin Ferrell could give the Bengals pass rush a much-needed boost
The Cincinnati Bengals are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL through six games. This is a far cry from their impressive 2021 season when they went from last in the league in sacks in 2020 to being tied for the 11th-most by the end of the 2021 regular season.
Not having much of a pass rush has hurt the team in their 3-3 start and likely cost them a few victories. That's why the Bengals should consider adding a pass-rusher before the trade deadline.
Enter: Clelin Ferrell of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bengals should trade for Clelin Ferrell
The Raiders spent the fourth overall pick on Ferrell in 2019 in what was considered to be a surprising move at the time. Ferrell hasn't done much with the Raiders during his time there and despite appearing in every game this season, he isn't getting enough playing time for the Raiders to merit keeping him.
Ferrell has 4.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019 but hasn't done much since then. His defensive snaps have decreased every year since then and this year, with Ferrell being one of Jon Gruden's draft picks, it's not surprising that the current Raiders regime hasn't given him much opportunity to show what he can do.
The Bengals have talented pass-rushers such as Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and B.J. Hill but adding Ferrell gives them another situational pass-rusher to help them on key downs. Cincinnati isn't a team that makes trades and would rather stick with what they have so I'd be shocked if this actually happened but it's worth discussing.
Ferrell is in the final year of his rookie contract so if the Bengals were to make this move and be impressed with him, they could extend him past the 2022 season. If they weren't impressed, they could simply let him walk when the season came to an end.
Next. Most Disappointing Trades in Bengals History. dark
What do you think, Bengals fans? Should the team explore a trade for Clelin Ferrell?