標籤: Bengals

When it comes to a wide receiver duo, the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best in the business. At his peak, Ja’Marr Chase is in the running for the NFL’s best receiver. Meanwhile, Tee Higgins is certainly one of the NFL’s best No. 2 receivers.

after this? The wide welcoming corps of the rest of the Bengalis leaves much to be desired. In other words, there is more room for an established playmaker.

recently, Sports IllustratedEva Geitheim had a suggestion that could potentially give the Bengals the third playmaker they are looking for. His idea was to sign three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Bengals.

The point is, Hopkins doesn’t have much left to offer. While the five-time Pro Bowler is one of the most accomplished receivers of this generation with over 13,000 receiving yards to his name, he only put up 330 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games with the Ravens last season.

Is he really the playwright Bengalis are looking for? They may feel like they would be better off continuing to take advantage of the better opportunities they already have on the roster.

Last year, the Bengals’ third receiver, Andrei Iosivas, recorded 435 yards and two touchdowns. Aside from Chase and Higgins, the Bengals did not have any other wide receiver over 150 yards. This year, the Bengals added fourth-round pick Colby Young to the mix, and Cincinnati may feel more inclined to take a chance on the youth on the roster before reaching out to someone like Hopkins.

RELATED: 2026 NFL QB rankings: From the NFL’s worst starting QBs to the best

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

Suddenly, the Cincinnati Bengals have shown a willingness to make a big deal. This proved true when Bengals general manager Duke Tobin agreed to send the team’s first-round pick, No. 10 overall, to the New York Giants in exchange for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

The Bengals were willing to make the move knowing that Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowl DT, would make a bigger immediate impact than any player coming into the 2026 NFL Draft class. While Bengal are clearly still looking to win, could another experienced player come in?

One player without a contract, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, recently stated his case to join the Bengals, where he wants to team up with Joe Burrow. Hopkins thinks Burrow is “one of the best.” Hopkins named the Bengals QB’s toughness and his history of leading the team to the Super Bowl in Burrow’s second season in the NFL as reasons for his choice.

.@DeAndreHopkins Says he’d like to play with Joe Burrow 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aEJ5mXQMQv

– Sports Illustrated (@SInow) 2 May 2026

While the 33-year-old Hopkins is clearly interested in continuing his football career, there has been no buzz on his market since becoming a free agent.

He has also mentioned interest in reuniting with his former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray at the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings recently brought in a veteran receiver for a workout, so they’re clearly looking for depth after the NFL Draft as well. Perhaps Hopkins could also be a fit for Minnesota, but he has not expressed any interest yet.

Hopkins spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens, where he caught 22 of 39 targets for 330 yards and two touchdowns. The three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2023, when he was with the Tennessee Titans.

Clearly still feeling like he has something to prove, the Bengals won’t lose anything by bringing the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver in for a workout. At best, he shows he can be a difference-maker in Cincinnati. If not, the Bengals may feel more confident in the talent they have, confident that their younger options may be better in the long run.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Power Rankings: Evaluating the worst, best teams after the NFL Draft

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

A new rumor claims that long before the Cincinnati Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence, they were eyeing a deal for the star defensive lineman. However, the deal fell apart for a very special reason.

Last week, the Bengals shocked many in the NFL when they gave up their chance to make the 10th selection in this week’s NFL Draft to acquire defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants. The three-time Pro Bowler was disgruntled and was coming off a poor season, so many thought the Giants would be lucky if they got a second-rounder for his services.

Whether you like the cost of the trade or not, the Bengals are still significantly better off on defense for 2026. They desperately needed to do something, especially after losing Trey Hendrickson to division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.

Reports indicate that the Lawrence trade came together quickly. So did the Bengals have someone else in mind to trade with their pick at No. 10? According to Essential Sports NFL insider Tony Pauline, the answer is yes.

The Cincinnati Bengals attempted to trade for Max Crosby.

“Sources told me that long before the Bengals traded the draft’s 10th pick to the Giants for Lawrence, the team had discussed trading that selection to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby. But the Bengals were unwilling to match the pair of first-round picks that the Ravens initially sent to Vegas for Crosby before a failed physical deal voided the deal.”

Landing the five-time Pro Bowler would have been a huge accomplishment and would have given Bengals fans hope of winning an AFC North title in 2026. Additionally, in addition to being an elite pass rusher who is still only 28 years old, he comes in at a reasonable rate and is set to make an average of $28 million through 2029.

After Crosby failed his physical, pundits claimed it would be difficult for Las Vegas to acquire two first-rounders in another deal this offseason. They were right.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

With eight selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals will soon add a group of youth to the roster. It all starts on April 23, where the Bengals have the 10th overall pick in the first round, and fans have spent the last few months speculating who might be joining Cincinnati.

recently, athleticBengals insider, Paul Dehner Jr. made his prediction. As many other analysts have predicted in the Bengals mock, Dehner predicted that Cincinnati would add to their secondary by making Tennessee cornerback, Jermod McCoy, the tenth overall pick in the first round.

McCoy is considered the second-best cornerback in the 2026 draft class. Nevertheless, he missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn ACL, and he is still viewed as a lock for the first round. It makes one wonder whether he would have been classified as the best cornerback if McCoy had not suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Either way, it shows that the film McCoy put on tape at Oregon State in 2023 and Tennessee in 2024 is strong enough for NFL evaluators to remain very high on his pro prospects. McCoy recorded two interceptions in his first season and four interceptions in his second season. There’s certainly more to come in the NFL, and Cincinnati could be an ideal landing spot for the 6-foot-1, 188-pound corner.

RELATED: Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowler campaign for blockbuster trade involving All-Pro

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

After missing the postseason in 2025, the Cincinnati Bengals are doing everything they can to make sure they don’t take another step back in 2026. After losing top pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency, the Bengals know it won’t be easy. The arrival of Boye Mafe with a $60 million contract will certainly help. But the work of Bengal is not completed.

Recently, the Bengals signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson to a one-year contract. He joins Joe Burrow and Sean Clifford as the only QBs on Cincinnati’s roster. But Bengals general manager Duke Tobin can’t be included in this position.

according to athleticBengals insider Paul Dehner Jr. says the team is “waiting” for Joe Flacco in free agency.

If the Bengals sign Flacco after already adding Johnson, they will have the oldest group of quarterbacks in the NFL. Flacco is 41, and Johnson isn’t far behind at age 39. Burrows is 29 years old.

Although injuries are always a factor throughout the season, the Bengals are prioritizing experience when it comes to the QB room. Last year’s backup, Jake Browning, has already signed a new deal with the Buccaneers, so no matter what happens, the Bengals’ depth chart at QB will look a little different next year.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Mock Draft After NFL Free Agency Negotiation Window

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

Early in the NFL offseason, the Miami Dolphins made a lot of noise after firing head coach Mike McDaniels, replacing him with former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and conducting a recent roster breakdown to free up cap space for free agency.

Their decision to waive star receiver Tyreek Hill garnered a lot of attention, but a new report claims they are on the verge of moving on from another key member of their roster. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, “The Dolphins have had trade talks with teams regarding five-time Pro Bowl S Minkah Fitzpatrick.”

Miami traded Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago to acquire a 2018 first-round pick. However, they would clearly like to move on from the $15 million the 29-year-old will make in 2026.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five teams that should target a star safety, including the Las Vegas Raiders.

cincinnati bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense was a mess this offseason and is close to losing top star Trey Hendrickson. They will certainly make some notable additions on that side of the ball through the NFL Draft. However, they still need meaningful veterans who can lead those youngsters and make plays on the field. Targeting a Fitzpatrick trade could be on Cincy’s radar this offseason if they can free up more cap space.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears could lose both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in NFL free agency this spring. If that worst-case scenario happened, or if they only lost one, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked at a Fitzpatrick trade. It seems like Chicago is a few touches away from becoming a serious Super Bowl contender in 2026. The five-time Pro Bowler could be one of those pieces.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders defense was very poor last season. That’s why improving their pass rush will be a top priority this offseason. However, achieving that kind of high-value-add is not easy. Since they struggled to prevent big plays last season, it makes sense to target proven talent in the secondary as well. Fitzpatrick is one of the most versatile safeties in the game and could be a useful weapon for head coach Dan Quinn.

las vegas raiders

Even with Max Crosby on the field, the Las Vegas Raiders defense struggled last season. After the end of 3-14 they need help in many places. They also need more proven veterans on both sides of the ball who can make an immediate impact. Because Fitzpatrick can bring so much to the defense, and since Las Vegas will have a lot of cap space available, they should consider a trade for the Dolphins’ safety.

tennessee titans

2025 was a difficult year for the Tennessee Titans and finished with a disappointing 3-14 record. A major reason for this was that the defense was the worst in the NFL. They need to add some big-name talent to the unit and will have a bunch of cap space to do so this offseason. The duo of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Amani Hooker could give Tennessee one of the best safety duos in the game next season.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

辛辛那提猛虎隊衝鋒特雷·亨德里克森在上個休賽期成為 NFL 交易傳聞的主題，此前雙方未能就長期交易條款達成一致。現在距離成為 NFL 自由球員只剩下幾週的時間，看來孟加拉虎隊可以阻止這種情況的發生，並用他們的頂級防守球員在休賽期創造更多戲劇性的場面。

NFL Network 的 Ian Rapoport 同意記者 Mike Garafolo 的觀點，即孟加拉虎隊在休賽期使用亨德里克森的特許經營權標籤非常有效。雖然不太可能達成長期合同，但孟加拉虎隊不想白白失去這位全職業衝鋒手。

“我並不是說他們肯定會給他貼上特許經營標籤。但是當他得到新合約時，沒有什麼可以阻止孟加拉虎隊給特雷·亨德里克森貼上特許經營標籤……孟加拉虎不願意讓真正優秀的球員離開這座大樓。”

伊恩·拉波波特 (Ian Rapoport) 談辛辛那提猛虎隊是否可以特許經營標籤特雷·亨德里克森 (Trey Hendrickson)

拉波波特指出，亨德里克森的特許經營權成本約為 3,400 萬美元，在一年的合約下得到全額保障。這將高於他上賽季賺取的 2900 萬美元，但仍低於他去年夏天在續約談判中設定的目標。

不幸的是，對於亨德里克森來說，他並沒有打出職業生涯最好的賽季。去年他只打了7場比賽，完成了12次施壓、8次四分衛安打和4次擒殺。在此之前，他連續兩個賽季完成了 17.5 次擒殺，在完全健康的情況下，他在兩年內完成了 61 次四分衛安打和 35 次鏟球。

現年 31 歲的亨德里克森已經與猛虎隊進行了令人沮喪的合約談判。他公開表達了他對球隊提供的低價報價的不滿，事實證明，保證金是合約談判中的一個主要癥結所在。

辛辛那提在上個休賽期確實在聯盟中尋找了亨德里克森，據報道尋求首輪選秀權。這是一個沒有俱樂部願意滿足的要價，特別是因為他們必須與這位全職業衝傳手簽下多年續約合同，而他已經30多歲了，這使他成為足球界收入最高的衝鋒手之一。

很難想像孟加拉虎隊的要價從那時起就下降了，即使亨德里克森比他大了一歲，而且剛從核心肌肉手術中恢復了兩個月。考慮到這一切以及辛辛那提在貿易和合約談判方面的歷史，這感覺就像一個傳奇故事，可能會導致特許經營標籤被使用，然後這個故事會持續到夏天。

馬特·約翰遜 (Matt Johnson) 是《Sportsnaut》雜誌《NFL》和《大學橄欖球》的高級編輯。他的工作包括每週 NFL 和大學……有關馬特·約翰遜的更多信息