The Cincinnati Bengals Should Target Three Running Backs at the Trade Deadline
CINCINNATI (AP) — On Sunday, the Bengals will face the 49ers in Santa Clara. They’re looking to win their third game in a row following a sluggish start for the second year in a row.
With a hamstring ailment, Cincinnati placed rookie running back Chase Brown on injured reserve on Saturday. He’ll miss at least the next four games.
Over the next month, the Bengals will face the 49ers, Bills, Texans, and Ravens. They have a 0-3 record against the AFC. It’s critical to go at least 3-1 throughout that stretch.
Adding running back help should be at the top of their priority list. Joe Mixon can still be an effective player, but they need another option in the backfield.
Guys like Dalvin Cook, AJ Dillon, Cordarrelle Patterson and Antonio Gibson are realistic options if the Bengals want to make a deal. Former Pro Bowler Leonard Fournette is still a free agent. He’s also a realistic option.
What players are unrealistic? Are there any players that they could target that would give their offense the boost it needs down the stretch?
Here are three running backs that could fit that description. The Bengals should inquire about these guys, even if it costs them a valuable draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft:
Austin Ekeler
Rhamondre Stevenson
Derrick Henry
Henry is the most versatile of this group of running backs. He wouldn’t be a perfect fit in Cincinnati’s offense, but he’d provide physicality and explosiveness to the Bengals’ backfield.
He is nearing the end of his contract. The Bengals, like Ekeler, may trade for Henry with their 2024 draft capital in exchange for a compensatory selection in the 2025 NFL Draft if the player signs elsewhere in free agency.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bengals are expected to have nine draft picks (two compensatory). Trading one of those picks for a top running back makes sense and has the potential to flip their worst problem into a strength.
