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The Cincinnati Bengals are in the midst of a brutal campaign in the AFC North. While the Baltimore Ravens are struggling to start the year, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns look like strong contenders for the division title. That’s why, even with a 5-2 record, Cincinnati is still just second in the AFC behind the Browns, and the Steelers are just behind them with a 5-3 record.
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It’s no surprise, then, that the Bengals are among the teams rumored to be looking to make some moves at the trade deadline. They’re one of the teams prominently featured in the Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes, and they’re also in the hunt for other players on the defensive side of the ball. However, there’s a lot of debate about whether the Bengals need to go all-in on Taylor, or if they should instead focus their efforts on adding more defenders. Which of these decisions would be a mistake for Cincinnati?
The killer mistake Bengals must avoid at 2026 NFL trade deadline
The real answer is that none of these choices are inherently a bad choice for the Bengals. Cincinnati’s defense has hit a rough spot in recent weeks, but there’s reason to believe that this unit will perform better in the next few weeks. Their linebackers have been developing throughout the year, and Dexter Lawrence remains a force on the defensive end. The secondary still has major question marks, but the much-improved defensive line has the ability to compensate for their woes in coverage. Bolstering their offense by trading for a bona fide running back in Taylor would be a sensible and sound decision.
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On the other hand, there’s also nothing wrong with the Bengals working on their defense by trading for a few players on that end. Cincinnati’s run game is terrible, yes, but they’ve shown over the last few seasons that they’re doing just fine even without explosiveness from the backfield. Giving that offensive core more leeway by adding a linebacker or a cornerback to their unit is also a wise choice for this unit. A player like, say, Zack Baun, Budda Baker, or Tariq Woolen would help shore up some of their major issues on that end of the ball.
The real mistake that the Bengals need to avoid at the trade deadline, though, is to not do anything at all. The AFC North is always full of surprises. Yes, the Bengals are the better team on paper this year against their division rivals. However, this division is notorious for punishing teams that look over their “easy” opponents. Cincinnati needs to make sure that they’re putting their best foot forward this season and actually try to acquire talent for their roster.
They’re already done that once this offseason. The Bengals acquired Lawrence by trading multiple first-round picks to the New York Giants. Halfway through the season, Lawrence has already made an impact on this team. However, his gravity alone isn’t enough to compensate for their weaknesses on that side of the ball.
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Go all-in on their offense by trading for Jonathan Taylor? Or bolster their defense further? There’s only one wrong answer for the Bengals, and that’s by not doing anything significant at the trade deadline.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
