The Cincinnati Bengals do not trade with Ja'Marr Chase.
That big disclaimer aside, the NFL world is currently busy wondering how the Bengals can reopen the Super Bowl window that was slammed shut after this year's 4-8 start.
Sports Illustrated's suggested the Bengals emulate the Kansas City Chiefs when that franchise traded away Tyreek Hill and acquired first-, second- and fourth-round picks this year while avoiding paying a big contract.
Verderame spoke to anonymous NFL employees about similar compensation for Chase.
“I think so,” one NFC talent evaluator said. “He’s a better player overall and I guess he’s lighter and younger at the time of the trade.”
However, this is all a moot point. Chase would demand the same or more compensation in a trade, just as he will reset the market for his deal this coming offseason.
The Bengals hurt themselves badly last offseason by not paying Chase, a messy situation that has spilled over into this year. Chase felt misled by the team, and be Agent has taken public victory laps over his performance (1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games), which dramatically increased his price.
And while it's true that the Bengals need to find ways to pay guys like Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson as well, there are plenty of ways to create more cap space for players through cuts.
If the Bengals do something so unusual, it would place a franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight year, potentially leading to a tag-and-trade scenario. This would be a way to accumulate resources and bulk up on the defensive side of the game.
If the Bengals consider a deal like the Chiefs did with Hill, it could work for 31 other teams. But not in Cincinnati, where the Joe Burrow-Chase dynamic is unique. And getting a star offensive player to help rebuild the defense sounds good…until you consider how much money the team has poured into defense in recent years, only to have it become a colossal failure.
Meaning: Big changes are coming. But a trade with Chase isn't being considered for a second.
