ESPN's Bill Barnwell Thinks Bengals Should Buy at Trade Deadline

He's not alone.

Cincinnati Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin walks off the field at the conclusion of the team s rookie mini camp, Friday, May 12, 2023, inside the team s indoor practice bubble in Cincinnati. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI — ESPN's Bill Barnwell gave his take on whether a few teams in the NFL should buy or sell at the trade deadline next week. 

The Bengals are a team he thinks should buy, but he's not confident they will do anything to aid a clearly flawed roster on both sides of the ball.

"Burrow is holding up his end of the bargain, as he leads the league in Total QBR," Barnwell wrote. "The issue is the offense has only been great when Tee Higgins has been on the field. Burrow's QBR is 19 points better with his second star receiver on the field. Cincinnati is averaging 0.24 expected points added (EPA) per play with Higgins on the field, which would be the league's best mark. The offense is at minus-0.09 EPA per play without him, which would rank 27th and is in line with the Patriots' overall numbers. If the Bengals were going to give up on the season, it would be a logical move to consider trading Higgins, who seems likely to leave in free agency after the season.

"That trade wouldn't have to be a contender, either; remember that the Bears gave up a second-round pick right about now for wideout Chase Claypool two years ago. That pick turned into star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Higgins' lower-body injuries and his status on the franchise tag would make that sort of trade more difficult, but he's also a much better player than Claypool was at the time. More realistically, if the Bengals keep Higgins, they need to consider adding help on defense. Trey Hendrickson still has more sacks (seven) than the rest of the team combined (five). Sam Hubbard has struggled, while Sheldon Rankins and 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy have battled injuries. While we all know how creative defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can get, Cincinnati can't make a deep postseason run if its pass rush is Hendrickson or bust."

It would be shocking to see Cincinnati trade assets for a current player, given their spotty history doing that.

Keep the powder dry and maximize your asset collection to string along hope for another lucky Super Bowl run as long as possible. That's the mindset in the Bengals front office, and it doesn't look like Joe Burrow's presence, or anything for that matter, is changing their ways.

The trade deadline strikes at 4 p.m. on Nov. 5.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch the video below:

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

You May Also Like:

'We're Better Than That' - Bengals Defense Points to Third-Down Woes Against Eagles, But It's an Old Issue

'We Called It, and It Happened' - Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase Laments Game-Changing Fourth-and-1 Call

Winners and Losers From Cincinnati Bengals' 37-17 Loss to Philadelphia Eagles

Joe Burrow Lays Out Record Bengals Likely Need Down Back Half of Season

Zac Taylor Confident in Bengals Season Hopes Following Eagles Loss: 'Better Than What Our Record Indicates'

Film Breakdown: Why Bengals Star Trey Hendrickson is One of NFL's Best Pass Rushers

'This One's For Keeps' - Twins Chase and Sydney Brown Brace For Impact Sunday When the Bengals Face the Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles Dealing With Key Injuries Ahead of Matchup With Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow Downplays 'White Bengal' Uniforms Ahead of Bengals' Showdown With Eagles

Stat of the Jay: Ja'Marr Chase Trying To Do Something Only One Bengals Player Has Accomplished

Bengals Open as Slight Betting Favorites Over Eagles at Home

Watch: Joe Burrow, Myles Garrett Chat After Bengals Win Over Browns

Scheming Up a Score: Bengals Special Teams Coordinator Darrin Simmons Carves Path for Charlie Jones' 100-Yard TD

Injury Update: What We Know About Bengals Safety Geno Stone

Cincinnati Bengals Defense Posts Milestones While Stepping Up Big In Second Consecutive Road Victory

-----

Join the 46,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube.

Follow us on Twitter: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Subscribe and follow the ONLY Daily Bengals Podcast

Follow on TikTok