The Cincinnati Bengals have talked like a team ready to get aggressive this offseason, if not leave their comfort zone in the process while attempting to fix the defense.
Whether that means slapping a franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson and doing a tag-and-trade remains to be seen.
But pursuing a trade or two, especially for players with connections to the coaching staff, might just be in play.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggested a good one: Leaning into the Jerry Montgomery connection while sending a sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for defensive lineman Kenny Clark:
“Slotting Clark in on the interior would give the Bengals a valuable tackle to rotate alongside B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr. They don’t trade picks very often, but the Bengals have to approach this offseason with a stronger sense of urgency than they have in years past. Clark won’t single-handedly fix their defense, but at the right price, he would be a helpful player for a team that needs to be better at rushing the quarterback and stopping the run in 2026.”
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Montgomery coached Clark in Green Bay, so there’s some familiarity to explore on this topic. After that, he was part of the Micah Parsons trade package and wound up in Dallas.
One big problem? Clark will make $21.5 million in 2026, so he might need to take a big pay cut before a deal. That, or perhaps he’s let go outright to free agency.
Whether the 30-year-old Clark is worth the investment would hinge on Montgomery’s assessment more than anything, most likely. But both TJ Slaton and BJ Hill are perhaps cut candidates for the Bengals, given their contract makeups.
With the possible 10th overall pick set to address the interior, maybe the Bengals instead look to trade for secondary players. But Clark is a good example of a connection the team might seek out while poking around the trade block this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals coach opens up interesting trade idea with Cowboys
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
