Trey Hendrickson trade rumors: Bengals have an asking price for former Saints DE

USA Today

2 days ago

We've got an asking price for Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, the former New Orleans Saints draft pick who went on to earn four consecutive Pro Bowl nods after leaving in free agency. With the Bengals refusing to budge after months of contract talks, Cincinnati has begun hearing out trade offers from interested teams.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that while the Bengals shut down trade calls earlier this year by demanding a first-round pick from a team that offered only a second rounder, they've begun to "soften" on that price as Hendrickson's stalemate continues. The Athletic's Dianna Russini got more specific in what the Bengals are looking for: 'According to teams that have reached out, Cincinnati isn't only seeking draft capital in return; they're also targeting defensive players in a potential deal.'
While there haven't been any rumors of the Saints getting involved just yet, one of their division rivals has made calls. NFL insider Jordan Schultz says the Carolina Panthers have been in contact with Cincinnati, as well as the Indianapolis Colts and the Bengals' own division-rival Cleveland Browns.
While Russini clarified that the Bengals aren't necessarily wanting a defensive end to replace Hendrickson up front, so much as a young piece to help out somewhere defensively, you have to wonder if the Saints should step in here. Cameron Jordan is likely playing out the final year of his contract. Carl Granderson and Chase Young are a fine one-two punch but neither of them has shown consistent star power. Hendrickson had more sacks than all three of them combined last year.
A Hendrickson-to-New Orleans trade would be hard to pull off for a couple of different reasons. The main thing is the price to acquire him. The Saints aren't in a position to be trading a draft pick which could be at the top of the round next year (even if it's the second round, not the first). They also don't have many young defensive players they could package in a trade. On paper, reuniting Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden with former second-round pick Isaiah Foskey, a defensive end he coached at Notre Dame, might make sense. But Foskey has performed so poorly you'd think that outweighs the Notre Dame connection. Maybe the Saints could offload linebacker Pete Werner (saving $1.7 million against the cap this year and $2.2 million next year) to get rookie draft pick Danny Stutsman in the starting lineup next to Demario Davis. But Werner signed an extension last summer that made him the favorite to replace Davis once the veteran has retired in a year or two.
Ironically, paying Hendrickson the contract he wants isn't the biggest hurdle here. Whether the Saints are starting Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, or another rookie draft pick, they'll have the benefit of a low-cost quarterback contract on their side. That frees up money to pay other players. They have a lot of salary cap resources tied up at defensive end already, but not more than other teams around the league, and Jordan's anticipated retirement will make it easier to pay Hendrickson what he's seeking.
Instead, it comes down to the state of the Saints. They don't look like a good football team. It's hard to buy them as a playoff contender. They don't have any business trading assets and investing in 30-year olds like Hendrickson. They need all the draft picks they can get to reload their roster with young talent. Bringing Hendrickson back where his career began would be a great story. But at this time it reads less like fact than fiction.