Bengals remain adamant about not trading away players

Not even an 0-8 start to the season can change how the Bengals operate.

The NFL trade deadline is now under two days away and the Bengals are here to tell everyone that they will continue to sit on their hands. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier today that Cincinnati has told other teams that they remain uninterested in trading away any players. However, one player could be an exception.

The Bengals have told anyone who would listen they don’t plan on doing any deals. As Duke Tobin will offer teams, they aren’t in the business of sending away good players. The only one it seems who has a chance at being traded is tight end Tyler Eifert, for whom Cincy would ask for a third-rounder. That seems quite rich, though perhaps there is some wiggle room there.

Head coach Zac Taylor has said multiple times that A.J. Green will not be traded, and that message basically goes for other valuable assets. This report essentially confirms Taylor’s words.

Eifert, on the other hand, is a more interesting case. The Bengals have had trouble utilizing the talented tight end this season, largely due to the fact that they’ve been reserving him for specific scenarios. As a result, his production was minimal for the first seven weeks.

Yesterday was a different story, as Eifert put up a season-high in receptions and yards, with six and 74, respectively. He had just 17 receptions and 118 yards entering this game.

Why did it take so long for Eifert to get involved with the offense? Even as the backup to C.J. Uzomah, he has always been capable of games like this.

In all honesty, it’s not inconceivable to think the offense used Eifert a lot more right before the trade deadline to improve his perceived value. If the Bengals truly desire a third-round pick for the seventh-year tight end, this game will help them achieve that. Now it’s just about finding a suitor.

Obviously, the Bengals weren’t able to do this with Green, who has yet to play at all this season. Based on the words from Taylor, it’s not like they would’ve anyways. If Eifert doesn’t get traded before 4pm on Tuesday, don’t expect anyone else from Cincinnati to be dealt away either.