Just In: The Ravens Acquired A Strong Talented Top Cincinnati Bengals Star

The Cincinnati Bengals are banking on a healthy Joe Burrow leading a resurgent Super Bowl charge in 2024, but could look to backstop a prolific offense with a bolstered defense.

Mike Brown, Duke Tobin, and the Bengals have already significantly upgraded the safety position by bringing back Vonn Bell and signing Geno Stone away from the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. But, if Cincinnati aims to pull off a similar makeover and upgrade at cornerback, the trade market might be home to a missing piece with upside.

It’s about to get expensive to win in Cincinnati.

Burrow’s cap number nearly doubles to $46.25 million in 2025, and that’s before the Bengals figure out what to do with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and whether to keep or trade field-stretcher Tee Higgins.

So, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see the Bengals shove all of their chips into the middle of the table to make a run at unseating the Kansas City Chiefs atop the AFC this season.

Given that the Bengals are slated to have 11 picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, as well as their full allotment of selections in 2025, Brown, Tobin, and Cincinnati can afford to be aggressive. And, with the Broncos earmarked towards rebuilding around an uncertain future at quarterback, Denver could be an ideal trade partner.

The 5 year, $275 million contract star quarterback, Joe Burrow, signed just a year ago will come into full effect next season, where he will have a $46 million cap hit, compared to the $29 million in 2024, where he is playing out the 5th-year-option final leg of his rookie contract.

As such, the Bengals have continued to stay in win-now mode, making a host of starter-quality signings in free agency, including veteran tackle, Trent Brown, tight end, Mike Gesicki, safeties, Vonn Bell and Geno Stone, and defensive tackle, Sheldon Rankins.

The one position they are seemingly having difficulty paying is wide receiver, with disgruntled wideout and former 2nd round pick, Tee Higgins, being placed under the franchise tag, and no long term deal imminent. This is perhaps a tad strange, considering the non-renewal of #3 receiver earlier this offseason, Tyler Boyd, who along with Higgins and #1 WR, Ja’Marr Chase, once laid claim to the top receiving trio in the National Football League.

However, with all the commotion, the rumor mill starts to churn, and now it seems like there is another name at the top of the list, AFC rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After missing out on re-signing former receiver, Calvin Ridley, the Jaguars’ receiving corps is looking painfully thin, with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Gabe Davis making up an oddball, hit-or-miss trio lacking real star-power.

Alex Key, of Bleacher Report, believes that after the Stefon Diggs trade to the Houston Texans, who gave the Buffalo Bills just a 2025 2nd round pick for the former All-Pro’s services, the market may now be set to the point that Higgins’ top price may no longer exceed a 2nd round pick in 2024.

It remains to be seen if the Bengals would be willing to take only a mid-second round pick for Higgins—they might want a late-round throw-in as well—but the wideout’s market could be cooler than expected due to his impending extension and lack of production in 2023.

If Jacksonville’s Round 2 pick is the best offer the table, Cincinnati may be better served locking in a quality prospect for the next few years instead of wringing out one more season from Higgins and losing him for nothing more than a compensatory pick in 2025.