The Cincinnati Bengals were apparently willing to listen to cheaper-than-expected offers on Trey Hendrickson at the NFL trade deadline. 

Prior reporting said the Bengals were sticking to their offseason ask of at least a first-round pick. 

But on Wednesday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Bengals at least briefly considered something in the range of a second-round pick: 

“Tuesday seemed poised for edge rusher movement, but teams decided to hold onto their pass rushers. And speaking of Cincinnati, the 3-6 Bengals had a compelling case to move Trey Hendrickson. Teams I spoke to believed Cincinnati wanted a second-rounder for him. Dallas, which pursued Hendrickson, considered that steep.”

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The Bengals probably weren’t thrilled to see Dallas cough up a second and first-round pick for Quinnen Williams, plus the other big trade price tags, then ramped back up to asking for a first-round pick for Hendrickson. 

Like it or not, the Bengals have plenty of reasons to hang onto Hendrickson, though. They’re still technically in the hunt in the AFC with the offense playing well and can franchise tag Hendrickson in the offseason, if needed. 

If nothing else, the Bengals might’ve pondered the deadline blowup before seeing what other teams were getting for their defensive stars. 

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