The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off of a dominating season in which they faltered as they entered the playoffs after the team broke down against the Pittsburgh Steelers and was subsequently knocked out of the playoffs earning them the 24th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Bengals also lost two key free agents during the 2016 NFL offseason as wide receivers Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones left in free agency. The Bengals must replace their production and could look to do so in the NFL draft, but another season without a deep playoff may cause them to try and restructure this roster.
The Bengals owner, Mike Brown, touched on this topic at the NFL owners meeting stating, "Every football player is for sale if the right offer comes along. That's the nature of the business. Do I see something happening right now? I don't. 'Never' is a word you want to be careful about."
Brown is obviously pleased that the Bengals made the playoffs, however, he does want to see improvement from what could be considered a rather undisciplined group of players after their performance against the Steelers.
The Bengals will look to AJ Green for most of their offensive production as he and Tyler Eifert were the most targeted offensive weapon by quarterback Andy Dalton. Where the Bengals will struggle is in finding a wide receiver who can replace the production of both Sanu and Jones, and in two short years, AJ Green will be 29.
The Bengals could look to shop Green around as he gets older - especially if he continues to get injured frequently during the regular season. Cincinnati will need to build a solid core of young players and that could mean trading a couple of veterans for either round draft picks or productive players.
Green is easily the least likely player on the roster to be traded this season, but there is a quarterback whose name is strikingly similar who could be traded to a team in desperate need of a signal caller. AJ McCarron could be dealt to help bolster either their offense or defense in preparation for a major playoff push.
Franchises in serious need of a quarterback such as the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns could all be possible destinations for McCarron as the offseason wears on. One thing is certain: a trade for McCarron is possible for the right price.
