The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t about to stop coming up in trade speculation now.
With a report saying the Bengals have already had trade talks with other teams concerning offensive tackle Jonah Williams, plenty of ideas about actual deals have been thrown out.
One such idea is the Chicago Bears being the best fit for a Williams trade, courtesy of Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton:
Last year, the Chicago Bears took a flier on offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, whom the Las Vegas Raiders selected in the first round of the 2021 draft and then waived last August. They didn’t have to give up draft capital for him, though general manager Ryan Poles should offer a third- or fourth-round pick to Cincinnati for Williams, who’s also a former first-rounder (2019) with 42 starts on his resume.
For the Bengals, it’s really going to come down to compensation. Those Bears have a rebuilding roster that might not interest the front office much, but they do have two picks in the second round and one third-rounder.
As always, Williams’ fully guaranteed $12.6 million on the fifth year of his rookie contract is a hurdle, as are the question marks around his play and ability to stay healthy.
Even so, there’s a reason the Bengals have received interest — Williams is a left tackle under 30 years old with playoff experience.
Besides the Bears, the New York Jets have been consistently floated as a possible trade partner, too.
