Bengals trade deadline idea: A long-shot, but go get Commanders’ Chase Young

The Cincinnati Bengals don’t figure to make a big splash ahead of the October 31 NFL trade deadline.

But wouldn’t it be fun to see the team go all-in with a name like Chase Young?

It’s a pretty badly kept secret that Trey Hendrickson — elite as he has been — has been the only consistent part of the pass-rush for the Bengals so far this season.

And it’s also a pretty badly kept secret that Young is likely to leave the Washington Commanders via free agency next summer.

That’s something again stressed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently, who notes the Commanders would at least have to listen when the phone rings: “But one AFC exec believes Washington would at least listen to offers and potentially consider them, which the source didn’t completely shoot down.”

And of their two notable pass-rushers, Fowler says Young is probably the one more likely to move before the deadline, if any:

The sense after talking to several people is, if one were to be dealt — again, huge if — it’s likely Young, in part because he’s more inclined to play out the year and entertain free agency. Plus, he needs to play a healthy season.

So why wouldn’t the Bengals pick up the phone? Young was the second overall pick in 2020, yet Washington didn’t pick up his fifth-year option because of his availability issues, with an ACL injury costing him the better chunk of the last two seasons.

Still, Young has looked good over five games this season and appears right back on track. The idea of plugging him into the same line as Hendrickson, DJ Reader and others is pretty appealing and might just be worth the half-season gamble for the Bengals, even if the prospects of keeping him around long-term would be slim.

Leverage is key with this idea. The Commanders are a .500 club right now and might be sellers. They can’t demand a ton with it so obvious Chase could leave. We can even tack on the fact fellow defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne have massive new deals and Montez Sweat might get one after playing on his fifth year this season, too, so it’s hard to see where Young fits.

If the ask is say, a mid-round pick for a half-season rental, the Bengals have to at least consider it, right?