07-16-2022, 09:37 PM
The time to try to work out a trade would've been at the start of free agency when teams were throwing out massive contracts with the cap room to do it. If they trade Bates now, that's $12.5 million that could've been spent on upper tier FAs. Now they'd have to use that money for whoever is left on the market or for extensions. Another poster pointed out in another thread that future draft picks and extensions don't bring the Bengals any closer to winning a Super Bowl this season - that's not ideal. I can't say that I like any of these trades. I could maybe see trading him straight up for an aging star like Khalil Mack or someone of similar caliber.
