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Will Trey Hendrickson's Trade Request Impact the Bengals' NFL Draft Plans?
The Bengals have 10 picks in this year's draft.
CINCINNATI — Trey Hendrickson asked the Bengals for a trade on Wednesday. The Pro Bowl defensive end is under contract for the next two seasons. He's hoping to secure more guaranteed money and more years on his contract, despite signing a one-year extension last summer.
Would the Bengals trade Hendrickson? It's highly unlikely and they don't plan to engage in potential trade talks. The three-time Pro Bowler is one of the best players on their roster.
Will the request impact the Bengals' plans in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The short answer is no. The long answer is a bit more complex.
Some teams would react to Hendrickson's request. Others would rework their draft board.
The Bengals may pick a defensive end on Thursday night. Maybe the top offensive tackles, defensive tackles, cornerbacks and Brock Bowers are all off the board before pick No. 18. If that scenario happens, they could absolutely take a defensive end, but that was the case long before Hendrickson's request.
The same goes for any of their three picks on day two.
The Bengals aren't going to overreact to a trade request, especially from a player like Hendrickson. He's one of their best players. He had 17.5 sacks last season. They value him and he agreed to one of the most team friendly deals in the NFL last July.
He'll make $14.8 million this season and $15.8 million in 2025. He outperformed the four-year, $60 million contract he signed with Cincinnati in March 2021 and instead of playing out the deal, he signed a one-year extension last summer.
That extension put some extra money in his pocket, but it also gave the Bengals another year of control. They aren't going to blink in this situation.
The Bengals are going to call Hendrickson's bluff. The front office isn't going to change their draft plans after receiving a trade request on the eve of the first round.
They have the leverage. They also have 10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. If they take an edge player, it'll have more to do with that player and less to do with Hendrickson, who's under contract for the next two seasons.
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