The Bengals seem open to trading Trey Hendrickson. Could the Denver Broncos make a strong offer?
The one major connection Denver has with Hendrickson is that Sean Payton did draft him back in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he did become a key part of their defense before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals back in 2021.
It ended up being one of the best signings in Bengals' history, as Hendrickson made four Pro Bowls and established himself as one of the league's best defensive ends. Well, with the Bengals and Hendrickson not being able to agree on an extension, they seem to be willing to trade him for the right price.
Could the Denver Broncos trade for Trey Hendrickson?
Nik Bonitto, OLB
This one could sting, but you have to wonder if the Broncos and Bengals could pull off a player-for-player swap with Hendrickson and Nik Bonitto? Denver does not have an extension yet for their best pass-rusher, and while Bonitto is great, he's not the best against the run. While I would rather Denver keep and pay Bonitto, the Broncos could maybe swap these two players for more of a short-term, all-in run.
Jonah Elliss, OLB
Another young pass-rusher the Denver Broncos could float in a trade is Jonah Elliss, who is just 22 years old and in his second year in the NFL. Elliss seems to not only be a plus rusher, but also seems to be quite good against the run. Denver likely isn't trading him as he profiles as an above-average starter at the position, but you never know. The Bengals do want a defensive player back in the deal it seems, so they could prefer someone young.
John Franklin-Myers, DE
John Franklin-Myers might make the most sense, as both he and Trey Hendrickson are defensive ends. A big thing to note here is that Cincinnati runs a 4-3 defense and Denver runs a 3-4. Hendrickson might not be a legitimate 3-4 defensive end and might be a bit undersized for that role, but I am no expert and would defer to Vance Joseph - he'd surely have a great play to use Hendrickson if a deal were to go down.
JFM has one more year left on his deal and is about the same age as Trey Hendrickson.