3 needs Cincinnati Bengals must address ahead of NFL trade deadline

The Cincinnati Bengals came into this season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. These are heady days at the Jungle! After failing to win a playoff game for ages, Joe Burrow has changed the outlook for the franchise.

He has taken them to a Super Bowl, where they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. This year, they again went to the AFC Championship for their second consecutive appearance before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. In back-to-back seasons, their season has been ended by the eventual champions.

Accordingly, Joe Burrow was given a new contract this offseason that made him the highest player in the league. But everything that has followed has been underwhelming.

Joe Burrow suffered a calf injury and was clearly not moving as well as he needed to as they started the season slowly. Right now, they sit at a 3-3 record and are bottom of the AFC North. Their offense is the worst in the league in terms of total yards per game, which is not something anyone expected going into this season.

And the quarterback's record $275 million deal means that the window for them to win something with this group of players that has been to two AFC Championship games is closing soon. Therefore, this season is now or never for them.

In such circumstances, they must make good use of trades and go all-in before the deadline at the end of this month. They must prioritize the following positions:

Cincinnati Bengals needs ahead of trade deadline

#1 - Defensive Tackle

For the last two years, the refrain has been about fixing the offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. They needed protection for Joe Burrow and they have a new-look unit. While it had its growing pains in the first few weeks, they are starting to look better.

But where they are struggling now is the interior of the defensive line and they need a defensive tackle. The Bengals are towards the bottom of the league and are allowing a whopping 355.8 defensive yards per game. Much of that is being contributed to by the 142.8 rushing yards per game they are conceding on average.

Getting someone like Leonard Williams from the New York Giants would make a lot of sense. The Giants do not look like a playoff team this season and the Bengals know that the window for getting to a Super Bowl is short. If they can plug the holes on defense, it can help the offense not have to rely so much on Joe Burrow's ailing calf.

#2 - Tight end

Even if defensive additions can help relieve the pressure on offense, they still have to do their part. Currently, the Cincinnati Bengals are bottom of the pile in scoring only 256.3 yards per game. Much of those struggles can be put on Joe Burrow recovering from injury and not being his full self at the beginning of the season.

But there are other issues as well. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd have not been their best selves either this season. Teams can skate over such problems, though, when they have a reliable tight end. Just look towards the Kansas City Chiefs, where Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are making a mockery of the notion that Super Bowl aspirants need an elite wide receivers corps.

Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, they do not have a Kelce-like figure in the mix. Irv Smith Jr. has not worked out the way they had expected and getting another tight end will help. Consider also that both Boyd and Higgins are expected to leave after this year and an investment now can help in the future as well, if and when their receiving group depletes.

#3 - Running back

Running backs are undervalued in the NFL, as we found out during the offseason. But when the season starts, we understand the value of having a good running game. Just ask Tom Brady from last season when he had no rushing attack to support him and he ended up with a 8-9 regular season record in his final year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Joe Mixon is there in the offensive backfield but they need additional resources there. They have a league-low 69.8 rushing yards per game on average. With Joe Burrow unable or unwilling to scamper with a weak calf, it becomes even more important. The current running numbers are not sustainable for any team that wants to make it to the playoffs, never mind winning the Super Bowl.

Someone like Derrick Henry could be looking to move away from the Tennessee Titans. There is chatter that the Baltimore Ravens are favorites to get him. But if the Cincinnati Bengals can steal a march over their AFC North rivals, they can suddenly change the complexion of the division.

And such a change might be the thing that jumpstarts their season and takes them to the giddy heights they have become accustomed to over the last two years.