Hypothetical trade packages for Trey Hendrickson + preseason Week 2 takeaways | A to Z Sports NFL Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE to our emails here. On the Tr(ey)de block — 3 hypothetical trade packages for Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson The Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Trey Hendrickson are at an impasse, and the team is now listening to trade offers for the ninth-year vet. It’s strange timing considering the regular season is about to start, […]
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On the Tr(ey)de block — 3 hypothetical trade packages for Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson
The Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Trey Hendrickson are at an impasse, and the team is now listening to trade offers for the ninth-year vet.
It’s strange timing considering the regular season is about to start, plus the fact that Bengals owner Mike Brown was adamant about Hendrickson not being on the trade block just last month. Now, offers may not be as strong as they would have been earlier in the offseason.
It’s possible all of this is just a negotiation tactic, but nevertheless, our guys at A to Z Sports will do their best to examine all possible angles. Today, a few of our staffers put together three hypothetical trade packages for Hendrickson.
Cleveland Browns send DE Isaiah McGuire + 2026 third-rounder: “The idea of the Bengals trading Trey Hendrickson within the AFC North is likely a non-starter, but Jordan Schultz reported that the Browns are among the teams that have shown interest. That fits Andrew Berry’s reputation for always doing his due diligence, even if a deal never materializes. Realistically, Cincinnati probably doesn’t want to move Hendrickson to an AFC opponent—especially not to a division rival. Still, if it came down to it, the Browns could put together a strong trade package.
“McGuire is projected to start opposite Myles Garrett this season and could be primed for a breakout. He graded out as an elite run defender and an above-average pass rusher last year when he made three starts (16 games total) and recorded 2.5 sacks. On top of that, Cleveland’s 2026 third-round pick should fall in the 60s. The thought of pairing Hendrickson with Garrett is the kind of dream scenario Browns fans in Northeast Ohio can’t help but imagine. It is probably just that: a dream.” —Brandon Little
Indianapolis Colts send DE Kwity Paye + 2026 third-rounder with sack stipulations: “Oh fun, here we go again with a hypothetical trade package from the Colts for Trey Hendrickson. It’s felt like I’ve had to keep John on speed dial with how often the Colts have been linked to the 2024 sack leader this offseason. As annoying as it is, though, the Colts and Hendrickson are still a great fit for each other if the Bengals finally choose to pull the trigger and trade him.
“Hendrickson showed he is perfect in Lou Anarumo’s defense and would be a great mentor for Laiatu Latu. The Colts also only have two edge rushers on their roster that are under contract past this season: Latu and 2025 second-round pick J.T. Tuimoloau. The addition of Hendrickson on a new deal would give the team an instant upgrade on the edge and an alpha pass rusher for the 2025 season. This would help Latu and Tuimoloau face less double teams and allow them to develop at their own pace. So the Colts offer Kwity Paye, who is either an expiring contract for the Bengals or an edge rusher who can be extended for much less than what Hendrickson is asking for, along with a 2026 third-round pick that can become a second-round pick if he records over 15 sacks for a third straight season.” —Destin Adams
San Francisco 49ers send DE Bryce Huff + 2026 second-rounder: “The 49ers and Trey Hendrickson might not make a ton of sense at first glance, but when you dive into the makings of their defense, you can start to piece the puzzle together.
“For one, the defense has one proven pass rusher: Nick Bosa. I know Mykel Williams is a stud. But he’s a rookie. And behind those two are a lot of guys. The last time we saw Robert Saleh coordinate the 49ers defense, they were deep and dynamic at EDGE. Right now, they aren’t. Oh, and they lost two significant contributors in their back seven via Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. Meaning, their pass rush is going to have to carry them. Bolstering it with Trey Hendrickson makes a ton of sense for San Francisco, but what about the Bengals?
“Well, you send Trey to the other conference and in return you receive a 2026 second-round pick and Bryce Huff. Sounds like a deal that makes everyone happy to me.” —Rob Gregson
Preseason Week 2 in the books — 4 things we learned
Two weeks of preseason down, one to go. Preseason Week 2 wasn’t quite as exciting as the first week, with many teams opting to rest starters and play it safe. Still, there were some notable performances. Below are a few takeaways from the games this past weekend.
Jaxson Dart might be ready: Through two weeks, the New York Giants quarterback has gone 26-for-35 with 291 yards passing and three total touchdowns, and that’s with limited game time. He looks comfortable, yet Giants coach Brian Daboll remains committed to Russell Wilson as the team’s Week 1 starter. But how long will that last? Or, rather, how long should that last? Of course, preseason isn’t a perfect predictor for regular season success, but there’s no denying that Dart has looked impressive. If he puts up another noteworthy performance in preseason Week 3, the Giants might need to consider having Dart do to Wilson what Wilson did to Matt Flynn back in 2012.
Ashton Jeanty is definitely ready: After a super quiet showing in Week 1 in which he gained -1 yards on three carries, the Raiders running back showed that Las Vegas made the right choice to take him in the first round of the 2025 draft. Jeanty finished with 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, earning a few highlight rushes in the process. Sure, we just said preseason isn’t always a predictor of success, but sometimes you see a guy and, well, you can just tell.
Saints’ QB competition still up in air: Rookie Tyler Shough started New Orleans’ second preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but second-year Spencer Rattler ended up having a much better game. However, the opposite happened in preseason Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers — Rattler started, but Shough had a slightly better showing. That means preseason Week 3 vs. the Denver Broncos will ultimately be the determining factor in who starts the regular season for New Orleans. Will Shough be able to make more throws like this one, or will Rattler use his experience to prevail?
Colts’ QB competition up in air as well, but we’re close: Our guy Destin Adams broke it down here: “To me, I’ve felt from the beginning that while these QBs were in an open competition for the starting job, [Daniel] Jones would need to show that he was, without a doubt, the better QB to overtake [Anthony] Richardson. And I didn’t see that in practice or in the preseason. Both QBs have had their fair share of mental mistakes, but one can make the big plays at a much higher rate. That QB is Anthony Richardson, and I believe he should and will be named the Colts’ Week 1 starter.
“… it’s easier to switch to Jones later if Richardson struggles than it is to try to give the job back to Richardson, who would have been benched twice now in his NFL career halfway through the season if Jones struggles. The wait seems to be almost over … as all signs point toward Steichen making the public declaration of who the team’s starting QB is sometime before the team’s final preseason game on Saturday, August 23.”
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