Bengals honest on NFL draft trade offers, say much about rookie pick

Like any team, the Cincinnati Bengals were working the trade phones during the NFL draft.

That’s not just window-dressing chatter this time of year that doesn’t lead to anything for the Bengals. They are, after all, the team that made the blockbuster deal for Dexter Lawrence now.

What’s interesting, though, is the trade buzz around the Bengals from after the first round of the draft.

Bengals assistant general manager Mike Potts told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic that the front office took calls all day before Round 2 started.

But the must-have offer never arrived, with one big reason playing a role: They really wanted Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell.

"There was an offensive run late in Round 1 that gave us hope," Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden told Dehner. "It fell our way."

Of course, in the aftermath of the draft, every team says they really hoped the guy they drafted was the guy who would fall to them…and that they think he’ll turn into the guy.

Jokes aside, this hints the Bengals might’ve had a much higher grade on Howell than where they got him. Doesn’t guarantee he’ll work out in the NFL, but he was a really productive edge rusher who can help the rotation right away.

And to their credit, the Bengals were at least entertaining the idea of trading around in the second round before ultimately making a trade with the Jets later in the order.