Gary Landers/Associated Press
The Cincinnati Bengals do not have to make the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft until April 23.
However, there is a strong feeling among NFL draft analysts that they will select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
If that is the case, Andy Dalton could be searching for a new place to play.
One of the avenues the Bengals could use to remove Dalton from the roster is a trade, which they are reportedly exploring.
The Washington Redskins sit directly beneath the Bengals in the draft order, and they might be in a position to make a significant trade as well, but not to make way for a first-round draft pick.
The Redskins and Trent Williams are trying to find a solution to end their relationship, but it appears to be a frustrating process at the moment.
Latest Trade Buzz
Andy Dalton
Gary Landers/Associated Press
Ever since the Bengals secured the No. 1 overall pick, they have been linked with Burrow as their new franchise quarterback.
The selection of the LSU quarterback would allow head coach Zac Taylor to work with a young signal-caller he can develop on his own.
Taylor did not get much success out of his quarterbacks in 2019, as he rotated the starting spot between Dalton and Ryan Finley.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported the Bengals “are listening to trade offers” for Dalton, who threw 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions over 13 games last season.
The 32-year-old could either land with a new team to be a starter or be a backup to a young quarterback, which he would likely be if he stays in Cincinnati.
Trading Dalton would allow the Bengals to open up some salary-cap space to build around Burrow.
Dalton is scheduled to make $17.5 million in the last year of his current contract, per Spotrac.
That contract could be viewed as a positive for the Bengals, as they could possibly trade Dalton to a team looking for a one-year rental at the position.
While that may not be the ideal situation for the player, it could provide relief for the team looking to part ways with him.
The market for Dalton could be dictated by what occurs in free agency with Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and others.
If teams strike out on the free-agent veterans or feel like the price tag may too high, there is a chance they could call Cincinnati about Dalton’s availability.
That is one of the potential situations that could occur, but no matter what, it would be smart of the Bengals to look for a Dalton trade to open up the starting job for Burrow.
Trent Williams
Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
The situation between Williams and the Redskins is a bit more complicated.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the team gave the offensive tackle permission to seek a trade, but not much has progressed after that:
“I’m not getting the sense that anything is close to being done right now. I’ve seen some other reports about the Redskins’ asking price of a second-round pick. I’m hearing a lot of the same stuff, and my understanding is at that asking price, it’s not going to get done. Until the Redskins are willing to take a little bit less, you can’t get to the second step, which is the contract stuff. Trent Williams would like a new contract wherever he goes, that much has been made clear.”
Williams is scheduled to make $12.5 million in the 2020 season and then become an unrestricted free agent in 2021, per Spotrac.
Due to the length of his current contract, it makes sense that he would want to work on a new deal to gain long-term security with a side that makes a deal with the Redskins.
However, that deal may be difficult to reach if the Redskins continue to set a high price tag.
Even though he is a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Williams is 31, and teams could be questioned for spending a second-round pick on an offensive tackle with potentially just a few years left in his career.
The best potential solution for Washington might be to lower its demands, make a deal to offload Williams’ contract and add draft picks for new head coach Ron Rivera to build his roster with.
The Redskins do not have any second-round picks in the 2020 NFL draft, and they have a single third-round selection.
The rest of their picks are located in the fourth through seventh rounds. Even gaining a third-round pick could be viewed as a victory if trade talks remain quiet.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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