With the Cincinnati Bengals sitting at 3-2 and having Joe Burrow as their quarterback, they are obviously going to be acting as buyers heading into the trade deadline. With the Los Angeles Chargers starting the season 0-5, they could trade All-Pro safety Derwin James to the Bengals, according to Joe Goodberry of Locked On Bengals.
“Derwin James is that Roquan Smith level of trade,” said Goodberry, who is looking for the Bengals to add a needle-mover. “He is a little bit older, but he is an impact, borderline superstar player.”
Goodberry added that the versatile skill set of James and the impact plays are why he does not see a price too high for the eight-year veteran.
“He is a great strong safety type that can come in, cover the slot,” said Goodberry. “Plays in the box a lot, tackles near the line of scrimmage a ton. He is just a high-impact, high-splash play player.”
While Goodberry admitted that he personally would not be bothered by much of a price tag associated with James, he also noted that the realistic cost to acquire the 30-year-old safety is in the range of a third-round pick.
“Is it a third-round pick type of scenario? I don’t think that is too much,” admitted Goodberry.
James just signed a three-year extension with the Chargers, which might complicate things.
Cincinnati Bengals Urged to Trade for Los Angeles Chargers Safety Derwin James
James just signed a three-year, $76M extension. He is signed through the 2029 season. This could make his trade return more expensive, but at the same time, a player entering his 30s with that much money locked into him could weigh on a team in the midst of a potential rebuild.
The Chargers are not just 0-5; they are at a crossroads with their head coach, quarterback, and some aging veterans such as James and Khalil Mack. The team could be looking to get as many assets as they can before the season ends.
Meanwhile, safety has been an issue for Cincinnati for a few years now. The team could add an impact player and make a real run at a Super Bowl.
Bengals Need Help at Safety
The Bengals have Jordan Battle and Bryan Cook starting at safety. While James could upgrade over Battle, the big impact James would have in the Bengals’ defense would be playing the slot and allowing the Bengals to play two cornerbacks instead of three.
As of now, the Bengals have been shuffling Jalen Davis and Dax Hill in the slot. Hill is better on the outside and has been playing both, which makes things tougher. They could improve the outside spot by sticking Hill there and improve the slot by sticking James in there.
Then, in base sets, they would upgrade Battle with James. That is why this would be such a significant upgrade. The Bengals interest in James is worth following.
Bengals Urged to Trade for $76M All-Pro Safety