Get on the phone, Gutey.
Trey Hendrickson stole the NFL headlines this week by requesting a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. It's rare for the league's sack champion to become available, but the timing couldn't be better for the Green Bay Packers.
General manager Brian Gutekunst made it clear the Packers must improve their pass rush. One guaranteed way to achieve that is to trade for a player with 35 sacks over the past two seasons.
The Packers have several options on the trade market this offseason, but Hendrickson's name belongs at the top of the list.
A trade could become surprisingly affordable.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports explained what he believes the Bengals could realistically receive in a deal for Hendrickson.
"Probably a fair, you can call it conservative estimate, but probably a fair estimate, is if the Bengals can get a high three," said Jones. "They would love a low two, but at the end of it, if they're going to deal Trey Hendrickson, it's probably going to be in the neighborhood of a high three in order to ship him out."
It's important to note that Jones isn't reporting these numbers but speculating on what he feels is likely.
A high third-round pick or a low second-rounder would make this a no-brainer for the Packers. Hey, offer a second and a third — Hendrickson is worth it.
Packers should push for Trey Hendrickson trade if Bengals accept anything less than a first-round pick
The Bengals won't want to part ways with their all-world pass-rusher for nothing, but some important factors could lower their demands. Hendrickson is entering his age-31 season and, more importantly, only has one year remaining on his contract.
The trading team will have to hand him a lucrative long-term deal, and the Bengals have urgency to avoid losing their All-Pro for nothing next offseason.
Green Bay has the cap space to make almost any move it wants in free agency. Hendrickson is by far the best pass-rusher available, and the Packers won't find a better option on the free-agent market.
The only downside is having to give up draft picks and money, but if the Bengals have to settle for a second- or third-rounder, it's game on.
The Packers spent over a decade burning third-round picks. Remember Amari Rodgers? Jace Sternberger? Khyri Thornton?! Handing over a third, or even a second, for *checks notes* the best pass-rusher in football? Yeah, that's a risk worth taking.
Cincinnati will push for more, but if it ends up settling for a non-first-rounder, Green Bay should do everything possible to get a championship-winning move over the line.
