Week 6 of the NFL offered more clarity on who could compete for the playoffs this season. After Sunday's conclusion, almost half of the AFC have a record of .500 or worse, including the Indianapolis Colts, who lost to the formerly 0-5 Titans. This led the Colts to fire general manager Chris Ballard and sparked speculation that they could offload veteran talent as they sit at 2-4.
This should prompt the Bengals to strike a deal with the Colts for a difference-maker in Jonathan Taylor to bolster their run game and remain competitive in the AFC North.
Jonathan Taylor Would Transform Bengals Offense
Taylor would immediately skyrocket the Bengals running back room to the stratosphere, as the unit has dramatically underwhelmed to start the season.
Taylor has routinely excelled on runs from under center throughout his career. This season he has averaged 4.4 yards per carry when under center compared to 3.4 yards per carry out of shotgun. He would allow Zac Taylor and the offense to continue building their offense from under center.
While his total 3.9 YPC this season may cause some to worry, the situation with the Colts is much different than it would be in Cincinnati. Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis receivers are less than half of what Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins are. Because the passing game poses little threat, opposing defenses have focused heavily on stacking the box to stop Taylor. That focus intensified last week when the Colts lost to the Steelers, who stopped Taylor by stacking the box with eight defenders on 80% of his runs.
With Chase and Higgins at receiver, and given Burrow's ability to dissect defenses, Taylor would arguably have the most open space of his career if he lands with the Bengals.
Taylor has maintained his dominant level of play through six games this season despite his lower numbers and is currently on pace for 1,394 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Adding that level of talent to a running back unit that has consistently handicapped the offense in the Burrow era would add another dynamic layer to an already dangerous offense.
What Would Taylor Trade Demand?
Acquiring Taylor would require trading away a premium asset and more, as the closest comparison is likely what the 49ers gave up to acquire Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers in 2022. The 49ers traded a second, third, and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft, along with a 2024 fifth-round pick, to get McCaffrey.
That is the ceiling on what Taylor's cost likely is. The realistic package for him would likely be somewhere in the middle in the form of a 2027 second-round pick, along with a Day 3 pick. He signed a two-year, $44 million extension before the season; however, the Bengals would only pay his remaining $6.98 million in base salary and incentives this season, since the Colts have already paid his signing bonus.
What could make a hypothetical deal more interesting is what the Bengals can offer alongside draft compensation compared to other teams. The team could make negotiations with Indianapolis more interesting by including underutilized players in the deal, such as Shemar Stewart.
Stewart's played just 17 snaps over the first six weeks of the season. He is a former first-round pick, and those players typically command solid compensation, as the Cardinals got a second- and sixth-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Including Stewart in a deal for Taylor could shrink the draft assets the Bengals give up.
Acquiring Taylor is a move the front office must consider after they acquired Dexter Lawrence in a blockbuster deal to transform the defense this offseason. Six months later, they have another chance to add a proven superstar to the team. The trade deadline is in three weeks on November 10th at
4 PM EST.
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