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Bengals Nearly Trade Away Third-Round Pick in Ebiketie Deal

· Confirmed

Sports Desk

Arnold Ebiketie
Photo: Atlanta Falcons / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

In Short: The deal would have seen the Bengals give up a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Eagles for Ebiketie, but the additional loss of a third-round compensatory pick was a deal-breaker.

The Cincinnati Bengals were set to trade a sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, but the deal fell through due to a misunderstanding regarding a compensatory pick. According to CBS Sports, the Bengals would have also forfeited a 2027 third-round compensatory pick if the trade had gone through, a detail they initially failed to realize or understand. Fox News reported that the trade fell through after the Bengals learned about this part of the equation.

The Bengals were due to receive a compensatory third-round pick in 2027 after losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency. However, the team may have believed that Cordell Volson's departure would have affected the compensatory picks balance, but Volson has not played this year, making his departure moot in the compensatory picks calculation, as noted by CBS Sports. This oversight nearly cost the Bengals a valuable draft asset.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor addressed the near-trade during a Wednesday press conference, explaining the team's decision. Taylor told reporters, “As we got into it, obviously it was going to be a little more costly than we initially anticipated,” as reported by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. He added, “I probably took three minutes of my day yesterday away from watching tape,” indicating the urgency and complexity of the situation.

The trade deadline saw the Bengals scrambling to improve their roster, but the Ebiketie deal ultimately fell through. Newsweek reported that NFL insider Jordan Schultz mentioned the Bengals as one of five teams with trade interest in Taylor, who remains under contract through 2028. Taylor acknowledged the trade speculation, saying, “The past couple weeks, it’s kind of been the same thing,” as quoted by Bigblueview.

The near-trade highlights the importance of thorough due diligence in NFL transactions. The Bengals' competitors made moves to strengthen their rosters, as noted by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. The team's decision to abandon the deal underscores the need for clarity and precision in negotiations, especially when dealing with compensatory picks.

The deal would have seen the Bengals give up a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Eagles for Ebiketie, but the additional loss of a third-round compensatory pick was a deal-breaker. According to Over the Cap contributor Nick Korte, as reported by Inquirer.com, the Bengals would have lost the third-round pick if the trade had been completed. WLWT reported that the deal was called off about an hour after it was initially reported, due to the misunderstanding.

The near-trade also raises questions about the team's future moves. With Taylor under contract through 2028, the Bengals have time to reassess their strategy. However, the trade deadline saw the team's AFC competitors making moves to strengthen their rosters, as noted by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. The Bengals will need to carefully consider their next steps to remain competitive in the league.

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