[jwplayer 1DUxLeKd]
If the Cincinnati Bengals want to make a move with A.J. Green, now is the time.
Green’s value isn’t likely to get higher. He’s coming off the best game of his career since 2018, shaking off years of rust to put up 96 yards on eight catches. He was the guy rookie Joe Burrow turned to late in a close game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Even better, Green briefly flashing like a No. 1 wideout again leaves some allure for teams potentially interested in his services — he could play even better now that he’s finding a groove.
And he says he is.
“This is probably the best my body has felt. Just getting my confidence back and playing like my old self,” Green said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I think basically just physically and then mentally comes second.”
But that potential groove comes just a few weeks removed from his seemingly saying something about a trade on the sideline. It comes at a time other Marvin Lewis holdovers like Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins — to name a few — are notably upset. It comes at a time when fellow wideout John Ross has already requested a trade.
And perhaps most notably, the groove comes with the Bengals 1-4-1.
Given Green’s history for the last several years, his breakout against the Colts could be an anomaly, not the new norm. The Bengals front office could be forgiven for thinking so, especially after another hamstring tweak in the preseason and the worst five-game stretch of his career to start the season.
Selling high now, should the Bengals choose to throw their hands up and get some notable carryovers like Green and Dunlap off the books, could at least free up some cap space.
And while helping Joe Burrow develop is priority No. 1, it’s pretty clear he’s in good hands with Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and even Auden Tate. Green doesn’t seem long for the roster either way and if he ends up leaving this upcoming offseason, it’s clear his extension money needs to go to the new core of the culture, including defenders like William Jackson and Jessie Bates.
Which brings in the matter of compensation. It’s better to get something at all compared to nothing for Green eventually leaving. A year ago, the Bengals told fans they won’t trade guys like Green and Dunlap at the deadline because they’re part of the future. That mostly hasn’t panned out, but Green’s breakout game might give them a brief chance at correcting this wrong by convincing a team to cough up something for Green.
In a perfect world, Green retires as a member of the Bengals. But if the current situation with players like Dunlap convinces the front office to get aggressive in supporting head coach Zac Taylor, this is probably their one shot to get a good return for Green before the Week 8 trade deadline.