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The Cincinnati Bengals have been crafty with smaller trades in recent years while improving the roster with the B.J. Hill trade a year ago serving as the best example.
So it’s a safe bet the front office will be looking again for smaller moves to improve the roster at final 53 cutdowns.
And going by the rumor mill right now, Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood might be a notable target to keep in mind.
Leatherwood, the 17th pick in 2021, had a brutal rookie season to the tune of a 45.0 PFF grade over 1,100-plus snaps. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has reported other teams think he could be moved and PFF’s Doug Kyed wrote the following while listing him as a trade candidate:
“Leatherwood isn’t currently starting for the Raiders in training camp, and he was actually benched during Las Vegas’ preseason game against the Dolphins. He’s played into the second half of each of the Raiders’ past two preseason games, and perhaps there could still be a team interested enough to trade for him in the second year of his rookie contract.
He’d come with fully guaranteed salaries in 2022 ($1.3M), 2023 ($2M) and 2024 ($2.6M), plus a decision on whether to pick up a fifth-year option in 2025.”
Besides performance, the fact the coaching staff and general manager don’t have any ties to Leatherwood might explain why the team might be willing to move him for a rather cheap price.
For the Bengals, tossing a late-round pick at the Raiders for Leatherwood is a low-risk move given his cheap contract. He tested very well coming out of Alabama and now has some versatility that could at least make him an interesting backup.
If nothing else, he’s one name to keep in mind as the trade market heats up briefly here soon.
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