Trey Hendrickson haunts Bengals one more time during deadline botch

The Cincinnati Bengals continue to be haunted by the ghost of Trey Hendrickson, as the team once again found themselves in a bind during the NFL trade deadline. The team had agreed to trade for Eagles defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, but ultimately backed out of the deal. This decision came at a cost, as the Bengals were on the hook for a compensatory third-round pick due to the loss of Hendrickson in free agency the previous offseason.

The confusion around the trade stemmed from the projected impact on the Bengals' compensatory draft pick formula. The Bengals had signed two players last offseason, Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe, which also influenced the formula. They had lost three players, including Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai, and Noah Fant. By agreeing to trade for Ebiketie, the Bengals were effectively offsetting Hendrickson's contract, which was a significant third-round pick in the compensation process.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the Bengals were unwilling to pay Hendrickson his requested salary but also unwilling to trade a first-round pick for him. This led to the current predicament, where Hendrickson's worth is now reflected in the compensatory third-round pick.

The article suggests that the team's decision-making process was riddled with mistakes. They drafted Shemar Stewart in the first round, who is unlikely to see playing time, and traded away their second-round pick on Cashius Howell, while paying a significant amount for Bryan Mafe. All of this was in an attempt to address their roster needs, but ultimately ended up with the Bengals making no moves while undoing a trade and re-introducing Hendrickson's name to the mix.