Bengals Trade Decisions Loom as They Prepare for Madrid | Enter the Jungle LIVE

James Rapien (0:06)

What's up, everyone? Welcome in. It's a Better, Late Than Never edition of Enter the Jungle. He's Andrew Fox Miller, I'm James Rapien. And I gotta be honest, with the trade deadline just one week away, obviously it is a big day in the sports world because of that.

The trade deadline just one week away. Two years ago on election day, the Bengals traded for a running back. I'm hoping that by the end of this stream, Andrew, they trade for an even better running back or safety or player that can help them win games. And that's where I'm at. Shocker, I want the Bengals to make a move, multiple moves preferably with the trade deadline less than a week away. Ideally, it would happen in like two minutes because that would be pretty cool.

Andrew Fox Miller (0:54)

I'm not shocked to hear you say that. I thought, James, when I was putting this together, hey, I'm going to name this episode the James Rapien gets to talk about trades because James Rapien loves trades. James Rapien, let's talk trades. You've got one more week to talk trades on James Rapien, fantasy football, James Rapien. This is your...

You love this. You love it and you hate that the idea of talking trades is just going to be ripped away from you in a week.

James Rapien (1:22)

Well, yes, for sure. No doubt about it. I don't know why, because I love team building and I love chasing greatness. That's what I love, because you think about it.

What are you going to say in a few months? James, you love this free agency. You love the draft. Hell yeah. I love all the transactions because guess what? That's how you build champions. That's right. And if the goal is to be great and go win the title, well, guess what? You better add to your roster because my goodness, do they have some flaws? Like that's it for me, OK? Like when it comes down to it, if I felt like this Bengals team had, and I get by some metrics, you could say they have the top offense, but didn't have room to grow offensively, couldn't get better offensively. Well, then yeah, if they were flawless, sure. Good then. Don't need to add. If I thought this defense was going to hold up and had the depth and had the juice pass rush wise and didn't just lose their second best pass rush or on the edge to injury and an injury that could certainly, heck, side bottom, who knows, maybe the entire season, then I hope not, of course, but I'm just saying it's possible.

Then maybe we don't go down this path and don't do a trades show. But with one week away, with the team leaving for Madrid today, with the Khalil Herbert trade two years in the rear view mirror, I do wonder if today is the day the Bengals make a trade. I will say this, I do think that they are entertaining plenty of different scenarios, moves, and potentially an in-season trade for a third straight year. Would not shock me one bit if they make a move.

Andrew Fox Miller (3:07)

Sure. I hear what you're saying. Let's establish this right now. We can talk about running back and we can talk about wide receiver and offense. Will you stop? No, there's no stopping. There's no stopping. I'm so sick of this now. We just need to establish it.

It'll provide context for anything that's talked about from here on out, from you.

James Rapien (3:27)

Gosh, yeah.

Andrew Fox Miller (3:28)

Is it fair to say?

James Rapien (3:30)

No.

Andrew Fox Miller (3:32)

Is it fair to say?

James Rapien (3:34)

Probably not.

Andrew Fox Miller (3:35)

That generally speaking, at this moment in time, that defense should probably be priority. Cornerback, linebacker, safety, areas that they're not only struggling, but they may not have much in terms of depth.

Or even as for starters, beginning in Madrid.

James Rapien (3:58)

Starter? Well, I mean, they have starters.

Andrew Fox Miller (4:00)

Starters that we feel good about. Starters that we can't quickly rectify the situation through the trade market. And that wouldn't be necessarily big splash moves. That can be, but they wouldn't need to be. For us to feel a little better.

All right.

James Rapien (4:16)

So Cam Hart at Corner. There's one that's not a splash move that I would like. I like to pre-draft, by the way, somewhere there is footage or text of me writing about Cam Hart. Can more cheese a pizza. Cam Hart. I Notre Dame loved him coming out, went in the fifth round. I think I mocked him to the Bengals on Bengals Talk. At one point, Bengals talk.com.