The Bengals and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, Trey Hendrickson, have been at an impasse all offseason long, as the 30-year-old is seeking a top-end contract heading into the final year of his deal. Hendrickson did report to camp recently, but he probably just wanted to stop racking up his fines for missing practice.
Cincinnati doesn't tend to hand out big-money extensions for players in their 30s, and the dispute seems to be mostly around the guarantees in the later years of a proposed extension. They haven't made much progress, if any, and the Bengals are now open to a trade for the All-Pro pass rusher, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Browns among teams interested in Trey Hendrickson trade in latest update
Per Jordan Schultz, the Browns are among the teams interested in a trade for Hendrickson, which came to the surprise of many. Schultz brings up the unlikelihood of an in-division, in-state trade, but it's notable that Cleveland is interested, nonetheless. Cincinnati is reportedly seeking "an impact player or two plus a draft pick," according to Schultz.
On the surface, the Browns don't seem to be on a timeline where it makes a ton of sense to trade significant assets and hand out a large multi-year extension to a 30-year-old. However, thinking of a defensive line anchored by Myles Garrett, Hendrickson, and Mason Graham instantly gives the unit the potential to be the best in the league.
It's tough to say what a package could look like, but Cleveland is already so deep on the defensive line that sending one back in a deal makes sense. Isaiah McGuire, Alex Wright, and Mike Hall Jr. are among the intriguing younger defensive line options who should be of interest to the Bengals. This would've been a logical place to include Greg Newsome at one point, but the injury to Martin Emerson makes him essential in 2025.
The Browns tend to do their due diligence when a top-end player becomes available to at least see what the price is for a player of that caliber in that situation. If they even have an ounce of interest in Hendrickson, it would be logical that they would be heavily interested in Dallas' Micah Parsons, if the Cowboys move in that direction.