Cincinnati Bengals: Saquon Barkley is one of the big stars on the open-market.

One of the main topics of discussion surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals prior to free agency is whether or not the team will make a running back trade this offseason.

The fact that Joe Mixon’s contract bonus falls around the start of free agency has contributed to the rising discussion.

And Saquon Barkley is one of the big stars on the open market.

The Bengals are one team that Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today believes would be a wise choice for the standout running back:

It’s a fun hypothetical to think about, but it only makes sense if Joe Mixon is cut by the Bengals. Even yet, it appears that this action was taken in advance of the team cutting rather than increasing its expenditure at the position. Could Cincinnati make a big effort to inject more energy into the sluggish running game, though, if Tee Higgins’s presence is guaranteed for just one more season? Even if it seems unlikely, Joe Burrow’s acquisition would be a great way to welcome him back after the wrist ligament tear that terminated his 2023 season early.

A top-two choice like Barkely could normally not even be on the Bengals’ radar. However, since this is a running back position, it is impossible to predict what the market would really pay the best players, or whether those players will accept shorter-term, less expensive contracts in order to have a chance to compete.

That is not to suggest that Barkely will act in that way. But with the Bengals’ back-friendly approach, there’s no sense ruling anything out at this time when it comes to running backs, so these kinds of lists are necessary.

To put it mildly, Barkley would be a good match, but the Bengals may prefer to save money now and allocate it to more desirable positions.