NFL trade deadline deals wishlist spotlights Bengals’ explosive-run problem

The NFL trade deadline deals discussion has shifted toward bigger swings with only one round of games left before Tuesday, Nov. 10. A five-trade wishlist now puts the Cincinnati Bengals’ running game under the microscope, with Jonathan Taylor presented as a possible solution in a proposed move rather than a completed transaction.

The idea appears in a set of “five needle-moving trades I'd like to see before the deadline,” framed around deals that could make sense for both sides. The Bengals concept stands out because it is tied to one simple issue: creating more explosive runs around Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Why Cincinnati’s run game is the focus

The Bengals are described as trying to build a more explosive running game to supplement the Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase-Tee Higgins triumvirate. That makes the proposed fit less about changing Cincinnati’s offensive identity and more about giving the passing game another source of pressure.

The production gap cited in the proposal is direct. Taylor has broken off 17 runs of 10 or more yards, while Bengals running backs have combined for 12.

That comparison is the core football case for why Cincinnati appears in the deadline wishlist. It points to a Bengals offense that already has high-end passing-game names, but is being viewed through the lens of whether a more explosive rushing threat could change how defenses have to respond.

Jonathan Taylor idea carries a Day 2 pick framework

The Taylor concept is not presented as a done deal. It is one of the author’s desired trade scenarios before the deadline, and the article notes that it is “the most off-the-wall trade proposal of the bunch, but this…”

The suggested price is also part of the discussion. The article says the Colts would likely want a first-rounder for a player like Taylor, but adds that Indianapolis has already shown it is willing to budge after trading guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner at a reduced cost.

In that context, the proposal says a pair of Day 2 picks should be enough. Cincinnati is also noted as having been awarded a compensatory third-round pick in 2027, giving the Bengals another draft-pick reference point in the idea.

Completed trades have raised the deadline temperature

The broader market is already active. The Colts traded away Nelson and DeForest Buckner for a cache of draft picks, while the Titans shipped defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, described as their best player, to Chicago for two first-round picks and a fourth.

Those moves are the confirmed backdrop for the wishlist. If no other deal is made before the deadline, this will already be considered one of the most active trade markets in recent memory.

That matters for how fans read bigger proposals. A Taylor-to-Cincinnati idea remains speculative, but it is being discussed in a deadline environment where major names have already moved and teams are not waiting until the final hours to act.

What happens next

With one round of games left before Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Bengals’ mention in the five-trade wishlist gives Cincinnati fans a clear debate: whether adding a back with more 10-plus-yard run production would be worth the kind of draft capital suggested.

For now, Taylor to the Bengals is a proposed deadline swing, not a completed move. The confirmed activity belongs to the Colts and Titans, while the Bengals remain part of the larger conversation about what teams could still do before the deadline.