Things have gone quiet again on the Trey Hendrickson front after reports last week that he and the Cincinnati Bengals were reigniting talks about his eligible contract extension, one the Bengals are desperate to sign to end his holdout and retain their star edge rusher.
With that silence, the likelihood - and prediction - of a trade cannot be counted out, no matter how ridiculous it would be to trade the NFL's sack leader who is the focal point of an otherwise illegitimate defense.
Bleacher Report is no stranger to cheffing up trade predictions, but the latest one involving Hendrickson is a bit peculiar.
Writer Ben Sobleski proposes the Bengals orchestrate a three-team trade where Hendrickson would land with the Indianapolis Colts, DeForest Buckner would be traded to the Atlanta Falcons, and Kyle Pitts would be sent to Cincinnati.
For the sake of hypothetically dreaming up three-team deals, an extra club is added when it may not be necessary either way.
Wouldn't it be easier if the Bengals and Falcons did the trade and swapped Hendrickson for Pitts? The Colts could use pass rush help, sure, but so could the Falcons. Atlanta would likely throw in some sweetners, as Pitts has had an underwhelming start to his young career.
Even as Sobleski mentions ... the Falcons are looking to "drastically reset their defensive front this offseason", but instead of landing a First-Team All-Pro in Hendrickson, they would be stuck Buckner who is slightly further passed his prime than Hendrickson.
Although he's been mentioned in trade talks before, Atlanta would not be receiving back comparable value in giving up 24-year-old tight end Kyle Pitts, who - if he were used correctly - could turn into a promising piece to build around.
The deal best makes sense to send a young, athletic pass-catcher in need of development to Cincinnati in exchange for the proven superstar who may be interested in a relocation to Atlanta.
On the other side ...
"Cincinnati can still move Hendrickson and probably should. The Indianapolis Colts need to make a call if that's the case," B/R says.
If you're dead set on reuniting Hendrickson with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo in Indy, then would Buckner not be enough in a one-for-one swap? They're practically the same age and the Bengals would inherit a more than productive interior D-lineman while eliminating the headache Hendrickson has caused.
Three-team deals are an anomaly in the modern NFL. Especially those like this one where it may not be necessary otherwise and one team would likely feel like they got the short end of the stick.
The Bengals will see what they can do in extending their defensive cornerstone, but if a trade is their last resort, it'd be smart to not make things any more complicated than the organization already has by sticking with one trade partner.