The Dallas Cowboys moved on from their best pass-rusher in the offseason, and they have failed to replace him so far. Of course, there's no such thing as replacing Micah Parsons, but adding Trey Hendrickson to the mix could certainly be a huge step in the right direction.
With that in mind, Week 6 could be pivotal for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cowboys, as it could open up the door for Jerry Jones to lure the star defensive end to Arlington. One week from now, the Trey Hendrickson rumors might be the talk of the hour in Cowboy Nation.
Trey Hendrickson to the Cowboys Makes Too Much Sense
As things stand now, the Bengals are 14.5-point underdogs in Week 6. They will start Joe Flacco shortly after he arrived in Cincinnati, and they will play a Green Bay Packers team coming off a bye week in a hostile environment.
Granted, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Detroit Lions, and the Baltimore Ravens will face the Los Angeles Rams as 7.5-point underdogs, so their biggest challengers for a spot in the postseason might not get too far ahead of them. Then again, they will meet with the Pittsburgh Steelers next Thursday night, and losing to a divisional rival could cement their fate.
The Bengals are more than likely to be sellers, and Trey Hendrickson is, by far, their most valuable trade asset. He's a long shot to re-sign with them after their contract stalemate, and they would have to pay him north of $30 million to keep him there under the franchise tag. With Jerry Jones already teasing some moves, it won't be long before the fans and the media start speculating:
"I think that old sign ‘Open for business’ is there. We are continuing looking as we go on into this season... Yes, we’re in position to improve our team if we get an opportunity to," Jones said earlier in the week, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Hendrickson will turn 31 next season and will demand a big contract extension, but the Cowboys need that type of top-end pass-rusher to help their struggling defense. He's coming off consecutive seasons with 17.5 sacks, and he'd be a massive upgrade over the disappointing Dante Fowler Jr.
The Bengals will also have no choice but to lower their steep asking price for their superstar defensive end. Even though this might be a risky move, it could take Brian Schottenheimer's team to the next level.