ESPN insider proposes NY Jets trade with Cincinnati Bengals

An ESPN insider stated that the New York Jets should make a one-for-one player trade with the Cincinnati Bengals

The New York Jets‘ offensive line is nowhere near complete yet. That much is obvious.

So acquiring a known commodity in exchange for a question mark sounds like a good idea.

However, sometimes trade proposals to accomplish that goal are just completely ludicrous.

ESPN Insider Bill Barnwell suggested a one-for-one player swap between the Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. The players he proposed are Mekhi Becton for Jonah Williams, who requested a trade after Orlando Brown Jr. was signed.

In theory, this may seem like a good idea. Becton is coming off back-to-back season-ending knee injuries and has played all of 48 snaps in the last two seasons combined. Williams, meanwhile, has started every game for Cincinnati over the past two years.

However, the main sticking point here is that Williams was absolutely terrible last season. He has not performed up to his No. 11 overall draft status much more than Becton has.

Statistical comparison

In 2022, Williams allowed a whopping 43 pressures, the seventh-most among all tackles. His 6.4% pressure rate was worse than the 5.5% tackle average. Worse, he allowed 12 sacks, tied for the most among all offensive linemen in football.

In 2021, Williams was also subpar, allowing 42 pressures, a 6.6% pressure rate, and eight sacks. His best year came in his rookie season when he allowed 20 pressures and a 4.7% pressure rate over 10 games (429 pass-blocking snaps).

There’s a reason the Bengals decided to replace him. Yes, they were going to move him over to the right side rather than outright get rid of him or bench him, but they needed a better protector for Joe Burrow.

Would the Jets prefer to have a known commodity that is less-than-stellar or the unknown who flashed signs of dominance when he was on the field?

Sure, Becton’s ability to stay healthy is suspect and cannot be counted on. Even if he does stay on the field, he did not look good in his previous two training camps and is a question mark play-wise. He did allow seven sacks and a 5.9% pressure rate in his rookie season, both subpar marks.

Is there any point in making a trade just for the sake of a trade, though?

Price

Another factor to consider is that Becton is a lot cheaper than Williams. Both were No. 11 picks, but Becton is in the fourth year of his rookie deal, while Williams is on the fifth-year option. Becton’s 2023 cap charge is $5.9 million; Williams’s is $12.6 million.

Not only that, but the Jets would have $2.7 million in dead cap from trading Becton, which would mean that they’d save only $3.1 million from moving Becton while taking on Williams’s full salary, per Over the Cap.

Overall, this is a trade that makes no sense for the Jets. Cincinnati would love to take on the cheaper contract with the higher upside, especially since they have an alternative at right tackle in La’el Collins. From New York’s side, though, this is a hard pass.