After making major changes this past offseason in their defensive core, the Cincinnati Bengals could trade DT TJ Slaton before the 2026 regular season. It’s no surprise that the Bengals may consider dangling Slaton on the trade block, who is entering the final year of his current deal. Last season, the team had one of the worst defenses in the league despite having Trey Hendrickson, but the changes the team made are bringing potential to this roster. The Bengals signed Jonathan Allen in free agency before taking a big swing, trading for Dexter Lawrence.
They also selected Landon Robinson in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. It doesn’t give a ton of room for Slaton to make an impact on this defense. While a trade is the most logical path for both sides, there might not be much interest from teams. Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the former Florida product began his career as a backup to former teammate Kenny Clark in Green Bay.
Slaton mainly played in a backup role and only came in when Clark was hurt. The defensive tackle is still durable, but doesn’t bring anything spectacular.
Bengals Predicted to Trade Top Defender TJ Slaton After Latest Acquisition – Potential Landing Spots
Now, it will be up to what the Bengals will do. The most obvious decision is that they will make Slaton available for a trade during minicamp. Cincinnati wouldn’t get a massive return, but at the bare minimum, a fifth-round pick. Slaton won’t be the most exciting addition, but he’s good for depth, which is something that the Bengals don’t need anymore.
The team also signed Boye Mafe to a deal, so this should completely point the Bengals in the direction of trying to trade him to these teams.
3 Possible Fits
Dallas Cowboys
After trading Osa Odighizuwa earlier this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are prioritizing between Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams for their defensive line. However, the team is in need of backup despite signing Otito Ogbonnia. Slaton won’t get the start here, but reuniting him with Clark might be the move Dallas makes, especially given the impact they had in Green Bay. The Cowboys also traded for Packers linebacker Rashan Gary, so having three former Green Bay teammates seems logical for chemistry.
Dallas has only prioritized the pass-rush in the draft, but not so much for the defensive line, so adding Slaton is a low-stakes grab for a team that doesn’t want to commit to a long-term deal.
New York Jets
The Jets have declined the fifth-year option for Mazi Smith, which could signal the team is moving in a different direction. The team originally acquired Smith in the Williams trade, but has failed to live up to his first-round pedigree in New York. While they traded for T’Vondre Sweat by sending Jermaine Johnson to Tennessee, Slaton is considered a major upgrade over Smith to help Sweat in his first season as a Jet.
Carolina Panthers
If the 2026 offseason has shown anyone about this Carolina Panthers team is that they’re building a defense that wants to win championships. The team signed Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips to put this defense from good to explosive. This is after they just added Bobby Brown and Tershawn Wharton an offseason before upgrade it’s defensive line. The sky’s the limit, so why not add one more depth piece like Slaton to help Brown behind him in the defensive tackle position?
