CINCINNATI — At the start of training camp, Cody Ford was the favorite to serve as the backup offensive tackle to starters Amarius Mims and Orlando Brown Jr.Less than a month later, he was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.Brown endured rough moments in camp and the games, but the problems behind him have grown to the biggest concern on an otherwise stocked roster.“This whole thing is not concluded yet,” head coach Zac Taylor said.Cincinnati Bengals Camp: Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and moreRobert MaysThe question for Taylor on Monday was simple: Is this team’s Week 1 swing tackle currently on the roster?“I think we’re always open to everything,” he said. “These guys are really competing. I feel like I’d like to see someone grab it and us be able to say that. But certainly with time still to practice, we got some stuff to sort out.”Let’s dive into that stuff. Myriad options exist.The Bengals land in a unique spot this year. They boast a desirable excess of talent at key positions (defensive line, receiver, tight end) and clear potential to add serviceable depth at swing tackle. That could mean an available veteran via trade or waiver wire cut.The cutdown to 53 must be made by 6 p.m. ET Sunday. The situation offers options for a potential deal, but what would that trade look like? How likely are the Bengals to swing one? What impact will the current roster and Ford’s release have on the situation?Here’s a look at the Bengals’ top trade candidates and the offensive tackle options that could be available via trade, waiver wire or in-house.Top trade candidatesThis list essentially serves as veterans on the current roster bubble, nearly all with rookies pushing them for a roster spot. The Bengals have not cut a draft pick after their first preseason since 2020.DT Kris Jenkins. The 2024 second-round pick might stick on the roster, but the strong preseason from seventh-round rookie Landon Robinson makes his departure a possibility. Jenkins has never quite taken off in Cincinnati, but he’s still a second-round pick with potential. He also looked good in the preseason opener last year but could be the odd man out among a deep defensive line.TE Tanner Hudson. A favorite of Joe Burrow (and every other quarterback to come through Cincinnati) with 77 receptions for 674 yards and four touchdowns over the last three seasons. But would the Bengals keep five tight ends again? Rookie Jack Endries has looked the part thus far. They still like Hudson, but could go young and get by without him if there’s a solid return.The Bengals’ depth at tight end could make Tanner Hudson a possible trade piece. (Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images)WR/KR/PR Charlie Jones. He has returned a kick for a touchdown in three consecutive seasons, the only person who can make such a claim. His time at receiver has been limited behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati and injuries have derailed too many seasons. If the Bengals go with Ke’Shawn Williams or Dohnte Meyers as the returner, the fourth-year pro could provide value to a WR-needy team.WR Mitchell Tinsley. Somebody with quality NFL experience at receiver easily could be left off this roster. If it’s Tinsley, a team in need of a playmaker could find a match. His tape from last preseason and regular season, making acrobatic plays, would be tantalizing if Cincinnati opts to keep Meyers and Jones/Williams instead.Veteran trade optionsIf looking for a list of veterans who could be acquired as teams enjoy enough depth at surrounding spots, it’s not particularly long or renowned, but full of players who could provide NFL starting experience and stability.Fred Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles. Perhaps the best potential fit. The Eagles love what third-round pick Markel Bell showed this camp and appear poised to hand over the swing tackle role to the rookie. If they do, Johnson could have value. He has started 14 games over the last two seasons. He began his career with the Bengals in 2019 and played three seasons in Cincinnati. Would bring a proven veteran, a personality they know and experience. Also, was traded in August last year, so he’s familiar with starting over right before a season.Trent Brown/Blake Fisher, Houston Texans. The Texans run four-deep at offensive tackle and are scary thin at receiver after the Jayden Higgins injury. Trading for New England Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte might have eased that pain, but general manager Nick Caserio has never been shy to deal. Brown was in Cincinnati just two years ago before suffering an injury. He obviously fits the tackle profile at 6-foot-8, 380 pounds, and the Bengals know what they’d be getting. Fisher is younger, but a second-round pick in his own right. He was selected 10 spots after Jenkins.Matt Peart, Denver Broncos. Started 10 games in six seasons with the New York Giants and Broncos. Denver has the luxury of talent and depth at the position and could have interest in a pick or player. The 29-year-old would be an upgrade from the current options in camp, without question. Could probably be acquired for a late-round pick swap or player.Waiver wire or trade optionsLooking for a young player showing promise elsewhere, who would be outside the roster bubble or available in a trade.Christian Jones, Arizona Cardinals. He’s only played in four games with one start for the Cardinals since being selected in the fifth round in 2024. He’s looked improved this preseason, but it still might not be enough to crack the two-deep. He’s an intriguing option to pull off the waiver wire or offer a nominal trade to secure.Albert Reese, Carolina Panthers. At 6-7, 330 pounds, he’s an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State. He’s played great this preseason with the second-most snaps of any tackle and also the second-highest grade, according to PFF. He’s played solely at right tackle.Chase Lundt, Buffalo Bills. There’s a roster crunch at tackle for the Bills, and Lundt finds himself on the bubble at the back of the rotation. Could be a waiver add or force the issue with a trade. He’s a sixth-round pick out of Connecticut in 2025.Could Chase Lundt be the answer for the Bengals at swing tackle? (Gregory Fisher / Imagn Images)Free agentsThe crop of available free agents is small, with many recently retiring, considering retirement or dealing with injuries. Former Bengals OL Jonah Williams is among that last group and not considered an option.Cam Robinson. He has bounced around the league but made $74.8 million over the course of his career. He will turn 31 in October. He spent his first seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was involved in multiple trades, playing for four teams in the past two years (Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Texans). He has 114 NFL starts.In-house candidatesFord’s direct path to a roster spot closed once he failed to assume the swing tackle job and was moved back inside to guard. Despite three seasons where versatility provided value as a backup, the Bengals wanted to go young and liked the development from that group.Jacob Bayer, Connor Lew and Brian Parker II all offered encouraging signs in recent weeks. Second-year pro Jalen Rivers still has a solid 2025 rookie season at guard on his resume.The time was now to go young on the interior. The same youth movement could happen at tackle.Rivers kicked outside to tackle over the last week but endured rough moments in the preseason game as he adjusts to being back at a spot he spent half his time at the University of Miami.The leader in the clubhouse to hold the swing spot right now is Javon Foster. He was drafted by Jacksonville in the fourth round in 2024. The Jags cut him last year, and Cincinnati quickly scooped him up for the practice squad.He’s shown improvement over time and specifically gained trust over the first two preseason games. He allowed just one pressure and no hits on the quarterbacks in 39 pass-blocking snaps on Saturday.“Javon, big jump from Day 1 to now as he has taken to the coaching, he has done much better,” offensive line coach Scott Peters said. “If you are vying for that third tackle spot, you got to be consistent, reliable and be able to do it on both sides. I think Javon felt better at left in the past, now he went out and played really well at right. I thought he had a good game. It’s good to see the improvement. You see that growth, with more reps, you expect him to develop.”The question here becomes: Can any available veteran show up and play better than Foster?That’s the line Cincinnati would need to cross in acquiring a player. Then what would the Bengals have to give up to make it happen? Otherwise, pursuing the waiver wire or making a nominal trade for a younger player they like could be the most likely method for filling out the position.Cincinnati should have options, thanks to the overall health of the roster. The Bengals signed Dalton Risner as a free agent last year on Aug. 28. He played in the opener against Cleveland a week later before eventually becoming the answer they’d been looking for all along.Repeating that process could happen, but the front office and Taylor will be monitoring the situation closely.“I think the easiest focus for us is we have guys in-house that we believe in and continue to get reps with them,” Taylor said. “I still feel like we have several practices left to get all that ironed out. And, a lot of times, this thing goes into the season sometimes where you decide who fits you best and what are the combinations that you’d like to utilize in certain situations. So I think we got really good guys that are pieces on the roster right now that I’m still really encouraged by. Probably not quick at any position to say, ‘Hey, this guy’s absolutely our backup right now with training camp still to go,’ and O-line’s no different there.”