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The Indianapolis Colts have secured their defensive secondary by adding cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum. However, this leaves a potential opening for more talent at the edge rusher position given Dayo Odeyingbo left for the Chicago Bears.
The big-ticket player has been Cincinnati Bengals game wrecker Trey Hendrickson. It was previously thought that nobody was in play to secure Hendrickson in a trade and the Bengals would retain him, along with superstar wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Colts are reportedly interested in landing the All-Pro defender coming off a league-leading 17.5 sacks.
"All eyes in Cincinnati now turn to Trey Hendrickson. As I reported Monday morning, the Bengals still hope to work out a deal with him despite granting permission to seek a trade. It won't be easy, but they haven't given up. One league source even suggested they should punt to 2026 and give him a one-year deal worth $30 million — though it's unclear if that would appease Hendrickson."
Hendrickson's asking price will be hefty, but worth it given he's accumulated an impressive 35 sacks in his last two seasons, and 70.5 in his last five campaigns.
Schultz continued.
"Sources indicate multiple teams, including the Indianapolis Colts— who have his former defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo — are interested in trading for him. However, satisfying both Hendrickson with a new contract and the Bengals with trade compensation is proving difficult — perhaps even impossible."
It's fair that Cincy wants a haul for Hendrickson, as he was the most consistent defender in 2024 for then-coordinator Lou Anarumo. The squad finished tied for 26th in the NFL in points allowed per game (25.5), so Hendrickson is a player that the Bengals either want to retain and build around or deal for multiple solutions to help stack talent in other areas.
Hendrickson wants around/over $30 million per year, which is a hefty price. The Colts can make it happen with their cap situation, but it will be trivial. Also, if this were to occur hypothetically, everyone can expect Indianapolis to forfeit a few high draft picks this year and/or next.
Putting Anarumo back with Hendrickson makes sense on paper, especially considering his best football has come under the tutelage of the veteran defensive coordinator. It's also worth noting that Hendrickson has ripped off a whopping four straight seasons (2021-2024) with Pro Bowl nominations under Anarumo.
This trade would change Indy's defense, as it would for any NFL team that can execute the deal with Cincy, but nobody should hold their breath. Chris Ballard has made many free agent deals and likely wants to hold onto draft picks if the asking price is too mountainous.
Schultz indicated that the Colts are interested, but it seems like attaining Hendrickson via trade will prove very difficult to accomplish. Given the money at stake and assets needed to trade away, I don't foresee the Colts landing Hendrickson.
However, Ballard understands his job is on the line, along with Shane Steichen's. Everything hinges on the success of the 2025 season, and Hendrickson is a player who can join a room with Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu to elevate Anarumo's defensive front.
It will be a potential move to keep an eye on but seems a deal for Hendrickson might be farther from happening than closing.
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Top three notable names to leave the NBA for Europe this summer
There are only 450 spots in the NBA, 540 if you count two-way contracts. Each year, there's a group of players who hit the free-agency market and quietly fade into the obscurity of professional basketball outside of the NBA's bubble. Most of those players head overseas, either to Europe, Australia or China. In recent years, the jump from the NBA to Europe has grown in popularity. The talent level across the top European leagues has dramatically increased, with some teams now closing in on NBA levels of skill and athleticism. And with that talent increase, the pay has started to rise, too. It makes sense, then, that some notable names for NBA fans have made the jump across the Atlantic this summer. Here are the top three players to head to Europe since the start of the offseason. Lonnie Walker IV This time last summer, there was significant chatter about whether Lonnie Walker IV would earn the 15th and final spot on the Boston Celtics roster. The same roster that had won the NBA championship just months earlier. After seeing his Exhibit 10 deal with Boston expire, Walker ended up heading to Lithuania to play for Zalgiris Kaunas before the Philadelphia 76ers brought him back for the second half of the season. Now, after failing to secure a new contract with the Sixers, Walker is heading to Israel, where he's signed a three-year, $10 million deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Walker will now be one of the highest earners within all of European basketball. Oshae Brissett Walker will join Oshae Brissett over in Tel Aviv, as the former NBA champion has also signed with the franchise this summer. Brissett is just 18 months removed from playing a role on the Celtics roster that won the 2024 championship. Brissett doesn't have the athleticism and scoring skill that Walker brings to the table. As such, he won't be bringing home the same level of pay packet. However, he will undoubtedly be one of the better players, both in the Israeli league and in Europe. Brissett leaves the NBA having played in 233 games, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds on 41.9 percent shooting from two-point range and 33.7 percent from deep. Shake Milton Nobody can deny that Shake Milton has outperformed expectations after entering the NBA as the 54th pick in the 2018 draft. He leaves the NBA having suited up for 359 regular-season games and 40 postseason outings. Milton has spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Impressively, he's consistently earned playing time, regardless of what roster he's been on. Nevertheless, it would appear that Milton has sought out an opportunity where he can be a core member of a rotation. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Milton has signed a two-year deal to play in Serbia for Partizan Belgrade. If he can adjust to the physicality of the Serbian league and the slightly different rules set, Milton could become a high-level player in the domestic league and perhaps even in Europe.
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