For weeks now, the San Francisco 49ers have been linked to an established defensive talent in the AFC to replace defensive end Nick Bosa, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last month.
As general manager John Lynch was rumored to be looking for a player to fill the void with Bosa out, speculation surrounded the quarterback-hungry Cincinnati Bengals in the wake of Joe Burrow suffering a serious turf-toe injury weeks ago and is still expected to miss many more.
While a deal involving Niners backup quarterback Mac Jones and Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson never materialized, it was nevertheless a potential starting point for would-be discussions between Cincy and San Francisco.