Nick Korte seemingly sways Bengals to back out of trade through comp pick reporting

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsCincinnati Bengals fans thought for a moment on Tuesday, NFL trade deadline day, that the team was getting some help on defense.NFL insiders reported that Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie was heading to Cincinnati in return for a 2027 sixth round pick. The only issue? By doing so, the Bengals would lose a 3rd round compensatory draft pick earned from dealing Trey Hendrickson to Baltimore this offseason.Nick Korte, the self-described Compensatory Picks Guy on social media, pointed this out shortly after reports of the trade went public. He explained the Bengals had lost three compensatory free agents while gaining two, which would earn them the 3rd round comp pick next year. Adding Ebiketie, who was a compensatory free agent himself when he signed with the Eagles, would’ve tilted the scales back to three lost and three gained, meaning the Bengals would lose their 3rd round comp pick.Arnold Ebiketie was signed as a compensatory free agent by the Eagles.The Bengals lost 3 CFAs and signed 2 (Cordell Volson not qualifying), thus while they gain a 2027 6th rounder, they lose a 2027 3rd round comp pick that was via Trey Hendrickson going to Baltimore.— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) November 10, 2026The current Bengals’ compensatory pick cancellation chart after this trade: https://t.co/9SfHSWp61B— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) November 10, 2026Just about an hour after Korte first explained the Bengals’ comp pick situation on social media, reports surfaced that the Bengals were backing out of the trade. A slew of NFL reporters credited Korte’s reporting as being the impetus for the Bengals’ decision to renege on the agreement.The Bengals need to treat Nick to an all expenses paid trip to sit in a luxury box at a future home game of his choosing— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 10, 2026@FieldYates The hell with that. Hire him.— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 10, 2026.@nickkorte should get GM interviews this cycle— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 10, 2026While there’s plenty of room to criticize the Bengals’ front office for not clocking this before agreeing to the trade, this is probably the clearest display of someone’s highly specialized knowledge leading to a tangible decision by a team in recent memory. Korte is doing the public a huge service by explaining something as complex as the NFL’s compensatory draft picks system in a manner that can be understood by the layman. What most didn’t realize is that maybe Korte’s expertise would be of value to some front offices around the league.The post Nick Korte seemingly sways Bengals to back out of trade through comp pick reporting appeared first on Awful Announcing.