The Chicago Bears have made their intentions clear. GM Ryan Poles understands this team isn’t going to compete for the playoffs. He isn’t interested in sneaking in as a wild card and being one-and-done. That was the most they could hope for right now. Not good enough. If he wants to build a consistent winner, he needs a young, talented, homegrown roster. That requires draft picks. So the team took the massive step of imploding their defense by trading Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith in less than a week.
The moves have netted Chicago 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks for next year, bringing their total to ten. Poles is fixed on his course. He wants to build this team his way. Yet the craziness might not be over yet. There is still time for more moves to happen. Dan Weiderer of the Chicago Tribune dropped a not-so-subtle hint that Poles may not be done based on the buzz around the league.
There's a bit of chatter inside league circles that the Bears may not be done with their trade activity. There are 23 hours and 46 minutes left until the deadline.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) October 31, 2022
Chicago Bears are focused on unloading Pace guys.
Ryan Pace acquired every player he’s traded to this point. He wants to erase any lingering signs of the previous GM. So it’s safe to say any more moves will involve former Pace picks or free agent signings. When looking over the roster, four names make varying degrees of sense.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
- Eddie Jackson
- David Montgomery
- Cole Kmet
- Jaylon Johnson
Jackson makes the most sense. He turns 29 in December and has the most expensive contract in the group. He’s also playing at an All-Pro level with four interceptions in the first eight games. It isn’t hard to imagine contending teams might be willing to offer sizable packages for his services.
Montgomery will be a free agent next spring. With Khalil Herbert emerging as the primary running back, it would make sense for Chicago to get something back for him before he’s gone. Probably no more than a 5th round pick should be expected. The same goes for Kmet. He’s not a go-to weapon in the passing game, but he’s versatile with decent pass-catching skills and blocking ability.
Johnson might be the biggest surprise mention. It shouldn’t be. Cover corners fetch a ton on the market, especially when they’re young and on rookie contracts. It would take a lot. Most likely a 1st round pick. However, if Poles gets that offer, he may bite. Nothing is off the table.
