It appears GM Ryan Poles might’ve been lying. He said the likelihood that the Chicago Bears would be active at the trade deadline was low. Now, with hours left to go, things have gotten crazy. Reports surfaced on Monday night that Jaylon Johnson requested a trade. The Bears granted him permission. It’s well-known the cornerback wants a contract extension. Thus far, the two sides haven’t reached common ground. So Poles seems willing to let him explore his market. However, that isn’t the only work being done, it seems.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune dropped a minor bombshell Tuesday morning, confirming that the Bears are deep into the defensive end market as the deadline looms. Everybody knows that when he mentions something, it is as close to fact as you can get. It’s becoming clear Poles might be trying to pull off a series of moves. Perhaps he intends to trade Johnson for compensation and then maybe use that to secure pass rush help. It would be a fascinating move if he can pull it off.
The Chicago Bears have a few possibilities here.
Rumors suggest there are as many as five teams interested in Johnson: San Francisco, Dallas, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. The first question to ask is whether any of them can offer a legitimate pass rusher back in a deal. The answer is yes. That is the Eagles. One player they might be able to flip is Josh Sweat. The 26-year-old defensive end has one year left on the extension he signed with Philadelphia in 2021. He had 11 sacks last season and has 5.5 so far in 2023. The Eagles drafted Nolan Smith in the 1st round this past spring. They’re quite deep at the position.
Another possibility is the Chicago Bears could trade Johnson to whichever team offers the best price. Then Poles can use that compensation as ammunition to go after Chase Young or Montez Sweat in Washington. Both are said to be available. Young is 24 years old. He would fit Poles’ long-term vision better, but Sweat is a good player too, and only 27. If the Bears GM can pull off something of this nature, it would soften the blow of losing Johnson. Remember, the team invested a lot at cornerback with rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
