For the longest time, the NFL has operated on a predictable set of rules regarding trades. You have the midseason deadline at the end of October. They don’t become official until the start of the new league year in March. Lastly, and perhaps the most overlooked, teams cannot trade picks any further than three years into the future. The Chicago Bears are no strangers to this; they have gone to that well a few times in some of their more aggressive trades over the years. However, it appears things are about to change.
Adam Schefter of ESPN appeared on The Pat McAfee Show this week to talk about the situation regarding star pass rusher Maxx Crosby and if the Las Vegas Raiders will trade him. It was then that the longtime insider dropped a bombshell. Apparently, there is expected to be a significant push in NFL circles to change that rule. Rather than it being three years, it would become five years. Meaning, teams would be able to give up picks as far ahead as 2030. That would be a significant shift towards more of an NBA model, which allows teams to surrender picks seven years into the future.
The Chicago Bears would enter a more dangerous era.
First and foremost, what comes to mind with such a change is how more frequent blockbuster trades would become. Teams can offer a maximum of three 1st-round picks in most trades to acquire a player they covet. Try to imagine what happens if those teams are suddenly allowed to push it to four or five 1st round picks. It would become almost impossible to say no to such offers. Having two 1st round picks for the next four years could completely change the landscape of a franchise.
At the same time, it becomes more dangerous. You’ll have general managers and head coaches on the hot seat, desperate to save their jobs. What is to stop them from mortgaging the future of a franchise just to save their own skins? It would be the Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy situation in 2021 dialed up to 11. Also, don’t forget the salary cap implications. Such massive trades would deplete a team’s ability to maintain a healthy payroll with a steady influx of young, cheap talent. It would be the highest of high-stakes gambling.
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Strong ownership would become even more important.
With no specified details on whether such a rule would include provisions, it means every team must have an ownership-conscious enough to keep a careful eye on their front office. Otherwise, you’ll see somebody going rogue, like what happened last year in Atlanta with Terry Fontenot trading up for James Pearce. Not only is the player, who had major character concerns, likely going to jail, but the Falcons are out their 1st round pick this year because Fontenot was desperate to save his job. Imagine what he might’ve done with access to more future 1st rounders.
This creates a tough situation for the Chicago Bears. George McCaskey has never been known for being a hands-on owner. He freely allowed Pace and Nagy to trade up for Justin Fields five years ago, which ultimately set the franchise back for years. Would he be willing to keep tabs on what Ryan Poles does regarding major trade decisions? That is difficult to answer.
