A couple weeks back I reported that a Chicago Bears trade search was up and running after the hiring of head coach Matt Nagy was complete. It became apparent right away that GM Ryan Pace and his staff were hard at work seeking possible options to upgrade the wide receiving corps. Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and A.J. Green were the names being talked about. Thus far nothing has moved on that front, though it’s still early.
It seems Pace isn’t going to keep his search narrow any longer. A source reached out to me stating that the lines of communication out of Halas Hall has picked up steam in the past 24 hours, much of it rich with potential trade discussions.
“The Bears are having heavy trade discussions today.”
Of course, that’s somewhat vague so I asked if there were any names involved or if this was just a feeling out by the Bears brass to see what names might be available. I received a short list of players back, all of them sticking to the original theme from a few weeks back.
“Martavis Bryant, Chris Conley, John Ross, and Laquan Treadwell.”
In case you weren’t entirely clear, all four of those names are wide receivers. All have encountered somewhat tense situations on their current teams, hence the interest in a potential deal. The Bears can’t afford to be picky at this stage. Anyone of them might be able to help.
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Chicago Bears trade search will most likely remain passive
One should never discount Pace in regards to making deals. He’s already proven he’s more than willing to be aggressive if he feels it’s for the betterment of the roster. Still, the odds on him landing a young, quality receiver for cheap is unlikely. Still, the list above certainly has some attractive possibilities.
Bryant has been a quality deep threat option with 6’4″ size for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014. He does come with considerable personality baggage, including a year-long suspension in 2016. Treadwell is a former first round pick of the Minnesota Vikings. He was a star at Ole Miss but for whatever reason hasn’t found a niche in their offense since being drafted.
Ross might be the most curious case. He set the draft world on fire last year when he broke the NFL combine record with a blistering 4.22 in the 40-yard dash. He is the epitome of a big play threat but for some reason, the Bengals refused to get him heavily involved in the offense. Some of this may have had to do with his being in the coaches’ doghouse over on-field effort. It’s all a bit fuzzy. What isn’t fuzzy is that speed.
Last but not least is Conley. He has a personal connection to Nagy from Kansas City. Not only is he 6’3″ but also possesses speed too. His 2017 season ended prematurely with an injury. The fact that the Chiefs still posted a top five offense and made the playoffs without him might have them convinced he’s not needed.
One can’t say any of these scenarios would solve the Bears receiving problem. That said it would certainly improve it.
