The Chicago Bears sound like they plan to be active at the trade deadline this year. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us much about how aggressive they’re planning to be. There are many different levels to being “active” in something like this. You can flip a late round pick to another team for a player and call it active. Or you can put together a blockbuster package for a star and be called the same. The tricky part is determining what level of aggression the Bears are prepared to be.
After researching past deadlines, I’ve determined there are four levels. Rather than bore you with numerical values, I decided to use baseball analogies to help illustrate them. Based on the available information about possible targets, one tier stands out above the rest.
Chicago Bears trade option #1 – The bunt
This is the type of trade that Ryan Poles has done a few times at the deadline in recent years. It’s a trade for somebody who can serve less as a difference-maker and more as quality depth at ailing positions. A perfect example was last year when the Bears sent a 6th round pick to Cleveland for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. It gave them some help on the back end, but ultimately didn’t move the needle much.
Potential options at this level:
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- CB Nahshon Wright
- CB Donte Jackson
- DT Adetomiwa Adebawore
- EDGE Josh Uche
- DT David Onyemota
Trade option #2 – The single
These are your bargain trades for one of two types of players: an older veteran who still has some gas in the tank or a player who another coaching staff may have just misused. You saw two examples of this last year with Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Chicago gave up 4th and 6th round picks, respectively, for the two men, and they quickly became anchors on the offensive line. That is the high-end you can expect from cheaper trades.
Potential options at this level:
- EDGE Khalil Mack
- DT Daron Payne
- DT Zach Sieler
- CB Tariq Woolen
- S Budda Baker
- EDGE Carl Granderson
Trade option #3 – The double
These are the trades where a GM is willing to get a little aggressive. We’re talking a 2nd or 3rd round pick and change to acquire a player of considerable renown. Poles has done two of them in his time as general manager. The first was for Chase Claypool in 2022 and the second was for Montez Sweat in 2023. The first was a complete disaster. Thankfully, the one for Sweat turned out pretty well for the Chicago Bears.
Potential options at this level:
- EDGE Josh Sweat
- EDGE Chase Young
- EDGE Will McDonald
- EDGE Chop Robinson
- DT Moro Ojomo
- DT DeForest Buckner
- CB Zyon McCollum
- CB Juju Brents
Trade option #4 – The home run
This is the big-game hunting tier—the select few players who will likely command a 1st round pick to acquire. To date, the Bears have never made one this big. They’ve flirted with the idea once or twice, but never got serious. Is this finally the year that changes? The Rams traded for Jalen Ramsey in 2019. San Francisco nabbed Christian McCaffrey in 2022. There are examples of these big swings paying off. If the Bears feel like they’re close, this might be the time to do it.
Potential options at this level:
- DT Jeffery Simmons
- EDGE Maxx Crosby
