Khalil Mack saw his Chicago Bears career come to an abrupt end last month when new GM Ryan Poles traded him to the Los Angeles Chargers. The move was made for obvious reasons. Chicago is starting over under a new regime. Poles wants to rebuild an aging and expensive roster and can’t do that without more picks and cap space. So they sent the former Pro Bowler out west to the Los Angeles Chargers, a team ready to win. That move inevitably kicked off speculation of whether Robert Quinn might be next.
Like Mack, Quinn is aging. He turns 32-years old in May. He also sits on the books with the most expensive contract. Considering his record-breaking year in 2021 with 18.5 sacks, it might make sense for Poles to shop him around as well. In the short term, it wouldn’t help the Bears, but it would clear another bloated deal off the books and likely secure them another decent draft pick. Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report feels he knows the one team that would make such a move.
“Deal: Chiefs get Edge Robert Quinn; Bears get pick No. 94
One year ago, there seemed to be no way out of Robert Quinn’s contract for the Chicago Bears.
The 31-year-old sported an $11.3 million cap hit, was coming off a season with two sacks in 15 games and had arguably the worst pact in the NFL from a team perspective. Then, Quinn ripped off an 18.5-sack season in 2021…
…With a lack of pass-rushers available in free agency and the developmental curve for rookies being steep, the Chiefs make more sense than any other team for the veteran. After adding five draft picks in their trade of Tyreek Hill, they can afford to address the gaping need on their defense for a mere third-rounder.”
This is true. Kansas City’s pass rusher situation isn’t ideal.
Frank Clark had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2021, collecting just 4.5 sacks. This problem became especially acute in the playoffs as the Chiefs allowed 36 points in the divisional win over Buffalo and 27 in their conference championship loss to Cincinnati. In those games, they managed just three sacks combined of Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. Clark was a non-factor for the most part in both contests.
Quinn is far more motivated to win a ring, having never gotten to play in a Super Bowl. He’d be a good fit in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and get a chance to line up alongside defensive tackle Chris Jones. He’s easily the best interior pass rusher he’d play with since Aaron Donald during his later years with the Rams. It isn’t a bad setup for him. Meanwhile, the Bears would get his contract off the books and secure another Day 2 draft pick.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Robert Quinn trade may hinge on Matt Eberflus.
While the new Bears head coach signed off on the Mack trade for his team’s “long-term” outlook, it is hard to know if he’d feel the same with Quinn. Would he really want to de-fang his defensive line entirely by trading the star pass rusher? While the Bears did sign Al-Quadin Muhammad as a free agent, there is no way he, Trevis Gipson, and a probable rookie draft pick can make up for the loss of both Mack and Quinn.
Then again, Eberflus is no stranger to challenges. He’s led defenses to success that didn’t have great (or even good) edge rushers before. See his 2018 Indianapolis Colts unit for reference. He might be willing to make do with modest options in 2022 if he feels it would be in the interests of his teams’ future. During a recent interview, the head coach said he isn’t planning to coach the Bears for a couple of seasons. He plans to be here for a decade. A Robert Quinn trade may not scare him.
Especially since the 2022 draft class appears rich in edge rusher talent.
The Draft Network has 14 players at that position ranked in their top 100 overall prospects. It is a deep and talented group. With some good evaluations and a little luck, the Bears might be able to find somebody they can develop into an eventual contributor. After all, they can afford to be patient. Kansas City is in win-now mode. That is why this trade makes sense.