Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has been bombarded by trade rumors from left, right and center over the past few months. That’s normal this time of year. Still, it’s fair to wonder if at some point soon he’s going to make “that” trade. Many GMs encounter this moment. Their team foundation is rebuilt. The roster is young, talented and eager to start winning. It feels like maybe one more good push could put them over the top.
Often their solution is a bold trade for a marquee player. One who might come with some risk but if he pans out turns a good roster into a great one. What the Los Angeles Rams did this past off-season by dealing a second round choice for cornerback Marcus Peters is a perfect example. He comes with character concerns but he’s also the best ball-hawking cornerback in football. It’s a coup if they can keep him under control.
Those sort of moves are gambles but have shown to work in a huge way in years past. A shining example to this day is the Dallas Cowboys’ acquisition of defensive end Charles Haley in 1992. Could the Bears take a page out of that playbook by targeting another defensive end making his name in Texas?
Chicago Bears must monitor the J.J. Watt situation in Houston
At first glance, anybody with common sense would say there’s no way in hell the Houston Texans would trade star defensive end J.J. Watt. He’s the face of their franchise. Except this is the NFL. Things change quickly and many Houston fans believe Watt, however beloved, may be nearing his end in Houston.
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There are a number of reasons for this. Watt just turned 29-years old. Everybody knows what happens as players near 30. They tend to lose steam. Adding to this is the fact that Watt has only played eight games the past two years due to back and leg injuries. Last but not least is money.
Watt commands $15 million per year on the salary cap under his current contract. Houston is getting ready to pay big money to fellow defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney. Not only that, but they need to start putting money aside for the future extension of quarterback Desean Watson. Removing Watt from the equation would give them plenty of flexibility to handle those two and still have the cash to spend elsewhere.
Jeff Risdon of Texans Wire accepts the reality but is highly resistant to it.
“His injuries, his decline in performance when healthy in 2017, his $100 million contract and the team’s relative depth at his position lead some to conclude the Texans would be better off without the four-time first-team All-Pro defensive end.
It’s a notion that has gained traction in social media conversations and on sports talk radio. And while the sentiment is understandable and the concept worth at least discussing, it simply cannot happen. Trading Watt is both an irrational and nearly impossible idea for a variety of reasons.”
It’s important to remember that Houston didn’t have first or second round picks in 2018. They undoubtedly must be thinking about ways to make up for this. The NFL is all about the future. Trading Watt, however painful given what he’s accomplished in Houston, might be a necessary evil. The sad reality of the cold business this league is.
That just leaves the big question. If Watt were to become available, what would it cost the Bears? Given his reputation, there is still a chance he can recover his dominant form at least for another couple of years. Still, the injury and heavy contract factors actually would work in their favor. Odds are the Texans would seek a first rounder if possible.
That would be a steep price, especially considering the Bears already gave up their second rounder next year in the Anthony Miller deal. That said it’s possible a third round pick and future mid rounder could do the job if the timing is right. Everything depends on how the Texans view his situation. Something Chicago must monitor carefully in the coming months.
Adding Watt to that front with Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman could push a good defense into the realm of elites.
