Walker Little
(AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

Will Bears Make a Move or Two at NFL Trade Deadline?

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 24, 2024

The NFL has been surprisingly active heading into its annual trade deadline. Last week, the Raiders traded Davante Adams to the Jets, reuniting the wide receiver with Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings then acquired running back Cam Akers, who played for Minnesota last year. Both players were traded for conditional draft picks. The Bills were active too, acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper and the Chiefs traded for DeAndre Hopkins. Several other contending teams are anxious to jump into the market.

Ryan Poles has made a few deadline trades in his two seasons with the Bears, and though he operates in stealth mode, he puts in the requisite work, if not more. Nobody saw the acquisitions of Chase Claypool or Montez Sweat coming, though the handwriting was on the wall for Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn. The GM has an extra second-round pick in next year’s draft, his preferred choice of currency. That means Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby are probably not in Poles’ plans, but some decent options exist. Let’s take a look at who might be available that might interest Chicago’s front office.

  1. Cleveland OT Jack Conklin – The two-time All-Pro just turned 30 and is fully rehabilitated from a massive knee injury. Last September, Conklin tore the ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus in his left knee, or as he called it, “the whole shebang.” The nine-year veteran plays right tackle for the Browns but he’s better suited on the opposite side, which is manned by Braxton Jones in Chicago. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated acknowledged that Conklin, who is in the second year of a 4/$60 million extension, and other Browns players are available. The ex-Michigan State tackle has played to 66.7 pass block and 63.9 run block grades, per Pro Football Focus, across 114 offensive snaps this season, allowing only four pressures along the way. The Bears are deep on the offensive line, and Poles likely prefers Jones and backup Matt Pryor to Conklin.
  2. New England Edge Josh Uche – The Patriots are 1-6 and remind me a lot of the 2022 Bears with one exception – they have a quarterback that they’re committed to building around. That would be Drake Maye. New England is listening to offers on some of their offensive players, especially at wide receiver. But, the Patriots are more inclined to move defensive players according to many analysts. Uche will net a sixth or seventh-round pick from the team that wants him, possibly the Lions. The 26-year-old has two sacks this year but had 11.5 in 2022 though he isn’t particularly stout against the run. He certainly benefited from teams doubling up on Matthew Judon. Poles could take a flier on Uche, but he’d probably prefer to give Austin Booker those snaps.
  3. Tennessee OT Daniel Brunskill – The 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman is precisely the type of player that Poles loves… if he was a free agent. The Bears need help on the offensive line but Poles isn’t likely to trade for one. Brunskill will cost more in trade assets than he will in free agency, and he’ll be unrestricted this spring. That said, he’s versatile, tough, can play center, and he’s inexpensive. Brunskill will be 31 in January and he’ll be on Chicago’s radar then if he’s healthy. He seems like a bit of a luxury however for a deep line that is getting Ryan Bates back soon.
  4. Cleveland Edge Za’Darius Smith – Bears fans want Garrett, but that’s not happening. Poles won’t pay the cost to carry Garrett for half a season unless he knows he can extend him. That still may not be enough to convince Chicago’s top executive to give up multiple picks for the pending free agent. Smith, on the other hand, seems to be a better option. The 32-year-old would bookend nicely with Sweat and would probably cost Poles a second-round pick. According to Brad Stainbrook of The OBR, the Lions, Commanders, and Ravens are interested in Smith. The 10-year vet started his career with Baltimore and has played for four teams in his career. As a two-time All-Pro, Smith has 64 career sacks and a whopping 161 QB hits plus three Pro Bowl selections. A rotation of Sweat, Smith, and Booker would have Bears fans salivating, and it would also send a message to the rest of the NFC North that the team intends to fight to win the division. He’s cheap, fits under Chicago’s $7.7 million cap, and is signed through 2025. His contract is right in Poles’ wheelhouse, too: This offseason, Smith signed a two-year contract with the Browns with some backloaded void years.
  5. New England CB Jonathan Jones – Matt De Lima of ClutchPoints has named Jones as a potential top trade target for the Packers. That’s the only reason I included him on this list. The nine-year veteran has 27 tackles with three passes defended plus a forced fumble and is a solid performer. The Bears don’t have a real need at the corner now that Terell Smith is healthy.
  6. New Orleans Edge Chase Young – Bears fans wanted Young last year and Poles threw them a curveball and acquired Sweat instead. The lesson learned is to keep the fanbase at arm’s length or further during trade season. That said, Young is a lot cheaper this year, has previously played with Sweat, and would be an upgrade over Demarcus Walker. If you think Gervon Dexter is a monster now, imagine him playing next to Andrew Billings and in between Sweat and Young. On the flip side, Young is a backup for the Saints with 1.5 sacks this season, and his $12.53 million dead cap hit looks unsightly right now. Hard pass. Young looks like a better fit for the Cowboys.
  7. Arizona S Budda Baker – The 3-4 Cardinals trail the Seahawks in the NFC West by one game. Trading Baker, a pending free agent, is not a foregone conclusion. The eight-year veteran has 67 tackles which would easily pace the Bears. Unfortunately, Chicago doesn’t have the cap space to add Baker unless Poles makes another trade. That’s too bad. Baker would make the Bears’ already great secondary tops in the league.
  8. Jacksonville OT Walker Little – If Poles wants to add depth to his offensive line, Little makes a lot of sense. The Texas native has appeared in 44 games with 17 starts since the Jaguars drafted him in 2021. He has a base salary of $1.59 million and is set to become a free agent next year. Little would start for most teams, but he’s blocked by Cam Robinson. Rookie Javon Foster is the future for Jacksonville. If Poles likes Little, he wouldn’t cost more than a fifth-round pick. Additionally, Little is good enough to battle for a starting position on the right side. As a swing tackle, Little (90.0% pass block win rate) has been reliable when he has started. He’d be a sneaky good addition for Chicago, and a player that’s likely easy to extend.
  9. Cleveland CB Greg Newsome II – The Browns are in salary cap Hell thanks to DeShaun Watson. They’re going to make trades, and moving Newsome will free up $13.4 million next year. He’s too rich for the Bears but might be a fit for the Chiefs or Packers. The juice is worth the squeeze if you’re trying to win your third straight championship or create separation in a very strong NFC North.
  10. Giants Edge Azeez Ojulari – The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport to season-ending injuries, so it might be tough to outbid Detroit if New York makes Ojulari available. The Lions need help desperately. Head coach Dan Campbell admitted during his weekly radio interview that he has been asked to evaluate defensive end options by GM Brad Holmes, and Ojulari is the best available. That said, he’s more of an outside linebacker than a traditional edge rusher. That immediately takes Chicago out of the running. The Bears play a lot of nickel which keeps Kyler Gordon on the field and one linebacker, usually Jack Sanborn, on the sidelines. Ojulari is not going to replace Tremaine Edmunds or T.J. Edwards, who deserves an extension himself.

Poles no longer has to trade for need because the Bears are a good team. His priorities should be offensive and defensive line depth. Little and Smith are the obvious choices among this group. They’re cheap and experienced, and both would improve the roster. Poles, however, tends to think way outside the box. If he does add to the roster at the deadline, it will be a player that is entirely off the analysts’ radars. With that in mind, keep an eye on Zach Harrison of the Falcons. A 2023 third-round selection, Harrison fit in the Ryan Nielsen defense in Atlanta. But now that Nielsen is in Jacksonville, Harrison has fallen to 12th in front-seven snaps (85). He wouldn’t cost Poles much at all in return assets.

Chicago doesn’t need a wide receiver per se, but Treylon Burks is another player to watch. Poles hasn’t made extending Keenan Allen a priority, and Burks could be a younger, cheaper version of the 12-year veteran. Burks currently has a knee injury and is a candidate for injured reserve, however. But, that type of acquisition would be strictly to eliminate one 2025 need. Offensive lineman Evan Neal is another 2025 project that might interest the Bears. Or, Poles could mindf**k us all and trade for Khalil Mack.

That last sentence is a joke, so please don’t hold me to it.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 24, 2024
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