GM Ryan Pace did almost everything right this off-season. He hired a young, up-and-coming head coach to take the team in a new direction. One geared around the quarterback. He added a bevy of weapons to an empty cupboard including Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller (no prior Bears trade rumor!?), Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton. If that weren’t enough, he even managed to give the defense a potential new heart and soul in first round pick Roquan Smith.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite perfect. If it were a test it would be a 95%. Pace couldn’t quite finish painting the masterpiece before time ran out. That misfire came at the edge rusher position. The Bears entered the 2018 off-season with it arguably being the weakest on the roster. Now here they are in May and nothing has changed.
Their two projected starters are Leonard Floyd with his recovering knee and Aaron Lynch who finished a disappointment in San Francisco. After them, it’s rookie Kylie Fitts and veteran Sam Acho. Not exactly a group that quarterback will fear. It’s for this reason that fans remain hopeful Pace may yet have one more bold move to play.
One that could involve a trade.
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Bears trade rumor that seemed far-fetched just gained traction
It’s already been mentioned a couple times on SM in the past couple weeks, but new information means it’s time to address it again. One name that just gained serious momentum on the trade market is former first round pick Shane Ray. A series of factors have led to this conclusion.
First is the Denver Broncos switching to a 4-3 defense. Ray was drafted to play in a 3-4 as an outside linebacker. Next is his injury history which has hampered his ability to contribute. Then there’s the fact that Denver just drafted Bradley Chubb, likely reducing Ray’s role in the defense as a whole. Last but not least, his time there appears more limited than ever.
The Broncos will not exercise Shane Ray’s fifth-year option, per source.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 2, 2018
This means Ray will be a free agent in 2019. In other words, if the Broncos hope to get anything back for him they’re on the clock to trade him to an interested team. Chicago, who runs a 3-4, would make perfect sense. Not only that, but there’s a subtle piece of information people forgot regarding this.
One that could give Pace the edge in making any deal happen.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune brought it up in a recent article while discussing the Ray question.
“It’s possible the Broncos look to move him, but I’m not sure they would view Kwiatkoski as the fit they want. If Ray remains with the Broncos, the Bears will be able to get a close look at him in the joint practices the team will hold in Denver this summer before the exhibition meeting between the teams. You’re thinking along the right lines in looking at players who might no longer fit with their current clubs.”
Indeed the Bears and Broncos play each other in the preseason this year. The two franchises thus decided to hold joint practices in an effort to help each other get ready for the regular season. However, there’s an underlying benefit to this. It gives Pace a chance to see Broncos players up close and personal. This is good for possibly scooping up names who could be cut on the waiver wire. Something he did with Cre’Von LeBlanc two years ago when the Bears held joint practices with the Patriots.
It’s also a chance to see Ray in action and talk face to face with Broncos GM John Elway. That dialogue could end up facilitating a trade if Denver is indeed contemplating one.
