The Chicago Bears are 2-3. While not going in the right direction lately, there is no reason for them to panic yet. Plenty of time remains for them to get back on track. A win over Washington on Thursday Night Football would be just the ticket. Of course, a loss could send them into an early death spiral, with New England and Dallas following close behind. If that happens, then it is hard to predict what might come next.
The NFL trade deadline is November 1st. Some wonder if GM Ryan Poles might try to find a sneaky deal to help the Bears’ offense. Albert Breer of the MMQB doesn’t see that happening. Based on what he’s heard, it is far more likely Poles will use the deadline to scoop up more draft capital if possible. Several veteran players on the roster could get shipped out if the team isn’t performing. Three key names were mentioned.
“The Bears are another team I’d watch, just based on it being the first year for a new group, and the way I think GM Ryan Poles, whose background is in college scouting, will value draft picks. Robert Quinn would be the most obvious name—an older guy who won’t be around long term who’s got gas left in the tank and plays a premium position. Eddie Jackson would be another I think teams would call on. And because of his contract status, Roquan Smith seems to be another name to watch.”
The Chicago Bears have never done a midseason firesale.
So it would be quite an event if Poles broke that trend. He’s no stranger to the idea. Scott Pioli, the man who hired him in Kansas City, did it multiple times between 2009 and 2012. Brett Veach also engineered multiple such deals in 2020 and 2021. If worthwhile deals are to be made, Poles won’t have any qualms about making them. As always, it comes down to how strong the market is for the available players.
Right now, the two with the highest value are Smith and Jackson. Smith is in his prime and on track for 183 tackles this season. There are likely multiple teams intrigued by adding a speedy linebacker like him. Jackson, meanwhile, has three interceptions in five games and appears to be in the middle of a career renaissance.
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Quinn may still have a market because pass rushers usually do. He did have 18 sacks last year, and he remains healthy despite his slow start. It isn’t a stretch to think that trio could fetch the Bears 3-4 solid picks for next year, all while clearing tons of salary cap space off the books.
Quinn is a foregone conclusion ! Smith i would trade and suspect Bears will see if they can do so . Jackson may have value BUT he also has a bogger contract to move and seems only to be a deep safety in a 4-3 system ? So he would be a harder sell for return value ! I predict Quinn and Smith both move on !
KEEP ROQUAN AND EDDIE! They still have PLENTY of quality football play stored in them, and it would be a BRUTAL gut punch if we lost two of our remaining bright spots from the middle of our 2010’s era.
I’d be fine with Poles shipping all the above names away for ANY draft capital. Seeing what he did with the 2022 draft class is pretty impressive (including his maneuvering around to gain extra capital). Every pick has produced in some capacity minus maybe Zachary Thomas who was just a 6th round choice. I’d hate to see Smith go, but his antics are starting to get old fast. IF they could get a second-round pick, I’d consider. Trading Mack for the rights to draft Brisker has turned out well so far.
I totally understand the logic here, but I am personally a huge Jackson fan. So on a personal level I’d hate to see him go. He’s one of my favorites. But I do understand the business side of it. Roquan probably gets the best return. And it doesn’t look good for him to end up resigned anyways. Quinn, I would dump him as fast as possible before he isn’t even worth a 7th rounder. Could probly get a 4th and 5th for him currently. Maybe squeeze out a 3rd if real lucky.
Trading Quinn for a 3-4 round pick makes sense. Eddie and Roquan shouldn’t be traded unless they get great value for them and I don’t see that happening.