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Chicago Bears Lucky to Finally Find Taker for Martellus Bennett

By Clyde A. Speller

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett (83) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett (83) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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During the second week of the official start of the NFL 2016 season, the Chicago Bears are continuing to make big moves. The Bears have finally found a team to bite on a trade for their one-time Pro Bowl tight end. Martellus Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots, along with Chicago’s sixth-round pick from this year’s draft, in exchange for the Patriots’ fourth-round pick for this year. The sixth-round pick (204th overall) was the pick that the Bears received from New England in 2015 involving the trade with linebacker Jon Bostic.

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This move was anticipated by many in the Windy City, and actually took a long while for it to happen. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Chicago has been trying to trade Bennett for the past 18 months. What made it so hard to find a team to be willing to take the Black Unicorn was his hefty contract. Bennett signed a four-year, $20.4 million deal in 2013. Now, in the final year of his contract, Bennett will make $5.085.

Had there been no takers for the nine-year veteran, Chicago more than likely would have released Bennett. Fortunately, New England saw much value in the trade by not only reclaiming their original sixth-round pick, but also adding another dynamic tight end to their offense to complement Rob Gronkowski.

Looking at how Bennett is considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL, you could make an argument that the Bears could have asked for a bit more in return. Over the past three seasons, Bennett has amassed 208 catches for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those numbers are some of the best among tight ends during that span, so there is proof of why he could have been worth at least getting two draft picks in return. But as mentioned before, there was a big price tag attached to Bennett, so to ask New England to hand over multiple draft picks and to take on the remainder of his four-year contract could’ve been asking for too much.

So for those who may think that Bears general manager Ryan Pace seemed a bit too anxious in accepting this deal, think again. Had Chicago not been able to trade Bennett, they would’ve ended up with absolutely nothing after his inevitable release. In fact, it appears that both teams could come out as winners in this trade. On paper, the Patriots already look like arguably the most potent offense in the league. And as for the Bears, they now have two fourth-round draft picks at their disposal, and can easily add depth to their roster, and possibly find a diamond in the rough in the heart of the draft.

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