The Chicago Bears let go of a young up-and-comer in a deal for J.J. Watt
Remember, this is essentially a one-year deal for Watt in Chicago unless the Bears would like to extend him and restructure the deal a little bit. So, the price cannot be sky-high. Still, the Texans should fetch a decent return for a guy who could still be considered one of the better defensive linemen in all of football.
The Bears deal away a first-rounder from next year’s draft in this first trade, which gives them the ability to still go after a first-round quarterback this year if they so choose. Of course, to do that would likely require moving up from their no. 20 overall pick — but the fact that they keep that pick is important.
Along with the first-rounder, the Bears give up defensive end Bilal Nichols, who has come on in the last couple of years after being a fifth-round pick back in 2018 out of Delaware.
Nichols gives the Texans a young, hungry defensive lineman who is pretty versatile and can play multiple positions upfront. For a guy like Watt who has zero desire to be around the franchise any longer, netting a first-rounder and a solid starting defensive end in return is a pretty good haul for the Texans.