3 bullish Calvin Ridley trades the Chicago Bears must explore
By Ryan Heckman
Trade Number 2: Calvin Ridley to the Chicago Bears for a 2023 1st Round Pick
If the Falcons insist on netting some draft capital for Ridley, they could get a wide variety of offers. Remember when the Houston Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins for, essentially, a second-rounder just two years ago? It’s unlikely that Ridley would go for just a second-round pick, but that might get it done, depending on how this situation shakes out.
However, if the Bears felt pressure from the competition, Poles could take a Les Snead approach and start throwing precious draft capital around in an effort to build a Super Bowl roster. Hey, it worked for the Los Angeles Rams last year.
The Bears could offer their first-rounder in 2023, which might end up being a mid-first if all goes according to plan. That’s definitely precious draft capital for Poles, but having a proven, Pro Bowl wide receiver like Ridley for your young quarterback to throw to is almost invaluable at this point.
The plus-side of this type of deal is that the Bears get to keep their limited draft picks in the 2022 draft. Totaling only five picks, as of right now, is going to prove to be difficult for Poles to work with barring any other trades to bring in additional capital. Trading future draft capital is always something that can be repaired down the road. But, as for right now, the Bears get Ridley and keep their five picks this year.