When Robert Quinn did not show up for mandatory OTAs, it set off alarms. It was the first sign that Robert Quinn was not interested in playing for the Chicago Bears this season, and the reaction from Matt Eberflus was one of disappointment.
While Ryan Poles has been steady in saying that they do not want to trade Quinn, Quinn may be forcing their hands, and it may have Poles readjusting his plans. The question becomes, which team would be interested in the 32-year-old coming off one of his best career seasons? The most likely case is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Should Chicago Bears trade Robert Quinn to Kansas City Chiefs?
Quinn is holding out because he wants to finish his career competing for a winner, it has little to do with his salary. With that in mind, going to a team with four straight AFC Championship game appearances would probably be a preferred destination, and the Bears could perhaps ask him to reshuffle his salary to make it easier on both sides.
The Chiefs are in contention, but their biggest need may be a rush-end. They drafted George Karlaftis, and are paying Frank Clark big money, but Clark is a disappointment, and Karlaftis is just a rookie.
Adding Robert Quin into the mix would be a huge win, and would resemble them adding Melvin Ingram from the Steelers during the season last year. That move worked well for them.
The Chiefs may also be the best bet for Quinn because they happen to be loaded with draft picks. Losing Tyreek Hill added some capital in the mid-rounds, and they also are expected to see compensatory picks after losing a name like Chavarius Ward.
Beyond that, they actually are also getting a draft pick because the Chicago Bears added Ryan Poles. It is not a trade from Chicago, but because a minority hire came from the Chiefs’ front office, they are getting an extra third-round pick.
That pick could wind up coming back to Chicago for Robert Quinn. That is also linking us to the last reason Kansas City makes so much sense. They are familiar with Poles and how he works.
Poles spent his entire career with the Chiefs, although under differing General Managers. Still, Brett Veach and Poles obviously have a strong working relationship, and if something can get done between now and training camp, it could easily be these two.
Veach may be willing to give in to Poles, knowing it will give him goodwill with the team moving forward, and knowing that one of the picks they may give was because of Poles anyways. Poles may feel comfortable sending Quinn to a General Manager he trusts and knows that he is not getting worked over.
The sides make too much sense, and now the question is how bad does Robert Quinn want out? If he wants it bad enough, both sides could probably work this out.