The Chicago Bears land a top defensive tackle in this trade scenario
I guarantee that Matt Eberflus would love to get his hands on DeForest Buckner again. Buckner helped transform the Indianapolis Colts’ defense into a consistent force. Since leaving the 49ers and joining the Colts in 2020, Buckner is averaging just over eight sacks per game. He is the 3-technique that the Chicago Bears desperately need. He is also very familiar with Eberflus and the HITS principle — making him a great option to turn this Bears defense around.
If Chris Ballard is truly willing to do whatever it takes to get one of the top quarterbacks, then one of the first names I’m asking about to be included in a trade with the Bears is DeForest Buckner. Buckner will be 29 and that makes his trade value much less. He also only has two years left on his contract. Therefore, he’s not enough to move the needle from a draft capital standpoint and here’s what I would want to be included with the standout defensive tackle.
Due to his age and contract status, DeForest Buckner isn’t enough for the Colts to not hand over their first and second-round picks next year to pair with their first two picks this year. To help soften the blow, Chicago will send over future fourth and fifth-round picks. In this scenario, the Bears can land Buckner, still, probably draft another top defensive lineman to help strengthen the defensive line and have a large number of picks at their disposal for both this year and next year.
Buckner would be awesome, but there are two other options to discuss out of Indianapolis.