The Chicago Bears did what they could during Wave 1 of the free agency period, and even though they're strapped for cash at the moment, there is a ton of time to not just open up more financial resources, but to make some other moves.
With a month or so to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, general manager Ryan Poles could opt to check out the trade block in order to better fill some needs and finalize his draft strategy.
Fans were hoping for a Maxx Crosby trade, at one point, but the buzz has died down significantly over the past couple of days. Now, Poles could look at some sneakier options that may potentially be available.
Let's check in on a few.
A trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux could be just what Bears fans have been wanting
We have seen Kayvon Thibodeaux's name in trade whispers for a while now. And, as he approaches the final season of his rookie deal, the Bears may be able to take a bit of a risk here and find a future building block.
Having shown flashes (11.5 sacks in 2023), Thibodeaux simply fell out of favor in New York once they acquired Brian Burns and drafted Abdul Carter. He's still just 25 years old and is lightyears ahead of anyone on this roster not named Montez Sweat.
Because Thibodeaux has long been known to be available, it wouldn't cost much, and Poles also gets to snag a pick in return. If Thibodeaux takes off under Dennis Allen, then the Bears will have killed two birds with one stone: finding a cornerstone pass rusher while uncovering yet another reason to dump Dayo Odeyingbo after 2026.
The Bears may not get a cheaper price on Jonathan Greenard than right now
There are a couple of factors in play here. First of all, Greenard is coming off a season plagued by a shoulder injury. He was not himself, but fought through it to wind up being productive in terms of overall pressure rate (13.5%).
Second, we know the Vikings want to try and trade him, which pushes down his value even further.
Greenard will be 29 years old soon. Trading anything more than a third-round pick would be considered a gamble. I don't care what other outlets might estimate his value to be. A near-30-year-old pass rusher, coming off a down season, and with a cap hit of $22 million this season, is not worth more than that.
In this deal, the Bears are able to get by without losing the number of total picks they have in the 2026 draft. The 2027 third is a steeper price to pay, but Chicago can find ways to acquire future draft capital when the time comes. Right now, it's about winning, and Greenard gives you a better chance to do just that.
Ryan Poles can take a chance on a former high-upside wide receiver
Let's go back to the Giants, shall we? Since John Harbaugh was hired, the Giants have gone out and now added two more pass catchers to their wide receiver room in Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney. Those two join alongside Darius Slayton and Malik Nabers.
Slayton is the key piece, here, as he's on Year 2 of a 3-year contract and his cap number of $16 million means he's probably not going anywhere.
That could leave 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt finally being cemented as an odd man out in New York.
Harbaugh didn't draft him; he has no investment. Hyatt could benefit from a change of scenery, and Ben Johnson might be the type of coach to unlock his potential. Coming out of Tennessee, Hyatt was a burner; a real deep threat. Leave it to Johnson to give Hyatt a fresh start and get creative with how that speed is utilized.
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Hyatt has caught a total of 13 passes over the last two seasons. I don't think he's going to be in New York much longer, but because of that, a conditional sixth-round pick is an easy price to pay for the Bears' next WR3.