The Chicago Bears have watched the trade deadline pass, and while they arguably made the biggest move of the regular season, that would end up being the only one they made.
Chicago surrendered two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans to acquire Jeffery Simmons. Early results suggest the Bears are looking like massive winners for getting the deal done.
From the trade deadline, though, there were plenty of winners on the Bears after the big trade they made. Here are the clear winners and losers after the trade deadline passed.
Winners and losers from Bears' trade deadline results
Winner: Dennis Allen, DC
When a team adds an elite talent like Simmons, he makes everyone around him better. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen saw that from the moment his new defensive tackle stepped on the field. When Simmons played in the Bears' Week 8 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the team averaged around three yards per play.
Allen has been scheming up some great defensive designs this season, so he deserves credit for how good he's been. Simmons has just taken his unit to a whole new level, which will only make Allen a better play-caller.
Loser: Dennis Allen, DC
Yes, Allen can be one of the biggest winners and one of the biggest losers. That's because Poles failed to get his defensive coordinator any help at cornerback. There were rumors that Jets cornerback Nahshon Wright wanted to be traded to the Bears, but Chicago didn't complete a deal to add to the secondary.
This leaves Allen with concerns heading into the second half of the season, with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson struggling. Johnson is at least starting to turn a corner after his pick-six in the 27-24 Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Outside of that, though, the cornerback room is very shaky at best.
Winner: Montez Sweat, DE
Sweat has been good this season, but hasn't been great. Simmons' arrival in Chicago could elevate the edge rusher's game. With more focus on double-teaming Simmons, that will only open up one-on-one opportunities for Sweat, which should lead to sacks.
Everyone on the Bears' defensive line could realistically be named a winner because of Simmons, but Sweat will benefit the most. The former college teammates are back together and appear to be playing well early on.
Loser: Jaylon Johnson, CB
Johnson is finally about to turn over a new leaf this season after getting a pick-six and allowing a 20% completion percentage in the win over the Buccaneers. The problem is that he really doesn't have much support in the secondary.
He could have used some help, as it would have made his life easier in pass coverage, and it might have helped save his season. It's on him to make sure he's the two-time Pro Bowler the Bears need him to be right now.
Winner: Tyrique Stevenson, CB
Stevenson has found himself in the hot seat with the Bears throughout the season, which has sparked talk of finding a new CB2 to replace him. Chicago decided not to do that, and all of a sudden, Stevenson has a chance to redeem himself.
He has only eight regular season games to do it, with possibly a postseason run before he becomes a free agent in the offseason. This is Stevenson's chance to prove to the NFL that he can be a CB2 for another team.
Winner: Jeffery Simmons, DT
Simmons got himself out of Tennessee after spending a good portion of the season losing. Now, over two games, the Bears are undefeated when he plays, and the defense is playing better than ever. In those contests, Simmons has racked up 10 tackles, four pressures, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hits, and two pass deflections.
There's really no argument that Simmons might be the biggest winner from the trade deadline. He now has a legit shot at competing for a Super Bowl. Adding him is the kind of move that can transform a team from being great to being elite.
Read more: Bears' Week 9 win exposed Joe Thuney, among other offensive line cracks
Winner: Ryan Poles, GM
While many Bears fans would have liked Poles to try to add another edge rusher and cornerback, no one can be completely upset by the final results. Simmons is on the Bears and is already producing incredible numbers through just two games in Chicago.
Poles did exactly what he needed to do to put this defense in a better position for a Super Bowl run. It wasn't a perfect trade deadline for the Bears, but that one trade is enough to put them in the end-of-season conversation.
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