Coming off a much-needed win in Week 6 and seeing quarterback Caleb Williams return from his hamstring injury in the process, the Chicago Bears are back on track.
At 4-2 on the season, Chicago survived three games without Williams, going 2-1 in that stretch, and can now look ahead as a legitimate contender.
Well, maybe.
To be a legitimate contender, this Bears team still needs one or two pieces added to their defense. We've seen some holes along the way during this initial six games, and general manager Ryan Poles should seriously considering making at least one addition before the November 10 trade deadline.
Out of all possible trade targets, though, we've come up with a big board and rank our top five. Let's get going.
5. Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Chargers
There's a reason you see three of five spots, here, taken up by pass rushers. The Bears were down Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo this last week and still somehow registered pressure on Michael Penix Jr. It was a clinic put on by Dennis Allen, but to think this very same group, even when healthy, is going to be enough to compete for a championship?
Not happening.
For that reason, Tuli Tuipulotu is a strong trade-for candidate. He is only 24 years old and has ascended higher and higher, each season he's been in the league.
This year, the Chargers are a train wreck (more on that later) so it makes sense for Los Angeles to potentially go full-on rebuild, getting what they can for some of their top players before this year's deadline.
Tuipulotu has 2.0 sacks and nine quarterback pressures through six games, but you'd have to believe being part of an abysmal product, in the Chargers, has something to do with it. Under Dennis Allen and with a team that's playing competitive football, I would assume we'd see more production from Tuipulotu.
In the final year of his rookie deal, Tuipulotu is a player the Bears would have to know they'd extend before trading for him. Otherwise, giving up premium draft capital would make no sense, whatsoever.
If Chicago could get him for a third rounder, maybe that's worthwhile.
4. Zyon McCollum, CB, Buccaneers
Another team that could be looking to sell is the 1-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just about everything has gone wrong for them, including missing their starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield, due to injury in recent weeks.
But, cornerback Zyon McCollum has been a bright spot. He's one of the top trade candidates around the league, right now, and for good reason. In six games, he has only given up one touchdown in coverage and has seven pass breakups, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
The way Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have played, Chicago could use all the help they can get in the cornerback room. Malik Muhammad could slide outside, full time, now that Kyler Gordon is back. But, that shouldn't stop the Bears from making an upgrade and one that's potentially here for the long haul.
McCollum is 27 years old and is still under contract for two more years with an average salary of $16 million.
3. Josh Sweat, EDGE, Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals may have gotten a win in Week 6, but that shouldn't stop them from shopping pass rusher Josh Sweat. The 29-year-old has a pair of sacks in six games, this year, and only six pressures per PFR, but his name has been in trade rumors for a while now and I think the Cardinals end up cutting ties.
He shouldn't cost more than a fourth-round pick, at this point, and would be a solid no. 2 or no. 3 rusher, depending upon how you view Sweat and Odeyingbo. Sweat's current deal runs through the 2028 season and pays him an average of $19 million per year, so he isn't quite making premium money like the top-tier pass rushers and his contract would be one the Bears could absorb in future seasons.
2. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers
Still high up on the list of trade targets and someone Bears fans want to see return to Chicago, Khalil Mack still has yet to see his Chargers win a game this season. Sitting at 0-6 on the year, Los Angeles looks completely lost. They look like a team that needs a complete and total reset, by every standard.
Mack is on a one-year deal and he's 35 years old. He started the season hot with 3.0 sacks in his first four games, and is still sitting at that number two games later. Maybe it's due to the Chargers just flat-out spiraling.
A chance to win, again, would certainly be more than motivation enough to get the best out of a player like Mack, whose career is soon coming to a close. You'd have to believe a sixth-round pick gets it done.
1. DeForest Buckner, DT, Colts
Oh, boy. The Indianapoils Colts look and feel like a team that is going to be completely rebuilding or retooling, however you want to spin it. But, the firing of Colts general manager Chris Ballard could be only the beginning.
As it stands, the Colts are 2-4 and just lost to the lowly Tennessee Titans. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was not happy, whatsoever, after the showing his Colts put out there in the loss.
Being a free agent next year, and playing at a high level still, Buckner is suddenly a prime trade target for teams who need a difference-maker up front. Buckner is a well-rounded interior defensive lineman who tends to play like he's a defensive end at times. He's a force in the pass rush department, registering 4.0 sacks on the year already.
Read more: Caleb Williams bluntly called out the national media after Bears win
At age 32, Buckner likely doesn't have a ton of elite football left in the tank, but he's worth renting for this season and maybe even the next one or two beyond. The Bears should absolutely see what it'd take to get him, especially if the Colts keep faltering.
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