As Tuesday's trade deadline got closer and closer, the Chicago Bears could have been put on both sides of the buyer or seller equation. With their win over the Cincinnati Bengals to move to 5-3 on the season, the scales seem to naturally be tipping toward them being a buyer.
The Bears' cornerback room has been thinned by injuries, with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon both set to miss multiple more weeks, and the idea of adding someone to that mix isn't new. The edge rusher group could also use some help, and with Monday's confirmation Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a season-ending torn Achilles against the Bengals the need level there has ramped up.
Austin Booker had a breakout performance against the Bengals, but edge rusher depth this side of him and Montez Sweat is a question mark with Odeyingbo now out. In Week 8, rookie Shemar Turner suffered a torn ACL and Dominique Robinson suffered an ankle injury that will sideline him for a few weeks.
Ben Johnson casually reveals Bears trade deadline plans
Head coach Ben Johnson spoke to reporters virtually from Halas Hall on Monday. ESPN's Courtney Cronin asked how comfortable he is with the edge rusher depth in the wake of Odeyingbo's season-ending injury and how that might influence the Bears' trade deadline plans.
“It’s one of those deals that we feel like we take some strides in particular positions and we take some steps back, you know, it’s wild,” Johnson said. “Felt like we had a solution there with Shemar at defensive end a couple weeks ago and then we lost him and then finally get (Austin) Booker back and then we lose Dayo, so it’s a little bit of give and take..."
After praising Booker, Johnson took his response beyond the edge rusher situation less than 24 hours before the trade deadline.
"You can never have too many pass rushers, you can never have too many cover players in the backend either, so that’s how I have always felt since I have been in this league,” Johnson said. “I know Ryan and his crew have been doing their due diligence all throughout the fall, you know, all the up until tomorrow to make sure that we are turned over every stone to make sure that if there is a way we can improve this roster, we’ll do that."
Johnson couched those words a bit by saying he feels good about the guys who are on the roster currently, but the cat was already out of the bag.
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Any remaining questions about where the Bears stand on the trade deadline spectrum or what positions they are targeting are now answered. It's just a matter of anything getting to a point where a deal gets done.