What had trended toward inevitable for months came to fruition earlier this month when the Chicago Bears traded wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. Even as Moore's role was greatly diminished last season, he still came through in some big moments and was seen as a team leader and a veteran tone setter for a group of pass catchers that otherwise skews young.
Sheerly in the hunt for valuable salary cap space this offseason, trading Moore to one of a number of potential suitors was low-hanging fruit for general manager Ryan Poles. The Bears' return in the deal shows the leverage he had and the likelihood that more than one team made an offer.
Moore will reunite with Joe Brady in Buffalo, and he will be the No. 1 wide receiver for Josh Allen. The Bears captured the aforementioned cap space while clearing the runway for the likes of Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, and Rome Odunze going forward.
Even if all parties will ultimately benefit, trading a meaningful player is never easy.
Ben Johnson makes his thoughts about the DJ Moore trade crystal clear
On Monday at the league meetings in Arizona, via Dan Wiederer of The Athletic, Bears head coach Ben Johnson weighed in on the decision to trade Moore.
"A lot of factors went into it. I love DJ. Shoot, I got a little emotional when the trade happened. He came in and he made his rounds saying goodbye to the coaches and Ryan (Poles) and his crew. It hurts because I viewed him as one of the leaders. Yet the business is the business."
"We had to make some decisions in terms of salary cap and things of that nature. I think the best thing for him is, he’s going to a great situation. He’s got a history with Joe Brady. I think he’s very excited to play with another talented quarterback in Josh Allen. I think we’re putting him in a great spot. I’ve been a part of some of those trades in my past where you move on from a guy and he’s not necessarily going to a great situation. I’m happy for him. Yet I feel like it was probably the move we needed to make."
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Ultimately, trading Moore was the dictionary definition of "nothing personal, it's just business." But Johnson has proven himself to be far more than one of the top offensive minds around, investing in his players as much as he hopes they buy into what he's trying to do. That, perhaps more than anything, is why he's different than his recent predecessors as Bears' head coach.