The NFL has seen teams like the Philadelphia Eagles be active in the trade market before the start of the season. Could the Chicago Bears have a trade out there that would completely impact their 2025 campaign?
ESPN's Bill Barnwell made 10 trade proposals before the season began for NFL teams to consider. Barnwell has a stunning one with the Bears as they would send presumed starting left tackle Braxton Jones to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for cornerback Derion Kendrick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
"The Bears trading away a left tackle? Well, they don't appear to be happy with the one they have. Jones entered this offseason as the presumptive starter on Caleb Williams's blindside after starting at left tackle each of the past three seasons, but the new Ben Johnson-led regime doesn't appear particularly fond of him. The coaching staff has repeatedly said it doesn't have a clear-cut favorite at left tackle based on what it has seen in camp, and the Bears have given reps to Jones, rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo and 2024 undrafted free agent Theo Benedet, who has earned the most praise of any Chicago tackle throughout the summer.
If Jones isn't in the long-term plans for the Bears, they might want to move him now. He will be a free agent after the season, and while they theoretically could recoup a compensatory draft pick for him in free agency, general manager Ryan Poles typically has prioritized adding talent over maximizing comp picks during his time in charge. Landing a cornerback in Kendrick, who started 18 games over his first two years in Los Angeles before missing all of 2024 with a knee injury, would give a Chicago defense without much depth at the position a potentially useful contributor as it shifts toward more aggressive coverage looks under coordinator Dennis Allen."
Bears' impact on proposed trade in 2025
This trade honestly feels a bit lopsided with the Rams getting more benefits from this deal. Bears fans have their opinions on Jones, but he would start at left tackle for a lot of teams so getting rid of him for a Day 3 pick and a cornerback who missed all of last year with an ACL injury doesn't feel like the best move.
Kendrick has proven to be a reliable cornerback in this league, as evidenced by his 2023 performance, during which he allowed a completion percentage of 57.1% and recorded 10 pass deflections. If he can stay healthy, he would make for a solid CB3 on the Bears.
Chicago's secondary injuries have been talked about throughout training camp. The Bears went through at least half of or all of camp without Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Zah Frazier. This became noticeable as a real problem in the 29-27 Bears win over the Kansas City Chiefs preseason game, where the secondary for Chicago got torched.
The biggest question is what would happen at left tackle? Chicago's choices would be between Trapilo and Benedet. Due to having more experience and, honestly, receiving more praise from Ben Johnson, Benedet would gain the edge and might end up starting. Many Bears fans would be okay with that.
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Ultimately, the deal is not a bad one, but the Rams might get more out of it. If Benedet or Trapilo become the left tackles Bears fans have hoped for, then it would end up being a great deal for Chicago.