PFF floats 'fairytale' trade that would make Bears' defense truly elite

There's just something magical about this time of year. Leaves, temperatures, and fake trade ideas are all dropping at once, which means that Bear Weather (!!!!!) is just around the corner. No, it is a real thing.

In recent history, it's usually around this time where the Bears start to quietly take a back seat to the Blackhawks or the Bulls. But it's a new era in Chicago/Lake Forrest: Caleb Williams and the Bears defense has them in the thick of a division title race, which is especially fun considering they haven't actually played a single division game yet. With how the NFC North looks this year, the next 10 weeks are going to be brutal – all the reason for Ryan Poles to get on the phone and pull off a trade or two before November 5th's deadline.

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Fortunately, Pro Football Focus did his work for him. In their latest list of 'Fairytale Trades,' PFF floats an idea that Bears fans will actually enjoy I think? At the very least, they won't be Mad Online about it. And that's a win in and of itself.

PFF wants the Bears to trade for Seahawks EDGE Carl Granderson

"Over the last three years, Granderson has quietly become one of the more solid edge rushers in the NFL. His run defense has been a calling card, but he’s honed his pass rush in 2024. Granderson’s 29 pressures are tied for sixth among edge rushers, and his 17.2% pass-rush win rate is tied for 12th ... The Bears would be a perfect fit. Chicago has hit its stride at 4-2 despite a pass rush that’s generally struggled this season. No Bear has tallied more than 18 pressures, and Andrew Billings is the only regular defensive line starter with a pass-rush grade above 69.0."

I'm not going to spend really any time arguing why this trade makes sense, because PFF does it well enough on their own. It's weird to see them talk about how badly the Bears' defensive line needs help, only to look at their own lineup grades and see a bunch of decently-performing guys across the Bears' front seven. Montez Sweat probably has no business only being the 46th best edge rusher in football, but it's still early (ish).

More importantly: how nice is it that the Bears are even on this list? Other teams mentioned there include the Bills, the Ravens, the Packers, and the Steelers – all groups with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. And the Bears are there and part of it! There was a time, not too long ago even, when they'd only be mentioned as a team that contenders should go get players from. Now they're pulling off hypothetical 'fairytale' trades to help them win postseason games. Maybe they really are Back this time.