Bears preseason trade candidate isn't who you think it is

Offensive line has been a long-standing question mark for the Chicago Bears in recent years. Going into the 2024 season, the team is hopeful they will not only have a formidable starting five, but also some added depth.

After drafting Kiran Amegadjie in the third round, trading for Ryan Bates and signing Coleman Shelton this offseason, Chicago has their reinforcements added to the fold. That might now beg a question.

Could the Bears look to trade someone like Larry Borom?

One NFL columnist seems to think Chicago should at least give it a shot. Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler included Borom on his most recent piece which highlighted one trade candidate from every roster, noting:

"While Borom's versatility has showcased a player that can operate on both sides of the line, his consistency struggles have ultimately placed a performance ceiling towards his game."

Fowler makes a good point, and maybe the Bears could fetch a later draft pick for a tackle-needy team. But, if they did so right now, it could be a premature risk that isn't worth taking.

Trading Larry Borom would be a risk for the Bears

It sure looks like Chicago will roll into the season with Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright as their starting tackles. But, when they drafted Amegadjie, the idea was that he could push the former and ultimately may take Jones' job.

The unfortunate part of the equation is that Amegadjie has been out all offseason recovering from a quad injury he suffered in his final collegiate season at BYU. The good news is, Amegadjie has reportedly been "ramping up" and may become a full practice participant soon.

That's a huge positive.

However, when coming back from any injury, teams definitely want to play it safe; thus the "ramp up" period for Amegadjie.

In a perfect world, Amegadjie recovers fully and is able to practice and even play here before the regular season kicks off. Getting him healthy and becoming a real option on game day is an ideal plan. But, if Amegadjie were to suffer any kind of setback and the Bears had traded Borom, they're left with Jake Curhan who has nine career starts in three years.

Nine starts in three years isn't too shabby for a reserve tackle, but that's also assuming Curhan makes the final roster. If Amegadjie and Borom make the roster, then Curhan could be the odd man out at tackle. And it's pretty safe to say that, for now, Borom is probably the better option to keep, solely out of continuity's sake.

If the Bears roll into the season with a healthy Amegadjie, Jones and Wright, then maybe a tackle-needy team would come calling for someone like Borom. In that event, a deal makes sense.

Right now, though, it should still be counted as a risk.