It is NFL trade deadline day, and the Chicago Bears figure to be active. Under better circumstances, the Bears would be buyers. However, at 2-6, that won't be the case this year.
The Bears are going to sell, and hopefully they can get a decent amount of assets to continue rebuilding this team.
Speaking of rebuilding, the cornerback position is one that might soon need to be rebuilt. In a season where Jaylon Johnson has played lights out and is more than deserving of a new contract, it looks as though he will be playing elsewhere.
#Bears corner Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade, per source. Chicago granted permission to search for a new home before today’s trade deadline. The player and team negotiated a new contract last week but couldn’t come close to a deal. So, a talented corner is now available. pic.twitter.com/XCU5EsZqF2
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 31, 2023
This looks like another botched situation by general manager Ryan Poles, and the Bears will have to make the best of it. Johnson is by far and away one of the best corners in football this season, but Chicago would rather trade him than pay him.
Sound familiar?
In any event, for the Bears to part with Johnson, I would ask for a high price if I'm Poles. Whether or not he will ask for top dollar is another story. But, if it were up to me, these are some deals that would make sense and, in fact, be impossible to refuse.
Trade Number 1: The San Francisco 49ers go all-in on Johnson
John Lynch and the 49ers have never shied away from being aggressive when it comes to trades. Look at last year's deal for Christian McCaffrey, for example. San Francisco is one of the few contenders being rumored to want Johnson, and if they did, they'd likely have to pay a high price considering their picks will be toward the end of the draft, assuming they turn things around.
If the Bears were able to get a second and third-round pick for Johnson, there is no way they refuse a deal like that. Johnson is playing like an elite cornerback this year, which again will make it difficult to part with, but a package like this seems too good to pass up.
With one of those picks, the Bears could ideally find another starting corner. Plus, they would also be able to add a starting-caliber player in the trenches, in a perfect world.