Will the Chicago Bears buy or sell at the NFL's Halloween trade deadline?

Why the Chicago Bears should be sellers (and some potential candidates):

While there may be opportunities for the Bears to add talent to the roster at the deadline, another reality exists where the team looks to sell some of their more valuable players in order to accrue even more draft capital for the rebuild. Generally, when looking at players that a team would be open to trading away, it is very important to look at when they are slated to become free agents, and players on expiring contracts are natural trade targets, especially for a team that is looking to make a playoff run this year.

The Bears do not have many such players, although players like Jaylon Johnson, Darnell Mooney, and Cody Whitehair certainly come to mind, even though the latter is actually under contract through the 2024 season. Still, all these players seem like real potential trade options, although Johnson's play as of late may disqualify him from this list.

Against the Las Vegas Raiders, Johnson had one of the best games of his career, logging two interceptions, the second of which was recorded for a 39-yard pick-six that effectively put the nail in the coffin. Despite battling injury throughout the beginning of the year, Johnson has continued to prove that he belongs as a true boundary cornerback in the NFL, and is potentially in line for a contract extension from the Bears, even though the current regime was not involved in drafting him back in 2020.

Assuming Johnson is an extension candidate, that still leaves Mooney and Whitehair as potential trade candidates, and they could haul a decent package depending on what teams are interested. Both players are likely to be more valuable to a team trying to make a run this season, meaning that whatever picks the Bears receive would likely be near the end of their respective rounds, but it still might be worth it, especially if either player does not fit into Chicago's long-term plans.

Already this season, both players have shown struggles compared to their previous years, with Mooney currently boasting a career-low in both yards and receptions per game, and Whitehair showing inconsistencies in his game, especially with his snap when playing center. For Mooney, playoff contenders in need of another playmaker such as the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns, and the Atlanta Falcons could be potential suitors, while teams who need help up front like the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, and the Seattle Seahawks could be interested in Whitehair's abilities.

Realistically, similar to last year, the Bears will keep their lines open for moves coming in and going out and should be ready to both increase their draft capital and use some of it to improve their roster now. While last season's deals were far from a disaster, any moves this year should have somewhat of a higher hit rate than last year's deadline.