DJ Moore came to the Chicago Bears as part of one of the biggest trades in franchise history. That deal with the Carolina Panthers also netted what would become the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, which of course brought Caleb Williams to the Bears.
But as a team rises on the contender scale, not everyone is part of the entire ride. While Moore has been part of some moments from last season, Bears fans will never forget. The season as a whole was the worst of his career in terms of production, and his role no longer fully aligns with his contract cost.
Any talk of top trade candidates around the league as the offseason gets rolling automatically includes Moore. Despite his well-founded desire to remain a Bear, he would presumably also like an opportunity to be a core part of a team's offense. Barring a significant injury, that opportunity no longer clearly exists in Chicago.
As part of the effort to keep rising and become a Super Bowl contender, Moore is one of the Bears' top trade assets this offseason. And there are plenty of teams who could use a wide receiver of his caliber.
Fresh trade idea would have Bears selling low on DJ Moore
The Las Vegas Raiders as a potential trade suitor for Moore is nothing new. But Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has offered a trade that would clearly favor the Silver and Black, as they try to replicate the Bears' formula with an incoming quarterback via the No. 1 overall pick.
"Raiders Receive:Â WR D.J. Moore"
"Bears Receive:Â 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 117)"
"All signs point to the Raiders drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. They've already started the important work of putting him in a position to succeed by hiring Klint Kubiak as their head coach."
"The Chicago Bears were a prime example of what can happen when you pair a young, talented quarterback with the right head coach. Ben Johnson helped unlock a new level for Caleb Williams."
He also had the help of a veteran receiver in D.J. Moore who was a steady veteran target. However, he's become a luxury that the Bears might not be looking to keep. With Rome Odunze and Luther Burden ready to step up, the Bears could save $16.5 million by trading him.
"Moore would be a similar asset for the Raiders rebuild. He could provide veteran leadership and a consistent target while Mendoza and the Raiders young weapons get acclimated."
Coming off the worst season of his career, teams should (and surely will) try to buy low on Moore. But there's a difference between that and the Bears setting out for a lowball offer just to offload and re-allocate his salary. That isn't to say the Bears should expect to get, say, Maxx Crosby from Las Vegas in a deal involving Moore. But there are too many other potential suitors, including some who are in a win-now window, to clearly make Ballentine's trade proposal the best potential return.
Read more: Ryan Poles would become a certified genius if he pulled off this Bears trade
The premise of Ballentine's entire piece was a proposal for the Raiders to acquire Moore, which would be good for them. But a pick outside the top-100 is not something the Bears should have to settle for if they're going to move him, and Ryan Poles definitely won't settle for it if he can at all help it.