The Chicago Bears are in a position to make an all-in move this offseason if it makes sense, and general manager Ryan Poles openly acknowledged they were involved in talks with the Las Vegas Raiders involving Maxx Crosby,
Of course the Bears are also uniquely up against the salary cap right now too, albeit with some easy paths to create a lot of room to maneuver. To even be able to sign their full upcoming draft class, something needs to be done to create some cap space.
Now moving into a third offseason with no progress on talks about a new contract that better reflects his value, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has asked for a trade and will not be participating in the offseason program.
Of course, the Giants are under no obligation to honor Lawrence's request. If they were willing to trade the three-time Pro Bowler, ESPN's Jordan Raanan has reported the return would be "in the range of a late first-round or early second-round pick."
Lawrence had a down year in 2025, with just half a sack. But he earned the 11th-best overall grade among defensive tackles from Pro Football Focus (75.6), with the sixth-best pass rushing grade at the position (84.5).
Multiple teams are sure to engage the Giants about Lawrence, but will come down to how much general manager Joe Schoen will listen. A notable player not showing up for the offseason program with a new head coach in place is bound become less than ideal.
Analyst creates path for Bears to acquire Dexter Lawrence
As lists of potential landing spots for Lawrence come out, the Bears are practically an automatic inclusion based on their need for defensive line help and where they are on the contender scale.
On his list of five potential trade packages/top landing spots for Lawrence, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report offered up the Bears.
Chicago Bears Receive:Â DT Dexter Lawrence II
New York Giants Receive:Â 2026 2nd-round pick, 2026 4th-round pick
As Moton noted, the Bears have an extra 2026 second-round pick from the DJ Moore trade with the Buffalo Bills (No. 60 overall. That fourth-round pick would be No. 129 overall.
As we know, and Moton also acknowledged, the Bears would have to do some serious contract manipulation to bring on the $20 million attached to Lawrence's contract this year.
"To make a move for Lawrence, who wants a new deal, the Bears would have to restructure or terminate multiple contracts to free up cap space. They have less than $1 million in salary cap space, but the front office can manipulate the books to bolster a below-average defensive interior."
Some level of money maneuvering is coming for the Bears, no matter what happens from here on out this offseason. So if they're going to do it, why not go all the way and make room for Lawrence to be in the fold now that he's theoretically available?
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The Bears can, hypothetically, acquire Lawrence without parting with this year's first-rounder or their own second-rounder. Maybe, as some might suggest, throw in cornerback Tyrique Stevenson for "free".