Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is being pushed to be super aggressive in the offseason, but one mock trade proposal might be the biggest move he would ever make with the franchise.
ESPN NFL writer Bill Barnwell shared a mock draft proposal that has Bears receiver DJ Moore and a 2026 first-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders. Chicago would receive defensive end Maxx Crosby and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
"The Bears have the 25th pick, and GM Ryan Poles hasn't been shy about using draft picks to add talent. Some of those moves have worked out better (Joe Thuney) than others (Chase Claypool). Montez Sweat lands somewhere in the middle as a solid, Pro Bowl-ceiling player who is getting paid to be a superstar edge rusher. He had 10 sacks last season, but the Bears were still only 29th in sack rate while blitzing at a rate just above league average.
That's partly because Poles' other pass-rush moves haven't panned out. Dayo Odeyingbo mustered only one sack and four knockdowns in eight games before tearing an Achilles, and $13 million of his $15.5 million base salary in 2026 is guaranteed. Grady Jarrett also has $13 million of his $14.3 million salary guaranteed next season, and he managed only 1.5 sacks and eight knockdowns in his first year with the Bears. Gervon Dexter Sr. and Austin Booker are useful players on rookie contracts, but the Bears still haven't solved their pass-rush problem."
Bears' win-win situation with Maxx Crosby coming to Chicago and DJ Moore leaving
What a wild move this would be for Chicago, as it would allow them to secure a win-win situation. They get the elite pass rusher they needed in Crosby while offloading Moore, who has not been the same player since the trade a few years ago.
Crosby is coming off a 10-sack season with the Raiders, which is the fourth one of his seven-year NFL career. He has been to the Pro Bowl five times, so pairing him with Montez Sweat would instantly help the Bears become one of the best pass-rushing defenses in the NFL after just 35 sacks a season ago.
As for Moore, his stats have dipped dramatically over the last three seasons as he went from 1,364 yards in 2023 to 682 in 2025. Moore has been a popular name for trade rumors in the offseason, and Barnwell shared his thoughts on what the Bears are thinking about trading away their veteran receiver.
"I'm not sure Johnson really loves Moore. The Bears will be locked into Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III-- both on rookie deals -- as two of their top wide receivers in 2026. Colston Loveland will command a ton of targets. The Bears could move on from Cole Kmet, but what if Johnson wants to live in 12 personnel more often? What if he prefers Olamide Zaccheaus as a third receiver on a much cheaper contract, given the journeyman's blocking ability? Moore's a better player, but the Bears can find a replacement for his targets at a much cheaper cost."
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The Bears are secure in what they have on offense, so removing Moore from the equation would not be the end of the work, but adding Crosby completely changes their defense.