NEWSLETTER
The NFL’s trade deadline comes at 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, and the Chicago Bears need help.
We could point at any number of positions the Bears could use depth, assistance, and upgrades. In fact, we have been pointing them out for weeks. Offensive line and running back are at the top of the list for all the obvious reasons. And yet, it’s been all quiet on the trade front regarding Chicago’s football team.
But it’s not for a lack of trying.
In an interview before Sunday’s game against the Saints, Bears GM Ryan Pace confirmed he has been working the wires in search of help on the trade market.
“We look at every avenue to improve our team. We talk about every single one of them,” Pace said, via the Bears’ official website. “We owe it to ourselves to do that. It’s a unique year. There are some factors that go into that. But no matter what if something makes sense and it’s a fit for us for different reasons, we’re definitely going to explore it.”
Alright, so the Bears are working on trades … it’s just not going as well as we’d like.
Pace makes a vague reference to the obvious hurdles in making a transaction that come with operating around the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of doing business is different this year and comes with a different set of risks. And there are also financial considerations for 2020 and 2021 to keep in mind, especially with salary cap shrinking looming next year. These are tricky times to be certain, but it hasn’t stopped other teams from making trades.
Perhaps one of the factors Pace is referencing has to do with the team itself.
The Bears are 5-3. Their needs are obvious, to be sure. But I can’t help but wonder if Pace sees a team that is NOT one splash move away. Thus, hasn’t been willing to move future assets to improve this roster. Don’t get me wrong. Acquiring a rental to plug into the offensive line is a logical and sensible move for the 2020 Bears, but is it worth risking future cost-controlled draft picks who could be on the roster in 2021 and beyond? At some point, a good GM would give an honest assessment of this situation by weighing current needs with future concerns.
Then again, I wonder if Pace even cares about long-term flexibility. After all, Pace has poured so much into 2020 in terms of cap spending and draft assets. So why wouldn’t he want to make one last push right now? Remember, Pace’s contract is up after the end of the 2021 season. And I can’t imagine missing the playoffs back-to-back years and in five of seven seasons will help his case for an extension. Which brings me to ask if we should even want this GM mortgaging future draft picks that he might not even be making in the future.
Nevertheless, we’ll watch the trade market unfold over the next 24 hours or so. Stay tuned.
