NEWSLETTER
I realize people have bigger fish to fry on November 3 with that date serving as Election Day in the United States.
But in addition to that, it’s also the NFL’s trade deadline date. And with November 3 looming, The Athletic’s staff of NFL writers put together a trade deadline primer. It outlines buyers, sellers, trade targets, team needs, and more. If you get some time, I recommend giving it a thorough read because it provides a feel for the vibe around the league ahead of the deadline.
As for the Chicago Bears, they are sitting at 4-1 and well-positioned to be buyers before the deadline passes. And if the team has 5, 6, or 7 wins before deadline day approaches, there could be a push for them to make a move that bolsters its roster. To that end, Kevin Fishbain underscores the team’s needs at left guard, nose tackle, and running back. Fishbain also lists the likelihood of a Bears deadline deal at 50-50, which is all sorts of fun. Let’s face it. Ryan Pace is the most unpredictable GM in Chicago, which means I’ll put nothing past him.
As for possible targets …
A pair of Falcons interior offensive linemen are on Fishbain’s watch list. First, left guard James Carpenter is a potential target as a James Daniels replacement. Alex Bars held his own in a pinch on Thursday Night Football, but allowing a sack on his first pass-blocking rep is still fresh in my mind. In addition to the remaining games on the 2020 schedule, Carpenter still has two years of team control on a four-year contract he signed with the Falcons in March 2019. OverTheCap.com has Carpenter’s cap number for the next two seasons as a manageable $6.458M. In other words, trading for Carpenter could conceivably fill a hole on next year’s roster, too.
Perhaps Falcons center Alex Mack might be an intriguing option for the Bears. His deal is more expensive, as the Bears would take on whatever is left on the final year of his deal that comes with a $10.55M cap number in 2020. But Mack is a six-time Pro Bowl center whose deal comes off the books at season’s end, and it’s possible a one-year rental is more appealing to the Bears. Then again, trading for Mack would push Cody Whitehair to left guard for the second time in three years. That experiment didn’t end well last year and I’m not sure if the Bears want to do it again.
Football’s trade deadline isn’t known to be as active as what happens in MLB, but NFL teams still find ways to tweak their rosters with helpful role players. This year, the Bears could be one of those teams. And I’m excited about the possibilities. So keep winning games and let the trade rumors fly!
