NEWSLETTER
The NFL’s trade deadline is this Tuesday. And while there are bigger fish to fry on November 3, I’ll continue to chug along with a hyper focus on the last opportunity for the Chicago Bears to make improvements ahead of the stretch run.
So with that in mind, I found it interesting to read ESPN’s experts weighing in on how they would help teams in need before the trade deadline.
It’s an ESPN insider piece, so I won’t share too much. Instead, I’ll focus on the Bears-centric trade proposed by Matt Bowen, who was asked to put together a realistic trade to help any team before the trade deadline. Bowen offered up Chicago trading a 2021 fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder in 2022 to the Atlanta Falcons for center Alex Mack. And at face value, I’d accept that trade so quickly it would make your head spin.
Alex Mack has been one of football’s best centers for quite some time. He is a six-time Pro Bowler, member of the All-2010s Team, and hasn’t missed a game since 2014. Mack is equal parts excellent and durable, which is exactly what the Bears need to add along their offensive line. Moreover, trading for Mack would necessitate shifting Cody Whitehair from center to left guard. In other words, it would improve Chicago’s line in *TWO* places. What’s not to love?
Of course, there’s a catch. Pro Football Focus data suggests Whitehair isn’t as productive as a guard as he is at center. This isn’t to say Whitehair can’t move to guard. Remember, he was drafted as a guard and I still believe he has the skills to contribute at the position. However, the sample of games we have to evaluate Whitehair at guard as a pro hasn’t provided a ton of hope. Even still … Whitehair has to be an improvement over playing a converted nose tackle at the position.
And then there’s the Nick Foles dynamic. Because of the center-quarterback exchange, the relationship between a quarterback and center is one of the most peculiar in football. These two essentially know each other intimately. The quarterback communicates how and where he likes snaps, and the center does his best to accommodate him. Additionally, centers and quarterbacks are usually the most responsible for calling out line protections and audibles. Teaching Mack to do that on the fly would be a challenge, but one I think a Pro Bowl center can accomplish.
Oh yeah, and there’s the financial aspect. The Bears would have to eat whatever is left on Mack’s salary for the year. According to OverTheCap.com, Mack carries a $10.55M cap number and $8M base salary. That’s not a small number, but it could be worthwhile to improve the line.
The Bears will have less than 48 hours after Sunday’s game ends to make decisions on improving this team. I’m not sure if it matters if Chicago improves to 6-2 or falls to 5-3, because concerns won’t disappear at once. But that doesn’t mean GM Ryan Pace shouldn’t address it.
