NEWSLETTER
During a live YouTube stream on the Bootleg Football podcast, EJ Snyder shares what he has heard about the Bears and Steelers discussing a pick swap that would move Pittsburgh into the top 10 and slide Chicago down to pick No. 17.
A tip of the cap to SI.com/FanNation’s Noah Strackbein for transcribing the action:
“Bears and Steelers are possible. They’ve talked about it. I know they’ve talked about it,” Snyder said. “It’s by no means for sure. … The most likely connect the dots moment is that Pittsburgh needs and a tackle and they go up for one because there’s one they like and they’ll be gone by the time they pick at 17.”
Here we go again! Are we about to embark on another Bears-Steelers swap? If so, then I’m 100 percent interested in the idea of these two making their second trade in the span of six months. Especially if the immediate results are easier on the eyes than they were when it came to the Chase Claypool deal. I think we’ll be waiting it out to see if that one pays off for the Bears as much as it did for the Steelers. Time will tell, though. But I digress.
To be clear, nothing is imminent in terms of a possible Bears-Steelers trade. Teams figure to be engaging in all sorts of conversations this time of year. But I like how easy it is to discuss the potential parameters of this deal. The Bears might not be able to swindle the Steelers out of a huge deal. But moving back from No. 9 to No. 17 should yield a Day 2 pick from Pittsburgh’s side and another pick to sweeten the pot. How about giving back pick No. 32 as a show of good faith? Hey, I had to try!
Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of the Bears hanging around at pick No. 9 and taking the best player available. But after executing one trade-back that had a return surpassing my wildest, I want to see GM Ryan Poles do it again. Not just because I have a hunger for big, splashy moves, but also because the Bears could use more picks. No one denies that the Bears have a bunch of holes still left to fill. One way to go about filling said holes is by accumulating as much draft capital as possible. This isn’t to say their 10 selections aren’t enough. Having 10 picks to work with is a good start. But giving your team as many spins at the draft wheel as possible is a great way to go about building through the draft. And isn’t that what Poles has been wanting all along?
That these two sides were recently chopping it up makes me think another deal could be on the horizon. Again, it doesn’t seem like anything is imminent. However, the chatter has me on alert. After all, Poles really was into the idea of a double trade-back before ultimately cutting the deal with Carolina. Maybe he’ll get it in a roundabout way at the end of the day. Plus, if the Bears trade back, they could still be well-positioned to draft a player they really like *AND* load up on draft capital. Move over double doink. The double draft pick deal could soon take your spot among the most infamous doubles in Bears history. So stay tuned. It feels like business is about to pick up.
