Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a big splash even before the free-agency negotiating window opens Monday.
Poles on Friday agreed to trade the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for pick Nos. 9 and 61 this year, a first-rounder in 2024, a second-rounder in 2025 and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
As Poles prepares to make more big moves to the bolster the roster this week in free agency, the Tribune’s team of Bears writers addressed five key topics.
1. The Bears’ trade with the Panthers was _______.
Brad Biggs: A needed step by Poles to see the process through with Justin Fields.
The quarterback didn’t have nearly enough talent around him in his second season, and now the franchise is on the way toward changing that. Getting D.J. Moore in the return from the Panthers makes him instantly the best wide receiver on the roster, filling a huge need when considering there isn’t a better option available in free agency.
The deal provides Poles with a little more flexibility, getting four total picks — first- and-second rounders this year, a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025 — in exchange for the No. 1 pick. Importantly, he received a plug-and-play veteran in the deal, not additional lottery tickets. The Bears now own four picks in the top 100 — Nos. 9, 53, 61 and 64. With two picks at the end of Round 2 and the top pick in Round 3, Poles has the chance to move around if he would like. The Bears still have a slew of roster needs, and after the trade they’re positioned to have some extra swings with high draft picks, selections Poles hopes will turn into foundational pieces for his rebuild.
Colleen Kane: Potentially good for both sides.
Only time will tell whether that’s true. But the Panthers need a quarterback, and if they pick one that pans out, they’re likely not going to regret spending the draft picks.
The Bears’ move back to No. 9 likely puts them out of reach of the top couple of defensive prospects, who certainly could have been needed game-changers. But the Bears still should be able to get an elite player in the top 10. And the additional second-round picks this year and in 2025 and first-rounder in 2024 will give Poles more chances to build up the roster the way he wants. Plus, Moore fills a major need at wide receiver. It’s on Poles now to make the right choices in the draft to make the trade count.
Dan Wiederer: Attention-grabbing.
The timing of the deal, with almost seven weeks left before the NFL draft, was notable. But with receiver Moore included in the trade proposal, both the Bears and Panthers wanted to finalize things before free agency began to set themselves up for more roster clarity.
Moore’s arrival is the true bonus of this trade for the Bears. He is, after all, the only known commodity at this point in the deal. And with the Bears on a mission to give Fields more support in his third NFL season, gifting him a proven playmaker in Moore — who has averaged 77 catches, 1,103 yards and five touchdowns over the past four seasons — is a major positive.
As for the other three picks Poles netted after agreeing to swap spots with the Panthers in the top 10 of this year’s draft? Well, the Bears will need to make the most of those and squeeze as many long-term, difference-making players out of the deal as they can. That’s no easy feat.
2. D.J. Moore brings to the Bears _______.
Biggs: The combination of speed and route-running ability that should quickly make him a preferred target for Fields.
Moore is a little different from Chase Claypool (large catch radius) and Darnell Mooney (speedster), so the mix of skill sets should aid offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Moore, who played with nine quarterbacks in five seasons in Carolina, was very productive despite the Panthers’ QB carousel.
If he had complaints, there were not national headlines, so that indicates he’s likely a strong team-first guy in the locker room. Surely Moore will not have the same experience another former Panthers wide receiver did after he joined the Bears. Remember, Muhsin Muhammad was hailed as the missing piece in the offense when he signed as a free agent in 2005. Three seasons later, it was Muhammad who said Chicago is “where wide receivers go to die.”
Kane: A needed boost to the wide receivers room.
After putting out the worst-ranked passing offense in 2022, the Bears needed better targets for Fields, and Moore provides that. Over five seasons with some bad Carolina teams, Moore was a proven producer despite a revolving door of quarterbacks. He has averaged better than 1,000 yards per season. Mooney, who is coming off an injury-shortened season, is the only other Bears receiver under contract with a 1,000-yard receiving season, in 2021.
Adding a wide receiver via trade instead of overpaying in free agency — especially one under contract for three more years — feels like the right move by Poles, and he still has chances to add to the room with more modest free-agent signings or via the draft.
Wiederer: Quickness. Versatility. Toughness. Experience.
The Bears passing offense was abysmal in 2022 and created a demand for 2023 that they climb toward the middle of the league in passing production. That will require Fields to make major developmental leaps with his pocket poise, decision-making and situational success. But all of that becomes easier if he has weapons around him that can help carry the load.
Moore should have little trouble fitting in. And Getsy will work to find the ideal role for the veteran receiver. Suddenly, pairing Moore with Mooney and Cole Kmet — and hopefully Claypool too — will give Fields plenty of options and lift the Bears’ passing attack.
3. As the Bears march into free agency this week, their biggest need is _______.
Biggs: On the defensive line.
A trade-off in the deal with the Panthers is the Bears are looking at a best-case scenario of having choice of the fifth non-quarterback drafted now that they’re at No. 9. That means no Will Anderson and potentially no Jalen Carter, who teams will still want to gather background information on.
Poles isn’t going to be able to overhaul the defensive front, which was porous, through the draft. That means finding some help in free agency. Yes, he could still go after a starting offensive lineman, potentially a high-priced right tackle, but the Bears aren’t going to be much better stopping the run or rushing opposing quarterbacks without significant personnel upgrades.
Kane: Upgrading the offensive and defensive lines.
My first answer was to just list the defensive line because the Bears need help at multiple positions on it. The Bears defense was among the worst in the NFL at stopping the run in 2022, giving up 157.3 yards per game, ranked 31st behind the Houston Texans. And the Bears were worst in the NFL in sacks with 20. It was a major shock to at least this observer’s system after watching Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Akiem Hicks rule the Bears defensive front for several years.
Of course on the flip side, Fields was sacked 55 times in 15 games, tied with Russell Wilson for the most. Improving the protection for him also should rank at the top of the Bears’ priorities this offseason.
Wiederer: In the trenches. On both sides of the ball.
The Bears need help on their offensive line to better support Fields. And they need help on their defensive line to revitalize a defense that unraveled after the midseason trades of Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith. The NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles and the team they beat to reach the Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers, are living, breathing proof of how strength and sturdiness up front can catalyze high-level success. It’s a blueprint Ryan Poles should follow. The Bears couldn’t stop the run, rush the passer, protect the quarterback or throw the football in 2022. Those are four pretty big criteria for having meaningful success in the NFL. And the quickest way to improve on all those fronts is to invest up front.
4. One headline-grabbing signing the Bears should make this week is _______.
Biggs: Adding former Denver Bronco Dre’Mont Jones if they believe he profiles best as a three-technique.
Word from the scouting combine was that Jones is seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $18 million per year. The Bears cannot pay that if they don’t believe he’s ready to blossom. That’s not the deal they can make if Jones is going to be a good player. But if they think he’s ready to take off and the scheme is the best fit for him, by all means, add a guy at the position Matt Eberflus says is the engine of his defense. We saw what it looks like when the Bears play defense without an engine.
Kane: An offensive tackle.
It makes sense for Poles to spend a good chunk of his cash on an offensive tackle in free agency because, as I mentioned before, a top priority should be better protecting Fields. The Bears might believe Braxton Jones can continue on an upward trajectory at left tackle by improving his strength and technique before his second season. Or they could sign former Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown for the role. Right tackles Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey and Kaleb McGary are other free-agent options. Making an upgrade here is going to cost money. If they pick the right player, it will be well worth it.
Wiederer: Orlando Brown.
I’ll qualify this to say the Bears should be ready to extend their in-house financial parameters for Brown without getting reckless. That may mean overpaying a little bit. But to grab a proven, Pro Bowl starter for the offensive line would be a great start to the offseason.
Brown has flexibility to play either side and would instantly increase the comfort of Fields. He also had one season of overlap in Kansas City with Poles, which should give the Bears GM some inside intel into what makes him tick and where his strengths and weaknesses lie. Many around the league consider this to be a ho-hum free agency class as a whole. But if the Bears were able to quickly land one of the true headliners, it would provide a boost.
5. Realistically, over the next seven weeks the Bears should hope to _______.
Biggs: Do everything they can to give Fields the opportunity to succeed.
It’s a critical season for Fields, and the Bears will be best off if they have a clear read on the position at the end of the coming season. They need to be able to determine if they’re all-in or all done with Fields. The fifth-year option in contracts for first-round picks is fully guaranteed. Look around the NFC and think about who the best quarterbacks in the conference are, especially if the Green Bay Packers ship Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets,. There is Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia and … good luck putting together a top five.
You can make a strong case seven of the eight best quarterbacks in the league reside in the AFC. So the NFC is wide open for young teams that can bring along a legitimate franchise quarterback. Maybe that was part of the thinking in Carolina, where the Panthers tried to deal for Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson the last two years. Fields is further along than whomever the Panthers wind up drafting.
Kane: Make big improvements to several position groups on their roster.
Seven weeks take us through the draft. Given the amount of money Poles has to spend and the big possibilities in the draft with 10 picks, Bears fans should have a lot more to be excited about come May 1.
But we’ve said this before in the lead-up to free agency: The Bears have a ton of holes to fill on their roster beyond the offensive and defensive lines, including at running back, tight end, linebacker and cornerback. So while their resources are plentiful enough to piece together a much-improved team, the Bears roster makeover likely won’t be entirely complete this offseason.
Wiederer: Move the needle.
That’s one of Poles’ favorite expressions with the GM looking to unite with players who can help fill the Bears’ championship fuel tank. Granted, the Bears aren’t going from “E” in 2022 with a last-place 14-loss season to “F” in 2023 with a complete refueling in one roster revitalizing cycle. But they can “move the needle” closer to a half tank with the proper moves and with a solid draft class. It’s all married together, too, with the visions for free agency balanced with what “Plan B” draft operations could be.
The Bears have needs across the depth chart. And they certainly need to give Fields a fair chance to make a huge developmental leap. That will come with a sturdier and deeper offensive line and with a more capable group of pass catchers. Those are certainly boxes that need to be checked to some extent in the next couple months.
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Source: Berkshire mont
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