Bear Digest

How the Bears can still acquire a running back without free agency

Bears GM Ryan Poles failed in an attempt to trade up and draft TreVeyon Henderson according to a report but there is another way they can find a back without free agency.
Gene Chamberlain|
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III throws a stiff-arm at Xavier Thomas of Arizona. Walker has been rumored as a back who could be traded.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III throws a stiff-arm at Xavier Thomas of Arizona. Walker has been rumored as a back who could be traded. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears' running back draft negligence was reportedly not as bad as it could have been.

This isn't yet another attempt to consider seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai to be the proverbial needle in the haystack many Bears fans so badly want him to be.

The Bears attempted to trade up so they could draft Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, according to a report by the Tribune's Dan Wiederer.

They just didn't get it done. GM Ryan Poles said afterward they found the cost of moving up in several points or "pockets" of the draft too high. The Patriots ended up with Henderson one pick before the Bears' second-round selection at 39 and instead they took explosive wide receiver Luther Burden III.

So while three other teams found on their draft boards that they could take two running backs in this draft, the Bears couldn't take one until Mongangai at No. 232 overall.

There is always free agency still, although the selection besides J.K. Dobbins appears to be overrun with 30-somethings, backs coming off severe injuries or both.

There is always one other option. That would be trading for one.

Prior to the draft, rumors floated around about Seattle's Kenneth Walker and the Jets' Breece Hall being available in deals. If Poles wasn't trading up in the draft for Henderson or other backs, he seems even less likely to trade up now for a running back.

There's no reason to think either of those backs are even available for a reasonable price. There is also the matter of trade compensation. If he wasn't trading picks and seemed proud of himself for getting a fourth-rounder next year back in one of his trades he did make, then the compensation would have had to be a player.

Who exactly are the most tradeable Bears are this point if there is some back somewhere a team wants to move but doesn't want a draft pick as compensation?

Cap money always matters when determining this. Another consideration is it's not going to be a player who they drastically need.

For instance, both Montez Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds have contracts that could easily be traded after June 1 because Sweat would save them $21 million while they would lose $4.08 million in dead cap, and Edmunds would save $15 million with $2.4 million saved.

The problem is both players are needed. The Bears have no edge rusher close to Sweat in quality and their linebackers after T.J. Edwards and Edmunds declines rapidly in experience and quality.

Not every well-paid player is so drastically needed. If the Bears wanted to trade for a back or something other position, they do have players who could be realistic trade bait.

1. T Braxton Jones

A team would need to know he's over the ankle injury first, but getting a starting tackle in the last year of a contract that counts $3.7 million this year is like receiving a gift. If Jones wasn't good, it would be a problem but Pro Football Focus had him ranked 21st among tackles last year. Finding a starting quality left tackle at a late date, like jus t before training camp, is extremely difficult. Jones has great value, and with Darnell Wright, Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie all capable of starting at tackle, it wouldn't be a shock if they made a deal for him.

2. WR D.J. Moore

The selection of Burden makes their receiver corps deeper and better. Colston Loveland's role is planned as a player who can damage defenses downfield, in the seam or other ways. While Moore is their best receiver, who did Ben Johnson have as his main weapon in the passing game in his first year as coach? It was a rookie, fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown. Burden isn't a fourth-rounder, he's a second-rounder who was regarded by many as a first-rounder. Also, Moore's departure after June 1 in a trade would net $20.9 million in savings with just $4 million in dead cap, according to Overthecap.com.

None of this means the Bears want to trade him for any reason. Having weapons is a refreshing change for the Bears. It's just if they wanted to make a trade, Moore would net the best return and make the most sense beyond trading picks. Moore has a big cap figure but a team needing an elite receiver probably wouldn't hesitate to make a move for him because of how expensive receivers suddenly became this past free agency period. Moore's contract was reasonable compared to some of those given out, and it's locked in through 2029.

3. TE Cole Kmet

The big problem with this deal is his contract pays almost $10 million and many teams don't want to pay that much for a tight end. A rookie in the second round or later are preferable because of the lower pay. Still, from the Bears' standpoint Kmet could be a good trading piece because of the $10 million in cap savings they'd get with only $1.6 million if traded after June 1. Now try to find someone who wants a tight end at $10 million a year, even if he is one of the most sure-handed in the league over the past two seasons.

Would they actually trade him if the opportunity arose? A Chicagoan?

Johnson had T.J. Hockenson in 2022 and the Lions traded him at midseason to a divisional team, the Vikings. He operated his offense with Brock Wright as the starter for most of the season. They didn't really finish the season with a high quality tight target and then got Johnson his tight end the next season, Sam LaPorta. The Bears already have the tight end target in Loveland.  Kmet becomes a player they could move, but he's also one they could use as an extra dimension.

4. WR Rome Odunze

Teams don't really draft a player in the top 10 and then trade him the next year. But Oduzne isn't overpaid, he's talented and Johnson's Lions offenses really took off after they had a speed receiver in Jameson Williams but not necessarily a leaping, taller X-type like Odunze appears to be. That's really the problem here, though. Odunze hasn't done enough yet to let the Bears know what he is capable of, and that's why he's down on the list. Antwaan Randle El sure liked him, though, and said he regarded Odunze as the best receiver in last year's draft.

5. RB D'Andre Swift

Swift traded after June 1 provides $8 million in cap savings with $1.3 million in dead cap. So it's a possible deal if they find someone in the market for a back with a $9.3 million cap cost this year. That's kind of a problem if he's averaging 3.8 yards a carry.

Swift does have speed and experience but isn't long of tooth yet, so there is value.

But there's that problem again for the Bears–they might be looking around for a back now but trading their current starter to find one isn't exactly logical because you're still down a back in that case.

If they swing such a deal, expect it to be for a draft pick or Jones.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.