Bear Digest

One trade the Chicago Bears actually do need to pursue

A trade floated by Mike Florio for the Bears of DJ Moore for Tyreek Hill is one of the worst deals ever suggested anywhere but there is a move Chicago should really consider.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles needs to bring in a power type back rather than worry about edge rushers or silly ideas like trading for Tyreek Hill.
Ryan Poles needs to bring in a power type back rather than worry about edge rushers or silly ideas like trading for Tyreek Hill. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears video

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During lulls in NFL discourse, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio loves to float inane suggestions to see where it all leads.

He really loves doing it with the Bears because he knows their victory starved fans will get excited about the most frivolous ideas. For example, his thoughts about the Bears trading for Kyle Shanahan last December when he wasn't going to be available.

Florio's most recent one probably should crash without anyone taking it seriously. That was the Bears trading DJ Moore for Tyreek Hill.

Besides Hill being 31 years old, Moore being only 28, and the fact the Bears have absolutely no way of taking on Hill's $27.7 million cap cost in 2025 and sickening $51.9 million cap hit in 2026, there is this one really critical issue.

Since the 2015 ill-fated Ray McDonald signing when George McCaskey had to explain why they signed someone with a past for domestic violence who was then charged again after the signing, the Bears have been among the most conservative teams at bringing aboard players with questions in the past off the field.

According to NFL.com, Hill has a record of questionable off-field behavior going back to college and it hasn't stopped even in recent years as he got into his 30s. This is a non-starter for the Bears under McCaskey.

This is not a trade for the Bears on many fronts, but there is one they should pursue.

That is trading for Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III. This one makes too much sense but once offseason work is done and teams have taken stock of what they have available in their backfields, both sides might be more open to the thought.

It was a trade rumored before the draft and should be now considering the Bears never drafted a back before Round 7, and their power running situation hinges on third-year, unaccomplished back Roschon Johnson.

What the Bears could trade for this player might be best left to draft picks but Braxton Jones is someone to think about, too, if he could play right tackle. The Seahawks already appear set at left tackle with Charles Cross, graded 10th in the league among tackles by Pro Football Focus.

Here's why the Bears should consider a deal for Walker.

1. Outperforms his line

Walker has been effective in the past but tailed off last year at 3.7 yards a carry behind the struggling O-line and after abdominal, ankle and calf injuries. He's still the power back who averaged 4.6 yards a carry as a rookie. Put him behind a resurgent Bears offensive line and they'd see this. He had this 3.7 yard average running behind a line ranked 31st of 32 NFL teams by Pro Football Focus. When they were better, he was, too.

2. Seattle has backs aplenty

With Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh and Damien Martinez, plus a few others, the Seahawks can afford to lose this asset if it means obtaining a player at a need position or a draft pick.

3. Ben Johnson's need

The Bears need that steady, starting power type of back for Johnson's attack to work best. D'Andre Swift is the speed piece. Walker has 47 broken tackles and even had 13 last year when his yards before contact dropped from 2.6 to 1.7, a sure sign the line was having problems.

The logic behind adding a power back ties in with Johnson's offense. Johnson had Jared Goff using play-action passing on a league-high 36% of pass plays last year. Even though it's possible to set up play-action without a dominant running game, doing it with one that is capable of shoving around a defense is much easier.

Ten of the 16 passers who used play-action the most were playing in running games ranked in the top half of the league, according to Stathead/Pro Football Reference. Seven of the top 10 teams in rushing yards ranked in the top half the league in amount of play-action pass attempts. So they go hand in hand.

More specifically, Goff used play-action the most last year and the Lions were sixth in rushing yards.

They Bears could use the proven power runner to sell play-action fakes in the passing game.

4. Bears backfield inexperience

After Swift, the Bears have backs with a total of 225 rushing attempts in eight NFL seasons. And six of those seasons came from Travis Homer, who had only 89 of the carries.

They're totally inexperienced after Swift and no matter what they think of Eric Bieniemy's ability to "coach them up," the lack of past rushing attempts, receptions and successful blitz pickups is huge. They'd benefit greatly from a three-year NFL starter being available.

5. Cost

At his point, it can't get any better than obtaining a starting caliber player at Walker's price. He's still on his rookie contract. He's at a cap cost of $2.685 million this year, an amount easily absorbed. Next year it's going to go up, but running back prices aren't really the same as for other starters, like edge rusher, offensive line, quarterback, cornerback and just about every other position.

6. Positional need level

The running back position is far more critical for the Bears than their other big need, an extra edge rusher, because of what their offense wants to do. With limited funds, the higher quality player they need to acquire is a back and not edge.

They're already paying out $25 million against the cap for Montez Sweat and signing the other edge starter, Dayo Odeyingbo, cost them an average annual amount of $16 million.

How much more are they throwing at that one position?

The next edge they come up with needs to be only a rotational piece to rush the passer and not a highly paid all-around starter. He's only going to be on the field for limited snaps and serves only one function.

Meanwhile, a power running back gives them more control of the ball, lets them rest their defense and extends drives on offense, might provide some pass blocking help and definitely adds yards per carry overall at a relatively low cost. It's an easy decision to pursue this trade.

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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.