Chicago Bears' trade of slumping OL Braxton Jones predicted by NFL analysts

Demoted and now injured, Bears' offensive tackle Braxton Jones is predicted to be traded by Tuesday's deadline.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

By no means has it been a perfect start for new Chicago Bears' head coach Ben Johnson. There was the blown fourth-quarter lead to the Vikings in the opener, the ugly loss to a one-win Ravens team playing without Lamar Jackson, and the constant thread of sloppy Red Zone execution and numerous mind-numbing penalties.

But if the Bears can beat 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco, the NFL's worst defense and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, there will be optimism flooding Halas Hall. Chicago would be 5-3, matching last season's win total and putting it on pace for the best year since last making the playoffs in 2018. The Bears would be firmly in the mix for an NFC Wild Card berth at the (almost) halfway point of the season.

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But if they take care of business Sunday in Cincy, what does general manager Ryan Poles do at Tuesday's trade deadline? Will the Bears be win-now buyers? Or stockpile-for-the-future sellers?

According to USA Today - surprisingly - it's the latter. In proposing "7 trades that could actually happen," it predicts the Bears will deal offensive tackle Braxton Jones.

He recently lost his starting job to undrafted rookie Theo Benedet, and is quickly falling behind second-round draft pick Ozzy Tapilo as well. He's also on Injured Reserve with a sprained knee, meaning he'll miss at least another three weeks. Jones' future in Chicago - short-term and long - is anything but bright.

Will Braxton Jones Be a Chicago Bear After Tuesday?

Reasons USA Today about the trade:

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"There aren't often tackles with high-level starting experience available on the trade market, though Jones was placed on injured reserve last week, meaning he'll miss at least three more games. Buyer beware with his injury history, but Jones has made 44 starts at left tackle and would provide top-tier swing tackle depth for the Chargers, who have dealt with numerous injuries to the tackle position and could immediately find a starting role for Jones."

Drafted in the fifth round in 2022, the Bears can't expect to receive much in return. But at this point, something is better than nothing.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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