Bear Digest

Top trade targets for Bears after Gardner-Johnson signing

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles made a move to shore up an injury-riddled secondary, but more work must be done.
Pete Martuneac|
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Chicago Bears

Football is an inherently violent sport, and injuries are something that every team has to deal with, but some teams get hit harder than others. That's the case for the Chicago Bears, who have been dealing with lingering injuries to some of their most important players all season. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson is out indefinitely with a groin injury and has only played in part of one game. Kyler Gordon missed Chicago's first four games only to go to IR two weeks later.

These are two of Chicago's top three cornerbacks, creating a vacuum in Chicago's secondary that got even worse when Tyrique Stevenson was a surprise injury absence in Week 8. Meanwhile, Braxton Jones joined Gordon on IR and Cole Kmet saw his iron man streak end at 90 games.

Simply put, the Bears are severely short-handed as they enter a critical part of their schedule. At 4-3, they can still go either way: a run at the playoffs, or yet another losing season. They need to keep themselves in the hunt for as long as possible, and credit to general manager Ryan Poles for already making a move and signing Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, but that's not enough.

Here are four critical trade targets for the Bears ahead of the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.

1. Alontae Taylor - Cornerback

The Bears must be able to hold down the fort in the secondary until Gordon and Johnson return, which means they need some short-term answers like Alontae Taylor. A former second-round pick from the Saints, Taylor hasn't exactly lived up to expectations, but he's a capable starter who would drastically raise Chicago's floor for the time being.

Alontae Taylo
David Banks-Imagn Images

2. Marshon Lattimore - Cornerback

Since being traded to Washington, Lattimore has not played anywhere close to expectations, but that may be more of a problem with people's expectations than Lattimore himself. Expecting an elite, shutdown corner was never fair at this point in his career, and that's what the Commanders thought they were getting.

But the Bears don't need a stud cornerback to build a secondary around. They just need a dependable veteran to plug a hole until its long-term starters return. That's a role that suits Lattimore much more nicely, and Washington likely wouldn't need much more than a mid-Day 3 pick to make the deal.

Marshon Lattimor
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3. Evan Neal - Offensive Line

With Braxton Jones headed to IR and left tackle Theo Benedet struggling, the Bears must consider adding depth along their offensive line. Enter Evan Neal. Though it hasn't worked out for him in New York, Neal was the 7th overall pick in 2021 for a reason. The talent is there, and offensive line coach Dan Roushar may be just the man to get the most out of Neal. At best, the Bears can land their left tackle of the future at a low cost. At worst, they add depth to a position group that needs it.

Evan Nea
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4. Dre'Mont Jones - Defensive End

Through eight games, Jones is already up to 3 sacks on the season, which would tie Montez Sweat for second most on Chicago's defensive line (Gervon Dexter leads with 3.5 sacks). The Titans are expected to host a fire-sale of their roster after firing head coach Brian Callahan, and they've already dealt cornerback Roger McCreary to the Rams.

While this wouldn't exactly be at the level of the Packers trading for Micah Parsons, adding Jones would be a shot in the arm for a woefully underperforming defensive line. They need all the help they can get, and at worst Jones would help keep Montez Sweat fresh by featuring as a rotational pass rusher.

Dre'Mont Jone
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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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