Bears could swing a deal as deadline nears |
Through six weeks of the 2020 NFL season, the Bears are in excellent shape. Not only are they 5-1 and leading the NFC North, but they are currently occupying the NO. 2 spot in the NFC. To make matters better, the Bears defense is finally playing at the level everyone expected them to be at this year.
Despite all those positives to take away from their start, Chicago isn't perfect, and despite some salary cap restrictions, the Bears still are a team to watch come the trade deadline. November 3rd has an all-new meaning in 2020. Not only is that the election day for this season, but it also happens to be the trade deadline, which will take place post week eight ahead of week 9. Ryan Pace isn't one to make a ton of in-season deals, but at 5-1, the Bears have positioned themselves to be buyers should they choose to go that route. Whether the Bears fall to 5-3 before the deadline or improve to 7-1, Chicago will still be in a great position to become buyers to make themselves better for the remainder of the season hopefully. However, what positions of need do the Bears have, or should they target. Ideally, everyone would say quarterback, but Nick Foles isn't playing terribly, so don't expect anything on that front. Running back would be another position of need you would think, but as soon as Lamar Miller is ready to go, he will be off the practice squad, so that takes care of that, or at least you would think that. Running back still could be a position of need for Chicago as no one knows how Miller will perform after not playing for over 12 months. The Bears should focus on the Nose Tackle position, where losing Eddie Goldman hurt them. The Bears run defense has gotten better as of late but still is not at the level they would like to be. With the rest of the defense starting to pull their weight, getting any help upfront can help. You can never have enough guys upfront to protect your quarterback and open holes for the running game so look for Chicago to pursue a left guard if they make a trade. Of all the positions on the offensive line, that is the weakest link right now, and they need more depth at that spot. The more protection they have upfront, the better Foles will be, and ultimately the better the running game will be. Right now, most NFL experts expect the Bears to be one of those 50-50 teams when it comes to making a trade. That means maybe they will, perhaps they won't. Pace continues to be one of the most unpredictable GM's in the league, so no one is going to put it past him to pull off a deal or at least entertain something. If Pace indeed has some deals in mind, these are a few teams the Bears fans should keep an eye on. One would be the 1-5 Atlanta Falcons. Despite their 1-5 record, they haven't played all that bad and realistically could have a couple of wins under their belt. Players like Center Alex Mack and left James Carpenter could be two of their pieces to go. Carpenter would be a great fit for the Bears. Other teams that the Bears should inquire about are the Jets, Giants, Redskins, and possibly the Vikings. Minnesota is an intriguing team as they are going nowhere fast. They have many pieces that could be moved, and some of those pieces could help the Bears. I don't think the Vikings would help a divisional opponent, but if they did, Chicago would be their preferred choice over helping Green Bay. Unlike the NBA or MLB trade deadlines, the NFL deadline is not nearly as active as not too many big-name moves are made. Still, teams find ways to make themselves better, and 2020 could be one of the busier deadlines in recent memory. With an extra playoff team added to each conference, expect a lot of teams lining up to make moves in hopes of improving their shot at a postseason berth.
