Bears at the NFL trade deadline: Evaluating their 3 most valuable trade assets

April 22, 2024

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — On Nov. 1, 2022, the Chicago Bears’ rebuild reached another level when general manager Ryan Poles traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens.

Asked for his reaction a day later, cornerback Jaylon Johnson offered three letters.

“WTF.”

Then he continued.

“You come back in the building and you see everybody kind of moving different,” Johnson said then. “You don’t hear him in the locker room. You don’t hear him out at walk-throughs. You just kind of get that feeling that, really, like, I don’t want to say he’s gone. But he’s moved on to a different team.”

Similar things likely would be said if the Bears traded Johnson by the trade deadline on Halloween. He would be missed immensely on and off the field.

According to an AFC scout, Johnson is one of three Bears players who would seriously interest contending teams. The other two are receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson.

The banged-up safety

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles acquired safety Kevin Byard, who is 30 years old and in his eighth season, from the Tennessee Titans for fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A good defense seemingly became stronger in Philadelphia. But for the Bears and other teams, it’s a move that potentially rules out a trade partner.

“(Jackson) has been declining and is injury prone,” the scout said. “He’d probably need a former Bears coach to be interested.”

Instead, Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who was Jackson’s former position coach, landed Byard.

The scout mentioned Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. They might need the help, too. Staley’s pass defense is ranked 31st, and Fangio’s is 25th. Both defenses have low interception rates, too.

But Jackson’s injury problems, which include a bothersome foot that limited him Wednesday, and his contract are deterrents.

Jackson has one year remaining on his contract after this season, and that includes a base salary of $14.05 million.

“I honestly don’t see a team trading for Jackson at this juncture with his injury situation unless it was for peanuts and also a coach familiar with him,” the scout said. “Johnson and Mooney are the most valuable trade assets.”

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The talented cornerback

If the Bears feel as if new deals can’t be reached with Johnson or Mooney, it makes sense to part with the players.

But the scout also pointed out the Bears can still recoup draft capital in the form of compensatory picks if the players leave in free agency.

“What they need to compute is what will be higher,” the scout said. “That also depends on their free-agency plan.”

It’s a plan that could (maybe, should) include re-signing Johnson, who made two interceptions against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. The scout described him as a “1B/really good No. 2” cornerback, which always will be an important, premium position.

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Poles said before the season that he’d like to retain Johnson. And it appears as if that’s still the case. Johnson said earlier this week on his segment on 670 The Score that contract talks between the Bears and his representation have started to “ramp up.”

Johnson’s situation is different from Smith’s last year. Trading Smith was a cutthroat, business decision made by Poles. He traded not only the Bears’ best player and a vocal leader but also one who demanded a trade on Family Day at Soldier Field and represented himself in contract negotiations.

Johnson is certainly playing like a keeper. According to Pro Football Reference, opposing quarterbacks have completed 11 of 23 attempts (47.8 percent) against him for only 105 yards over five games. They have a 24.7 passer rating against him.

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney is one of the Bears’ two most interesting trade possibilities, an AFC scout said. (Mike Dinovo / USA Today)

The speedy receiver

Last week, the New York Jets traded receiver Mecole Hardman and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

That’s not a reflection of what the market could net for Mooney. But it fits with what the scout said about moving receivers at this time of year.

“It’s tough trading receivers midseason; it’s tough to learn a playbook on the fly,” the scout said. “But Mooney is known as a hard worker.”

The Bears saw those difficulties play out with Chase Claypool last season. Then things soured quickly this season and they dealt him to the Dolphins earlier this month.

Hardman, on the other hand, returned to the team that drafted him in 2019. He left Kansas City last offseason in free agency, signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Jets. Hardman played sparingly with the Jets, making only one catch for 6 yards in Week 2.

The scout described Mooney as a “low-end No. 2, high-end No. 3” receiver who is best on vertical and out-breaking routes.

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Other potential options

Guard/center Cody Whitehair, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and nose tackle Andrew Billings also could be trade candidates. But they’re older players.

Similar to Jackson, Whitehair is a holdover from the Ryan Pace era and is under contract through the 2024 season. Both factors make Whitehair different than Ngakoue and Billings when it comes to considering trades. Poles signed both players to one-year deals, making the Bears unlikely to move on from them.

“Billings has been a good signing,” the scout said.

Ngakoue is different, though.

“Your classic high sack but low-pressure guy,” the same scout said. “Doesn’t really win as a rusher, but he has good awareness of where the QB is in the pocket and will close off escape lanes when they try to escape. He’s kind of lost his fastball as a rusher.”

It’s a matter of price, too. Billings signed a $2.75 million deal, and he’s arguably been the Bears’ best defender. The scout suggested the Bears could re-sign him.

Ngakoue received a $10.5 million deal and has produced only two sacks and four quarterback hits over seven games.

Add everything up and it’s apparent the Bears’ trade options are limited.

“My gut feeling is that the Bears will stand pat,” the scout said. “But you never know.”

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(Top photo of Jaylon Johnson: Jamie Sabau / USA Today)

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