Trick or Treat, it’s Trade Deadline day! If you went to sleep early last night, you probably missed the first piece of Bears deadline candy — Jaylon Johnson wants out of Chicago, and Ryan Poles has given the young corner permission to find a deal.
#Bears corner Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade, per source. Chicago granted permission to search for a new home before today’s trade deadline. The player and team negotiated a new contract last week but couldn’t come close to a deal. So, a talented corner is now available. pic.twitter.com/XCU5EsZqF2
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 31, 2023
Jaylon could command quite a market for himself, so expect names like Dallas, Buffalo, and San Francisco to be involved in the hunt for his services. If the Bears get lucky, maybe they reap the rewards of a bidding war.
"If the 49ers can get a top-shelf cover corner like the Bears’ Jaylon Johnson, it would allow them to move Lenoir to the slot and upgrade the secondary…" https://t.co/wOyAYfMSTv
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) October 30, 2023
Also, everyone’s favorite Chicago Bears-loyal cap analyst seems to be implying that a certain SWEAT-y EDGE rusher may be on the move… would Chicago be willing to part with what it may take to bring Sweat in? Or will they stand pat when all is said and done? The Bears’ 2023 season is over, so I don’t expect them to be common buyers if they do make any acquisitions — everything will be geared towards a 2024/2025 contention window, but in theory Sweat could fit that while providing Chicago the flexibility they need to attack offensive needs at the top of the 2024 draft.
https://t.co/tjHEzFCPvv pic.twitter.com/z8SqPqSra6
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@SpielbergerBrad) October 31, 2023
Will we see a fire sale that sends Darnell Mooney, D’Onta Foreman, or Jus*** ****** out of town? That last one is a joke, but it illustrates the ridiculousness of Chicago’s situation perfectly — the Bears are a 2-6 team going nowhere in the 2nd year of a coaching regime that’s done everything it can do to get fired after the season ends. The fanbase has already begun looking to the future, and chances are plenty in the building have started to do the same — thus, if any team makes a competitive offer for any player, that player will likely be on a taxi to O’Hare sometime this afternoon.
Or, you know, nothing could happen at all. That’s the magic of the NFL Trade Deadline! We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
Your Turn: Is there any move you want the Bears to make? What about moves you want them to avoid?