Chicago Bears should trade Willie Young to pass rush needy Patriots

Could the Chicago Bears help the New England Patriots with their sudden need for playmakers at defensive end/edge rusher?

The Chicago Bears have an interesting young team with a lot of upside going forward. However, we all know that 2017 is not going to be a competitive year for the team. So, if a trade comes along where the Bears can sacrifice the short-term to help the future, they should undoubtedly do it. Edge rusher Willie Young fits the bill of a player who the Bears could easily trade.

Even with his playing time being up and down, Young has been a consistent pass-rush threat for the Bears in recent years. In his three years in Chicago, Young has piled up a total of 24 sacks. He is a quick and explosive rusher off of the edge who has shown the ability to create pressure from both the 4-3 defensive end position and the 3-4 outside linebacker position.

Expect Young to be a big-time playmaker for the Bears again in 2017, but could he be expendable in the right deal? Absolutely.

Young is an impressive player on the edge, but at 31 years old, he is unlikely to be a major contributor when the Bears are ready to compete. I mean, there is a chance that the Bears surprise people and become sleeper contenders next season, but I am not holding my breath on that happening. A mid-round 2018 draft pick would be much more valuable to the long-term health of this franchise than Willie Young.

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So, the Chicago Bears should be willing to deal Young, but it takes two to tango. Well, the New England Patriots would seem to be a perfect fit. The Patriots already had issues at the defensive end position. And that was before the retirement of Rob Ninkovich and rookie Derek Rivers tore his ACL.

The Patriots are the obvious Super Bowl favorites and have talent and depth up and down the roster. However, their defensive end/edge rusher situation is shaky at best. Kony Ealy and Trey Flowers are a solid starting duo, but the Patriots lack depth at the defensive end position in a big way. A lack of a pass rush on the outside could be the thing that brings the Patriots down this season.

I mean, right now they are counting on fourth-round rookie Deatrich Wise and special teams player Geneo Grissom as the primary backups. Sure, linebackers like Dont’a Hightower, Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy can help on the edge, but the Patriots undoubtedly lack true depth at the defensive end position.

If the right opportunity presents itself, I imagine that Bill Belichick and company would be very interested in adding a player like Young to the mix. Young’s ability to rush with his hand in the ground or from the stand-up position would be particularly appealing to the Patriots. New England loves to mix up their defenses and will flip back and forth between a three and four-man front with regularity. Young’s comfortability in both would be a huge benefit.

I am not saying that the Pats should give up a haul for Young, but he could be an important depth piece for the team at their only position of weakness. If the Patriots do not address their lack of pass rush, it could severely hurt them in 2017.

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In my opinion, the Chicago Bears sending Willie Young to the New England Patriots in exchange for a conditional 2018 NFL Draft pick that tops out in the fourth round makes a ton of sense for both sides. New England gets that edge rusher depth that they desperately need and the Bears add another potentially valuable piece for their rebuild.