One Chicago Bears expert likes draft day trade for Chandler Jones

Chicago Bears (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Chicago Bears have a huge need at edge rusher, and Chandler Jones fits the bill. Could there be a draft day trade possibility here?

As the 2018 NFL Draft comes closer, Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears are finalizing their plan to execute at the highest level. With a huge need at edge rusher, many have the Bears going after a rookie in the first or second round, but could a draft day trade with a veteran and proven Pro Bowl player be possible?

Phil Ottochian of the Bears Bar Room recently discussed an idea on an episode of his “Bears Hour Live” podcast where the Bears could make a move for Arizona Cardinals stud pass rusher Chandler Jones.

Side note: Go check out the podcast; plenty of no-nonsense, truthful insight there! I know a lot of fans who love the guys at the Bar Room, and I myself have nothing but excellent things to say about them. We’re FanSided — all about the fans. From one fan to another, go give it a listen.

In this scenario, Ottochian says that he would love the idea of getting Jones, and if he was general manager Ryan Pace, he’d definitely be listening. When asked about the proposition, Ottochian followed up his initial answer with the question, “If I’m Pace, what else am I getting?”

Well, for the Cardinals to move up and select a quarterback, like many believe they could do, the price would be significant.

While Sam Bradford was signed this offseason in Arizona, the Cardinals have to know that he will not be the answer long-term. Heck, he may not even be the answer for all of the 2018 season. At the same time, Bears fans know that his backup might not exactly be the best option either — I’ll leave it at that.

For Chicago, this makes perfect sense. Jones is a proven veteran with plenty of football left in him. In six seasons, he has registered 64 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 15 passes defended. He’s also coming off a season where he led the NFL in sacks with 17.0. The former Syracuse product would be exactly what the Bears need opposite of Leonard Floyd.

This could give the Bears a lot of flexibility going forward. Having their edge need taken care of, they could opt for another linebacker at 15 if Tremaine Edmunds were to fall. Or, they could address offensive line depth as well. Getting Jones, plus another second round pick would be a fantastic haul for the Bears.

For the going rate of a top quarterback prospect, it makes sense for Arizona as well. Now that there will likely be four quarterbacks taken in the top 10, the Cardinals know they will need to make a move if they like one of those four the best. Larry Fitzgerald may be in his last season as a pro — are the current quarterbacks truly the best you could do if you’re the front office?

I’d say absolutely not.

Must Read: 5 day-two linebackers to watch

I don’t think the Cardinals are far off from making a big move like this, especially if it encourages Fitzgerald to potentially stay a little longer than he had planned. With David Johnson coming back and hopefully playing like the top-5 back he was before getting injured, this offense could be much better in the coming seasons with a franchise quarterback in place.

Would the Cardinals pull the trigger? We’ll have to wait and see.