Chicago Bears Rumors: Report says Ryan Pace likely to trade down
By Ryan Heckman
Only hours after the Chicago Bears decided to let Cameron Meredith walk, a new report suggests their next big move.
The Chicago Bears now have a need at the wide receiver position. After failing to match the offer sheet on Cameron Meredith, the Bears have allowed their potential number two wideout to leave for the New Orleans Saints.
Following the decision, the Bears immediately found themselves in a much different position going into the draft. While they added Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, the depth behind those two is no where near promising. Kevin White and Josh Bellamy are gigantic question marks for two very different reasons.
So, as I wrote previously, Ryan Pace has some work to do in preparation for the draft. He must find a way to secure additional picks to make up for the loss of Meredith.
According to a new report, it appears as though Pace could be set to do just that.
If the report is valid, all signs point to Pace working his magic over on a team who either coverts a quarterback or guys like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Quenton Nelson. For the Bears to pass on Nelson, though, the haul would need to be quite hefty.
Pace could end up recouping a third-round selection he lost a year ago in the trade to go up and get Mitchell Trubisky. Or, he could end up doing much better than that.
Trade down values for Bears to go to 11 is a low 3, 12 is a high 3, 15 is a 2nd. 17 is a 2 & 4
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) April 11, 2018
If the Bears can move back to the middle of the first round and gain an additional second-round pick, sign me up for that. This would give them an opportunity to address both the guard position and wide receiver.
Potentially, Pace could have Chicago walking away with a guy like Will Hernandez at guard and either DJ Moore or Christian Kirk at wide receiver — all while likely addressing the edge rusher position in the first round.
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I don’t see a losing situation here, if I’m Pace, so I’d bet on this report being very legitimate. Watch out for the calls to start coming in around the NFL. Pace is just getting started.