Chicago Bears: Three reasons not to trade for Jalen Ramsey

Reason #3: Acquiring defensive talent shouldn’t be the focus

It’s never a bad thing to have depth on an NFL roster. It’s a brutal game, and the “Next man up” philosophy is echoed by coaches throughout the league. But it helps a lot when that next man up isn’t a big step down in talent.

If the Bears acquired Ramsey without giving up a major defensive player, they’d have even more depth on defense. That unit is the heart and soul of this team, so why try and trade picks for a guy you don’t desperately need?

The Bears will finally be almost back to status quo on draft picks after the 2020 NFL Draft. The picks given up for Mack will be in the past, likely wearing Raiders uniforms. It would be unwise for the front office to tie their own hands and give up more picks.

The other factor in all of this is Ramsey’s attitude. I’m not someone who focuses on not liking a player because they’re reported to have a bad attitude. After all, we truly don’t know these guys.

But Ramsey’s brashness is something he’s known for. He’s displayed it in long-form interviews with premier sports journalists and in postgame press conferences.

The one valid knock I’ve seen on Ramsey is that his brashness turns to bitterness when things are going well on his team. He’s been hit with the  “Not a leader” label in the past, but I don’t think that’s quite fair.

That all being said, I don’t think it’s worth risking the chemistry of this talented defense to put a lightning rod of a player like Ramsey in the Bears locker room. The guy’s super talented, but that Brinks truck looms large in the background.