Chicago Bears: 4 trade packages that could be pivotal

The Chicago Bears send Akiem Hicks to the LA Chargers for a conditional 6th round pick.

With how beloved Akiem Hicks has been in Chicago, this might seem like a fleecing. He has been a phenomenal leader and dominant player for most of his tenure with the Bears.

However, with a persistent injury bug and him getting older, he just hasn’t been the same player. He is also on the last year of his contract and it doesn’t make sense for the Bears to bring him back given where both parties are at currently.

The Bears are also relatively deep along with the defensive interior with younger and cheaper players. So, his services aren’t as needed like they once were.

That said, trading Hicks would create 11.5 million dollars (according to Over the Cap) off of the Bears 2021 cap. Allowing them to eat some of the dead money that they would be charged with if they traded other players to gain more cap room next year.

This move is less about the draft pick and more about the cap it would create. The Chargers would get a one-year rental to help bolster their struggling run defense in an effort to further their chances of contending and the Bears would get more cap flexibility. A win-win to say the least.