Trading DJ Moore was an easy decision for the Chicago Bears. He's a very good player who never broke out as expected, and moving on from him would give the team a significant financial relief ($16.5 million in cap space).
At the time, some argued the Buffalo Bills paid too much for the former Carolina Panthers player. They gave up a second-round selection to get Moore and a fifth-round pick, and Bears general manager Ryan Poles later flipped that pick to get two more.
The Bears got a more-than-decent haul for their wide receiver, and they looked more than set to replace him. But now that Rome Odunze continues to deal with constant ailments, maybe they won't feel great about this trade anymore.
Rome Odunze's injury issues could make the Bears miss DJ Moore
The Bears traded the Bills' No. 60 pick to get Nos. 69 and 144. Then they used those picks to get TE Sam Roush and LB Keyshaun Elliott, respectively, so it's hard to argue they didn't work the board pretty well and maximize the assets' value.
However, even if Roush and Elliott should contribute right out of the gate, this team hangs its hat on their explosive offense. Odunze has missed practice way too often in training camp, and while Luther Burden III is expected to return for Week 1, he's also dealt with some injuries in his two years in the league.
On paper, the Bears might have the most stacked wide receiver corps in the league. Even rookie Zavion Thomas looks like an electric playmaker and one of the fastest guys in the league, and Colston Loveland, albeit a tight end, can also be an elite pass catcher for Caleb Williams.
Nevertheless, nothing beats being available, and Odunze's chronic foot issues might be a lingering concern throughout his career. Moore may not have lived up to the expectations, but he was a consistent and healthy contributor.
In hindsight, complaining about this trade would be unfair and nitpicking; it had to be done, and the team got a solid value in return. There's no way to tell how a trade will age until time has passed, so this isn't a knock on Poles' decision.
That said, sometimes moves just don't work out how the team intended. Hopefully, Odunze and Burden won't miss much (if any) time this season or in the years to come. But if that's not the case, the narrative surrounding this move could change pretty drastically.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google