The Chicago Bears ended their season quite differently than many fans imagined it would go down. Playoff expectations became hopes that got lost in the Windy City.
The front office became aggressive knowing it needed to make drastic changes. So out went Matt Eberflus and in came former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
The team owns quite an impressive stock of draft capital. They have the 10th overall pick in this year's draft and three more pics inside the top 75.
Chicago's salary cap room also aligns them to make a splash with nearly $65 million in space to spend. Wideout Keenan Allen and veteran tight end Mercedes Lewis are the only significant pass catchers on offense entering free agency this spring.
Bears' Potential Top Trade Target on Offense
One star receiver within the NFC has publicly been given permission by his team to seek a trade partner. The Chicago Bears should definitely enter those talks to strike a deal.
The Bears' third-round pick (the 72nd overall selection) may be enough to allow San Francisco 49ers' dual threat Deebo Samuel to finish out his contract with Chicago.
San Francisco has already made it well known that they are comfortable with Samuel's tenure as a member of the 49ers is over. Should the Bears lose Allen in free agency, Deebo fills that void.
In his six seasons with San Francisco, Samuel has 22 receiving touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns. A stat line like this makes Samuel a lucrative and appealing addition to thrive in Ben Johnson's offense with Williams under center.
Furthermore, he is an additional weapon for quarterback Caleb Williams. Samuel can line up with receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze as well as running backs De'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
With Brandon Aiyuk being locked up long term and the 49ers using to draft picks last April on wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, Samuel is expendable. This potentially benefits Chicago, whose offense could excel with Johnson now as the head coach.
Possible Bears Trade Target on Defense
A veteran with championship experience is always a vital asset for a team like the Chicago Bears. With a pair of experienced players from the Philadelphia Eagles secondary, offering an enticing draft pick to the 2024 Super Bowl Champions may be what the doctor ordered.
The emergence of rookie Cooper DeJean has added to how expendable Darius Slay is. Slay is the already 34 years old but has shown he can still produce.
If the Eagles' front office likes an offer that the Bears suggest, Slay could become a solid contributor to the secondary and provide a leadership role in the locker room.
After seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, Slay was shipped east to Philadelphia. Despite not recording an interception in 2024, he picked off nine quarterback passes in the four seasons combined prior.
Slay has the potential be a rather intriguing complement to Jaylon Johnson, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Just like the case with Samuel, it's worth the phone call.