The Chicago Bears are getting some much-needed rest after the first month of the regular season. Teams usually don't want to get their bye week so early, but it will give Ryan Poles and the front office a prime opportunity to make what looks to be a much-needed move.
Ben Johnson's team has strung a pair of wins together after dropping the first two games of the season. The offense has looked better, but there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially in the running game. With that in mind, they should make the most of the bye week to make a run at De'Von Achane.
The Chicago Bears Need to Trade For De'Von Achane
Through four weeks, the Bears rank 24th in rushing yards per game at just 102.3. However, Caleb Williams is the team's second-leading rusher with 110 rushing yards. D'Andre Swift leads the rushing attack with 187 yards; however, he has done so in a rather pedestrian manner, averaging just 3.3 yards per game on the ground.
Achane, on the other hand, is up to 246 rushing yards and one touchdown on 50 carries. That production has come despite the rusher not being a bigger part of the Miami Dolphins' offense. Given that the Dolphins have usually been trailing on the scoreboard, this has forced Miami to rely on the passing game early and often.
Achane is an explosive player who can also be a factor with his pass-catching skills. He's hauled in 19 receptions on 25 targets for 143 yards and two receiving touchdowns this season, and that's despite playing behind a shaky offensive line.
The Bears should be in better shape in that regard, with Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson anchoring the interior of the offensive line. This line of thinking only becomes more true if rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo gets another chance to start at right tackle after his impressive debut.
The Dolphins just won their first game of the season, but it came at a steep price as they lost their best weapon in Tyreek Hill. Their postseason chances were looking slim even before that, and his injury could be enough to make the front office give a complete overhaul on that side of the ball a closer look now than they would have otherwise. Achane has another year left in his contract, and his arrival could lead the Bears to part ways with the older Swift after this season.
That leaves Achane as one of Miami's most valuable trade assets, and he could be Chicago's version of Jahmyr Gibbs, alternating touches with Swift or Kyle Monangai to give opposing defenses a different look and capitalize on his breakaway speed and pass-catching skills.
The Bears need to establish the run to take pressure off Caleb Williams' shoulders, and Achane is the type of big-play specialist that could take this offense to a whole new level. Bringing that caliber of offensive weapon into the fold would only make the glimpses of greatness that fans have seen from this group become more of a regular occurrence.