Ryan Poles' second NFL trade deadline as Bears general manager had fewer fireworks than the 2022 bonanza, but the 2023 affair saw Poles make two potentially rebuilding-shaping moves in the span of four hours.
He just has to stick the landing. Twice.
The day started with the Bears giving cornerback Jaylon Johnson permission to seek a trade after contract negotiations broke down over the weekend.
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We'll get to that resolution shortly.
As the Bears were fielding calls for Johnson, Poles traded Chicago's 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for 27-year-old edge rusher Montez Sweat.
That's a high price, but Sweat is an elite edge rusher who fills the biggest hole on the Bears' roster.
Per Pro Football Focus, Sweat's 27 pressures, eight sacks, and 10.6 win percentage rank 19, 5, and 21, respectively, among edge rushers with at least 200 pass-rush snaps this season. For comparison, Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue ranks 24, 28, and 31 out of 32 qualified rushers.
There's a price for adding elite talent at a premium position, and Poles paid the first half of his roster-altering tax with the second-round pick. The second half of the tax comes when the Bears and Sweat get to the negotiating table on a new contract. Sweat will be a free agent at year's end. The Bears made the trade with a long-term vision, so they clearly have plans to extend Sweat. They could also use the franchise or transition tag on him this offseason should talks not progress, but either way, Sweat will be in Chicago past Week 18 of this season.
It appears the Bears chose to pursue Sweat over Chase Young, who the Commanders later dealt to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick. Young's medical history -- he suffered a massive knee injury in 2021 -- and reported desire to test the open market this offseason likely made Sweat a safer and more palatable option for the Bears. That's also why that deal came with a higher price tag.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver also noted that some in the Commanders organization saw Young as an "undisciplined" player who would go away from his assignment to try and create "splash plays." That's not what the Bears need.
They need proven, reliable production. That's what Sweat brings.
As long as the Bears pay to keep Sweat in Chicago and he continues to produce at the elite level he has for the past five seasons, this deal should go down as a win for Poles. You can argue he overpaid for Sweat, given the Bears' current state, but they desperately need an edge rusher that offensive lines must gameplan to stop.
BEARS ANALYSIS
That brings us to Johnson, the 24-year-old cornerback in the final year of his rookie contract.
On paper, having Sweat (27), linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (25), and Johnson (24) would give the Bears three defensive building blocks -- one at each level -- to construct their defense around. Johnson has been one of the best cover corners in football this season, and there's a chance the addition of Sweat's pass-rush ability will help lead to more takeaways for Johnson and the Bears' secondary.
The Bears gave Johnson permission to seek a trade, but sources told NBC Sports Chicago that the asking price was "significant." While the Bears had several teams interested in acquiring Johnson, they didn't budge on their ask.
Now, Johnson and the Bears can have a cooling-off period before hopefully getting back to the negotiating table and finding common ground.
NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that Johnson doesn't plan to re-enter negotiations with the Bears, but the Bears are hopeful that stance will change.
Poles' discipline has bitten him a few times early in his tenure as general manager, but in this case, it served him well.
Trading top-level players at premium positions who are in their mid-20s is usually losing business in the NFL. Johnson has done everything the Poles-Matt Eberflus regime has asked since they arrived, and the Bears should want to reward him and keep him in Chicago long-term.
Yes, they drafted Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. Both are solid prospects, but projecting what they can become is only a theoretical exercise at this point. Trading Johnson, or letting him leave in free agency, would mean the Bears are banking on both rookies to become quality starters, with one reaching elite or sub-elite status. If one of them busts after Johnson leaves, the Bears will be looking to fill a hole they didn't have to create.
Tuesday was not the deadline to decide Johnson's future in Chicago. The Bears were right to request a high price and not move off that stance. But the decision only continues to look favorable if they find a way to keep Johnson. If he walks in the offseason and the Bears get nothing, it was a complete bag drop by Poles on two fronts. One, you didn't play an excellent player who is beloved in the locker room, and you lost him for nothing when you could have gotten something.
The decision not to trade Johnson signals the Bears are confident they can find common ground or could franchise tag him if they reach an extension with Sweat. If they can't reach an extension with Sweat and have to tag him, they better be willing to overpay to extend Johnson and call it a day.
Tuesday could wind up being a big day for the future projection of Ryan Poles' grand rebuilding project on the lakefront.
Or it could wind up being another head-scratching moment in which the idea was solid, but the execution was lacking. (Sounds a lot like the on-field product.)
Tuesday's trade deadline was all about the Bears exploring their options and thinking about what's attainable in the long term.
Now they know what's possible. It's time to do what's required to see it through.