Bears: 2 early trade candidates before 2023 NFL deadline…

The Chicago Bears finally earned a win in Week 5 when they defeated the Washington Commanders for their first triumph in nearly a full calendar year.

The relief throughout the Windy City was palpable for both the team and its long-suffering fans. As a result, there is hope that the Bears can put together a winning streak when they host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 and begin to show that they can play somewhat effective football.

However, there are no illusions that the Bears are ready to become a playoff team this season or perhaps next year as well. They still have more work to do, and much of that is on the shoulders of general manager Ryan Poles. He still needs to bring in more talent before the Bears can be truly competitive in the NFC North.

Poles got involved on the trade front earlier this year when he sent wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins for a draft pick. If Poles is going to make future deals, it seems likely he will trade current players for draft picks.

However, last year Poles traded for Claypool prior to the deadline. The general manager thought the former Pittsburgh Steeler would be a much-needed asset in the passing game, but it didn’t work out. The Bears seem more likely to trade players and gain future assets, but they could pull a surprise or two and potentially trade for a talented player.

In this piece, the belief is that the Bears are more likely to trade current players for draft picks.

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson

The Bears have struggled to put pressure on opposing offensive teams because they can rarely get to the quarterback. That changed in the win over the Commanders, but it is not any kind of a trend.

When they are unable to get to the quarterback and opposing passers have time to survey the field, they are ultimately going to find open receivers. This is not the fault of Chicago’s cornerbacks, because they simply can’t stay with receiver for 3.5 seconds or more.

Jaylon Johnson may be the Bears’ best one on one cover man. He has played in just 3 games to this point, as he has been slowed by a hamstring injury.

The good news for Johnson is that he has made a strong recovery this week and he is expected to be in the lineup Sunday against the Vikings. If he can have a strong showing against Minnesota’s crew of talented receivers — which will not include injured superstar Justin Jefferson (hamstring) — it could cause phones in the Chicago front office to ring off the hook.

Johnson is a 6-0, 196-pound defensive back in his 4th season with the Bears. He has 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 forced fumble to this point in the season. He had 15 passes defensed in his rookie season of 2020 and he followed that up with 9 passes defensed and an interception in 2021. That is the only interception of his career.

Johnson is a tough, physical player who can cover, and he could be a valuable asset for a team that wanted to bring him aboard.

Safety Eddie Jackson

Jackson is another defensive back that could be moved before the October 31 trade deadline. He has been slowed by a foot injury this season and has played in just 2 games.

Jackson has 4 tackles and 2 passes defensed, and the Bears are hoping to see him become more of an impact player.

In the early part of his career — Jackson is now in his 7th season with the Bears — Jackson was a game-changing player. He had 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries in his rookie season of 2017, and he followed that with a spectacular year in 2018.

Jackson had 51 tackles, 6 interceptions and 2 that he returned for touchdowns. He also had 15 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. That performance allowed him to become a first-team All-Pro performer.

Jackson has made the Pro Bowl twice in his career.

He has been less of an impact player in recent years, but if he were traded to a team with legitimate playoff aspirations, he could raise his level of play quite a bit.

Quarterback Justin Fields

This is a real long shot, but if the Bears lose throughout the month and they conclude that Fields is not the team’s quarterback of the future, they could decide to move him so they can draft a new quarterback prospect.

Caleb Williams of USC is considered a “can’t miss” prospect by many, and quarterbacks like Michael Penix of Washington and Bo Nix of Oregon are nearly as good.

While it’s not likely to happen in season, Poles could decide to have his quarterback involved in a potential blockbuster trade.