The NFL rumor mill is spinning at a feverish pace now that the 2020 NFL Combine is in the rear-view mirror. It's a fun time to be a Bears fan; it feels like the possibilities are endless in free agency and the trade market.
One position the Bears are expected to upgrade is tight end, and according to The Athletic's Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain, Ryan Pace might take a different approach to how he's strengthened the position since becoming general manager in 2015. Rather than sign a high-priced free agent or use an early-round draft pick on one, Pace is looking to strike a trade.
Jahns cites league sources who doubt the Bears will be a team willing to spend big money on a pass-catching tight end. Instead, veterans like Baltimore's Hayden Hurst, Tampa Bay's Cameron Brate and Tennessee's Delanie Walker were listed as potential trade targets.
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It would make a ton of sense for Pace to go the trade route. First, he can target proven veterans with team-friendly contracts. It's a low-risk, high-reward strategy. Second, a trade wouldn't necessarily signal the end of Trey Burton's opportunity to be 'that guy' in the Bears' offense. Instead, it would serve as motivation for him to prove why he was viewed as the most exciting free agent at the position just two offseasons ago. Lastly, the cost to acquire one of those veterans shouldn't be more than a late Day-3 pick.
Take Brate as an example. He offers far more value than any rookie Chicago could add in the later rounds and his contract has no dead money remaining. His 2020 salary cap hit is just $6 million (roughly $4 million less than Austin Hooper's expected market value), and he's proven to be a reliable red-zone target during his time with the Buccaneers. He'd be a fantastic addition to the roster.
The problem facing Pace is the limited ammunition he has to work with. The Bears have two second-round picks and aren't slated to be on the clock again until the fifth round. A fourth-round compensatory pick should be coming soon, but it's critical that Pace doesn't mortgage the future by trading multiple picks for a bridge quarterback (say, Andy Dalton) and an insurance policy at tight end.
The Bears have to be certain that whoever they target in a trade will not only bring instant returns in 2020; they have to be players who can be counted on as starters during their championship window, for however long it may be open.
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Buckle up, Bears fans. The next few weeks are going to be a fun ride.