Bears' trade assets rank near bottom of the NFL

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One of the fastest ways for an NFL team to improve its roster is via trade, as the Bears proved prior to the 2018 season when they sent the Raiders multiple first-round picks for Khalil Mack, the league's premier pass-rusher.

But times have changed for GM Ryan Pace, who'll enter his second-straight draft without a first-round pick (because of that Mack trade) and not much salary-cap space to play with. There aren't many veterans on the roster who'd be good ammunition in trade talks, either.

According to a recent ranking of every team's trade ammunition this offseason, the Bears rank in the NFL's bottom-five at No. 28:

There are a few younger veterans the Bears might make available in trades. Edge-rusher Leonard Floyd hasn't lived up to his draft slot in four seasons, but he's still just 27 years old with a first-round pedigree. Offensive weapons Tarik Cohen and Taylor Gabriel have shown flashes but don't appear to be part of Chicago's long-term plans.

Those players aren't going to bring big returns, but with a larger stockpile of picks, the Bears could package them to move up into the first round. The Bears have a pair of picks inside the top 50, but neither lies inside the top 32 as Chicago finishes paying off the Khalil Mack blockbuster.

The Bears' two second-round picks are their most valuable trade asset and they can be combined with future first-rounders if they want to be really aggressive in an effort to move back into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They better have a can't-miss target on their radar if they do that. Otherwise, they'll continue to enter every offseason playing the talent-acquisition game from behind.

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