3 Reasons the Bears Should Be Sellers at the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline
The Bears record might be 1-4 after five games, but they've given fans some things to be excited about in the last two weeks.
Namely, they seem to have figured out how to put quarterback Justin Fields in a position to succeed. After three subpar outings for the quarterback he has put it together with two great performances in a close loss to the Denver Broncos and a win over the Washington Commanders.
While it's an exciting development for a team that had to endure an awful start to the season, it's not enough for the Bears to become buyers at the trade deadline.
If anything, they are better suited to be sellers at the deadline as they look to continue the rebuild.
Justin Fields Is Showing Progress
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One of the Bears most important objectives this season is to see if Justin Fields is the quarterback of the future. The Bears were never meant to contend in 2023, but they will have to make a decision on Fields because they are in line to have two first-round picks that are trending to be at the top of the draft.
They don't need to make any additional moves to find out if Fields is worth the continued investment. His last two games have shown that he can be successful with the weapons he has and the offensive line that is in front of him.
That isn't to say things are perfect. The Bears have struggled to replace Braxton Jones at left tackle and D.J. Moore is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the receiver room.
But the Bears don't need to sacrifice any draft capital to get Fields anything out this season.
If he continues to lead them to wins with this supporting cast then the Bears will know they have their guy. If not, they know they have to find the guy in the draft.
Uncertainty Around Matt Eberflus
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If the Bears need to take a sink-or-swim approach with Justin Field then the same applies for head coach Matt Eberflus.
After an 0-4 start, Peter King of NBC Sports reported that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Eberflus was let go if the Bears lost badly to the Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
Fortunately for Eberflus, the Bears doubled up the Commanders and picked up their first win of the season. It's enough to put a little water on the bed of coals that is his seat right now, but it's not enough to give the head coach a vote of confidence moving forward.
Eberflus is now 4-18 through 22 games as head coach. If there's a chance that the Bears would move in a different direction at the end of the season it wouldn't be wise to bring someone in at the trade deadline.
If the player they bring in doesn't fit in with any potential new coach's philosophy or scheme then the Bears wasted resources on a player who doesn't fit the long-term vision.
That's not conducive to a successful rebuild.
Jaylon Johnson Is a Great Trade Chip
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The Bears have already traded away Chase Claypool, but that was more of a move that was to get him away from the team. He was dealt to the Miami Dolphins with a 2025 seventh-round pick for a 2025 sixth-rounder.
Jaylon Johnson is the kind of player that could actually bring a return that helps the team's long-term future.
Johnson is set to be a free agent in 2024, but his future with the Bears is unclear. If Eberflus winds up being the coach of the future, his use of off-zone coverage doesn't necessarily align with Johnson's best trait which is his physicality in press-man.
Johnson started his career with a lot of ball production (24 pass deflections in his first two seasons), but has been far less productive in two seasons under Eberflus.
There are a lot of teams that would be better with Johnson on their roster. He's still just 24 years old. The Bears should let those teams pay his next contract and see what they can get for him now.
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