Grade the Bears Trade Deadline

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was much busier at the NFL’s trade deadline than I expected, and I think that shows just how clear his vision is for this team. This season is about changing the culture, setting the foundation, and seeing if Justin Fields has what it takes to be their long-term solution at quarterback.

The last move he made, trading their second-round pick to the Steelers for Chase Claypool, tells me the franchise is all-in on Fields. I felt they were there before, but grabbing a talented weapon like Claypool should end any nonsense anyone has about the Bears moving on from the QB1. The national Reacts voters (all 32 fanbases) had Chicago’s move for Claypool as the 11% most surprising deadline deal.

Claypool will eventually be paired with Darnell Mooney, which changes the dynamic of the entire receiver room. N’Keal Harry has started to see his reps increase, Byron Pringle should be off the injured list soon, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis provide some depth, and rookie Velus Jones Jr. brings a gadget element to the offense.

Their receiving corps has a long way to go, but there’s more potential in this group now than at the beginning of the season. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will have more options when calling plays, which will help him continue growing into his role.

Social media was on fire when the Bears traded Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for a second, a fifth, and linebacker A.J. Klein. The trade seemingly came out of nowhere as it was on the heels of reports the team would likely franchise tag Smith this offseason. There was more negativity surrounding the trade from fans than I expected, so I asked our SB Nation Reacts voters to weigh in on the topic, and our dialed-in fans were overwhelmingly in favor of the move (88%).

The Reacts’ national voters were generally pleased with what the Bears did by voting them the third biggest winner at the trade deadline. And while the 11% that voted for Chicago isn’t a huge number, it sure beats being lumped in with the biggest losers at the trade deadline.

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