With the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumor mill is heating up. And it appears as though you can add two more big-time names to the trade block.
According to reports, it appears as though the Chicago Bears are continuing forward with their scorched-earth rebuild by making two of their premier defensive players available for trade.
Defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Roquan Smith are believed to be available, according to sources — although the compensation for each will likely vary significantly.
That’s because Quinn is currently 32-years-old, and he has two more years left on his contract after this season — with cap hits of $18.2-million and $17.2-million in 2023 and 2024, respectively. You’d have to think the Bears would take just about anything they could get in order to get our of that contract, considering how far away they are from contending at this point.
Smith, on the other hand, is just 25-years-old and was the Bears’ first-round-pick in 2018. He’s set to become a free agent this season, but his age could make him a very attractive asset for interested teams. So it’s very likely that the Bears just try to re-sign him if they can’t get the type of high-end compensation they’re looking for.
Right now, the Bears sit at 2-4 on the season. They’ll likely be looking at a top 10 pick in the 2023. And they could have some additional draft capital as well, should they successfully move one or both of their available defensive stars.
