A Draft Day Trade Rumor Surfaces That Bears Fans Are Going To Love

The predictions for the Chicago Bears and the third overall pick have been all over the board for the last few months. All the "experts" have several different versions of their mocks and almost each of them has Chicago selecting a different player. Some of the most recent information that has surfaced....

• Chicago is exploring all options to trade down.
• The Bears are "most interested" in Deshaun Watson out of all the quarterbacks.
• Most draft analysts have a defensive back going to the Windy City at #3.

That's about as clear as mud. Here's a few other things recently said:

• The 49ers also want to trade down from #2, one selection ahead of the Bears.
• Watson is expected to fall in this draft.
• The Jets have been rumored to want the first quarterback off the board, and it would be Mitchell Trubisky.

Taking all of that recent information into consideration, ESPN released a "fascinating" trade proposal. The reason "fascinating" is in quotation marks is because Sports Mockery predicted roughly the exact same thing a month ago. The trade centers around the Jets' need for a quarterback and Chicago's rumored interest to move down. Here is ESPN's version of it: Jets get: 1-3 Bears get: 1-6, 3-107, DE Sheldon Richardson Here is Sports Mockery's written on March 20th by our Bears insider Erik Lambert: TRADE:  #3 pick to the New York Jets for #6 pick and DE Sheldon Richardson The only extra addition was the 107th overall pick Chicago would hypothetically receive in the third round making it an even better deal for the Bears.

Why Would The Jets Trade Richardson?

A pro bowl defensive tackle in 2014, and the defensive rookie of the year in 2013, Richardson is in desperate need of a new beginning. In April of 2016, the Jets picked up Richardson's fifth year option worth $8 million after rumors flooded the Internet claiming he would be traded. After serving a one-game suspension for his arrest the previous season, Richardson turned in a very sub-par year recording a career low 1.5 sacks in 14 games. Jets fans have now labeled him "overpaid." That's why rumors are now flying everywhere that Richardson will be traded... once again. His contract is up at the end of the 2017 season. As recent as today, articles have been written about scenarios where the draft could bring Richardson to a new home. Including ESPN's trade scenario bringing him to Chicago.

Why Would The Bears Want Richardson?

Well, for the same reasons they would draft Jonathan Allen at #3. The Bears have a very talented front seven, but DT is currently a hole being filled by Mitch Unrein. If Chicago could add a very talented, and assuming motivated, player like Richardson it would fill a big need. Moving down just three spots in the draft would make selecting a safety or even a quarterback much more viable than trying to justify taking a player like Watson with the third overall pick. In addition to all of that, the Bears would get the 107th overall pick in a very deep draft year. Nick Kwiatkoski, a talented linebacker with potential, was selected with the 113th overall pick last season to give you an idea of how valuable that pick could be.  The only real downside to Richardson is the money he will need to be paid. If he bounces back in 2017, Chicago would immediately have to re-sign him to prevent him from hitting the free agent market and that could be expensive. Kawann Short just got $80 million from Carolina.

Summing It Up

This specific trade scenario would appear to be ideal for only the Bears. The Jets would shed cap space trading Richardson and get their targeted QB, presumably, at #3 but who's to say that same player won't be available when they select at #6? For those reasons, Bears fans would love this trade and Jets fans would likely wonder why so much was given up to move up just three spots. Something that plays another role in this is New York's failed attempts with less talented quarterbacks in past years. They took Christian Hackenberg in the second round last year and Bryce Petty in the fourth round in 2015, here we sit in 2017 and they still don't have an answer at the position. The Jets organization could be battling the Browns to take the first quarterback off the board meaning if Myles Garrett goes number one and Solomon Thomas goes second, that's why some think Gang Green could swoop in at number three to prevent Jacksonville from taking their guy. The trade makes a lot of sense, more so from the Bears' perspective, but it has a lot of moving parts. Interesting proposal to consider if you are Ryan Pace though.