One Team Sticks Out As A Chicago Bears Trade Down Partner

The Chicago Bears are sifting through the possible players they can take at #10 overall. If they stay put, it will mark the third consecutive draft where they've taken a player in the top 10. That usually equates to success on the field at some point. Of course, we've already seen GM Ryan Poles show a willingness to move down in the 1st round before. He did it twice in 2023, going from #1 to #9 and then #9 to #10. If the Bears feel they can get value for the pick and still land a good player later, they don't seem to worry about taking the risk.

Poles has already mentioned the trade-down possibility a couple of weeks ago. It is clearly on his mind. As always, the toughest part is finding a partner willing to come up. For that to happen, the other team must meet three criteria.

• They have an aggressive GM
• The current regime is under pressure
• Their roster has a glaring need

Upon evaluating the potential teams that could look to make a deal with Chicago, one stood out as a strong possibility. That is the Miami Dolphins.

The Chicago Bears are in a perfect spot for Miami.

Let's start with the GM. Chris Grier has a long track record of aggressiveness since taking over the team. He made bold trades for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and Jalen Ramsey. With the 13th pick in this draft, it wouldn't be a huge leap to #10 overall. One can definitely say he and the current Dolphins regime are under pressure, too. After back-to-back playoff trips, they went into 2024 with sky-high expectations. They proceeded to go 8-9 and miss the playoffs, characterized by a brutal 2-6 start. Grier still hasn't won a playoff game.

As for the pressing need? It has become evident left tackle is a major concern. It's looking more and more like veteran Terron Armstead is considering retirement. He turns 34 in July and has dealt with several injuries over his long career. That leaves a gaping void on Tua Tagovailoa's blindside the Dolphins have nobody to fill. Worse still, the San Francisco 49ers pick 11th. They have their own left tackle concerns with Trent Williams turning 37 in July. Many project them to take a left tackle of the future. That means if Miami wants their guy, they may have to get ahead of the 49ers. The Chicago Bears sit at #10. It's an obvious call to make.