The Chicago Bears have made many trades in their franchise history. Some are greater than others. When discussing the best ever, there are several candidates. If we were to keep it within the Super Bowl era, that honor goes to what Jim Finks pulled off in 1978. He traded three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Wally Chambers to Tampa Bay for tight end Bob Moore and the Buccaneers' 1st round pick in 1979. People thought Finks was crazy. However, he knew Chambers had suffered a career-altering knee injury. The 1st round pick was his best chance to get something before word got out. That pick turned into Dan Hampton. So understand the magnitude of that trade before hearing Ryan Poles may top it.
That sounds unbelievable to hear, but events are unfolding that suggest the Bears GM pulled off a heist that may go down as an all-timer. It started when he sent the #1 pick to Carolina for the 9th overall pick, a 1st in 2024, a 2nd in 2025, and wide receiver D.J. Moore. That 9th pick eventually became right tackle Darnell Wright. Early results are already in, and they're beyond promising.
- D.J. Moore - 5th in receiving yards (531) and tied for 1st in TDs (5) through five games
- Darnell Wright - Ranks 10th in pass-blocking and 8th in run-blocking among all tackles
Those two are playing at or near a Pro Bowl level right now. Yet that isn't the best part. Carolina is currently 0-5. They are the only winless team left in the league, meaning the Bears currently hold the rights to the #1 overall pick in 2024. That means they could have their choice of the best players in a draft class many believe is stacked.
Ryan Poles' trade may prove franchise-altering.
Moore is already a stud. Wright looks like he will be in the near future. If he somehow lands the #1 pick in the next draft on top of everything else, it gives him a chance to alter the organization's destiny. He can either do that by taking quarterback Caleb Williams, whom many see as the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck, or he can auction it off to the highest bidder while still landing an elite talent like Marvin Harrison Jr., Olu Fashanu, Brock Bowers, or Jared Verse.
If things unfold as hoped, Ryan Poles will have acquired three game-changing talents in one trade. That is before even getting to the 2nd round pick in 2025. For all the grief the Bears GM gets for the Chase Claypool trade, and justifiably so, that decision to move down from #1 may help drag the franchise out of the mud for the first time in over a decade. The man deserves credit for engineering such a great deal.
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