Free agency may not offer all the solutions to the Chicago Bears offensive line issues they hoped for. Trey Smith was already franchised tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the pool of interior options considerably thinner. In these situations, one alternative is the trade market. GM Ryan Poles has already shown a willingness to dabble in this area multiple times over the past three years. There is no reason to think that will change. It appears the Los Angeles Rams may have tossed him a lifeline with the news that veteran guard Jonah Jackson is available for trade.
Some people are skeptical of the idea. Jackson has missed several games over the past three years with various injuries. He's also never been known as a standout pass protector. Should the Bears really be giving up draft capital for him? Some experts think so. Former offensive lineman Justin Pugh believes Jackson was excellent in Detroit when Ben Johnson was the offensive coordinator. A smart person will take advantage of this opportunity. According to Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado, the Bears seem intent on doing exactly that. He revealed as much on the CHGO Bears podcast.
Jonah Jackson is at least a known commodity.
When healthy, he is an adequate blocker. Johnson saw him make a Pro Bowl in 2021, so the capability to play at a high level is there. He signed a three-year contract with the Rams that has two years left. If L.A. is willing to eat the guarantees, a deal shouldn't be difficult to make happen. The Bears have two 6th round picks this year. One of them should be enough to land Jonah Jackson. Here is the issue. If trading for him is an option, shouldn't re-signing Teven Jenkins be as well? He's been just as effective when healthy, and he wouldn't require draft compensation to keep. Is Jackson that much of an upgrade dispute having similar injury issues? It doesn't seem that way. Then again, this comes down to what the Bears head coach wants. If Jackson is the guy, trading for him should be easy.
