Getty Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy said on Monday that he didn’t think his team would be involved in any trades prior to the trade deadline Tuesday. He noted that after he was done speaking to the press, he would be mentally moving on to the Bears’ next game against the Philadelphia Eagles–but he also noted that he was going to leave any and all trades up to general manager Ryan Pace:
Matt Nagy says he does not anticipate any changes before tomorrow’s trade deadline, but is leaving things up to Ryan Pace and the #Bears‘ front office.
While Nagy is leaving trade decisions up to Pace, NFL insider Adam Schefter has publicly suggested that the Bears may be about to make a big move before the trade deadline. According to 49ers and NFL News 24/7, Schefter made the rounds on the talk radio circuit today and he named names. The trade he discussed would bring San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback C.J. Beathard to Chicago for Bears’ wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
On Chicago Radio… @AdamSchefter hinted that the #Bears could trade WR Taylor Gabriel for #49ers QB CJ Beathard.
Would Gabriel for Beathard be a Good Trade for the Bears?
Some folks on Twitter noticed a tweet from Schefter on Sunday saying the 49ers were getting some inquiries about Beathard, and many wondered if there was a subliminal message in there somewhere:
49ers have gotten inquiries on backup QB C.J. Beathard, a name that bears some watching at the trade deadline.
Despite Falcons TE Austin Hooper being in the last year of his contract and team being pressed against cap, Atlanta will not trade its young TE by Tuesday’s deadline.
While a possible Beathard trade “bears” watching, Schefter made the rumors much more of a reality Monday, when he went on ESPN’s Kap & Company to talk about the possibility of the trade. While Mitch Trubisky has not developed the way the Bears and their fan base had hoped, the team will likely stick with him the rest of this season, and perhaps all of next year, as well. That doesn’t mean the team won’t bring in a little competition, however, particularly if that competition doesn’t come with a huge price tag attached.
Gabriel has been an excellent role player in Matt Nagy’s offense–but his role has been limited, and with two talented young wide receivers in Anthony Miller and Javon Wims on the roster–along with talented rookie Riley Ridley, who has yet to be an active participant in a game yet this season–moving Gabriel may make some sense, especially if it would provide more snaps and opportunities for Wims and Ridley to develop.
While Beathard isn’t necessarily an upgrade over Trubisky, former Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz suggested that part of Trubisky’s problem may be complacency–perhaps he’s not playing better because he’s not being pushed enough courtesy of competition in the quarterback room. Perhaps a benching for a game or two could help the struggling Trubisky while he watched someone else legitimately try to take his job. And Beathard, while relatively inexperienced, could be an upgrade over Chase Daniel, and a much cheaper backup going forward. There are also rumors the Bears would also get a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Gabriel, which would give them some much-needed draft capital.
“Your best friend’s the bench…Send players there, they always come back better.”
@olin_kreutz shares some wisdom he got from former #Bears DC Rod Marinelli, after @alexbrown96 calls for change at the QB position. #FootballAftershow
Does Gabriel to 49ers Make Sense?
Trading Gabriel to the 49ers would be a bargain for San Francisco. Gabriel has experience playing with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers are a great team looking to become even better. Gabriel has been saddled with Trubisky for a season and a half, and it seems as though he gets drastically overthrown by Mitch at least once a game:
Here’s how much of a difference a play makes.
If Trubisky’s accurate on this throw to Taylor Gabriel the game is likely over.
Overshoots Gabriel and on the very next play he gets strip sacked by Melvin Ingram who recovers the ball.
Gabriel spent two seasons with Shanahan in Atlanta when he was with the Falcons, and a reunion between the two would not be a bit surprising.
Whether this trade happens or not is one thing–but it’s likely the only possible move this Bears team makes before the deadline is up Tuesday at 4 PM.
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