Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
Despite the fact that the Chicago Bears already have a legit quarterback competition going on between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky, some analysts still, for some reason or another, think the Bears should add another potential starter to the mix. Really.
This past February, before the Bears signed Foles to a $24 million contract with $17 million fully guaranteed, analyst Benjamin Allbright tweeted that if Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders were ready to move on from quarterback Derek Carr, Chicago would be interested.
Carr is still the starting quarterback for Las Vegas, but that has not deterred some from refueling the rumors that he should be reunited with his old friend Khalil Mack in Chicago. The latest analyst to throw a Carr-to-the-Bears scenario out is Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, who proposed not one but two huge trades he thinks the Bears should make with the Raiders now, before the season begins.
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Trade Proposal #1: Bears Send 2021 First-Round Pick to Vegas for QB Derek Carr
Sobleski thinks Carr would be a perfect choice for Chicago if general manager Ryan Pace is serious about winning now. He acknowledges the simple fact that the Bears don’t currently have enough cap space to be able to pay Carr with Foles also on the payroll, but that doesn’t deter him from suggesting they should do it anyway:
“Of all the proposed trades, the Chicago Bears making a run at Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr may be the most improbable, but Bears general manager Ryan Pace has to try or risk wasting another season because the team isn’t settled at the game’s most important position. The Bears really aren’t in a position to get rid of either Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles from a financial perspective. The team doesn’t have quite enough salary-cap space at the moment to afford Carr, either. But this is the perfect scenario that applies when someone says it’s time to “shoot their shot.” The Raiders have never fully committed to Carr, no matter what is said publicly. They’ve flirted with other quarterback options and have openly praised current backup Marcus Mariota. The Bears should lean into the other organization’s dalliances and see if something can get done.”
Let’s be clear: Chicago traded a fourth-round draft pick for Foles, and he’s not going anywhere. They’re also not going to give up their first-round pick in 2021 — where they could draft their quarterback of the future — for a player like Carr, especially when a) they can’t afford to take his $21.5 million cap hit, and b) in the day and age of COVID, this team and this coaching staff want a quarterback who is familiar with Matt Nagy’s offensive system. They don’t want to bring in someone who has to learn an entirely new offense in a matter of weeks — that would be asinine. Trade proposals like this one may be fun for some fans to think about, but the reality of the Bears’ salary cap situation make it highly unlikely Carr will ever be reunited with Mack in Chicago.
Trade Proposal #2: Bears Send 2021 Sixth-Round Pick to Vegas for RG Gabe Jackson
The second trade Sobleski proposed is far more feasible, and is something Chicago should actually consider doing. The Bears need offensive line depth, and Sobleski thinks they should send a sixth-round pick to Las Vegas in exchange for right guard Gabe Jackson.
“Jackson, who has started 83 games during his six seasons, holds a $9.6 million salary-cap hit this fall. Technically, the Raiders could cut the veteran blocker without incurring any dead money, but a team always prefers to gain something in return. The Chicago Bears aren’t in an ideal position along their offensive interior after Kyle Long’s retirement. The front office responded by signing Germain Ifedi to a one-year, $1 million deal, but he has been a disappointment since he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2016 draft. Maybe his career will blossom in Chicago. But to be safe, the franchise could look to add a quality guard in Jackson”
Jackson, who turned 29 in July, started 83 games in his six NFL seasons with the Raiders, and while he’s not an All-Pro type of talent, he would give the Bears a much-needed body on the offensive line should one of their starting guards fall during the regular season. He has played both right and left guard and he doesn’t have any major red flags injury-wise Chicago should be concerned about.
So while Sobleski’s first suggestion was, as he said himself, highly improbable, his second trade proposition is definitely something the Chicago Bears should consider.
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