Getty Robert Quinn led the Bears defense with 18.5 sacks in 2021.
What would it take for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles to trade the team’s top pass rusher, Robert Quinn?
Would he do it for a 2023 second-round pick? Poles would likely push for more, but one analyst believes that might be enough.
In a trade Alex Kay of Bleacher Report thinks “should happen before the 2022 NFL season,” Kay is of the opinion the Bears should ship Quinn to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for L.A.’s second-rounder next year. Quinn, who was second in the NFL last season with 18.5 sacks, is set to turn 32 on May 18. He’s the team’s oldest defender, and the second-oldest player on the squad behind long snapper Patrick Scales, who is 34.
He is also the priciest, as his $17.1 million cap hit is the Chicago’s heftiest contract this coming season. Will those factors be enough to convince Poles to trade him?
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Quinn Increased His Value With Stellar 2021 Campaign
Quinn has played in 31 games in his two seasons with the Bears, and while he didn’t have a 2020 campaign to write home about, finishing with 2.0 sacks and six QB hits, he more than made up for it last season. In addition to his 18.5 sacks, Quinn amassed 47 total pressures, 25 hurries, and for QB hits, and he also forced four fumbles.
Kay thinks Quinn’s recent production is enough to keep teams interested in adding him via trade.
“Because of this production and cost, contending teams should be willing to dish out an early pick or two for Quinn’s services,” Kay wrote, adding:
“GM Les Snead has shown he clearly isn’t reticent to cash in draft picks for veterans, and the strategy paid off in a big way last year. The team finally broke through and won a Super Bowl for the first time in over two decades and has a great shot at defending that title in 2022. Adding Quinn into the fold would only further L.A.’s chances of successfully doing so, making him an ideal target for the Rams to go after while bolstering Chicago’s chances of contending down the line with a Day 2 pick.”
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A Reunion With Rams Might Make Sense for Quinn
“The Los Angeles Rams would be a great landing spot, bolstering their already elite defense by bringing this dangerous pass-rusher aboard,” Kay noted. “The squad needs another player to attack the quarterback after losing Von Miller in free agency. Plus, Quinn should have a level of comfortability returning to the franchise that drafted him in 2011.”
A first-round pick for the Rams in 2011 (14th overall), Quinn spent his first seven seasons with them, getting named a first-team All-Pro in 2013 after leading the NFL with 23 tackles for loss. The Rams traded him to the Miami Dolphins in 2018, and he spent a lone season there before heading to Dallas for the 2019 season.
A reunion with the team that drafted him on the heels of their Super Bowl win would likely be attractive to Quinn, particularly considering he’d be on a defense that includes Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. But would Poles be willing to part with his team’s top pass rusher for a second-round pick in 2023? He traded Khalil Mack to the Chargers for a second rounder this year and a sixth rounder next year, but Quinn is a few years older.
A pick in Round 2 may be all the Bears can get for him — and if that’s the case, Poles, who recently said he couldn’t rule a Quinn trade out — might pull the trigger. Regardless, it’ll be fascinating to see how the new Bears GM handles the aging pass rusher’s contract moving forward.
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