Bears Trade Proposal Flips No. 9 Pick for $100 Million All-Pro WR

There is perhaps no NFL team in better position this offseason to take advantage of disgruntled superstars and their desires to play elsewhere than the Chicago Bears.

That notion is, in part, the basis for a trade proposal that Jake Ellenbogen of Bleacher Report floated on March 7, in which the Bears flip the No. 9 overall pick in the upcoming draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for second-team All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Assuming [the Bears] do draft Caleb Williams [at No. 1], they trade away Justin Fields. They get maybe a second and a fourth [in return]. They still have that first-round pick [No. 9 overall], and that first-round pick is either going to protect Caleb Williams, or that first-round pick is going to be a weapon for Caleb Williams.

So, in my opinion, if they’re going to go for a weapon, how about go out and get A.J. Brown? You put him with DJ Moore. You have Cole Kmet. That’s a pretty nasty trio over there to give a kid coming right out of college those weapons.

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A.J. Brown Has Denied Accusations of Dysfunction in Eagles’ Locker Room, Issues With Coaches

Rumors have circulated for months that Eagles players were discontented with the coaching staff, particularly head coach Nick Sirianni, and that the team’s locker room was not unified.

Last month, The Philadelphia Enquirer described Brown as the “epicenter” of the dissension and division within the franchise. Brown has vehemently denied the accuracy of those accusations, instead blaming the Eagles’ collapse at the end of last year on a lack of execution by the players on the field.

Philadelphia lost five of its final six regular season games before limping out of the playoffs on Super Wildcard Weekend via a 32-9 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Things in Philly may be all good. Or perhaps they weren’t, but changes at both offensive and defensive coordinator — plus a couple of months for everyone to cool down — have put to bed the problems that led to the reporting on the Eagles’ dysfunction, which Brown subsequently characterized as erroneous.

That said, as much smoke as surrounded the franchise over the final months of last season is usually indicative of at least some fire. If that fire is still burning, even if it’s only embers, Philadelphia could be willing to listen to an offer for Brown. And the No. 9 pick is one heck of an asset, even where a $100 million receiver is concerned.

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A.J. Brown’s Salary Makes Trading Top-10 Pick for Him Risky Proposition for Bears

What makes Ellenbogen’s trade pitch viable is Brown’s age, he will play next season at 27, and his proven history of production — the wideout has produced north of 1,450 receiving yards in both campaigns with Philly and a total of 18 receiving TDs over that span, per Pro Football Reference.

The problem with the trade proposal is the ratio of cost to production on both sides.

Brown is worth the $25 million annual average salary on the contract he signed, which will keep him locked in through 2026. He is also a proven entity at an obvious position of need in Chicago.

The Bears could potentially draft a player like Washington receiver Rome Odunze with the 9th pick, who was great in college and looked excellent at the NFL Combine. However, he still represents an unknown — a potential bust factor.

But that risk is mitigated greatly by the four-year rookie contract that a player like Odunze would sign, not to mention the fifth-year team option Chicago would retain by drafting him with a first-round pick.

As such, trading the No. 9 overall selection for Brown might be a worthwhile trade for Chicago in terms of on-field value projections, with the added benefit of securing a known entity while forfeiting a lesser known entity. But the Bears would also be trading for greater financial implications and risk, which renders the deal less valuable on their side.

There is zero question that teaming Brown with Moore would give the Bears one of the most fearsome 1-2 punches at receiver across the entire league, but that doesn’t necessarily make the trade worth it.

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