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The Chicago Bears might have found a pair of future starters for the middle of their defensive line earlier this year in the 2023 NFL draft, but that has not stopped general manager Ryan Poles from calling about a potential superstar whom he had a hand in drafting during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to Payne Insider of the Bet the Board podcast, the Bears have called the Chiefs about the availability of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has been holding out of offseason activities and training camp in hopes of a new contract.
ESPN 1000’s Carmen DeFalco then called attention to the report on Friday’s airing of “Carmen and Jurko,” calling Insider someone who is “very plugged in across the NFL” and discussing the possibility of a Jones trade with former NFL vet John Jurkovic.
“I’m not insinuating a trade is coming, but the Bears have called about Chris Jones because they want to be all-in on Justin Fields’ rookie contract,” Insider told co-host Todd Fuhrman during their AFC West preview video. “Let’s see what transpires here.”
Jones is heading into the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs and has indicated he is willing to hold out until Week 8 of the regular season as he looks to ensure his long-term future with the team that he has helped win two Super Bowl titles in the last four seasons. The 29-year-old notched 15.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in 2022 and finished third place in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year.
If the Chiefs are unable to reach a compromise with their superstar pass rusher, though, it is possible he will formally request a trade and force the team to consider its options.
How Sensible Would Chris Jones Trade be for Bears?
There is no denying that Jones — who has 65 sacks in seven career seasons — would be a tremendous addition to the Bears defense and improve their chances of legitimately contending for a championship in 2023. But just like in the case of the Miami Herald report that listed the Bears as one of the teams interested in Jonathan Taylor, there is a big difference between calling out of due diligence and calling out with genuine interest.
Poles has demonstrated in 19 months as the Bears’ decision-maker that he is focused on trying to make their roster younger and build up core positions with homegrown talent. While Jones, at 29, could still have several good seasons left in him, they would need to devote an inordinate amount of cap resources to pay him, especially if he is looking for an extension that exceeds the $20 million average annual value of his current deal.
The Chiefs would also almost certainly demand high compensation for Jones if they reached a point where trading him was their preferred option. The Bears would likely have to offer up one of their 2024 first-round picks — and maybe more — in order to pry the superstar from the Chiefs’ hands. Considering there is a decent chance one or both of those picks ends up inside the top 10, they may be more valuable to use than trade.
Maybe the relationship Poles built with Jones is stronger than anyone realizes and he is determined to bring him to Chicago, but it seems unlikely that he would undo the work he has done rebuilding the franchise for a defensive tackle who is nearing 30 and is projected to make more than $20 million per season on his next NFL contract.
Gervon Dexter & Zacch Pickens Hold Starter Potential
One of the other big things deflating the chances of the Bears trading for Jones is the presence of their new rookie defensive tackles: Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens.
Both Day 2 picks, Dexter and Pickens have each shown flashes for the interior of the Bears’ defensive line over the past several weeks of training camp. The second-round Dexter has been particularly impressive from the three-technique spot, and while the Bears have conceded he still needs to develop a faster get-off and lower his pad levels, they believe he has an opportunity to be elite if he can hone the technical details.
“It’s not consistent where it needs to be,” Eberflus said August 20, via The Athletic. “Along with that get-off, because he’s such a tall man, his pad level, he’s really got to understand that charge, he is really strong and he can do some things being a little higher and getting away with it. But if he wants to be elite, he’s going to have to learn how to get off consistently and keep his pads down as he does that. He’s starting to do that. He’s looking better and better every single day.”
As for Pickens, he has been focusing on learning the nose tackle position for the Bears defense over the past few months but has still found some success in his first preseason. Over 69 preseason snaps, he has recorded seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery and still has one more game to play.
Pickens will likely start off behind Andrew Billings in the pecking order and has more to prove than Dexter at this point, but both could be pushing for starting jobs by the end of their rookie seasons if they continue on their current developmental trajectories.
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