The Chicago Bears are very likely going to trade their top pass rusher, Robert Quinn, particularly after recent events and reports.
Quinn, 32, skipped the team’s mandatory veteran minicamp, which took place from June 14-16, and NFL insider Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported on June 14 that Quinn wants out of Chicago.
The veteran defender was second in the NFL in sacks with 18.5 last season, and he also finished with an impressive 47 quarterback pressures, four QB hits and 25 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, so he certainly has some trade value left. But how much?
Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report put together an interesting trade proposal that would swap Quinn for a young wide receiver and some draft capital.
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Bears Send Quinn to Arizona in BR Trade Proposal
Wharton thinks the Arizona Cardinals, who finished with an 11-6 overall record in 2021, would be a perfect fit for Quinn.
“The best landing spot for the veteran is in Arizona,” Wharton wrote on June 17. “The Cardinals did not replace Chandler Jones with a high-impact talent. Their current rotation features veterans Markus Golden and Devon Kennard, plus rookies Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders. Golden has hit double-digit sacks three times since 2016 but also finished the other three years with seven sacks combined.”
Wharton also thinks Quinn’s presence would give Arizona’s ‘D’ the kind of ferocious player on the line it has been missing.
“Consistency and star power are an issue. J.J. Watt and Budda Baker need more help for this defense to become playoff-worthy. Adding Quinn would achieve that,” Wharton added.
Wharton proposed a trade that would send Quinn to the Cards in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick and fourth-year wide receiver Andy Isabella, who Arizona shopped earlier this year.
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Andy Isabella: Background & Stats
With the Bears’ wide receivers room getting ranked worst in the NFL by PFF heading into the season, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a wideout like Isabella in to see if he has chemistry with quarterback young QB Justin Fields — and this would be a realistic exchange, because the young wideout’s agent confirmed the Cards were open to trading Isabella.
“I just spoke to #Cardinals WR Andy Isabella’s agent Bradley Blank just now and he tells me that his client has been given permission to seek a trade,” NFL insider Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweeted on March 2. “I think we have all concluded, including the Cardinals that it might be best for Andy to get a fresh start,” Blank also told Anderson.
A second-round pick for Arizona out of the University of Massachusetts in 2019 (62nd overall), Isabella never quite found his footing with the Cardinals. The speedy receiver ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in 2019, catching the eye of Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, but he never became a go-to weapon for QB Kyler Murray. Perhaps he could be one for Fields.
In his three seasons, Isabella has 31 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns (stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference). He also has minimal experience as a kickoff returner, returning eight kicks for an average of 20.8 yards per return.
Isabella had just nine catches for 189 yards and a TD in 2021, missing some time early in the preseason after getting placed on the team’s COVID-19 list. His absence didn’t help him climb the Arizona’s depth chart, and he fell behind in a loaded WR room that contained standout pass catchers like Rondale Moore, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk.
The 5-foot-9, 188-pound Isabella has a relatively clean injury history, which is a plus, and coupled with some untapped potential, he could be an intriguing add for Chicago.
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Bears Send Robert Quinn to NFC Contender for 2nd-Round WR in Trade Proposal