Optimism continues to reign in Chicago that the Bears have a stronger roster in place than people think. Yet their record says otherwise. If nothing else, 19 players on Injured Reserve has proven their overall roster depth is not yet adequate. So acquiring more draft picks via trade is definitely an idea, and holding the #3 pick in the draft has plenty of value. Cincinnati desired another dominant defensive lineman in Jonathan Allen and made a fair offer for him.
In return the Bears got a 2nd rounder and a future 1st. They also still ended up with a potentially lethal pass rusher of their own in Derek Barnett. He may not have the flashy athleticism teams continually drool for, but his tape doesn’t lie. This young man known how to hurt quarterbacks. His 32 sacks in college, one shy of the all-time top 10 in NCAA history, proves that much. He can with power or finesse and has more burst off the snap than he gets credit for.