Chicago Bears: Shane Ray a Growing Trade Possibility
By Erik Lambert
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has never made a major trade of any kind when it involved acquiring a veteran player. Could that streak end in 2018?
Some fans would like it to. Why? Namely, because Pace didn’t quite finish the job this off-season. That’s not to say he did bad work. Far from it. One could say this has been the best run Pace has had as GM, at least on paper. From March through April he stockpiled talent at several positions including wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, inside linebacker and cornerback.
Still, everybody knows it’s impossible to cover every need in one go. One that has fans most concerned is the edge rusher position. It looks like the Bears actually lost more than they gained. Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston are all gone. In their place come Aaron Lynch and rookie Kylie Fitts. Not exactly an upgrade. This is why the trade rumors continue to fly, and now one of them got another nudge in the media.
Shane Ray looks like the premium target for a Bears trade
The hot name among Bears fans lately is former 1st round pick, Shane Ray. After eight sacks in 2016, it looked like he was ready for a breakout year. Then he floundered in 2017 due to a mix of injuries and scheme changes. Now his situation grew even more complicated when the Broncos drafted Bradley Chubb 5th overall. There’s a growing believe he’s become expendable, especially after Denver didn’t pick up his 5th-year option.
That means he’s a free agent in 2019. So if they don’t want to lose him for anything, a trade seems likely. Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports sees Chicago as a prime landing spot for him.
"“Suddenly, Ray is expendable, which means he’s tradable if the right offer comes along. Otherwise, the Broncos risk losing him for nothing after the season. From the perspective of pass-rushing needy teams, they might look at Ray as a buy-low, high-reward option. In 2016, when he played in a full season for the only time in his career, he ranked 12th at his position group in terms of pass-rushing productivity, racking up 45 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.So, who might be in the market for someone like Ray? Two teams from the NFC North immediately come to mind: the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, both of which are in need of another pass rusher.”"
This all depends on price. Pace already gave up a 2nd round pick in next year’s draft to secure wide receiver Anthony Miller. He may not be keen on giving up another one for a player he could potentially lose to free agency after the season ends. So in order to make such a deal work, it would have to be relatively cheap (likely 4th round or later) and Ray would have to agree to a long-term extension. The former may be doable, but the latter could be a problem.
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Ray has to know his value is near the bottom right now. Any extension he agreed to would be team-friendly. Given he’s approaching his prime years, there won’t be a better chance for him to maximize his value. He might be keen on signing a short deal as a free agent, hope to have a good year and then get that long-term payday in 2020. This could be why Ray hasn’t been dealt already, but as the deadline approaches this October, that’s sure to change.