MEGA HAUL: Bears trade No. 1 pick to Panthers for DJ Moore and multiple picks |
It has been talked about for weeks, but the Chicago Bears have indeed elected to trade away the top pick in the NFL draft according to multiple reports. After it was reported that several teams inquired about that No. 1 pick, it was a matter of when the Bears would trade it away.
While most expected a team like Houston or Indianapolis to be the ones to trade for the pick, it was the Carolina Panthers swooping in and getting the deal done. When you consider that both Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams were assistants under new Carolina Head Coach Frank Reich when he was in Carolina, this has the making of a we help you, and you help us type of trade. As expected, trading the No.1 pick allowed the Bears to take the No. 9 pick from Carolina, but there is so much more than that included in this trade. The Bears are also receiving Carolina's second-round pick (61) this season, a first-round pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025. In other words, the Bears are not only building for this season, but the additional picks they acquired will help them build for the future. While the additional picks are always a good thing, the biggest takeaway from this trade was the player the Bears are getting along with those picks in WR DJ Moore. Rumored to be in the running for Moore at the deadline last season, things didn't materialize, and he ended up staying in Carolina for the duration of the season. Clearly, the Bears still had an interest in Moore; otherwise, he wouldn't have been a part of this deal, and the Bears are getting a potential No.1 WR back in return. Everyone expected the Bears to pursue a stud WR this offseason, but now that they have Moore, they can potentially focus on other needs in round one and go with a solid No. 2 or No. 3 WR later in the draft or in free agency. Moore may not be considered among the best No. 1 WRs in the league, but he is a No. 1 WR nonetheless and is someone this Bears team desperately needs on offense. The former University of Maryland product, Moore has spent his career with the Panthers since being drafted in 2018. During his tenure, Moore has bounced between a No.1 and No. 2 option, but has accumulated 5201 yards across five seasons. He has also brought in 21 touchdowns, which averages out to be 1040 yards and four touchdowns per season. Those numbers would make him the instant No. 1 WR in this offense with an opportunity to have some of his best years down the road. Despite having his lowest offensive output since his rookie season last year with 888 yards, Moore did haul in a career-high seven touchdowns, so that part of his game improved. Remember, this was a guy coming off three consecutive 1100 yards seasons, including a career-high 1193 yards on 66 catches in 2020. Adding a guy like Moore will benefit this offense in many ways, and you immediately point to Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. With Moore in the fold, Mooney can return to his position as the slot WR with Claypool settling into the WR No. 2 role. That will not only take the pressure off both of them, but should allow Justin Fields to keep the defense on their toes, as they will have to worry about the pass just as much as his running abilities. The Bears are also getting a player under contract beyond this season and signed through 2026 with an option in 2027. That will give Fields a player to build multiple years of chemistry with, and we have seen what chemistry between a WR and QB can do. For a team desperate to get back to being a consistent NFC contender, this is a move that needed to be made. Ryan Poles deserves a ton of credit for pulling the trigger to acquire additional picks and a WR as good as Moore. Now the ball is back in the Bears court as they look to make some noise on the free agent market. Bears players weigh-in on the blockbuster trade their team just made 💯 pic.twitter.com/fgxIENYfZ8
