In the NFL offseason, anything can happen. Good teams get worse and bad teams get better, and so far, the 2024 offseason has been no exception. General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have made a handful of moves, but have they been beneficial?
I will be taking a look at a few notable moves so far and grading each move accordingly.
JUSTIN FIELDS TRADE: C-
Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round draft selection on Saturday. The sixth-rounder is conditional and could turn into a fourth-round pick depending on Fields’ play-time.
The move cemented Chicago’s intent to draft University of Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Although Williams is a generational prospect, Chicago dropped the ball on the Fields’ trade.
Fields wasn’t perfect, but for getting tossed into a depleted organization such as Chicago, he showed flashes of success. Fields’ threw for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons.
Fields’ strong suit was running the football. The former Ohio State standout churned out 2,220 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, including 1,143 rushing yards in the 2022 season.
Chicago failed badly because a sixth-round pick for a young starting quarterback is blasphemous. I think the Bears could have received at least an unconditional fourth-round pick.
Think about the trade that was made for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance. Lance was traded to the Cowboys from the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick. Lance played underwhelmingly in only eight games played … after three years on the team.
If the 49ers could get a fourth-round pick for Lance, I don’t know how Poles only got a sixth-round pick.
D’ANDRE SWIFT SIGNING: B+
After adding former Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift to the roster, Chicago now has a legit backfield. Last season, the Bears had an efficient rushing offense – second in NFL in rushing yards last season – but a great deal of their rushing success stemmed from Fields.
Swift rushed for 1,049 yards and 5 touchdowns last season in a loaded Eagles backfield. If Swift was on the Bears last season, he would have led the team in rushing yards with 392 more than the next highest runner.
The three-year deal for Swift is worth up to $24 million with an average salary of $8 million per year. Swift is now the ninth-highest paid running back in the NFL.
I don’t believe the Bears overpaid Swift, as newly-added Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs signed for $12 million dollars per year this offseason. Swift finished the 2023 season with 244 more rushing yards than Jacobs.
KEENAN ALLEN ACQUISITION: A-
Chicago made a splash by trading a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen. Allen offers elite route running and experience as he enters his 12th NFL season.
Allen has remained consistent, logging over 1,000 receiving yards in five out of his last seven seasons. Bringing in 1,243 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns last season, Allen shows no signs of slowing down.
The addition of Allen was my favorite of the offseason and I also believe it was Poles’ smartest move to date. Losing a fourth-round pick is nothing compared to the second-round pick the Bears gave in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool last season.
The addition of Allen and Swift turn Chicago into a legitimate threat on offense with a good shot at making the playoffs.
