Chicago Bears Open Thread Question of the Day: Should the Bears trade for Myles Garrett?

Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Should the Bears take another big swing at DE?

Stop me if this sounds familiar:

5 win Chicago Bears led by second-year 1st Round QB have decided to trade serious draft capital for one of the best Defensive Ends in the NFL.

This Monday morning, Myles Garrett released a statement that he is requesting a trade from the Cleveland Browns.

The Chicago Bears are in need of a Defensive End to pair up with Montez Sweat. So naturally, Bears fans are interested.

Garrett, 29, has been a superstar in the NFL ever since the Browns drafted him 1st overall in the 2017 NFL draft. Coincidentally, the Bears selected…oh never mind. That ground has already been rehashed too many times.

For anyone who is unaware of just how dominant Garrett has been to start his career, below are a few of his stats in his first 8 seasons:

• 102.5 career sacks,
• 116 career TFLs
• 200 career QB Hits
• 20 career forced fumbles
• 6 career Pro Bowl appearances
• 4 career 1st team All-Pros
• 1 Defensive Player of the Year Award

So Garrett, it would seem, is pretty good.

Now, here is the dilemma. The Bears have always managed to build talented defenses while ignoring/screwing up their offense. Last season, they drafted Caleb Williams to be the newest potential savior of the franchise, only to have him sacked a league-leading 68 times.

So, while the need at DE is clear, the need along the OL is even more pressing.

Before we get into the rest of the debate, I want to ask you, Dear Bears fan:

Should the Bears trade for Myles Garrett?

What do I think? Well, I think it depends. Why do I think that? I’m a coward and won’t take a definitive position.

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

The other reason is because I still think the Bears have to prioritize the offensive line this offseason. If trading for Garrett keeps them from adding at least two major pieces to the OL, then I’m out. However, there is a chance that they can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Myles Garrett’s contract has some complications, but he is essentially under contract at a $20 million AAV for the next two seasons with the option to cut him and his $40 million cap hit (saving $30 million) the following season.

The Bears enter the offseason with roughly $50 million in effective cap space before some assumed cuts to players like Gerald Everett. When all is said and done, the Bears will likely have ~$40 million to play with after signing their draft class if they elected to trade for Garrett. This means that they still have some space to sign one big name like Trey Smith or Drew Dalman before needing to use the rest of the cap space to fill out the roster.

Beyond the salary cap question, the other complicating factor is draft capital. If Garrett is only worth a 1st rounder plus a 2nd rounder or two 3rd rounders, the Bears would still have some premium draft capital to invest in young OL. However, if the ask is higher than that, the chances of them drafting an impact lineman this year seems very unlikely.

So I find myself playing the “it depends” game on this one. Every team in the NFL should inquire about Garrett as he is one of the 10 best players in the game – elite talent is rare to come by!

But if Garrett handcuffs the Bears into acquiring one or fewer impact OL this offseason, then I will happily pass.

Could history repeat itself like it did in 2018 when Khalil Mack was traded from the Raiders to the Bears? Could history be different this time and the combo of Garrett and Williams be better than that of Mack and Trubisky?

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

It’s hard to say for sure. History could be used to argue either side right now. And I think it all depends.

Now it’s your turn. Do you think the Bears should trade for Myles Garrett? Sound off in the comments!