Chicago Bears need to shop Robert Quinn and could use D.K. Metcalf
New general manager Ryan Poles most significant failure this offseason was bungling the opportunity to trade Chicago Bears linebacker Robert Quinn before the 2022 NFL Draft. Poles could remedy the situation by trading the veteran player for wide receiver D.K. Metcalf if he can strike a reasonable deal for the Bears.
Reports are coming out that Metcalf wants out of the Seattle Seahawks locker room. They’re coming at the same time rumors of Quinn wishing to leave the Bears for greener pastures as well. Quinn has been a great asset to the Bears’ defense since joining the team in 2020. Last year, he set the Bears’ single-season sack record to go along with four nifty interceptions.
Even with all he’s accomplished, the Bears should at least see what he and what else the Seahawks would be wanting in return for a valuable prize like Metcalf. With Justin Fields in need of elite playmakers, Metcalf would bring the tools to be a true “X” wide receiver. It’s something Fields and the Bears desperately need.
Quinn’s value will never be higher after 2021
The 11-year NFL veteran, Quinn, turned 32-years old this May. There are only so many good years he will have left producing numbers we saw last season. Let’s not forget, that he had his worst sack season statistically in 2020 with the Bears.
With Quinn coming off an electric 2021, many Bears fans were hoping they could use that success as leverage and get the Bears more value in the draft. Because with Khalil Mack gone and Akiem Hicks wanting to sail off into the sunset, there was no point keeping Quinn over younger, cheaper, players for a new system.
Instead, Poles played the cards he was dealt like a rookie’s hand at UNO. He missed playable moves while picking up more cards and still fumbling the Bears’ overall leverage. Since Poles whiffed at his first offseason job of building a successful foundation for Fields, Quinn has skipped out on the Bears’ voluntary workouts altogether. With signs pointing to Quinn’s eventual absence from the Bears roster, one of the team’s best options would be leverage for Metcalf.
Metcalf can bring a lot to the Bears’ offense
Since joining the league in 2019, Metcalf has been near impossible for defenses to defend. He’s caught 216 balls for 3,170 yards and scored 29 receiving touchdowns. The Pro Bowl athlete is 6-foot-4, 235-pounds, which is a size mismatch for corners.
Imagine pairing his skillset with the speed of Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, and Velus Jones. That speed trio will keep most secondary on their toes trying to keep up. It’s going to take at least two defenders to take on Metcalf’s size in the open field. That combination could be lethal if Fields has time to make accurate throws.
The Bears shouldn’t give too much for D.K. Metcalf
As much as the Bears need a wide receiver, the team shouldn’t get conned into giving up a first-round draft pick. Although the Bears know they are getting a true stud, the Bears will likely be drafting high in the first round next year. Rookie contracts are cheaper than what Metcalf will be when his contract is up after this year.
Poles and the Bears need to continue their plan of building homegrown talent, and the Bears need to see that talent coming from the first round, as they provide the Bears with the best players for the price. The Bears have not had a first-round pick in the last three of the past four drafts. That has cost the Bears in cap space.
The Bears should certainly look to shop Quinn and a second and a fourth-round pick though. A second-round pick alone will likely not be enough. Metcalf can be a young, key piece that for sure provide more to the Bears than most round two and four talent. Because Quinn is showing signs of wanting out anyways, this just adds extra icing for the Seahawks and doesn’t cost the Bears much.
Getting Metcalf is probably a longshot for the Bears
The Seahawks would want good value for giving up a 24-year-old Pro Bowl athlete. With Quinn 8-years his senior, the Bears would need to give up more for the trade. The Bears would need to consider a high price in terms of draft picks to make it worth the Seahawks’ time. The elite-upgrade-trigger-averse Poles seems unlikely to make a deal giving up valuable picks.
Even if the teams wanted the player swap, Metcalf and Quinn might not be happy with the new destination. Metcalf is running from a team that traded away Russell Wilson and will have to rebuild. Granted, Fields is a better quarterback than Geno Smith or Drew Lock, but the Bears are rebuilding. They also have a poor history of keeping wide receivers happy. Quinn is likely wanting to leave the Bears for a championship contender like Mack and Hicks. The Seahawks are anything but that.
The Bears have nothing to lose by throwing their name in the hat and trying to gain an exceptional wide receiver. The least the organization could do to pacify the fanbase would be to leak a story the team is going after Metcalf. Bears fans need a little assurance the team is trying to remedy the offense instead of just blowing smoke in press conferences.
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