Bears listed as a potential trade fit for Austin Ekeler
There hasn’t been a team in the NFL that has had a better offseason than the Chicago Bears. The Bears have wisely spent its salary cap surplus to reel in some of the league’s top free agents. General manager Ryan Poles has also orchestrated a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers to acquire rising star […]
There hasn’t been a team in the NFL that has had a better offseason than the Chicago Bears.
The Bears have wisely spent its salary cap surplus to reel in some of the league’s top free agents. General manager Ryan Poles has also orchestrated a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers to acquire rising star WR D.J. Moore and more draft capital.
However, one major entity believes the Bears’ biggest move could be ahead of the team. Pro Football Focus recently released a list which highlights Chicago as an ideal trade fit for Chargers RB Austin Ekeler.
"Ekeler may find the market for his services a weak one even if he is an underpaid asset on the Chargers. Potential landing spots have been signing running backs over the last several days, leaving obvious destinations thin on the ground. Any team that does make the move will be getting one of the most dynamic pass-catching backs in the league who can carry his weight rushing as well. Ekeler has recorded over 100 targets twice in his career and more than 50 for the last five seasons. He has gained 1.9 yards per route run over his entire career and is an excellent all-around back for today’s NFL."
PFF includes the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals as other teams that would make sense in an Ekeler trade.
The same article also listed the Bears as a potential landing spot for Titans star RB Derrick Henry.
Chicago lost David Montgomery to the Detroit Lions via free agency, but has added D’Onta Foreman, who started in Carolina following the Christian McCaffery trade last year.
If the Bears enter the Ekeler sweepstakes, they’ll have the draft capital necessary to put together an attractive package. Poles has pushed all of the right buttons nearly two weeks into free agency, but if he were to land Ekeler he would become Chicago royalty.
