National outlet pitches Bears trade that looks smart on paper, but is against Ben Johnson’s vision at a key position
The Chicago Bears were wise to double-up at the center position after losing Drew Dalman by trading for Garrett Bradbury and drafting Logan Jones, it would be dumb to screw plans up before actually seeing things through.
The Chicago Bears were hit with a tough situation when 27-year-old Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman announced his sudden retirement earlier this offseason, one year into a three-year contract he signed with the team.
The Bears had high hopes for Dalman locking down a position head coach Ben Johnson deemed the “quarterback of the offensive line” and instead had a glaring hole to fill.
The first plan was bringing in a veteran center to make sure one of the league’s top offensive line units didn’t miss a beat after losing Dalman. And so, the Bears parted with a 2027 fifth-round pick to acquire Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots.
A little over a month later, Chicago made the wise move to double-up at the position by drafting Iowa center Logan Jones with the 57th overall pick in the second-round as the first center off the board. It was a lot of resources to use on one position, but it gives Johnson plenty of short-term and long-term security at a key position in his scheme. So, why would the Bears even consider doing anything to jeopardize that?
National media outlet believes the Chicago Bears should flip Garrett Bradbury before 2026 season
Since the 2026 NFL Draft ended, the Baltimore Ravens were left without a center, mainly due to the fact that the Bears starting the positional run in the second-round. That’s their own problem. And yet, national media outlets seem to think the Bears should use that to their advantage in a move that would actually lead to an unnecessary problem of their own.
“Garrett Bradbury, acquired by Chicago from New England this offseason, would be a logical trade target if the Bears like what they see from Jones, the center they drafted in the second round. Bradbury played at NC State when current Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford coached the position for the Wolfpack.”
Mike Sando
The Athletic
I understand the logic here, I really do. But, this would be an absolutely idiotic decision by the Bears. Bradbury was acquired very cheap from the Patriots and gives Chicago a veteran player to play between Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. He has one-year left on his contract which provides a clear succession plan for Jones to take over. No one should be rushing that process in Chicago and what sense does it make to weaken the position you just found a solid solution to for the sake of a future Day 3 selection at best?
Luckily, one NFL executive shares that same mindset and would also be against the Bears making such a move.
“If I’m Chicago, I would not trade him until I know what I have with Logan Jones and know he is the guy,” an exec said, via The Athletic.
Why this would not be a smart move by the Bears
Even if you know Jones is the guy, and how could you before seeing him in action in a real game setting, who would be his backup in 2026 if you trade Bradbury? A second-year player in Luke Newman? Or a undrafted free agent rookie in Jaren Kump? This just doesn’t make any sense to me. Don’t let another team’s problem turn into your problem.
The Bears have a good thing going with Bradbury and Jones both staying on the roster in 2026. Even if Jones beats out Bradbury, great. You still have a veteran presence behind the rookie on the roster to help give him advice during his first season.
“Garrett Bradbury’s here,” Jones said. “He’s been in the league for a long time, and you’ve got a bunch of other guards. Thuney [is] a [future] Hall of Famer. I’ve just got to learn from them and ask questions. Obviously, there’s a competition part of it. You both compete; iron sharpens iron type of thing. So, we’ll both get better for it. I’m just going to come in and work as hard as I can.”
Johnson even admitted drafting Jones creates high-level competition at an important spot. Competition doesn’t end in the summer, just look at the changes the Bears made at left tackle last season. Johnson wants as many options as possible throughout the season to assess what’s best for his unit. He’s not going to be on board with flipping Bradbury for a late-round pick just because Baltimore needs a center.