NFL executives, coaches, and scouts just gave Ryan Poles even more proof he robbed the Bills in the DJ Moore trade
The Chicago Bears made a bold decision to ship away wide receiver DJ Moore but that trade continues to look sweeter and sweeter for general manager Ryan Poles with each passing day.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was forced into a tough decision this offseason involving wide receiver DJ Moore, a player that Poles brought to Chicago via trade and invested significant capital in multiple times who rewarded the Bears with countless unforgettable moments.
After the 2025-26 season, however, it was clear that the Bears needed to part ways with Moore and his contract in order to improve the rest of the team and open more opportunities for the younger players on the offense to step up.
“I have nothing but great things to say about him,” Poles said of Moore at the NFL Combine. “But this is the time now where we have to look at all the different scenarios to see what can allow us to put the best team out there.”
By being so open about exploring options to move Moore, Poles and the Bears lost all leverage. At least, that’s what it seemed like until the Bears traded Moore and a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a second-round pick. And the Bills actually took on the entirety of Moore’s remaining contract. It was a steal of a deal by Poles that continues to look even better.
Ryan Poles continues to get validation for trading away WR DJ Moore
The fact that the Bears got a second-round pick in return for Moore and got off the hook was already a steal enough for Poles. It gets better when you realize only four other wide receivers have been traded for a second-round pick or higher since 2023 (A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DK Metcalf, Stefon Diggs).
Brown, Metcalf, and Diggs were all established veterans and viewed as top 10-15 wide receivers at their positions when they were traded. The outlier of that group is Waddle, but he’s still a young player who’s yet to hit his potential and is on the cusp of being a Top-15 wide receiver. The fact the Bears got similar value for Moore, who’s 29-years-old and coming off a down year is incredible.
ESPN’s latest WR rankings, voted on by league executives, scouts, and coaches, added even more validation for Poles’ decision to trade Moore. On this year’s rankings, 26 different wide receivers received votes and Moore was not one of them. That means the league sees at least 26 different wide receivers as better players than Moore entering the 2026 season.
Buffalo had no choice but to make the trade for WR DJ Moore this offseason
As good of a trade as it was by the Bears, putting aside all personal feelings the organization had for the player, it was a trade the Bills had no choice but to make.
Buffalo’s offense needed an alpha pass catcher with the ability to make clutch plays in big games. It’s something the Bills have been missing desperately since trading away Stefon Diggs. The Bills could have either traded a first-round pick for a disgruntled player in Brown, or shipped a second-round pick for Moore (who actually has experience playing under new head coach Joe Brady’s offense).
It was a easy decision for the Bills to make, but the optics continue to look favorable for Chicago on paper until we actually see Moore in action in Buffalo. Until that happens, it’s so obvious that Ryan Poles took advantage of a desperate Brandon Beane in this trade.