Ryan Poles Reportedly Keeping Close Eye On Possible Trade Target
At 4-2, the Chicago Bears are off to their best start in nine years. They’ve won three in a row and enter the bye week with loads of momentum. The next three games are all against teams with below-average defenses. If Caleb Williams and the offense can maintain their recent level of play, there is a realistic chance the Bears could host the Packers in November at 7-2. GM Ryan Poles deserves a ton of credit for getting his team to this point. It seemed like such a long time ago when he decided to blow up the roster to start from scratch.
While his work in the draft is the biggest reason for this turnaround, one cannot overlook his recent moves on the trade market. The acquisition of Montez Sweat at last season’s deadline is paying huge weekly dividends. The more recent additions of Darrell Taylor and Chris Williams have also yielded results. Now, with the Bears surging into the bye week, Poles may have designs on another aggressive move before the November 5th deadline. According to a source, the GM is monitoring the offensive guard market. One name has his attention: Brandon Scherff.
The recent trade of Roy Robertson-Harris signals the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars are in sales mode. Scherff is 32 with one year left on his contract. Unloading him for some draft capital and cap space makes sense.
Ryan Poles’ interest in Scherff isn’t hard to understand.
The right guard is a five-time Pro Bowler who has consistently been one of the best in the NFL for a decade. With seven pressures allowed in six games, that hasn’t changed. Throw in that he is also a team captain and his fit in the Bears’ locker room would be seamless. Given his age and contract status, it likely wouldn’t cost much to acquire him, either. Most likely, it would take around a 5th round pick at most. Even if it’s just for a half-year rental, Scherff is the caliber of player who can transform a line’s fortunes.
Chicago has dealt with problems at right guard for two years. Nate Davis, the planned solution after signing him to a hefty free agent contract, has been a disaster. He rarely stayed healthy during training camp and is plagued by inconsistency. That is why he was benched two weeks ago. His time with the team is winding down. Veteran Matt Pryor has taken over that spot. He has been adequate but has clear limitations from an athletic standpoint. Ryan Poles is smart enough to know Scherff would be a considerable upgrade.