3 nightmare trade scenarios the Bears have to avoid at the deadline

The NFL Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away. Teams are already making moves, with Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins just some of the familiar faces in new places.

Under general manager Ryan Poles, the Chicago Bears have been one of the most active teams at the deadline. Though the Hard Knocks cameras are no longer in Halas Hall, there's no doubt that if they were, they'd see Poles working the phones and kicking tires on players around the league.

Poles is in a tricky spot compared to previous years, because this is the first time that the Bears have been a winning team under his watch at this point of the season. There's no doubt that the team has looked great in recent weeks, but was that the result of feasting on weak opposition, or a reliable sign that the Bears are ready to truly contend?

As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but that's of little help to Poles, who needs to operate in the here-and-now on incomplete information. The NFC North is a juggernaut of a division. Are the Bears a move or two away from being Super Bowl contenders right now? Or should they be operating more with the future in mind?

The Bears seem to be set up for success in both the present and the years to come, and that's a credit to the way that Poles has built this team. Now he has to decide, though, if it's worth sacrificing future assets to push all his chips into the middle, or if he should take a more passive approach this year since he knows that the Bears have a longer window to contend. This is why they pay him the big bucks, for moments like these.

There are few better feelings in the NFL than absolutely nailing a trade. Bears fans have gone through tough times in recent years, but their spirits have been buoyed by the ongoing satisfaction of having fleeced the Panthers in the 2023 draft. It's amazing to be on the winning end of a move like that, but there's nothing worse than being the victim in a deal gone wrong. That's why Poles needs to proceed with caution, and avoid these nightmare scenarios.

Keenan Allen has been rumored as a trade target for other teams, but he proved his worth against the Jaguars

Whereas most positions have been quiet in the weeks leading up to the deadline, the wide receiver market has been as chaotic as the Wall Street floor. We mentioned the three former Pro Bowl receivers up top that have already been moved, and with so many teams struggling in the passing game, they surely won't be the only ones by time the trade deadline dust has settled.

Keenan Allen had a slow start to his career as a Bear. A heel injury has limited his effectiveness and availability, but with two touchdowns in the Bears' last game against the Jaguars in London, he finally looked like the kind of quarterback's best friend that Poles thought he traded for this offseason.

Allen's name has popped up as one that teams could be interested in at the deadline, and it's easy to see why. He's a veteran, he has a nose for the first down marker and he could be seen as redundant in Chicago due to how high everyone is on rookie Rome Odunze. Allen is an unrestricted free agent after this year, so the thinking goes that maybe the Bears would have buyer's remorse on the former Charger and be willing to move him rather than either pay him to stay long-term or let him leave for nothing.

Trading Allen would be a mistake, and we saw why two weeks ago. The Bears have plenty of weapons: DJ Moore, Odunze and D'Andre Swift, to name a few, not to mention Cole Kmet, who has emerged as one of the best all-around tight ends in football. Allen still fills an important role though, and it's clear that he's building a good rapport with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who not coincidentally is playing much better since Allen returned to the lineup.

The Saints and Bucs are two teams that could have an interest in Allen after being hit with the wide receiver injury bug. Poles shouldn't take their calls, though. Being in contention can sometimes obscure what really matters, and for the Bears, that's developing Caleb Williams into the best quarterback that he can be, both for now and the next decade. Having a receiver as dependable as Allen to throw to can only help.

The Bears should not trade the Panthers' second-round pick under any circumstances

This one is less specific than a hypothetical Keenan Allen trade, but it's just as consequential. The final piece of the Bears-Panthers lopsided trade from two years ago will be conveyed at the 2025 draft, when Carolina hands over its second-round pick to Chicago.

This isn't just any second-rounder, though, because the Panthers are once again arguably the worst team in the league. New head coach Dave Canales hasn't been able to keep David Tepper's sinking ship from going under, and his abandonment of Bryce Young as the team's starting quarterback has done little to turn around his team's flagging fortunes.

That's a lot of words to say that the Panthers flat-out stink, and just as they were when they received the top overall pick that became Caleb Williams, the Bears are the beneficiary. The worse Carolina is, the better that second-round pick will be, and barring a Godfather offer that Poles can't refuse, he should hold on to that pick.

The Bears have looked good, but they're still an imperfect team, most notably on the offensive line. We've touched on the embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, but what we haven't mentioned is how good the defense has been as well. That leaves the offensive line as the one position group that could most use an upgrade, and while Poles could certainly address that on the margins by trading a late-round pick for some help in the trenches, he should really be thinking about devoting most of next year's draft capital to helping the line instead.

Poles has a .500 batting average when it comes to trading second-rounders. He nailed the Montez Sweat trade, smartly signing the former Commander to an extension shortly after the deal went through, but he ended up with egg on his face after Chase Claypool crashed and burned. That Claypool trade ended up being for what turned out to be the 32nd overall pick, and something tells me the Bears would rather have Joey Porter Jr. than the memories of Claypool's 18 catches and 191 yards in a Bears uniform.

Maxx Crosby is not worth the price or the trouble

If there's one missing piece in the Bears defense, it's one more elite pass-rusher to complement Sweat. Gervon Dexter has been phenomenal in his second year, but he's an interior lineman. The production from the other defensive end spot has been hit-or-miss, as DeMarcus Walker has gotten off to a slow start and rookie Austin Booker hasn't found his footing yet.

Maxx Crosby is one of the top defensive ends in the game, and if the price was right, he could be available. The Raiders are 2-5 and going nowhere fast, and they just signalled their intention to rebuild by trading Davante Adams to the Jets. Crosby also seems open to the idea of moving on to a contending team. Should the Bears make the call?

Crosby would fill an obvious need, but I think that Poles should demonstrate some restraint in this case. The sixth-year sack specialist is owed about $40 million the next two years, which isn't unreasonable for an edge rusher of his caliber, but the price it would take to get him is likely going to be steep. I'd rather the Bears keep their war chest of draft picks safe and target some cheaper options next summer.

The Bears could very well make a run this year, so I understand the temptation to trade for a guy with the talent to be a difference-maker. Nothing is guaranteed in this year's NFC though, not with so many teams fighting for a playoff spot and the Bears' brutal second-half schedule. Crosby is a great talent, but it's also worrying that he shoved one of his coaches on the sideline a couple of weeks ago. Crosby brushed it off as "a love push" and something that happens all the time, but with all the positive vibes around the Bears right now, that's not the kind of energy the team needs.

Crosby is a great player, and I'm sure he'll record many more sacks this year, whether it be for the Raiders or someone else. The Bears should sit this one out, though.