Caleb Williams' massive leap in his second season as a pro turned the Chicago Bears from laughingstock to legitimate Super Bowl contender. That heaps pressure on the team's front office to upgrade the talent surrounding him on the Bears roster this offseason. GM Ryan Poles and his staff spent a lot of resources surrounding their star signal-caller with offensive weapons in recent seasons.
Spending premium picks on Colston Loveland and Luther Burden in last year's draft were impactful additions. Spending a premium pick on Rome Odunze in the same draft as Williams gives the quarterback a potential superstar to work with. All of the attention paid to adding offensive talent has left Chicago's defense short on high-end talent. This is the offseason where that needs to change. In particular, upgrading the team's pass rush should be one of Pace's top priorities before next season kicks off. But if Maxx Crosby truly is available via trade this offseason, that would change everything for the Bears.
The Bears defense is lacking a presence like Maxx Crosby
Montez Sweat notched 11 sacks last season, but the No. 2 edge rusher spot opposite him is a major weakness for Chicago. Austin Booker is not a terrible player, but he only graded out with a 62.1 rating via PFF this season. That rating marries well with the paltry total of five sacks he managed on the campaign.
Crosby, the Raiders veteran, figures to be one of the most prolific sack artists available on the trade market this offseason. Las Vegas desperately wanted to execute their rebuild in time to keep him in the fold, but they finally seem to have come to grips with their reality. Now the challenge for officials in Sin City is to extract maximum return when they do finally offload their star defensive end.
The Bears should be at the head of the line when the Raiders get serious about dealing Crosby. The right question in Chicago isn't whether or not they should make an offer, it's what would constiture a strong, but reasonable outlay of assets.
What a Bears-Maxx Crosby trade would look like for Chicago and Vegas
The Bears should understand that trading any player currently providing them value would be a mistake. They need to do everything possible this offseason to maximize their 53-man roster. Trading Crosby for current players would minimize their ability to upgrade.
Instead, Chicago needs to build an offer around draft compensation. That has value to the franchise moving forward, but won't erode the group currently helping Williams reach new heights. The Raiders should be fine with that concept since they're sitll years away from realistic Super Bowl contention.
The Bears might hold out hope for landing Crosby with a single first-round pick, but the competition for his services will be too intense for that to be successful. Instead, Chicago will need to outbid the competition by adding a second first-rounder to the mix. That should be enough to see off the competition and secure the top-rated edge rusher they need to solidify their defense.
It would be a painful trade for the Bears' future, but it's time for the teamt o go all in on their star quarterback. Failing to make a big move for a superstar like Crosby in the coming months would be front office malpractice for the Bears.