ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently mentioned an intriguing trade possibility for the Bears: giving their No. 1 overall pick to the Tennessee Titans. In exchange, he says the Bears might receive the Titans’ seventh overall pick, a second-round pick in 2024 and 2025, and two-time All-Pro defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
“The Bears wouldn’t have much use for Will Levis with [Justin] Fields in tow, so again, this would be a team dealing away its quarterback to go somewhere else,” he stated in an email. “Where their offer stands out, however, is the inclusion of Jeffery Simmons, a superstar defensive tackle who would provide Matt Eberflus with the interior disruptor his defence sorely needs. Simmons might be worth one or two first-round picks on his own.”
Simmons might be a game changer for the Bears defence. The 26-year-old has 21.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss for the Titans over the last three seasons and is an excellent fit for the three-technique defensive tackle position in Eberflus’ defence. The combination of Simmons and Sweat would also create one of the NFL’s most potent fronts, especially if the Bears add a high-selection rookie to the opposite edge.
The Bears would have to work out how to accommodate Simmons’ big contract—worth $94 million over the next four seasons—on their books. Fortunately, they have approximately $46.87 million in cap space for 2024 and might free up as much as $23 million more through veteran layoffs if they require further flexibility.
Would the Titans Trade Jeffery Simmons Away?
If Tennessee made an offer comparable to what Barnwell is suggesting, Chicago would find it difficult to decline. Not only would the Bears gain another superstar in the trade, but they would also return to the second round — at No. 38 overall — while still holding the seventh and ninth overall picks in the first round. Oh, and as a bonus, they would also possess three second-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.
The real question is if the Titans are willing to split ways with Jeffery Simmons.
Ran Carthon, the Titans’ second-year general manager, made extending Simmons one of his main priorities when he came over last January, and he delivered in roughly three months, giving Simmons the NFL’s third-highest-paid defensive lineman ($23.5 million). While teams do occasionally move recently extended players — Carolina sent DJ Moore to Chicago less than a year after signing him to a contract — it would be a significant retreat for Carthon to trade away a key piece of their defence.
The Titans could still be a viable option for the Bears’ top overall pick. They have Will Levis in place as a potential replacement for veteran Ryan Tannehill, but he is far from a lock to rule them out of the rookie quarterback race. A slew of draft picks is probably the best the Bears can hope for, unless the Titans decide they no longer want wide receiver Treylon Burks.
Will the Bears Consider Taking DT in Round 1 of 2024?
The Bears would be justified in making a huge move at defensive tackle during the 2024 offseason. While they signed Andrew Billings to a two-year extension in the middle of the 2023 season, and Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens are looking to improve on their rookie seasons, they still lack a dominant penetrator who can play the three-technique role for the interior of their defensive line .
If the Bears are unable to find the proper match in free agency or on the trade market, could they consider using one of their first-round picks on a defensive lineman instead?
Predicting what the Bears will do in the first round will be difficult until they decide what to do with the No. 1 overall pick, but they could realistically target one of the top two tackles — Illinois’ Jer’Zhan Newton or Texas’ Byron Murphy II — as early as the ninth pick if they are confident in one of their upsides. They could also use No. 9 overall to address another need and target Newton or Murphy later in the order if they decide to drop out of the top spot and into the early-to-mid teens.
The Bears may believe that their needs at quarterback, wide receiver, or edge rusher take precedence over defensive tackle in the first round, but it is not impossible for them to use a first-round pick on a three-technique given how important the role is in Eberflus’ 4-3 defensive scheme.
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