PROPOSAL: Bears' Trade Offer Involves Exchanging 1st-Round Selection for a $96 Million Wide Receiver.
If the Chicago Bears decide to draft a rookie quarterback in 2024, their previous acquisition of DJ Moore from last year would already be a significant help. However, the question arises: would they be willing to extend another favor to the cap-challenged Buffalo Bills if Stefon Diggs becomes available for trade?
Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton has presented this scenario for the Bears in the 2024 offseason, following Diggs' recent comments at the 2024 Pro Bowl Game that hinted at uncertainty regarding his future with the Bills.
Diggs stated, "I'm ready to go no matter which way it goes," when asked about his readiness to move forward with the Bills.
While Diggs is undoubtedly one of Buffalo's top offensive assets, the Bills are facing a daunting financial situation with a $51.2 million salary-cap deficit that they must address before the start of the 2024 league year on March 13. If the Bills decide that Diggs' contract is no longer sustainable and consider trading him, Moton suggests that the Bears could be a viable option.
Moton's proposal involves the Bears trading their less favorable of two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft, which currently stands at the No. 9 overall selection, to acquire Diggs from the Bills.
However, Moton also suggests that the Bears could explore trading down with a team in need of a quarterback to acquire additional draft assets instead of parting with a top-10 selection for a 30-year-old wide receiver in a straight-up deal. If that's not possible, they could request a mid-round pick along with Diggs to bolster their draft resources after free agency.
The complication in a potential trade lies in Stefon Diggs' contract, which is a four-year, $96 million deal he signed with the Bills in 2022. The financial commitment, even if restructured, presents challenges for the Bears, especially with DJ Moore's contract already in place.
Diggs is set to earn salaries of $18.5 million, $18 million, and $19 million over the next three seasons, respectively. Incorporating another high-end receiver contract into their budget would require significant financial maneuvering for the Bears, which may not align with their priorities, considering they have a promising financial outlook for the 2024 league year with approximately $46.8 million in projected cap space, plus additional potential savings from player releases.
Moreover, the Bears' focus might be on addressing other roster needs, extending players like Jaylon Johnson, and potentially filling gaps left by free-agent departures, such as Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown.
While the Bears are in need of wide receivers this offseason, particularly if Mooney and St. Brown do not re-sign, they could opt for a rookie wide receiver in the first round of the 2024 draft to complement DJ Moore. This approach would offer them an opportunity to improve their passing game without incurring the financial burden of Stefon Diggs' contract, making it a more practical choice for the team.
| POLL | ||
5 FEVRIER | 199 ANSWERS PROPOSAL: Bears' Trade Offer Involves Exchanging 1st-Round Selection for a $96 Million Wide Receiver. Should the Bears trade for Stefon Diggs? | ||
| Yes | 34 | 17.1 % |
| No | 165 | 82.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
