Whether they'd freely admit it or not, the majority of Chicago Bears fans couldn't have had high hopes for rookie Tyson Bagent's first start at quarterback on Sunday. But much to the delight of those same fans, the team actually played one of its best games of the season. The rookie seventh-rounder was solid, but the defense and rushing attack were the calling cards in the 30-12 win for the Bears.
The blunt truth of the situation, however, is that this team moved to just 2-5 on the season with Sunday's victory. It's looking increasingly likely they move on from Justin Fields at some point in the near future as the front office in Chicago looks to hit a hard reset and reshape the roster for something, hopefully, more fruitful.
After a performance like Sunday's, though, the Bears need to strike to enact that plan. The NFL Trade Deadline is just over a week away (Oct. 31), and there's a chance that several players will never have a higher trade value than after Week 7. As such, these three Bears should be put on the trade block immediately to deal to capitalize on Sunday's performance.
3. Cody Whitehair, IOL
Starting guard Nate Davis was inactive on Sunday against the Raiders, which forced Matt Eberflus to shift veteran interior offensive lineman Cody Whitehair over from center to guard. And after struggling quite obviously throughout much of the season to this point, the 31-year-old enjoyed arguably his best game of the season, as did the O-line as a whole.
Despite having a wholly inexperienced quarterback and Bagent behind him -- which can often lead to some poor offensive line looks as the result of rushed or poor decision-making -- Whitehair and the Bears line held up well. Bagent was sacked just once on the day and, while there were also more pressures throughout the win, it wasn't nearly as bad as we've seen in the past.
There are precious few teams in the NFL who couldn't stand to either upgrade the interior of their offensive line or add depth in that area of the roster, especially at this point of the season when injuries can already be taking their toll.
As mentioned, Whitehair has not put forth the most impressive 2023 season prior to this week. In his career, however, he's proven to be a solid and versatile cog on the interior. So after seeing him show the best form of the year on Sunday against Las Vegas, perhaps the Bears could be willing to part with him for a late-round pick, which could further help their long-term outlook.
2. Darnell Mooney, WR
For as well as Bagent played in his NFL debut, the numbers for the rookie quarterback weren't overly impressive. Yes, he completed 21-of-29 passes, but he did so for only 162 yards and a touchdown. Thus, there really wasn't a wide receiver or pass-catcher who had an otherworldly day statistically.
DJ Moore, as has been the norm this season, led the way in both receptions (8) and yards (54) while running back D'Onta Foreman caught the only touchdown pass on the day -- adding to his three-score day after rushing for two as well. However, it's hard not to look at former fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney after a solid game and think that now might be the best time to move him.
Mooney had a solid day at the office for the Bears, hauling in all four of his targets for 32 yards on the day. With a long of only 11 yards too, the soon-to-be 26-year-old was consistent in his work as part of the passing game as well. He also added a two-yard carry on the day, though that might be negligible.
Having said that, by insisting on getting Moore this offseason in the Panthers trade up for the No. 1 pick, it's been clear that the Bears are dissatisfied with the state of the wide receiver room. Mooney has been part of that, but he's also at the end of his rookie contract this season. Would a team who has been unhappy with the results in Mooney's career to this point really want to sign him to an extension?
That seems unlikely from where I'm sitting. So with Mooney showing out well in this game, which comes after hauling in a 39-yard reception in the previous game (a loss to the Vikings), perhaps the Bears could find one of the many receiver-needy teams in the league to bite on a trade instead of losing him for nothing in the offseason.
1. Jaylon Johnson, CB
One of the big names to emerge as a likely trade chip for the Bears at the deadline recently has been 2020 second-round pick Jaylon Johnson. ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Bears hadn't yet fielded calls on Johnson, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, but that he is already garnering interest around the league.
There are arguments to both sides regarding whether or not Chicago should trade Johnson. On one hand, he's graded out as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL this season, 10th to be exact according to PFF. He's a player who could be worth re-signing as a future cornerstone for the Bears defense. On the other hand, however, that also means he could be the franchise's most valuable trade asset right now.
And if that latter part was already the case, it's even more so after Sunday. Johnson was all over the field in coverage against the Raiders. Yes, it was against Brian Hoyer at quarterback for Vegas, but Johnson ended the day with two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six, along with two pass defenses and three total tackles for the game.
Whether it would be a rental or a team looking to have him for the rest of this season and then re-sign him, Johnson could have a lucrative trade market should the Bears end up putting him on the block. After the win over the Raiders and how heavily Johnson contributed to that, though, his value might even be higher than it already was.
