Ryan Poles May Have An Unorthodox Way To Improve The Bears’ Edge Rush
The Chicago Bears don’t sit in a particularly encouraging spot at edge rusher. General manager Ryan Poles didn’t make a single addition to that position group despite clear insufficiencies last season. Everything indicates they are banking on the idea that Austin Booker will keep improving after his late-season surge while Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo get healthy. Considering the severity of the injuries they suffered, that feels like a rather dangerous risk. Surely there has to be another way.
One thing we know about Poles is that they’re not afraid to dabble in the mid-tier trade market. This is where teams often flip veterans and underachieving players for day three draft picks. Poles does business on it all the time. That was how he landed Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson last year. It could be how he reinforces his edge rush this season. How? It involves something rare.
A player-for-player swap.
In this case, the Bears would ship veteran center Garrett Bradbury to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for rotational edge rusher Tavius Robinson.
Ryan Poles knows the Ravens need a center.
Baltimore had intended to draft one after losing Tyler Linderbaum to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. That didn’t pan out as the two guys they wanted, Logan Jones (who the Bears took) and Jake Slaughter, were drafted before they had the chance. That has left the Ravens in a dicey position. Their best option is veteran Danny Pinter, who spent the last two seasons in Indianapolis and has three total starts at the position. Not ideal. Landing a veteran like Bradbury would certainly ease their concerns and add some experience alongside rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane.
The obvious question is, who do the Bears get back in such a deal? The 27-year-old Robinson was a 4th round pick for Baltimore in 2023. Since then, he has steadily improved, collecting 4.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in ten games last season. He’s 6’6″ and 260 lbs, so he fits the size profile Dennis Allen prefers. Most importantly, the Ravens likely won’t play him much this season. They signed veteran Trey Hendrickson in free agency and drafted Missouri defensive end Zion Young in the 2nd round. Together with former 2nd round pick Mike Green, they have their rotation set. Robinson will struggle to find snaps.
This solution is a win-win for both sides.
Baltimore gets a relatively cheap center with proven experience to keep their star quarterback safe. The Bears get a solid rotational pass-rusher who can give their front some extra juice. Also, don’t forget that both men will be free agents after this season. So you’re also exchanging expiring contracts. It works on paper. Whether the deal happens depends on whether Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson are confident Jones can handle the starting job, if they feel they have a good backup option at center once Bradbury is gone, and if the Ravens are interested.
Any movement on this type of trade won’t come until June. Teams will have had that time to go through minicamps and OTAs, assessing where their roster is. Presuming the Bears are uncomfortable with their edge rush situation, they can start scoping out the market. The same will be true for Baltimore on the center front. Such a deal will want to get done before training camp, giving each player ample time to acclimate to their respective new systems.