It isn’t a surprise that the Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting a little. Moore was a solid player during his three-year stint with the Bears. He was productive, durable, and good in the community. Plus, he slayed the wretched Green Bay Packers — not just once, but twice during Chicago’s magical season. Be that as it may, the show goes on and we have to look at what is coming next.
DJ Moore Trade Fallout: Our First Look
I was watching ESPN’s NFL Live program when I saw this informative segment featuring Courtney Cronin and Laura Rutledge live, but wasn’t in a position to take notes. Thankfully, the network shared it on its social media platforms. You can watch the full clip below. And, after the jump, we’ll discuss some highlights:
From NFL Live: The Bears have cleared ample salary cap space with Drew Dalman and DJ Moore (and they might not be done yet if Tremaine Edmunds is released). What does that mean for their plans to be active in free agency? @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/UDOSgEuVal
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 5, 2026Now, let’s discuss some of the most important stuff from that 2-minute, 29-second clip…
AN ACTIVE FREE AGENCY AHEAD
The Bears have gotten a reputation for winning the offseason in recent years. And while repeating in that category will be difficult this year because they don’t have as many holes to fill or as much money to spend, it doesn’t mean this team won’t be active — especially with its newfound cap savings after the DJ Moore trade.
From Cronin:
“This points to them being very active in free agency. So when there is a Tyler Linderbaum on the market, who when I talked to sources at the NFL Combine, believe will be the highest-paid interior offensive lineman — north of $22 million a year — now the Bears are in a position to afford a player like that they can plug and play right next to their All-Pro Protector of the Year Joe Thuney at left guard.”
My takeaway here is that the Bears are looking at an experienced starter to stick between left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Jonah Jackson. Perhaps that option is Ravens free-agent-to-be Tyler Linderbaum. It is also worth noting that we got a more precise number regarding his possible contractual ask, with Cronin mentioning that Linderbaum’s number could come in around $22 million per year after hearing from sources at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Bears All-Pro Joe Thuney. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesWHO ELSE COULD BE ON THE BEARS RADAR?
I love when reporters name names this time of year. Who doesn’t like playing connect the dots? And when it comes to the offseason ahead, things could get splashy for Chicago’s football team after the DJ Moore trade.
More from Cronin:
“In addition, they now have four picks in the top-89 of the draft. That second-round pick they got from the Buffalo Bills is very helpful if there is a trade on the table. Maybe it is for a Maxx Crosby. Keeping that pass-rusher market in play here, whether it’s a trade, whether it’s now having the room to go after someone like Trey Hendrickson or Bradley Chubb. Their options, based on their financial flexibility that they now have are a lot more open to fill several voids. We know the trenches are where the Bears have a lot of needs.”
This is the first I’ve heard anyone mention Bradley Chubb in a Bears-adjacent conversation. In case you missed it, the Miami Dolphins dumped Chubb in a wave of cap-clearing moves in mid-February. Technically, the Bears could sign Chubb right now since he is already a free agent. If Chicago were to target Chubb, I could see that addition being part of a collection of moves aimed at upgrading in the trenches.
But with that being said, we just watched the Washington Commanders try to build a defense with veterans hoping they could turn back the clock. That is a dangerous game to play. Nevertheless, I’m adding Chubb to my offseason watchlist.
Dolphins EDGE Bradley Chubb. | Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn ImagesTHE BEARS DIDN’T WANT TO GET RID OF DJ MOORE, BUT…
“Why!?” is one of the most common reactions I’ve seen to the news of the DJ Moore trade. Thankfully, Courtney Cronin has an explanation that I think everyone can understand:
“They looked at this and they said DJ Moore is a luxury piece in this offense. He isn’t somebody they wanted to get rid of, but when you see how his role changed — he used to be the run-after-catch guy, the guy that Caleb Williams during Year 1 would look to at the line of scrimmage on the screen passes. So now, his role became something where the Bears knew they could move on. They believe in Rome Odunze being their No. 1 receiver despite the health issues last year. They believe in Luther Burden.”
Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson made it clear how valuable DJ Moore was to this offense, so it’s not as if he wanted to see the wideout leave the building. But the emergence of Luther Burden III as a rookie and the belief in Rome Odunze (despite an injury-shorted 2025 season) made Moore expendable. As did Colston Loveland.
“All of this came into play because of Colston Loveland’s rookie season. He exploded last year. The tight end is a big part of this passing game. So having DJ Moore would have been nice. But they know they have a lot of other holes to fill on this roster, so moving him was the best option for the Bears.”
The University of Michigan product led the Bears in catches (58) and receiving yards (713) as a rookie. He also hauled in six touchdown passes. It was a record-setting postseason for Loveland, whose breakout campaign evidently cleared the path for DJ Moore’s departure.
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesAN UPDATED LOOK AT THE BEARS SALARY CAP SITUATION
Cronin points out that — even after the DJ Moore trade — the Bears might not yet be done on the transaction front, citing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds being given the OK to seek a trade. Nothing has come of that yet, but there have been some teams rumored to be interested in talking shop. If the Bears can’t get a deal done with Edmunds, there seems to be an expectation that the team will release him. Not only would that make him a free agent, but it would also create $15 million in cap space.
As things stand as of this posting, Over The Cap has the Bears UNDER the cap! OTC has Chicago’s football team with $8,151,445 in available cap space. Parting ways with Edmunds would come with a dead money hit of $2.4375 million, but it would also bring the team to being $23,151,445 under the cap. They’d still need to make some room in order to accomodate some of the names we’ve mentioned above. But making progress in that regard isn’t something we should overlook.
A QUICK GLANCE AT THE BEARS PICKS IN THE 2026 NFL DRAFT
The league hasn’t officially finalized the 2026 NFL Draft order just yet. But as of right now, these are the picks the Bears have at their disposal (via Tankathon):
Round 1, Pick 25 Round 2, Pick 57 Round 2, Pick 60 (via the Buffalo Bills/DJ Moore trade) Round 3, Pick 89 Round 4, Pick 129 (via the Los Angeles Rams) Round 7, Pick 238 (via the Philadelphia Eagles) Round 7, Pick 240It would be nice to see the Bears add on some picks between now and when the NFL Draft opens its doors in April. Then again, it might be cool to see Chicago use some of this draft capital to make a move to bring in an impact player. If that is how the cookie crumbles, you can thank DJ Moore for his contributions toward building the Bears’ next winning ballclub.
© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesSUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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