Bear Digest

A Trade Bears Should Only Make If They're Feeling Charitable

Analysis: A propsed Bears trade by ESPN's Bill Barnwell would deprive them of a needed third running back for nothing more than a pick worth very little.

Gene Chamberlain

Trading Khalil Herbert to Dallas for a sixth-round pick might make an ESPN writer happy but would be of no benefit to Bears.
Trading Khalil Herbert to Dallas for a sixth-round pick might make an ESPN writer happy but would be of no benefit to Bears. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
In this story:

When the trade deadline approaches, everyone wants to get in on the action.

Proposing trades not only is a way to pretend being a GM, it has become a way and even a tradition for fans, analysts and media to get their two cents worth in-sometimes less than two cents.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell probably can expect a little less than two cents in return for his thoughts on who the Bears should trade in an article proposing 12 trades.

Barnwell has made some shrewd proposals of this type in the past but in this version of build-a-trade he really only thought about the deal he has proposed involving Khalil Herbert from  a Dallas Cowboys perspective.

The Cowboys definitely could use a running back and Barnwell has the Bears trade Herbert to Dallas for a sixth-round pick.

"Dallas didn't address its running game in the offseason, and it is struggling on the ground," Barnwell noted." Ezekiel Elliott has been mostly phased out of the rotation, leaving Rico Dowdle, who has generated minus-18 rush yards over expected in a relatively quiet start to the season.

"There's no Derrick Henry lurking as an immediately impactful back, but what about adding another set of fresh legs to compete with Dowdle?"

MAYBE CALEB WILLIAMS SHOULD SEEK A RECOUNT AFTER THIS LOSS TO JAYDEN DANIELS

WHY ACHIEVING A TOP-FIVE RANKING LOOKS UNLIKELY FOR BEARS DEFENSE

PUTTING UP POINTS MUST BE BEARS' OFFENSIVE IDENTITY TO COPE WITH WHAT'S AHEAD

VIRGINIA MCCASKEY AMONG THOSE BEING CONSIDERED FOR HALL OF FAME

The fresh set of legs is Herbert, who originally came to the Bears as a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft and is out of contract after this season.

"Here, general manager Ryan Poles would earn a pick for letting Herbert leave a half-season earlier than expected," Barnwell wrote.

The problem with Barnwell's thinking is a sixth-round pick is really giving away a player. 

So far, the only player GM Ryan Poles has drafted in Rounds 6 or 7 to make an impact is Elijah Hicks as a backup safety who has started nine times in three years. Those types of players can be found anywhere in a draft.

He drafted eight players in Rounds six or seven since taking over and the only other one who really contributed anything was punter Trenton Gill, who is no longer with the team because they used an actual valuable fourth-round pick for punter Tory Taylor.

Doug Kramer is a sixth-round center who is third string and can play fullback in short-yardage situations, but that's not really worth much in the draft world. He's barely above practice squad status.

The only other Bears sixth-round pick who has been a valued contributor since 2015 was DeAndre Houston-Carson, and that was as a coverage man on kicks and punts. That's something you can find on waivers as easily as in the sixth round of any draft.

For so little in the future, the Bears would be giving up their peace of mind during this season.

Herbert might not be getting carries but the Bears at least know they have a player who can step in and play and has been a valued contributor. The only other back they have besides D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Herbert is Travis Homer. He hasn't done much in Chicago and is on injured reserve.

Last year they got down to a fourth running back due to injuries. They were signing Darrynton Evans off the waiver wire scrap heap for the second straight year.

Depth is important at running back, where players take a real beating. Having that third back this year is far more important than a sixth-round pick next April. Getting a sixth-rounder could give you what you need to draft another sixth-round back, but they've got plenty of draft picks. Why not aspire a bit higher for once and take a running back worth a second-round pick?

In Herbert's case, keeping him for the rest of the season while knowing he's going to leave after the season--even if they would get nothing in return then--is a far better option than giving him to another team for something as entirely insignificant as a sixth-round pick.

The only ones who benefit from that deal are the Cowboys.

Who wants to help out Jerry Jones for the fun of it?

Bears Draft Picks

Sixth and Seventh Rounds Since 2015

2023
DL Travis Bell
S Kendall Williamson
2022
G Zachary Thomas
RB Trestan Ebner
C Doug Kramer
G Ja'Tyre Carter
S Elijah Hicks
P Trenton Gill
2021
RB Khalil Herbert
WR Dazz Newsome
CB Thomas Graham
DT Khyiris Tonga
2020
T Arlington Hambright
G Lachavious Simmons
2019
CB Duke Shelley
RB Kerrith Whyte Jr.
CB Stephen Denmark
2018
Edge Kylie Fitts
WR Javon Wims
2016
S DeAndre Houston-Carson
WR Daniel Braverman

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.