Bear Digest

Grading Khalil Herbert Trade: The Return Wasn't Worth Insecurity

Bears GM Ryan Poles trading away Khalil Herbert brought back almost nothing in draft terms yet cost them the insurance they need this year in case of injuries.

Gene Chamberlain

Khalil Herbert carries against Buffalo in preseason. Herbert is now with the Bengals after Tuesday's trade.
Khalil Herbert carries against Buffalo in preseason. Herbert is now with the Bengals after Tuesday's trade. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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Trading Khalil Herbert for a seventh-round draft pick shows Matt Eberflus isn't the only one with the Bears making mistakes these days.

Ryan Poles just made one.

Apparently the Bears paid no attention to last year when, four weeks into the season, they had exhausted their supply of running backs who knew the offense due to injuries and were forced to pick up former Bears player Darrynton Evans. They had to finish their win over Washington using fullback Khari Blasingame to carry the ball because their backfield was so depleted.

They don't even have Blasingame around now for insurance in such situations because they cut him. Perhaps they'll bring him back and forget about center Doug Kramer carrying on plays meant for a true fullback to carry.

This trade fails the Bears from another standpoint.

What good is a seventh-round pick?

If the Bears still think of themselves as a young, improving team on the verge of a playoff run, a seventh-round pick has virtually no chance of making their roster anyway. In the last decade the only seventh-round pick they have made to contribute anything of substance is safety Elijah Hicks and you can pretty much find a backup safety anywhere in the draft or on waivers.

It doesn't matter than Herbert's contract expires after this year. The insurance they would have had from an extra back on the roster for this season, one who knew the offense, was far greater than anything they will get from a seventh-round pick that is probably only good for trading during the draft to help move up a spot or two in Rounds 5-7.

They better hope nothing happens to their running backs. It's one of the few positions untouched by injuries at the moment. They're not relying on Travis Homer as third back and he has a history of getting injured. He spent time on IR already this year, the third time in his career.

Trade Grade: D

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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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.