DJ Moore has been connected to trade whispers pretty much all season. Part of it stems from the Chicago Bears drafting Luther Burden in the 2nd round. His skillset is nearly identical to Moore’s. There is also a perception that the veteran is frustrated with his status in the offense. He hasn’t been getting the target share he’s used to, which has led to some grumbling. This is something he flatly denies, and the Bears haven’t seemed distracted by it. Still, it hasn’t stopped the rumblings from continuing.
Yet another surfaced on Saturday. This one might be the craziest yet. Dianna Russini of The Athletic dropped a bombshell, revealing that the Jacksonville Jaguars are listening to calls for young wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. This is the same player who had an outstanding rookie season, going for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he has struggled this season in new head coach Liam Coen’s new offense, and it seems patience is running out. Prominent analyst Brett Kollmann of Bootleg Football believes the Bears can pull off something crazy by flipping Moore and a pick to Jacksonville for Thomas.
That would pair up two 1st round receivers from the loaded 2024 draft class between him and Rome Odunze.
Trading DJ Moore for Thomas Jr. is a fun idea.
It’s also unlikely. The only reason the Bears have for considering it is money. Dealing DJ Moore for Thomas would give them some considerable salary cap relief. Thomas is also five years younger than Moore. That said, this feels like a trade that doesn’t make logistical sense. Moore has been perfectly fine this season. He has adjusted to the new offense well and seems to have the trust of Caleb Williams. People can talk about his leadership, but the Bears don’t seem to need it. Odunze has stepped into that role, along with Joe Thuney and others. Moore is free to play his role.
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Bringing in Thomas Jr. looks great on paper, but there is no telling what is going wrong in Jacksonville. Making him available after what happened last year feels like a knee-jerk reaction by the Jaguars, unless something more serious is going on. The Bears would be better served by avoiding unnecessary changes where they aren’t needed.