De'Von Achane
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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 08: De'Von Achane #28 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates after defeating the New York Giants at Hard Rock Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
The Miami Dolphins have traded superstar wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in exchange for some premium draft capital, which gives the Chicago Bears new life in a potential trade for Dolphins’ star running back De’Von Achane.
Three weeks ago, NFL Network insider Cameron Wolfe made a bold statement regarding the Dolphins’ plans with their star offensive playmakers, saying, “Teams would love for them to trade Jaylen Waddle or De’Von Achane. I’m told right now they’re wanting to keep those guys as core players.”
Well, fast forward to March 17th, and Miami just traded Waddle away for a 2026 first, third, and fourth-round pick.
Things change fast in the NFL, and Bears general manager Ryan Poles should immediately check on the potential availability of Achane.
Bears Given New Life in Trade Aspirations for De’Von Achane
Achane has blossomed into one of the most dynamic playmakers at the running back position.
In three seasons, the 24-year-old RB has already racked up 544 carries for 3,057 rushing yards, 1,277 receiving yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, and 13 receiving TDs. He’s elite at both rushing and catching the ball and would instantly give Chicago one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Achane also ranked first among 55 qualified running backs in overall grade by Pro Football Focus (89.2).
Just imagine the type of plays Ben Johnson could come up with Achane in the mix.
Ryan Smith
#Dolphins RB De’Von Achane on the ground this season:
– 90.7 PFF run grade (1st) – 4.10 yards after contact per attempt (1st) – 42 missed tackles forced (8th) – 35 runs of 10+ yards (1st) – 20 runs of 15+ yards (1st)
#PhinsUp
Trade Pitch and More on Achane
Now, Miami’s stance on Achane could be the same as it was three weeks ago, but regardless, the Bears should still check on his availability.
Another key detail is that the Bears just hired former Dolphins’ running backs coach Eric Studesville as their RBs coach. Studesville helped develop Achane into the player that he is today, so the familiarity is there.
If the Bears were able to pull off a trade for Achane, D’Andre Swift could be part of the trade package. He’s heading into the final year of his deal and has a cap hit of around $8.8 million.
If not, it’s not a big deal either because De’Von Achane will be in the final year of his rookie deal and is only owed around $6 million. The Bears could let Swift walk during free agency next offseason and extend Achane on a multi-year contract in a subsequent move.
Even though Swift is a good player, it would be better to ship him off to free up some cap space, and including him in a package for Achane would be better for Chicago.
Here’s a potential trade pitch:
Chicago Receives: De’Von Achane
Miami Receives: D’Andre Swift, 2026 First-Round Pick, 2026 Third-Round Pick
Miami isn’t letting Achane go for cheap (compensation-wise), and trying to think on a positive note, the Bears’ first-round pick is towards the end of the round (No. 25), and Poles isn’t exactly the first choice you’d want when it comes to drafting in the third round (Velus Jones Jr., Zacch Pickens, Kiran Amegadjie).
Having DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the roster didn’t stop Poles from drafting Luther Burden III. The same should apply to going after Achane even if Chicago has Swift and Kyle Monangai.