There is no position the Chicago Bears need to address more than center. For years it’s been a massive weak spot on the offense. To illustrate the instability, the Bears’ last three starting centers were Sam Mustipher (2022), Lucas Patrick (2023), and Coleman Shelton (2024). Not exactly a recipe for success. Heading into the offseason, the Bears have to make a decision. Do they go all out on the top center in the market, Drew Dalman, and give him a huge contract to solidify the position? Or should they opt for a budget-friendly veteran while drafting a rookie to develop behind him? It’s been a massive debate amongst fans, but one option that hasn’t been talked about is the possibility of the Bears attempting a trade for New Orleans Saints starting center and two-time Pro Bowler Erik McCoy.
Bears Should Explore a Trade for Saints’ Center Erik McCoy
The Saints are no strangers to salary cap issues, and this year is no different. According to Over the Cap, New Orleans ranks dead last in the NFL with a staggering -$39.54 million in cap space.
On March 5th, ESPN Saints reporter Katherine Terrell detailed how the team could free up $60 million, mentioning McCoy as an obvious candidate for a contract restructure:
“The no-brainer restructures will come from some of the young, core players like center Erik McCoy, 27. He’s an easy candidate for a restructure with three seasons left on his contract.
The Saints can take McCoy’s $9.6 million base salary and $500,000 roster bonus, convert them to a signing bonus and spread them out over the remaining years of the contract. They could also add a void year for additional savings.”
While restructuring could save New Orleans $6.7 million, trading McCoy is another avenue the team could explore.
Rationale Behind a Possible Trade
The Bears’ new offensive line coach, Dan Roushar, coached McCoy during his first two seasons in New Orleans. As the Saints offensive line coach for a decade, Roushar has the experience to maximize McCoy’s potential in Chicago. Despite being limited to just seven games last season, McCoy was the Saints’ only player to earn a Pro Bowl nod. At 6’4″ and 303 pounds, he embodies the physicality and toughness that Roushar and head coach Ben Johnson are looking for in a center.
With NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero projecting Drew Dalman’s contract to be in the $13-14 million annual range—and potentially even higher given the demand for quality centers—McCoy’s current $12 million per year salary looks like a bargain. The real question is: what draft capital would it take to land him? With the Bears recently trading a fourth-round pick for Kansas City Chiefs’ All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and a sixth-round pick for Los Angeles Rams’ guard Jonah Jackson, a third-round pick could be all that it takes to acquire McCoy.
Erik McCoy among centers in Week 15:
⚜️ 85.1 PFF grade (1st)
⚜️ 91.1 run-blocking grade (1st)
⚜️ 36 pass-blocking snaps
⚜️ 1 pressure allowed pic.twitter.com/mutvmgU7hQ
— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) December 19, 2024
Last Word on the Bears Trading for Erik McCoy
If the Bears manage to pull this off, they could become the first team in history to acquire all three starting interior offensive linemen via trade. But it’s worth the investment. McCoy has started in 81 out of 100 career games since being drafted in 2019 and has proven throughout his career he is one of the most reliable and elite centers in the NFL. And despite only playing seven games, he was the top-rated center by PFF with a 94.2 grade.
It won’t hurt for the Bears to check in on his availability, and if the price is right, it’ll shore up a huge headache.
Main Image: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports