Among So Many Chicago Bears Trade Projections, The Worst Has Surfaced
Ryan Poles hasn’t been shy about wheeling and dealing on the trade market. He’s shipped several players out over the past two off-seasons, including Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, and Roquan Smith. We know the Chicago Bears GM isn’t afraid to unload players he deems no longer part of the team’s grand vision. That is why almost anybody on the roster can’t be considered entirely safe. Now with training camp approaching, teams will begin their true evaluations. That means more trades could be coming as GMs look to tinker.
One of the more persistent questions with the Bears is whether Poles may unload another player. There are certainly a few names that have been mentioned. Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, and Darnell Mooney are among them. All for contract-related reasons. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report looked at the Bears’ roster to find one name that made the most sense for a trade. Among several possibilities, the one he ended up with had to be the far and away the most baffling.
Dante Pettis. Wait, what?
“The Chicago Bears acquired wideout Chase Claypool at the 2022 trade deadline. They used a 2022 third-round pick on Velus Jones Jr. and snagged D.J. Moore in the trade that sent the No. 1 pick to Carolina. They extended last year’s second-leading receiver, Equanimeous St. Brown, with a one-year deal in January.
With Darnell Mooney returning from a season-ending ankle injury, there just doesn’t appear to be an offensive role for Dante Pettis. The 27-year-old, who returned 18 punts last season, is likely locked into a special teams role in 2023.
Pettis has never been a big-time offensive producer. In six seasons with the Bears, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, he caught just 71 passes for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, he’s relatively young, plays a valued position and can play on special teams.”
Pettis has zero value with the Chicago Bears.
Knox’s assessment of him is generous. Pettis has never been a good special teams player. His role as a punt returner last season didn’t amount to much at 9.1 yards per return. He’s never been good on coverage units, either. As for the receiving portion of his job, that isn’t any better. Pettis dropped four passes on 41 targets last year. Another that wasn’t classified as a drop still went through his hands against Washington, which would’ve been the game-winning touchdown. To trade somebody, they need to have value.
Pettis has no value. If he did, the Chicago Bears likely would’ve had to pay more than the veteran minimum to retain him this off-season. Plenty of other names on the roster warranted a mention as a trade candidate. Mr. Knox clearly didn’t do his homework. The truth is Pettis will likely be available again at the end of August. He faces a tough climb to make the roster this year after the Bears added D.J. Moore and 4th round pick Tyler Scott to the mix. Unless he suddenly becomes a lot better at catching passes or special teams coverage, his stay in town will be brief.