The Chicago Bears made headlines by trading star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a move for the future by new general manager Ryan Poles, who made it clear he’s rebuilding the roster on his terms.
While the move makes sense, given Mack is 32 years old and hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2018, it’s the compensation that was a little puzzling.
The Bears received a 2022 second-round pick (48th overall) and a 2023 sixth-round selection from the Chargers in exchange for Mack. While at first glance it looks like Chicago got fleeced, there’s a reason why the Bears got so little.
The Chargers are taking on all three remaining years of Mack’s contract, which totals $63.9 million. The Bears will free up $6 million in cap space for the 2022 season, but they’ll have to deal with $24 million in dead money. Things look more favorable heading into the 2023 season, where Chicago will clear up $28.5 million in salary cap space in 2023, which explains the compensation.
Now, the Bears own two second-round picks heading into the 2022 NFL draft, which gives Poles an additional selection to work with given several roster holes.
Here’s where the Bears stand with their draft selections after the Mack trade:
- 2nd round: No. 39 overall
- 2nd round: No. 48 overall (from Chargers)
- 3rd round: No. 71 overall
- 5th round: No. 147 overall (from Texans)
- 5th round: No. 149 overall
- 6th round: No. 184 overall
Chicago has several pressing needs this offseason, including wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker and defensive back. We’ll see how Poles chooses to address those needs in free agency and how that could impact his moves in the NFL draft.
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