NEWSLETTER
Buckle up, Bears fans. A report dropped late Monday night from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Jaylon Johnson has requested a trade from the Bears.
It’s interesting timing, to say the least. Both Johnson and Ryan Poles had expressed a desire to reach a deal on a contract extension, even though nothing was imminent on completing a deal. As early as Monday evening, Johnson was on 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel show for his weekly hit and said that neither his representation nor Poles had taken a “hard stance” in negotiations yet:
“It’s hard to say if you’re far or if you’re close (to a deal),” Johnson said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show. “I think, again, it’s just kind of pushing the other one’s agenda a little bit, of course just trying to get out everything I can and then for them, trying to stay at their number or their range that they want. It’s one of those things where you don’t know until you know. You don’t really know until somebody really takes a hard stance on it, and that hasn’t happened at this point.”
– Jaylon Johnson on the Parkins & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score
Well, it would appear that five hours later someone took a hard stance. Who that is, we can’t be too sure as of now. But going off the Roquan Smith negotiation and eventual trade at the deadline last season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Poles had a number in mind that he didn’t want to budge off.
What Happens Next For Jaylon Johnson & The Bears?
Whatever happens next we’ll know by 3:00 pm central time on Tuesday afternoon when the trade deadline hits. It’s important to note that while Johnson’s reps are looking for a deal, the Bears don’t have to make a deal if they don’t get a return they like. Roquan Smith went for a 2nd Round & 5th Round pick last year. Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams was also traded for a 2nd Round & 5th Round pick today.
Johnson is younger than both Smith and Williams. He’s just 24 years old and just entering his prime. As a cornerback, he also plays a premier position that is seen as more valuable than Roquan’s was last year as an off-ball linebacker.
I don’t love the idea of trading Jaylon Johnson. I think he’s a very talented cornerback when he’s on the field, he’s still very young, and by all accounts, he seems to be very good in the locker room. He seems like the type of player you would want to use some of the cap space the Bears have built up on. But, if the price is right for Ryan Poles on a trade and he likes the flexibility it gives him then that’s his call and I can see the argument for the move.
Johnson will have no shortage of suitors. Several contenders are looking to add depth to their defensive backfield. The Bills & Cowboys are two teams that come to mind that have lost number one cornerbacks to season-ending injuries this season.
We’ll have more on this tomorrow as well as coverage on the rest of the trade deadline.
