5 NFL trades LA Rams make for 2021 1st round pick

S David Long Jr. to Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are better than many expect.  Despite the open competition for the team at quarterback, they quietly have assembled a team that could challenge the NFC North.  The Green Bay Packers solidified their offensive line but failed to draft any wide receivers for marksman cornerback Aaron Rodgers. The Detroit Lions are going to struggle in 2020. And the Minnesota Vikings may be ripe for an upset.

Enter the Bears.

This Chicago team could be better than many expect, but the team needs to bolster the safety play. They are coming off an 8-8 season in the NFC North, which means even subtle improvements could spell huge success for that team. The Bears have fewer areas to address. The Bears’ defensive front just got incredibly better by adding defensive end Robert Quinn to the duo of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. The team simply needs help over the top.

Package deal

Safety  David Long Jr. may not strike many as a first-round worthy player,  But packaged with versatile lineman Joseph Noteboom, the pair become long term solutions for two trouble spots for the Bears: offensive line and safety. That allows the Bears to focus on other areas in the 2021 NFL Draft and delivers an extra boost for better play in 2020 as well.

Since this is a complex deal, we’ve added some conditional relief for both teams. If neither Long nor Noteboom make the Chicago Bears roster (just one fails to make the roster), then the LA Rams will add a 2022 fifth-round draft pick to the exchange. However, if both make the roster and they combine for 500 snaps (either offense or defense), then the Bears need to add a 2022 fifth-round pick to the exchange. If both conditions are triggered, neither team needs to add an additional pick.

Of course, any of these scenarios could be tweaked to make the deal happen.  The LA Rams continue to be a better team with incredible roster depth at positions that other NFL teams, competitive teams, are struggling to fill right now.