RealGM

Will the Bears get a jump on Thursday nights free agency by first trading TE Greg Olsen?
Friends of the Bears TE say he was not happy about the hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quietly sent his agent Drew Rosenhaus into "trade request" mode. Now it appears the Bears may have some takers in the Arizona Cardinals or New England Patriots.

The question is can the Bears trade Olsen man for man before some players like Antrel Rolle hit the free agent market? Or is Olsen even enough for a 2nd round pick come April?

Friday in Indianapolis Head Coach Lovie Smith hinted a trade to move up wasn't out of the question, while General Manager Jerry Angelo feared the Bears didn't have enough.

SportsWorld wrote:Adam Schefter just said the Broncos have 1st round tendered Brandon Marshall. I'm beginning to think we'll see another Cutler/Marshall connection here. Marshall really likes Cutler from what I've read in the past. :prays:

Cliff Levingston wrote:If Olsen is requesting a trade, Cliff Levingston doesn't see why Cutler would be upset if we dealt him.

Not only will Olsen be worthless in Martz's system, he's probably not nearly as good as his value right now anyway. It'd be smart to get a 2nd round pick out of him right now if we can regardless of whether or not he fits the system.

Art Vandelay wrote:Can't say I blame Olsen but trading a good pass-catching TE just because of some one-year rental O-coordinator seems stupid.

Chewie wrote:

Art Vandelay wrote:Can't say I blame Olsen but trading a good pass-catching TE just because of some one-year rental O-coordinator seems stupid.

That was initially my thinking but it's difficult to justify redshirting Olsen a year when he's simply going to have no role whatsoever in this offense. And - let's by honest - how special was Olsen last year when he wasn't in Martz's offense? I was expecting soooo much more.

Let's get what we can for Captain America.

kozelkid wrote:Pretty much. Martz or not, I don't think he will ever justify himself as a 1st round pick. He's simply way too soft, even with all his athleticism. If we can get him for a 2nd round pick in a very deep draft, I call it a day and I'll be happy.

Q: All this talk about trading up for draft picks seemed like nothing until I heard about Lovie dining with [South Florida safety] Nate Allen, who likely won't fall lower than the middle of the second round. What kind of trade would the Bears have to make to trade into the top 45? Do you think it would be smart to move up to get one player, particularly at a position of immediate need?

--Chicago Joe

A: It's all about Greg Olsen. The Patriots are in desperate need of a tight end and have three second-round picks. If you were Bill Belichick, would you rather draft a tight end that you hope can play or use a second-round pick to acquire someone who has proved he can play? I think Olsen can be a heck of a player. But the tight end isn't emphasized in Martz's offense, while the safety is critical to the success of Smith's defense. To me, it's a no-brainer. Those who say the Bears shouldn't trade Olsen because Smith and Martz might not be around next season are setting the Bears up to fail. You can't think that way. You have to be all-in. Otherwise, failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.