{"id":862762,"date":"2026-04-10T02:15:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862762\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T02:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:15:22","slug":"bears-proposed-to-add-clevelands-five-time-pro-bowler-to-cornerback-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/862762\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears Proposed to Add Cleveland’s Five-Time Pro Bowler to Cornerback Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Bears<\/a>\u2018 defense took a step forward in 2025 under former New Orleans Saints<\/a> head coach Dennis Allen.<\/p>\n

However, the team still ranked 29th in total defense in the regular season, behind only the Cowboys, Commanders and Bengals.<\/p>\n

The Bears have already taken steps to address the personnel quality on that side of the ball, adding safeties Cam Lewis<\/a> and Coby Bryant<\/a> from the Bills and Seahawks, alongside former first round linebacker Devin Bush<\/a> \u2013 who received a three year $30 million payday after a breakout season in Cleveland last year.<\/p>\n

However, the cornerback room still needs work after former starting outside cornerback Nahshon Wright<\/a> left for the New York Jets<\/a> in free agency. So, according to Ralph Vacchiano the Bears should look to make a trade for one of the more individually decorated corners in the game in the Cleveland Browns<\/a>\u2018 Denzel Ward<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bears Encouraged to Move for Denzel Ward<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need help all over their defense, including at edge rusher.\u201d Vacchiano wrote<\/a> on April 8.<\/p>\n

Vacchiano notes that Chicago acquiring Ward could be mutually beneficial given the Browns\u2019 difficult financial situation and the Bears\u2019 need to upgrade the position.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut upgrading at cornerback might be their biggest priority. Ward is a five-time Pro Bowler who is still only 29, and the Browns would be smart to dump the remaining two years on his contract to free up some salary cap space. Ward could either be the Bears\u2019 third corner or step in for the erratic Tyrique Stevenson<\/a>. It would also free up the Bears to target a defensive lineman early in the draft. And with two second-round picks, they\u2019ve got the Day 2 ammunition to get him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaylon Johnson<\/a> and Kyler Gordon<\/a> remain mainstays at the position when healthy, but Tyrique Stevenson has not quite turned into the player that some thought he could be when he was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

A disastrous breakdown in concentration on the final play of the game allowed the Commanders a spectacular Hail Mary win back in 2024, and Stevenson has seemed to live in the shadow of that play ever since, despite a promising rookie season the year prior.<\/p>\n

Ward would theoretically slot right in next to Gordon and Johnson to create what could become one of the more potent cornerback trios in the league.<\/p>\n

Would the Bears Give Up a Third Round Pick For Ward?<\/p>\n

Ward was the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft back in 2018, and has very much lived up to his potential since entering the league, managing five Pro Bowls and one All-Rookie nod \u2013 although perhaps notably he has never been selected to an All-Pro team, neither first nor second.<\/p>\n

Despite garnering some less-than-desired reviews from Pro Football Focus, which donned him just a 59.7 grade for his work in 2025, many still regard him as a phenomenal player<\/a>, including the Pro Bowl voters who gave him his fifth nod this past year.<\/p>\n

Although this draft class is one of the stronger cornerback classes in a while, given that Chicago has two second round picks and a win-now mindset, giving up something in the range of a third could be a prudent move in the hope of taking advantage of quarterback Caleb Williams<\/a>\u2018 cheap rookie deal.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tDaniel Arwas<\/a> Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com.\u00a0Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics\u00a0and\u00a0The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Bears\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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