3 teams 49ers don’t want to see Julio Jones traded to
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Chicago Bears
Like the 49ers, it’ll take a pipe dream for the Chicago Bears to somehow find a way to trade for Julio Jones.
The Bears are in a far worse cap situation than the Niners, currently boasting just over $200,000 in cap space. But some post-June 1 cuts could potentially free up enough space there to make a would-be trade work. Although Chicago’s own blockbuster trade-up in the 2021 draft cut into its stockpile of picks, meaning the Bears may have to get creative with engineering a move for Jones, likely dipping deep into picks the next two seasons or more. Possibly players, too.
Either way, and call it a hunch, but Chicago could end up turning things around on offense finally after making that move for quarterback Justin Fields, who’ll hopefully get the Bears out of quarterback purgatory.
Over the next five years or so, Fields could possibly turn Chicago into an NFC powerhouse, especially if wide receiver Allen Robinson becomes a Fields go-to weapon.
Tack on Jones, and suddenly the Bears boast an elite-level receiving corps for the foreseeable future with a budding quarterback on the ascent.
If that prompts a shift in the balance of power within the conference, San Francisco would be much happier to see Jones go elsewhere.