Bears ship D.J. Moore to Bills for significant draft capital and cap relief, reshaping their roster and future plans.
The Chicago Bears made a massive trade on Thursday, sending receiver D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
Moore was sent to Chicago in that trade with the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bears sent the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers that year and received Moore, the No. 9 overall pick, and No. 61 overall for 2023, No. 1 overall pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025.
The receiver got off to a hot start during his first season with the Bears. He finished with 1,364 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2023. What was even more impressive was that Justin Fields was his quarterback at the time.
Moore nearly broke the 1,000-yard mark again in 2024, but ended with 966 receiving yards. In his last season in Chicago, he had 682 receiving yards.
The trade details were released shortly after the trade itself was announced, via ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Bills are getting Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Bears. The Bears are receiving a 2026 second-round pick from the Bills in exchange.
The actual pick that the Bears are getting is No. 60 overall. This means that Chicago now has the No. 25, No. 57 and No. 60 overall picks. This is great news, considering the players Chicago picked in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears selected Luther Burden and Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of last year's draft, both of whom had starting roles with the team last season.
Along with the solid draft compensation the Bears received, the trade also helps the team with cap space. With Moore's contract now off the books, the Bears have freed up $16.5 million in cap space. (Via Over The Cap)
The Bears now have roughly $20 million in cap space to spend in free agency, which starts next week on March 13.
The team could free up even more space if it finds a trade for linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds could be another high-value trade target for the Bears after recording 112 total tackles, four interceptions, one sack, one fumble recovery and three TFLs.
If the Bears trade or release Edmunds, it would give them another $15 million in cap space.
After the Moore trade, the reality is that this most likely won't be the last trade that the Bears do before free agency starts. Expect more players to exit the franchise via trade before it's all said and done.