How the Bears’ trade for D.J. Moore impacts 2023 free agency and NFL Draft plans

The Chicago Bears traded for Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore Friday night in what will go down as one of the biggest blockbuster moves in franchise history.

Chicago dealt the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Panthers for Moore, the No. 9 and No. 61 picks in 2023, Carolina’s first-round pick in 2024, and their second-rounder in 2025.

Job well done, Ryan Poles.

The Bears leveraged the first overall pick in as perfect a way as Bears fans could’ve hoped. Their trade-back still nets a top-10 pick and a future first- and second-round selection, but most importantly, it lands Chicago a legitimate WR1.

Moore, a first-round pick from Maryland in 2018, has been one of the NFL’s most exciting playmakers during his five seasons in the league despite playing with an unstable quarterback situation throughout his career. Somehow, the 6-foot, 210-pound wideout has averaged 73 catches and more than 1,000 receiving yards during his tenure as a Panther.

D.J. Moore: Justin Fields’ new WR1 pic.twitter.com/IL0Lzk27HP

— PFF (@PFF) March 11, 2023

D.J. Moore entered the NFL with an elite profile. He ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the 2018 scouting combine. His vertical jump — 39.5 inches — and broad jump — 11 feet — were indicators that he’d be an explosive weapon in the pros. Now that he’s been freed from the mediocre Panthers offense and paired with the league’s most exciting young quarterback in Justin Fields, his ceiling is near-limitless.

D.J. Moore trade will alter Bears’ offseason plan

Moore takes over as the unquestioned No. 1 target and offensive weapon in the Chicago Bears offense and erases any concern about the lack of weapons Fields has at his disposal in 2023. His addition also changes the course of the rest of the Bears’ offseason, namely free agency and the NFL Draft.

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The 2023 free-agent class of wide receivers is weak. Players like D.J. Chark and Mecole Hardman will be at the top of the market, and they’re secondary or tertiary options in a passing attack, at best. There was a fear among Bears fans that Poles would have to overspend on a middling pass-catcher to give Chicago’s passing game some life. That isn’t the case anymore.

Instead, expect the Chicago Bears to go hard after the top offensive linemen next week, namely Orlando Brown Jr., Mike McGlinchey, Jawaan Taylor, and Kaleb McGary. You can all but write one of those names in pen on the Bears” 2023 depth chart. It’s possible the Bears would’ve signed one of them even before trading for DJ Moore, but now that they don’t have to spend any time recruiting a wide receiver (or paying for one), they can focus all of their attention on the offensive line.

The same approach will occur for the defensive line. Dre’Mont Jones (Broncos) is a fantastic three-technique who, at 26, is still ascending as a player. Javon Hargrave is an established veteran star. Sure, he’s 30, but he has at least a few more top-shelf seasons in his legs, and the Bears may pay up for that.

D.J. Moore gives Bears flexibility in free agency and NFL Draft

The Bears don’t need to worry about adding offensive weapons in free agency. They can be more calculated and focused. And that’s a big win in what will be a sprint to make a first-best offer to the top available veterans.

As for the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s been speculation that Jaxon Smith-Njigba could be a first-round target if the Bears traded out of the No. 1 overall. But now that that trade-out includes Moore, there’s no chance Chicago will double-dip and use a top-10 pick on a pass-catcher.

The ninth overall pick is a sweet spot for offensive linemen in the 2023 draft. The Bears should have their choice of this year’s top prospects if they decide to bolster the line with a rookie. There will be quality edge rushers and interior defenders on the board at that pick as well. Jalen Carter could suffer a draft-day slide, the Bears will stop it at No. 9. And (buckle up, Bears fans), Bijan Robinson — a definite “blue player” in this year’s draft — should be staring Poles in the eyes when he’s on the clock.

Adding D.J. Moore gives Poles and the Chicago Bears even more flexibility than they had at the start of the offseason. He solves their biggest and most glaring need, and all it took to get him was moving back eight spots in the first round.