5 Bears who could be traded before Ryan Poles makes his final roster cuts

That's where trades can enter the equation.

Rather than simply releasing a player who might attract interest elsewhere, Poles can spend the next several days exploring whether another team is willing to surrender a late-round pick for them.

The Bears don't have an obvious blockbuster candidate. What they do have is quality depth at a few positions and several players with enough NFL experience or pedigree to potentially generate modest trade interest.

Here are five Bears who make the most sense as trade candidates entering the final week of the preseason.

1. Kiran Amegadjie, OT

No Bears player fits the preseason-trade profile better than Kiran Amegadjie.

Chicago selected Amegadjie with the 75th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he entered training camp as one of the legitimate candidates to start at left tackle. Unfortunately, that competition hasn't gone according to plan.

Amegadjie started the preseason opener against Cleveland and split the workload fairly evenly with Jedrick Wills Jr. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor acknowledged afterward that neither player had been perfect and that the competition remained open.

Then Braxton Jones came back.

Jones returned to first-team left tackle work, Theo Benedet moved up with the second unit, and Amegadjie and Wills shifted to the right side. Ozzy Trapilo's surprisingly fast return from his patellar tendon injury has only made Chicago's tackle room more crowded.

Amegadjie is still only 24, has legitimate physical tools, and carries the pedigree of a former third-round pick. That's exactly the type of player another offensive line coach might believe he can develop.

The Bears wouldn't get anything close to their original investment back. But if Amegadjie is no longer among Chicago's best eight or nine offensive linemen, turning him into a future late-Day 3 selection would be better than simply exposing him to waivers.

2. Jedrick Wills Jr., OT

Wills belongs in the same conversation as Amegadjie.

The Bears signed the former Browns first-round pick to a one-year contract in March, giving him an opportunity to compete for the vacancy at left tackle. He hasn't won it. Not even close, actually.

Wills split preseason-opening snaps with Amegadjie and has slowly dropped down the depth chart since. The Bears' latest official depth chart still groups Jones, Wills, Amegadjie and Trapilo at left tackle, but the practice rotation has increasingly pointed toward Jones and Benedet as the preferred options.

Wills' trade market wouldn't be substantial. But offensive tackle is one of those positions where teams become desperate.

One injury elsewhere around the league could suddenly make an experienced tackle with 60 career NFL starts considerably more attractive. If the Bears determine Benedet and Trapilo give them sufficient tackle depth behind Jones and Darnell Wright, Wills could become expendable.

3. Roschon Johnson, RB

Roschon Johnson has done nothing to warrant being dumped. In fact, Ben Johnson praised him after the Cincinnati game for his recent work on special teams and suggested he may have successfully stacked strong performances.

Chicago's running back situation starts with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Salvon Ahmed has also made a strong case for a roster spot throughout the preseason.

If the Bears only want three running backs, Poles could dangle Roschon to running back-needy teams.

There is also a strong argument for simply keeping Roschon. His special-teams ability is exactly what Ben Johnson wants from a reserve running back, and Monangai's hyperextended knee makes trading away power-running depth riskier than it otherwise would be.

But if another team loses a running back this week and comes calling, Poles should at least listen.

4. Maurice Alexander, WR

Alexander was arguably Chicago's most productive offensive player against Cincinnati, catching all five of his targets for 60 yards. But the Bears simply have too many receivers and not enough roster spots.

Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are locks. Kalif Raymond has a defined role. Zavion Thomas was drafted this year. Jahdae Walker has been part of the Bears' plans, while Kaden Davis has emerged as one of the biggest stories of training camp.

Chicago's unofficial depth chart shows just how crowded the position has become, with Alexander competing alongside Davis, JP Richardson, Scotty Miller, Ray-Ray McCloud III and others for the remaining opportunities.

The question is whether Alexander has enough trade value to avoid simply becoming a cut. In all likelihood, his market wouldn't be hot.

But productive preseason receivers occasionally become attractive to teams dealing with injuries or dissatisfied with the bottom of their own depth charts. Alexander also has NFL return experience, which could make him more useful to another team.

5. A Bears defensive lineman

This position group is the wild card.

The Bears entered training camp with defensive line depth as a concern. Something unexpected has happened since: Jordan van den Berg and Jamree Kromah have made the roster math much more complicated.

Van den Berg has been one of Chicago's most impressive young defenders. Kromah erupted in the preseason opener and continued helping his roster case against Cincinnati. The Bears recently added veteran Marcus Davenport, too.

The list of names along the Bears' defensive front is long: Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, Daniel Hardy, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, James Lynch and others.

There simply isn't room for everyone.

Kentavius Street or James Lynch would be names to watch if Chicago believes it has more defensive linemen worth keeping than roster spots available. Again, the return would be very light: a conditional late-round pick in a down-the-road draft class.

Still, getting something is better than getting nothing.

Don't expect a major return in a Bears preseason trade

If the Bears make a trade this week, they probably aren't adding a premium draft pick. And I don't see any way Poles swings for a home run and lands dude like Maxx Crosby.

Players on the edge of 53-man rosters don't usually command substantial compensation because every NFL general manager knows cuts are coming. Why give up a fifth-round pick for someone who might be available for nothing days later?

The value comes when multiple teams might want the same player, when waiver priority becomes an issue, or when a club has an immediate need it doesn't want to leave unresolved. That's why Amegadjie is the most intriguing name.

He's young, plays a premium position, and has Day 2 draft pedigree. There are enough developmental traits there for another organization to believe a change of scenery could unlock something.

Ben Johnson said the Bears aren't simply trying to identify their best 53 players. They're looking at the best 69, knowing the practice squad will inevitably be needed during a 17-game season.

The next few days are about deciding which players belong in that group. For anyone who doesn't, Poles should find out whether another NFL team is willing to give the Bears something before they're forced to give that player away for nothing.