Trade History: Bears deals bring several Hall of Famers to the Windy City
George Halas was one of the most polarizing figures of the early NFL. He was a player, coach, general manager and owner of the Chicago Bears, and he was the only person involved with each of the league’s first 60 seasons. Halas was good at wearing down other owners and players to accept deals and contracts, although he was not shy about spending money in the right places. Since he was the owner until his death in 1983, he was responsible for the first seven trades on this list, which brought the Bears six Hall of Fame players and four titles (a fifth would come a little more than two years after Halas died).
One trade that did not make the cut was the Draft-day deal three years ago, in which Chicago sent first-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2017 and a third-rounder in 2018 to San Francisco in order to move up one spot and draft North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky second overall in 2017. The 49ers followed by drafting defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and also took linebacker Fred Warner the following year. San Francisco traded the 2017 third-round pick to New Orleans (running back Alvin Kamara) and the fourth-rounder to Seattle (safety Tedric Thompson).
1. August 16, 1938:
Bears acquired: A first-round pick in the 1939 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh Pirates acquired: WR/End Edgar “Eggs” Manske
The pick the Bears acquired in the trade, Columbia quarterback Sid Luckman, paid immediate dividends, leading Chicago to four championships overall and three in his first four years in the Windy City. In his 12 NFL seasons, Luckman led the league in passing yards and touchdowns three times each, including 1943, when he won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as MVP after totaling 2,194 yards and a career-high 28 scores. The 1965 Hall of Famer was also a five-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. Luckman ranks second in team history with 14,686 yards and 137 touchdowns.
The Pittsburgh Pirates began play in 1933 and were awful for their first seven seasons before changing their name to the Steelers in 1940. Typical of those early Pittsburgh teams, the Pirates had the second pick in the 1939 draft, which they traded to the Bears to acquire Manske in an attempt to bolster their receiving corps. After two solid seasons with the Eagles, Manske had two more decent years with the Bears, but he lasted just six games in Pittsburgh. He was released after the 1938 season and returned to Chicago for two more seasons, retiring after making his lone Pro Bowl in 1940. Manske totaled 70 receptions, 1,467 yards, and 11 touchdowns in six years.
Assessment: This deal is one of the most lopsided in NFL history. Luckman was one of the league’s stars throughout the 1940s, while Manske played just six games in Pittsburgh before returning to Chicago. The entire trade was indicative of the early days of the Steelers franchise. Trading away a top pick for no long-term help is certainly one of the reasons why Pittsburgh made the playoffs just once in its first 37 seasons of existence. BEARS
2. December 11, 1939:
Bears acquired: RB George McAfee
Eagles acquired: T Russ Thompson and T Milt Trost
Luckman was the main reason the Bears became the class of the NFL in the 1940s, but he certainly was not the team’s only star. McAfee was selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick in the 1940 Draft. The speedy Duke graduate was given the nickname “One-Play” by fans and reporters because he was capable of scoring every time he had the ball in his hands. The 1966 Pro Football Hall of Famer was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1941, when he scored five touchdowns. McAfee was a member of three championship teams and totaled 1,685 yards and 21 scores in eight seasons. He would have had more if he hadn’t missed three years while serving in the Navy during World War II.
Chicago had a knack for finding stellar offensive linemen in its early years, with Joe Stydahar and George Connor manning the left tackle position in the 1940s, making Thompson and Trost expendable. Both retired after playing just one season in Philadelphia, with Thompson starting five games and Trost two in 1940.
Assessment: Here is an example of a team trading from a position of strength to improve a weaker part of its roster. McAfee teamed with Luckman and star receiver Ken Kavanaugh to create a formidable offense that won three championships (both McAfee and Kavanaugh missed the fourth title Chicago won during World War II). BEARS
3. July 11, 1955:
Bears acquired: DE Doug Atkins and S Ken Gorgal
Browns acquired: Third- and sixth-round picks in the 1956 NFL Draft
Atkins was another in the long-line of Hall of Famers to don the blue and orange Bears uniform. A first-round pick in the 1953 NFL Draft, Atkins played just 20 games in two seasons with the Browns before the trade. In Chicago, he made eight Pro Bowls in 12 years and was an All-Pro in 1963. Atkins played in two NFL Championship Games with the Bears. He was a reserve in a 47-7 loss to the Giants in 1956 and a starter in a 14-10 win against New York in 1963 that was the team’s last title until Super Bowl XX in 1985. Gorgal had six interceptions in 1955, but feuded with Bears owner George Halas and was released midway through the following season. He signed with the Packers and had two picks before retiring in 1957.
The third-round pick was University of Denver’s end/receiver Larry Ross, who never played in the NFL. Ross was one of the last stars from Denver to be drafted, since the university ended its football program in 1960. The sixth-round pick was Sherman Plunkett, an offensive tackle from Maryland State (now called Maryland-Eastern Shore). He never played for the Browns, instead, he spent two years in the U. S. Army after being drafted in 1956. Following his military service, Plunkett signed with the Colts and won two titles in his first three seasons, including the 1958 title game against the Giants, known as the “Greatest Game Ever Played.” He spent the rest of his career in the AFL, playing two seasons with the Chargers and earning two Pro Bowl selections in five years with the Jets before retiring in 1967.
Assessment: Although Plunkett had a solid professional career, he did not play with the Browns. Atkins was a Hall of Famer who gave Chicago more than a decade of stellar play and appeared in two NFL Championship Games. BEARS
4. December 2, 1963:
Bears acquired: A first-round pick in the 1965 NFL Draft
Steelers acquired: Second- and fourth-rounders in 1964
The Bears certainly seem to get the better of all of these trades, especially the ones with the Pittsburgh franchise. This was just supposed to be a simple deal that gave the Steelers more picks now for a big one later. However, that early draft pick ended up REALLY big. Dick Butkus was a two-time All-American at Illinois, earned Pro Bowl honors in his first eight NFL seasons, and was also a five-time All-Pro. Known for his fierceness and intimidation, Butkus is also Chicago’s all-time leader with 27 fumble recoveries and amassed 22 career interceptions. The 1979 Pro Football Hall of Famer also has his name on the award that has been given to the best linebacker in high school, college and the NFL since 1985.
Pittsburgh’s first pick from this deal was Jim Kelly (no relation to the Bills’ Hall of Fame quarterback), a Notre Dame graduate who converted from wide receiver to tight end in the NFL. He spurned the AFL’s Patriots, who drafted him early in the second round in 1964, but played just one season with the Steelers. Kelly signed with the Eagles, totaling 345 yards and four touchdowns in 1967 before retiring. This fourth-round pick was Jackson State defensive end, Ben McGee. He chose to play with the Steelers instead of the Jets, who drafted him in the fifth round of the AFL Draft. McGee played nine seasons with the Steelers, earning Pro Bowl selections in 1966 and ’68, but retired before Pittsburgh unveiled its “Steel Curtain” defense. His final game was the Steelers’ loss to the perfect Dolphins in the 1972 AFC Championship Game. Once his playing career ended, McGee turned to coaching, and he spent four years leading Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the early 1980s.
Assessment: McGee was a solid player, but Butkus’ hard-nosed style of play made him one of the NFL’s stars during the early Super Bowl era. BEARS
5. May 3, 1977:
Bears acquired: QB Mike Phipps
Browns acquired: A fourth-round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft and a first-round selection in 1978
Phipps was a major piece in another memorable trade, when he went from Miami to Cleveland for Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield. Phipps was inconsistent with the Browns, leading them to a 10-3 record in 1972, but managing just a 24-25-2 mark overall in seven seasons with Cleveland. After the trade to Chicago, he was a reserve for the first two years. Phipps led the Bears to a 9-1 record in 10 starts in 1979, but Chicago lost to Philadelphia in the Division Round. He retired in 1981 after coming off the bench for two more seasons.
The 1977 fourth-round pick was Robert “Mickey” Sims, a defensive tackle from South Carolina State. He played 43 games with the Browns in three seasons before retiring in 1979 to become a park ranger and police officer. Sims died of a heart attack in 2006. His son, Rob Jr., played nine seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks and Lions. Cleveland traded the 1978 first-rounder, enabling the Los Angeles Rams to move up three spots and draft Oklahoma running back Elvis Peacock. In exchange, the Browns received two picks, including fourth-rounder Pete Pullara, a guard from Tennessee-Chattanooga who never played in the NFL. The first-round pick in the deal turned into Alabama tight end Ozzie Newsome, who became a Browns icon. The 1999 Hall of Famer was a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1984.
Assessment: Chicago finally ends up on the wrong end of one of these deals, thanks to Cleveland’s shrewd Draft-day trade. BROWNS
6. April 12, 1978:
Bears acquired: A first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and a player to be named later
Buccaneers acquired: DT Wally Chambers
In the same draft that the Bills acquired the first overall pick from the 49ers for O. J. Simpson, the Bears moved up and took Arkansas defensive lineman Dan Hampton at the fourth spot. Hampton spent 12 seasons in Chicago, starting at both end and tackle on a Bears defense that was one of the best in NFL history. “Danimal” was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1984 when he had a career-high 11½ sacks. Hampton posted a sack and a fumble recovery in the Bears’ 46-10 blowout win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, and his 57 sacks rank third in team history. He retired in 1990 after having undergone ten knee surgeries in his career. Hampton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. The player to be named was tight end Bob Moore, who totaled 114 catches, 1,262 yards and seven touchdowns in eight seasons with the Raiders, Buccaneers, and Broncos. He was cut by Chicago during training came in 1978 and did not have a catch in eight games that year with Denver before retiring.
Chambers was the 1973 Defensive Rookie of the Year, made three Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 1976. After the trade, he started 18 of 28 games with the Buccaneers before he retired in 1979.
Assessment: Chicago got the best years out of Chambers, then traded him and drafted Hampton, who was one of the stars of a Super Bowl-winning defense. BEARS
7. April 28, 1981:
Bears acquired: A second-round pick in the 1981 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: Second- and fifth-round picks in 1981
Speaking of defensive stars in the 1980s, the second-round pick the Bears acquired in this deal became their Super Bowl centerpiece. Linebacker Mike Singletary was a two-time All-American and a two-time Southwest Conference Player of the Year with Baylor. In Chicago, he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year while joining Bill George and Dick Butkus as legendary Bears middle linebackers. “Samurai” went to 10 straight Pro Bowls, earned seven All-Pro selections and was named the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1990. Singletary recovered two fumbles in Super Bowl XX and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
San Francisco used the second-round pick on Missouri cornerback Eric Wright, who played on four Super Bowl winners, starting in two of those victories. He picked off a career-high seven passes in 1983 and earned Pro Bowl selections the following two years. Wright was an All-Pro in 1985, but missed most of the next two seasons with a pulled groin and chipped bone. He returned in a reserve role as San Francisco won two straight titles in Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. The fifth-rounder was Arrington Jones, a running back from Winston-Salem State. Jones had 43 yards on three kickoff returns in his only game with the 49ers in 1981. He signed with the Washington Federals of the United States Football League in 1983, but was cut before the team’s first game. Jones became a college coach in 1986 and most recently served as offensive coordinator at Delaware State.
Assessment: Wright was on his way to becoming a star in San Francisco before his injuries, but Singletary’s presence and production gave Chicago a title and the edge in this trade. BEARS
8. February 18, 1997:
Bears acquired: QB Rick Mirer and a fourth-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft
Seahawks acquired: A first-round pick in 1997
Mirer was a high school All-American and a talented player at Notre Dame who was billed as the “next Joe Montana.” So what did Seattle get out of the second overall pick in 1993? In four seasons, Mirer amassed 9,094 yards, 41 touchdowns, 56 interceptions, and posted a paltry 20-31 record. He lasted just one year in Chicago after the trade, with an 0-3 record and six picks and no touchdowns. Mirer lost his starting job to Erik Kramer and was released after the 1997 season. He played one year with the Jets and two each with the 49ers and Raiders before he retired in 2004. The fourth-round pick was Northwestern running back Darnell Autry, who finished fourth in the 1995 Heisman Trophy voting (won by Ohio State running back and future Tennessee Titans star Eddie George). Autry had 319 yards and one touchdown in 1997 with the Bears, but he did not play again until 2000, when he signed with the Eagles and totaled 609 yards and four scores in his final season.
The Seahawks sent the acquired pick (which became Nebraska cornerback Michael Booker) along with three others to the Falcons for the two draft choices. Shawn Springs was an All-American cornerback with Ohio State in 1996. The third overall pick in 1997, Springs had 20 interceptions in seven years with Seattle, including seven in 1998, when he made his only Pro Bowl. Springs signed with the Redskins in 2004 and had 12 picks in five years with Washington. He spent one final year with New England before retiring in 2009. The second pick acquired from Atlanta was sent to Tampa Bay in a deal that included the pick that became Warrick Dunn in exchange for the sixth overall selection in 1997. With that pick, Seattle took Florida State tackle Walter Jones, who was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro. He started 10 playoff games, including a loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Jones was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Assessment: No matter what player Seattle got, they would have won this trade. Selecting a solid starting cornerback AND a Hall of Fame lineman that helped the team reach a Super Bowl turned out to be a wise use of resources. SEAHAWKS
9. April 17, 1999:
Bears acquired: First-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in the 1999 NFL Draft and a third-rounder in 2000
Redskins acquired: A first-round pick in 1999
You would think that at least one of the five players Chicago acquired in this deal would have been a solid NFL performer, but that wasn’t the case. The Bears’ first pick was Cade McNown, a 1998 All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist in 1998. However, he never was able to get on track in the NFL, posting a 3-12 record in two seasons. His poor play and attitude caused him to be traded to the Dolphins in 2001 and then to the 49ers the following year, but he did not appear in a game for either team and retired in 2003. The 12th spot where McCown was selected originally belonged to the Saints, but was one of eight picks New Orleans sent to Washington in order to move up and draft Texas running back (and ’98 Heisman winner), Ricky Williams. The third-rounder also came from the Saints deal and was used on D’Wayne Bates, a star wide receiver at Northwestern. Bates is still the Wildcats’ all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, but he started just two games in three seasons with the Bears. He had one good season with the Vikings in 2002, but was out of the NFL two years later.
Chicago selected Texas A&M linebacker Warrick Holdman in the fourth round. Holdman had 3½ sacks and 351 tackles in five seasons with the Bears, then spent one year with the Browns and two with the Redskins. He signed with the Broncos in 2008, but did not appear in a game with Denver and retired the following year. The fifth-round selection was Jerry Wisne, a high school All-American at offensive tackle who played in college at Notre Dame. Wisne appeared in seven games with the Bears as a rookie, but was relegated to the team’s practice squad the following season. After a year on Minnesota’s practice squad, he signed with Green Bay and played two games in 2002. He retired after failing to appear in a game with the Packers the next season. The third-rounder in 2000 was Dustin Lyman, a linebacker at Wake Forest who converted to tight in the NFL. Lyman had just 37 catches and three touchdowns in five seasons with the Bears before retiring in 2004. He became a business executive after his playing career, eventually rising to CEO of the Famous Brands International food company in 2016.
The Redskins used the seventh overall pick to select Roland “Champ” Bailey, who was a 1998 All-American at cornerback with Georgia. He spent his first five seasons in Washington, amassing 18 interceptions while earning All-Rookie Team honors and four Pro Bowl selections. In 2004, Bailey was traded to Denver along with a draft pick for another star in running back Clinton Portis.
Assessment: As stated at the beginning of this breakdown, none of the five Bears acquisitions amounted to much in the NFL, while Bailey earned four Pro Bowl nods and was on his way to a Hall of Fame career. REDSKINS
10. September 1, 2018:
Bears acquired: LB Khalil Mack along with second- and seventh-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft
Raiders acquired: First- and sixth-round picks in 2019 and first- and third-round picks in 2020
Although several of the players in this trade have not played a game yet in the NFL, Mack has been a star in two seasons with the Bears. Oakland traded him to cut salary, and Mack has been to a pair of Pro Bowls with Chicago and was named an All-Pro in 2019 after posting 12½ sacks. He also has made 94 tackles and forced 11 fumbles the past two years. The Bears may have found another gem in former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, who was taken in the second round in this year’s draft. The only issue with Kmet is a broken collarbone that caused him to miss three games as a junior in 2019. The seventh-round pick was Arlington Hambright, an offensive tackle from Colorado.
Mack is a fantastic player, but he Raiders by no means got fleeced by this deal. The 2019 first-rounder was running back Josh Jacobs, who was part of Alabama’s National Championship team in 2017. Jacobs made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team last season after leading all first-year players with 1,150 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. The sixth-round pick was part of a complicated web of trades in the 2019 Draft that included separate deals with six other teams. In the end, Oakland ended up with the following players: Second-rounder Trayvon Mullen, a two-time National Champion with Clemson who started 10 games for the Raiders at cornerback in 2019; fourth-round pick Isaiah Johnson, a University of Houston product who played five games as a reserve safety; another fourth-rounder, former LSU tight end Foster Moreau, who had 21 catches and five touchdowns as a rookie; fifth-round pick Hunter Renfrow was a teammate of Mullen’s with Clemson and ranked third in the Raiders with 605 yards and four scores in 2019; finally, seventh-rounder Quinton Bell was a defensive end from Prairie View A&M who was cut in training camp and spent the season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. The 2020 picks were Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette, who was taken in the first round and third-rounder Bryan Edwards, a wideout who holds South Carolina records for catches and receiving yards.
Assessment: Five years from now, this trade assessment could look quite a bit different, since most of these players are still being evaluated based on potential, rather than production. Jacobs and Renfrow could be stars in the making and will definitely lead the youth movement in Las Vegas, but Mack is the only fully proven commodity so far in this trade, giving Chicago the edge. BEARS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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