Bears

Bears send Robert Quinn to Philadelphia in exchange for fourth-round pick

By John Dietz - Daily Herald Media Group
FILE - Chicago Bears linebacker Robert Quinn reacts during the fourth quarter of against the New York Giants, on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J. The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Quinn from the Bears on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the teams haven’t officially announced the move. Chicago gets a fourth-round pick in return. The NFL Network and ESPN first reported the trade.

Bears linebacker Robert Quinn reacts during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants earlier this season. The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Quinn from the Bears on Wednesday. (John Minchillo/AP)

When a beloved leader like defensive end Robert Quinn gets traded, it can be difficult for all involved.

Rarely does a blockbuster like this break while a teammate is in the middle of a news conference, but that’s exactly what happened to Bears linebacker Roquan Smith at Halas Hall on Wednesday.

When a reporter hit him with the news that Quinn was headed to the Eagles, a rattled Smith said: “Man. Yeah, man. (Stinks).”

Smith attempted to compose himself, pulling his orange T-shirt over his head for a few seconds. The emotions continued though and all a choked-up Smith could add was: “I have a great deal of respect for that guy, you know. Damn. Crazy.”

Then Smith stood up and left the podium.

According to multiple reports, the Bears will receive a fourth-round pick from the Eagles in return. NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo added that the Bears will pick up most of Quinn’s remaining salary.

The deal feels like a win-win for both sides.

The undefeated Eagles, who might be the NFC favorite to reach the Super Bowl, acquire a solid veteran defensive lineman who can wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. That hasn’t been the case for Quinn this year as he has just one sack, nine tackles and three QB hits, but he did set the Bears’ franchise record for most sacks in a season in 2021 with 18.5.

The Eagles have yielded just 14 points per game in their last five contests and have one of the easiest schedules the rest of the way. One of their remaining games is against the Bears, at Soldier Field on Dec. 18.

As for the Bears, GM Ryan Poles acquires some nice draft capital. Fourth-rounders can be a crapshoot, but some solid players have come out of that round. Recent examples include Bears defensive back Eddie Jackson (2017), Lions running back Jamaal Williams (2017), Rams center Brian Allen (2018), Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat (2018), Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (2019), Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis (2020), Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021) and Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (2021).

It will be interesting to see how the Bears’ defense goes forward without Quinn. Coordinator Alan Williams’ unit has already impressed, ranking 12th in yards allowed (330) and yielding just 35 second-half points in seven games.

The 32-year-old Quinn wasn’t contributing much, so perhaps this lights a fire under guys like Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson, Angelo Blackson, Justin Jones and Al-Quadin Muhammad.

Gipson and Robinson could see their snap counts increase the most.

The Bears have just 12 sacks, with seven coming from D-linemen.

Quinn came to the Bears in free agency, inking a five-year, $70 million deal on April 1, 2020.

After missing the season opener, he made an immediate impact by recording a sack/forced fumble during the Bears’ 17-13 Week 2 victory over the Giants. Five weeks later against the Rams, Quinn forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Eddie Jackson.

Quinn, who is tied for 55th all-time in the NFL with 102 sacks, was unhappy after the Bears traded Khalil Mack to the Chargers in March and skipped mandatory OTAs in the spring.

He was on the field from the first day of training camp, however, and vowed to be a team player for as long as he remained in Chicago.

“Whatever building I’m in, the only thing I can do is bring the best version of myself and keep the positive energy around,” Quinn said on July 27. “If you think about all the what-ifs, honestly you’re going to be bringing in some bad energy in the building. I’ve seen it before and it’s not a good thing.

“I’m just trying to walk in with a positive spirit, getting myself prepared for the season as a Chicago Bear.”

Now, Quinn will prepare to fly like an Eagle.

Meanwhile, the Bears will move on.

Will it be difficult for some? Sure. But this should help in the long run — and that’s what matters to Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and the rest of the organization.

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20221026/bears-trade-robert-quinn-to-eagles-for-fourth-round-pick

Chicago BearsRobert QuinnRyan PolesRoquan Smith