The Chicago Bears are in a less-than-ideal situation to protect their quarterback in Week 3 and beyond.
Second-round pick Teven Jenkins went on the injured reserve prior to the start of the season, and Larry Borom joined him there on Saturday.
That leaves Jason Peters, who has been through injuries in the last few years, as the top left tackle option to protect Andy Dalton, who is also hurt, or Justin Fields.
For Chicago to put a good offensive product on the field, it needs to explore the trade market for a younger offensive lineman who could help with protection issues.
Offensive line should be the Bears' top focus on the trade market, but they could also look to upgrade the targets for Dalton and Fields by targeting veterans on struggling teams.
Andre Dillard
The potential offensive line targets on the trade market are not the best, but there are some players who could be better suited to play left tackle than Peters right now.
Andre Dillard was supposed to be Peters' successor in Philadelphia, but the 2019 first-round pick was sidelined by injuries in his first two seasons.
The 25-year-old lost out on the left tackle spot in training camp to Jordan Mailata and is being used as a reserve at the moment.
Chicago could present Dillard with one of the few chances to start in the NFL right now, but the Bears have to weigh the risk of bringing him in.
Although the Washington State product may be available, he is still an unproven player and that could be a detriment to Fields if he takes over the quarterback job for good at some point this season.
The argument in favor of trading for Dillard is that he brings more mobility to the field than Peters and he could be worth the risk because is a former first-round selection.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
The rearrangement of Kansas City's offensive line left Laurent Duvernay-Tardif on the second level of the depth chart.
Since the Chiefs are committed to their revamped unit, they could look to get something for the 30-year-old on the trade market.
Duvernay-Tardif spent all of his career as an offensive guard, so he would not be a direct solution to Chicago's struggles at left tackle. If he is one of the best offensive linemen available, it could rework its offensive line to fit him in and give its quarterback more protection.
The Canadian may come at a cheaper price than Dillard because he is not a 25-year-old former first-rounder.
Chicago may only need a third-day draft pick to acquire Duvernay-Tardif in an attempt to bolster its interior protection.
Keelan Cole
The Bears have a steep dropoff from their top two wide receivers to the rest of the players at the position.
Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney will dominate the targets from Dalton or Fields, but the Bears could use some more depth beneath them.
Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd combined for eight catches and 74 receiving yards in the first two weeks.
Tight end Cole Kmet and the running back duo of David Montgomery and Damien Williams have more targets than Goodwin and Byrd.
If the New York Jets continue to struggle, a few of their veteran wide receivers might be available on the trade market.
Keelan Cole was a solid secondary piece to the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver corps over four seasons. He averaged 14.1 yards per catch and hauled in 12 touchdown catches.
At best, the 28-year-old will be the No. 3 wide receiver on the Jets depth chart behind Corey Davis and Braxton Berrios. He could dip even further if rookie Elijah Moore plays well.
The production of the other Jets wideouts could make Cole an expendable piece who the AFC East side trades away for a third-day draft pick.
Cole would not put up massive numbers in Chicago, but he could be a nice player to provide support to Robinson and Mooney in the passing game.
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