The 2026 NFL trade deadline is still five days away, but the Chicago Bears already got on the board last week with a blockbuster trade for Jeffery Simmons. They sent two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for the superstar defensive tackle, along with a Day 3 pick swap, and it already paid dividends with Simmons' impressive debut with the Bears on Monday.

That trade was the biggest swing the Bears have taken since 2018, but ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes they have one more hole to fill. In a Thursday morning article examining 18 contenders ahead of the trade deadline, Barnwell lumped the Bears in his "Should be Selectively Adding" group and rightly identifies the cornerback room as the team's biggest liability.

To that end, Barnwell provides two options for the Bears. On one hand, they could swing a 'luxury' trade for the expensive Alontae Taylor, who flourished under Dennis Allen in New Orleans but has wildly underperformed in Tennessee. On the other, they could opt for a reunion with Nahshon Wright, who has not seen a single defensive snap for the New York Jets this season after signing a one-year contract with them.

Alontae Taylor and Nahshon Wright both come with baggage

Taylor would likely be a good addition for the Bears' secondary, and would certainly be a step up from Jaylon Johnon or Tyrique Stevenson. And his familiarity with Dennis Allen is a good sweetener. However, his contract is one of the worst in the NFL, and the Bears would be on the hook for $21 million in 2027, according to Barnwell. They would basically be swapping one bloated cornerback contract for another.

As for Wright, it has to be pointed out how badly he struggled last year. Yes, he led the league in takeaways, and Bears fans will always be greatful for that. But takeaways tend to flux quite a bit from year to year; just ask Kevin Byard III in New England, who only has one pick a year after leading the league with seven.

The truth is that Wright's Pro Bowl honors last year were mostly smoke and mirrors as he struggled badly when he wasn't getting takeaways, and he almost certainly would not replicate last year's performance in that regard. When he wasn't taking the ball away, Wright was getting burned in coverage at an alarming rate. Plus, if even the Jets can't see any use for him on defense, why should the Bears expect any different?

The Bears should take Door #3 in a cornerback trade

Luckily for the Bears, these are not their only two options for addressing the weakness in their cornerback room. They could, and in my opinion should, swing a trade for Riq Woolen. When I wrote last week that the Bears should make one more trade before the deadline, Woolen was who I had in mind as a good-not-great option.

Compared to Taylor and Wright, Woolen is a good compromise. His contract is not nearly as bad as Taylor's, and a trade for Woolen would likely be cheap on draft capital, too. But he also offers considerably more upside than Wright.

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