Sometimes, one move is all you need to see the forest for the trees.
When the Bears traded for Khalil Mack in 2018, it was a not-so-subtle hint at higher ambitions. You only acquire a player like Mack in his prime if you’re thinking Super Bowl, and you're thinking of winning one quite soon.
By that same token, what the Bears—and GM Ryan Poles—did on Thursday signifies a different direction. You only trade a 31-year-old player past his prime, like Mack, if you’re thinking of winning a Super Bowl, but not right away.