Chicago moved from No. 11 to No. 9 for Leonard Floyd, sending…
Chicago moved from No. 11 to No. 9 for Leonard Floyd, sending Tampa Bay a fourth-round pick in the process. Floyd became a four-year Bears starter and produced 18.5 sacks before leaving in 2020. Tampa Bay selected Vernon Hargreaves at No. 11, but injuries and inconsistent play led to his release during the 2019 season. The Bears won the exchange, though Floyd's Chicago tenure was solid rather than franchise-changing.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 2016 1st round pick (9th overall, Leonard Floyd)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 2016 1st round pick (11th overall, Vernon Hargreaves)
- pick 2016 4th round pick (106th overall subsequently traded, Eric Murray )
Trade Analysis
Chicago traded up only two spots because it wanted to secure Georgia edge rusher Leonard Floyd before another team could take him. The Bears sent pick No. 11 and a fourth-round selection to Tampa Bay for pick No. 9. Floyd immediately entered the starting lineup and recorded seven sacks as a rookie, showing the speed and range that had made him a top-ten target.
His Bears career was useful but uneven. Floyd started 54 regular-season games over four seasons and totaled 18.5 sacks for Chicago. He contributed to the dominant 2018 defense, including an interception returned for a touchdown, but his pass-rush production never developed to the level expected from a top-ten selection. Chicago exercised his fifth-year option and then released him before the 2020 season. His later success with the Rams does not belong to the Bears' side of this trade.
Tampa Bay's move down created extra capital and still kept the Buccaneers in range for a player they wanted. They selected Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves at No. 11. Hargreaves started early in his career but battled injuries and inconsistency, and Tampa Bay waived him in November 2019 before he finished his fourth season. The fourth-round pick acquired from Chicago was moved again, so it did not produce a direct Buccaneers cornerstone that offsets Hargreaves' disappointing tenure.
The Bears therefore received the better player from the transaction, but the original A versus D+ spread overstated how transformative Floyd was in Chicago. He was a dependable starter with flashes rather than a dominant long-term star.
Chicago earns a B for four seasons of starting edge play and meaningful contributions to an elite defense. Tampa Bay remains at D+ because Hargreaves did not establish himself and the added draft capital failed to create enough direct value to swing the result.