Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Dan Wiederer reacts to Bears' trade of DJ Moore & we take calls (Hour 3)

Episode Date: March 5, 2026

In the third hour, Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote were joined by Dan Wiederer of The Athletic to break down the Bears’ trade of receiver DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for a second-round pick. Wiederer also reflected on Moore’s legacy with the Bears. Later, Rahimi and Grote took more calls from Score listeners.

How gratifying is it when you win that battle and get the football thrown to you? What? Does it please you? I mean, is that some spot, dude? It doesn't please me, but it's good to see. Good to hear him out there doing that. And that means he's doing growth. Oh, man, now we won't have any more awkward moments between Dan Weiderer, Mark Grody, and DJ Moore.

That's the greatest hits album right there. There's more than that, too. Is there? Well, I mean, just there's a DJ more lifetime of interesting back and forth between myself and DJ or weedsy and DJ. He's an interesting character. Dan and I talk a lot about him on and off the air, just the sort of care. I don't even know if character is the right word, an interesting individual who was a good Chicago bear. He was a good Chicago bear.

And now he is set to be traded. We got the information not just from Adam Schaefter, but the details from Tom Schaefter, but the details from Tom Pelliserro. The Bears will receive a 2026 second round pick. DJ Moore in a 2026 this year, fifth round pick. Go to the Bills. And that is the exchange. We bring in Dan Weirer, the partner of the Take the North podcast with Mark.

He's a senior writer for the athletic covering the bears on our hotline here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. Dan, what is your initial reaction to this? Yeah, man, it's been a busy week here for the Chicago Bears. And I had the sense coming out of the combine that their headlines in the short term were going to be more subtractions than additions. We've had two big subtractions from the Bears' offense here in the last 48 hours. Eventually they're going to start trying to fill those holes and trying to figure out how to solidify a championship contending roster. It felt like this was kind of the momentum that was building in terms of DJ's exit. And I think that the return that the Bears got back should make them feel pretty encouraged,

because now they will have four picks in the top 90 to go make some hay in the draft. Yeah, I love the idea of the Bears getting a second round pick. The initial thought was a mid-round pick, so I was thinking it was going to be a third or a fourth, which I guess you could have lived with, but a second-round pick feels really good. It's interesting, Dan, because you and Kevin Fishbane, we had just been talking about your article where you guys had cited sources from personnel, people from the Combine. Kind of, kind of going to the good and the bad of DJ Moore, making some massive catches, but also it was not a productive year relative to what DJ Moore usually does,

and the chemistry has always been just, I guess, spotty with Caleb Williams. Yeah, it was going back to the week in London, where DJ had kind of brought up the word bossy, if you remember. Yeah. You remember that. Sure. And it was that was sort of the first sign that, like, these guys weren't able to get on the exact same page

as consistently as everyone would have liked them to. And so it just, for whatever reason, didn't. click. You know, DJ's got a different kind of style as a player. Obviously, I think the Bears probably assessed the lack of click there in making the decision that they made here. And now, again, like, this is a move that is going to up the pressure on Roma Junzee, right? Like, this is a guy that you drafted in the top 10. Well, now you've got to become a top 10 pick, you know, in season three in the NFL, like, you've got to become the guy for this offense. Coastal level will be part of that mix as well, obviously, Luther Burton as well. So you,

you do have ways to offset the loss of DJ more. But, you know, it's really hard to subtract really good football players from your team and feel great about it. And so over the last couple days, the bears have had to do that. And now, like I said, they've got, you know, six weeks here. And obviously the next week with some very intense decisions ahead to try to figure out what routes they want to take to build this thing up. Dan, given that this news happened within, you know, a couple days of the Drew Dalman news, When you consider that part of it, how much do you think, if any, that had a factor in the bears needing to move at the time their highest paid player? Yeah, I don't think the two are connected.

Like, I think the DJ decision was kind of, like I say, the momentum had kind of been building in that direction. The wind was blowing that way for a little bit. And they're probably two independent things. But again, these are two really good players, right? It's a Pro Bowl center and a receiver who's threatened to 1,200 yards a bunch of times. in his career. I do think it's notable that the new bills coach, Joe Brady, was the offensive coordinator in Carolina for two years when DJ was really ascending. And so, like, you know that that's some informed insight coming from Buffalo and saying,

okay, like, with what we're trying to do here now in our next phase and trying to get Josh Allen to a Super Bowl, we feel like this can come in and work with what we're having to do. And so it's not a sort of leap of blind faith by the bill. They've got experience with Joe Brady and DJ Moore. So that part of the storyline is interesting as well. Well, and some of the other reports that have popped up, and it's all just happening right now. Fluid, and Layla and I have been bringing. Fluid as fluid as the word of the off season so far, and one of them indicated, look, the bears may not be done making trades.

When you hear that, what do you think? Stay nearby, you know, like don't take a breath. Don't go to the bathroom. Don't try to swing out for lunch or anything. You know, just be ready to react because this is that part of March that's really become the NFL's version of March Madness. The new league year and the official opening of free agency isn't until next week. But we've seen this over the last several years,

that the week before the new league year opens is when a lot of these trades start to work. And so, yeah, again, stand by. I think what you, Grady, I think the one thing that you really take note of, and really it kind of corresponds with Ben Johnson's arrival, is it the bears are going to be aggressive, right? Like they're going to know what they want, and they're going to go after what they want. And so we'll see what the next step of that is.

I don't know, you know, what the next move might be. Wouldn't dare to speculate here on these airwaves right now. But I would imagine that their plans are starting to go in domino order here. We're talking to Dan Weider, the senior writer for The Athletic covering the Bears. He is also the co-host of the Take the North podcast ahead of this DJ Moore News when it comes to DJ going to the Buffalo. low bills. That is not finalized or can't be finalized until the league year begins. I know that that is an important note, just the fact that it can't be official until then, but since there seems to be a deal in place, as you understand it, does that mean the

bears are going to move forward, just assuming that that's the case, trying to get other things in place? I don't think that there's going to be anything in a DJ more physical that would raise any red flags as a guy who plays all the time and it takes really good care of himself and gets himself back on the field. And so really it is just a formality in terms of when the calendar flips over for the NFL, and that will be next Wednesday that this will be officially announced. But yeah, I think you move forward with the sense that DJ's gone, and now it's about, you know, what's the area that we want to address next? And as we know, there's two starting jobs open on the offensive line. There's a safety room that's completely vacant right now. There's a

edge-rushing room that probably needs a little bit of help. So the bears are going to have to start to go through their process now of attacking what they need to get. Man, what do you think specifically about the Max Crosby possibilities to the Bears? Are you hearing anything differently? Does that make sense more now than maybe it did yesterday? Nothing new on that front. I mean, I think, again, the Bears are not the only team involved in sort of kicking around on that. And so it really, you know, the Raiders have control of this until they don't.

They've got the control of what the asking price is. The Bears have made it very clear, really through Ryan Poles' entire time as general manager that they set parameters. And when things get outside those parameters, you have to have the discipline to say thanks, but no thanks. And so, like, that's going to be a fluid situation as the Raiders try to get the best possible deal for themselves, or if they don't find one that they like, they've got Max Crosby under contract through 2009.

so they can just stand pat and try to make it work with him. That's been done before with other players in the past. And so, yeah, I would say it's fluid. But you do pick up a draft pick. You do pick up cap space from this DJ Moore trade. And so, like, if that is really something that you feel like is going to be an engine of helping you try to go chase the Super Bowl and you're able to create the resources to go make it happen, then you got to consider it. But again, I think those parameters that they've set that we're not privy to at this point will be key in that entire discussion.

Dan, also, a lot of people bringing this up on our Twitch chat and on our text line, and it is valid. We still don't necessarily know if the Bears are completely cut off from receiving compensatory picks from the NFL for Ian Cunningham's movement. Is there still a chance that that would factor in? Because if so, this draft looks a whole lot better for the Bears than initially thought of. And I know that league year begins next week. Right. And because we haven't heard anything on that, I'm operating under the, the assumption that it's not happening, right?

Like, you know, the teams need to know what their draft board looks like when they're doing business like the Bears are doing right now and with a trade like this. And so you would assume that if they were going to get those picks, that there would have been some sort of formal announcement by now, the board gets set in stone and it's cemented next week when that new league year begins. So I guess there's a small window here where something could change. But I have heard nothing other than a little bit of hope

in the tone of Ryan Poles' voice last week that something would, would happen in that regard. So I'm just under the assumption that it's not going to. Weedsie, just reflecting a little bit on DJ Moore's time here with the Chicago Bears. I was going through the list of all-time bears wide receivers. He's at right now, according to Pro Football Reference, he is at number 17 all-time, just ahead of the great Wendell Davis and Cole Comet and Dennis McKinnon, who was at number 20 on that list. You and I had many conversations together with DJ Moore. We talk about him off the air.

he's an interesting character, kind of unflappable. Your thoughts on DJ more as a bear, maybe on the field and even as a personality in that locker room. Yeah, well, unique personality, and you and I have experienced it up close and personal more than once, and obviously score listeners have as well with DJ joining the morning show for a stretch of time there as well. You know, easy to talk to. You know, you didn't always know where the conversation was going to go, but he wasn't the guy that you were like, oh, man, this. This is dreadful to go have, you know, an audience with DJ for a little bit.

So it was always fun to kind of pick his brain and then just sort of bugger yourself into that roller coaster. When DJ was part of that trade, less than three years ago with Carolina, you guys all remember where you were when that Blockbuster broke, you know, there was a sense that, oh, wow, the bears are getting a proven receiver, you know, the likes of which other than Brandon Marshall that this organization hadn't really seen. And his first couple of years here, he really produced to that level, and you felt really good about it. I mean, you think back to his first preseason game at Soldier Field and, you know,

taking a short pass and turning into a big touchdown. And then obviously the iconic moment of the walkoff touchdown against Green Bay will live forever in Chicago, and people will never forget that moment or the feeling of that moment. And so those things will live on in DJ's legacy as a bear. But, you know, it's like all these things in the NFL, life comes at you fast. And I don't think that anybody would have thought that this run with DJ would have ended in this way, this quickly, and yet here he is moving on to his third team in Buffalo, and hopefully for his sake, pursuing a chance to go try to help that team to a Super Bowl. There's also this note from

Adam Schefter that has come across. As part of today's trade, Buffalo will be guaranteeing $15.5 million of DJ Moore's 2028 base salary per his agent's Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey. Moore's 2026 salary is fully guaranteed and his 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed. it next week. Yeah. Does that affect your thought process on this at all? How does that shake out for the bills? No.

Like, that was always going to be sort of a two-year investment that whoever was trading for DJ was going to make, right? And so it's essentially a two-year $40 million dice roll to try to make him be a cornerstone of who you are offensively. I'm still sifting through some of the deadcap ramifications for the bears just based on the extension that they gave him during training camp a couple years ago. and what that means. Like DJ had a $28.5 million salary cap hit if he remained on the Bears for

2026, but they don't get all 28.5 million of that back because of some of the dead cap ramifications. And so it's going to be interesting as the day goes on to just kind of sort through those numbers and figure out what the current cap situation looks like with the additional 10 coming from the Dalman retirement and trying to piece together what this looks like as they go into the new league year next year trying to figure out what games they can play in and what they can't play in based on where their salary. Hillary Keth situation is.

Dan Weider, I know you've got to go. Thank you so much for joining the show and adding some much-needed understanding and perspective. You guys are the best. Enjoy the day. And then maybe you'll have some more breaking news before your shows up. Whoa. Okay.

Okay. That's good to know. Dan, thank you for that nugget. That's Dan Weider, Mark's co-host on Take the North. It's a fluid situation. I mean, it is. I mean, everything is floating about. So why not?

Why not more? This is from Jane Slater, the NFL Network reporter, covering the Cowboys. If you recall, the Cowboys were mentioned as part of the Max Crosby discussion by Brad Biggs yesterday. On Max Crosby and the Cowboys being at play here, here's what I'm being told from a team source. And when she says team, she means cowboys. Raiders are talking to a lot of people, but we would not give up two first rounders. That's the situation now. Will it change? I don't know, but I checked for those of you interested. So the Cowboys seem to be under the understanding that it's two first rounders for Max Crosby still.

And they ain't doing it. And you know, Danny said he didn't think so. So it's got to be too, well, yeah, that's what, I mean, that's what's out there, right? Two first rounders and a legit player. It's the Micah Parsons deal. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. So we'll see if that comes into play.

But that's another nugget. And part of the reason we bring it up is because there's speculation from guys like Jordan Schultz out there saying he doesn't think the bears are done. and Dan just got off the phone with us making it sound like he may not think the bears are done. Yeah, I mean, we know that there are things to do. I mean, I can't wait until next week

when we're talking about free agency and deals starting to be put in place. Can I just say one thing? Yeah, and I could tell you wanted to say something, yeah. Max. Ray has a one-track mind. Max! Triple X, baby.

Max. He comes here. We're adding a third X to his name. Congratulations. We got you two all hooped up on those shamrock shakes yesterday. Max. And now that's the only word you can say. Max.

I got to tell you, like, it is, like, there's downsides to Max, too. There was a whole article written by Mike Silver in the Athletic 2. The age 29 going on 30 at this point. There was a surgery. There was a surgery. So teams are, and I guess Dallas would be one of them, that is looking at that very closely. But if I'm the Raiders, of course.

Like, stay strong. If the two first rounders and a player, the alternative is, we get to keep Max Crosby with two axes on our team if you are the Raiders. Stay strong. Yeah, worst case scenario, you still have Max Crosby. Yeah, you still have Max Crosby. But you're paying them over $35 million a year. Uh-huh.

So there's that part of it. And that is very valid. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is wishcasting. But when I heard about this trade, the first thing I thought was they were freeing up money to try to get Tyler Linderbaum. They might be. Thought.

It's all in place. I'm not confirming anything. This is by no means a sourced report. This is sourced in my head. And I wondered aloud. They're just going to get everybody. Tyler Linderbom is coming. This is so bears.

The sky was falling. I'm talking about Bears fandom in the Bears world. The sky was falling. The holes were starting to pile up after this great. 11-win season where you win your first playoff game in 15 years and the whole band's breaking up. And now not only is the band back together, but you feel rich at the moment and the possibilities are not endless, but they are real right now. This is what happens when the salary cap is this high, you know, and you've got teams like

the Raiders, even the Patriots, look at how much under the cap the Patriots are. They've got a ton of money to work with, even though they ended up in the Super Bowl. they've still got a ton of money that they can work with. That is wild to me. So there's a lot of teams who can make a lot of moves. But there's no doubt Buffalo needed a wide receiver won. And unfortunately it came at the price of DJ Moore leaving, but Josh Allen finally got him. It's a great fit.

It's a great fit. That was the one thing that I thought, like looking at it objectively, like for the sake of DJ Moore, I said he's got to go to a team that is a winning team. doesn't have to necessarily be a Super Bowl team, but at this point in his career, he deserves and needs a quarterback like Josh Allen. I mean, my God, he's been the experimental wide receiver for his entire career with Carolina where he didn't have quarterbacks. He did have good chemistry with Justin Fields, but man, he had to work with a young quarterback there. I remember I remember talking to DJ Moore when we were all talking about the possibility of Caleb Williams being here. and he said being pretty transparent, like, it's all good and it's all great,

but then we have to go through this whole learning process again, and that's what he went through in the first year with Caleb Williams and never quite got that 10-level chemistry with the Bears number 18. And now he is going to work with his former offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, now the head coach in Buffalo, and he's going to work with Josh Allen. The Bears send a fifth round pick this season's draft. to Buffalo. They get a 2026th. This year's

second rounder in return. We will still continue with your calls. 312, 6444, 67, more on DJ Moore. Going to the Buffalo Bills next year on Rahimi Harrison Grody. I'm not a fan of any team. I'm just a fan of being right.

Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, the score. That end of day. after Packers always. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 104-3, The Score. This is a very touch-and-go type of day for us as we break down the news about DJ Moore being sent to the Buffalo Bills that will be active when the league year changes. According to Tom Pelliserro, multiple reports as well, Adam Schaefter, the usual newsbreakers. The Bears will get a 2026, so this year's second round pick in return.

They are sending a fifth rounder along with DJ Moore. This frees up a reported $16.5 million in cap space for the Bears. And we now try to figure out what's next. That's where we're at with this here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, 1043, the score. Yeah, the Bears have the 25th overall pick in the draft in the first round. And now, remember last year, the Bears were pretty successful with their second round picks, where you do have to hit, and they did hit on Luther Burden and Ozzie Tripillo. jury's still out on Shemar Turner right now, but I do love a good second round

pick, so they've got two second round picks right now, a third round pick, a fourth round pick, a fifth round pick, and two seventh round picks. My guess is that that will still, that will be different by the time the draft comes around, which is on April 23rd at Pittsburgh. So it's 25, the Bears picks on the first two days of the draft numerically. 25, 57, 60, 89. I like it. bad. I like it. You know, I'm scared of the bears in the third round.

That you do have a, I was going to say irrational, but rational fear. No, it's rational. Look up that history in the third round. Where's that little book? They smartly didn't have it. They did not have the third round pick last year. Where's your little diary book? Is it in there? I know you've got all your receipts in there. Why do you think it's a diary? Because when I walked into the pre-show meeting today, you were sitting there with your legs crossed and you had you just look comfortable as you were writing. And it's a unique looking book. I was like, The first thing I said to Layla today was Dear Diary. And I was like,

why are you saying Dear Diary if you make to yourself? Do you know what I was writing about, which should get at least a sentence of recognition today? A potential trade? No, Edward Cabrera's filthy, Blankin change up. What the hell is that thing? Cubs got a guy with velocity. Velah, I'm seeing 98.

Mark said he goes, it's nice that the Cubs have a guy who can throw fast. Yeah. Yeah, isn't it? That is nice. I mean, Kate Horton, you know, he's got that 96, but he doesn't have that 98. We call that a plus plus fastball. Let's continue with the calls here on Rahimi Harrison Grody. 312, 64, 67, 67 is our number.

Tommy on the south side has been holding a long time. Tommy, we thank you for calling. Thank you, thank you guys for having me. Sure, Tom. Well, I was just one of this, thank you. When I said, we're going on a Miss DJ, but I'm probably one of a few calls that's excited about the season, the upcoming season, because I look at it like this. I mean, Luther Burton, I think he's a dog.

I think he was hurt. He still finished over 600 yards receiving. If Cook wouldn't have a bad year, Missouri, he would have win in the first round. So we got two first round talents in him in Rome and right receiver. In Rome, stay healthy. How we got opportunity to steal? I mean, I trust, you know, I trust what Ben is going to do with those young guys, and I trust that Colston is just going to explode.

So even though we're born and DJ, but I think it's opportunity. And I think every football player, especially those young receivers I cited about, you know, taking it to the next level. And now we just got to decide what we're going to do with that second round pick. You know, we'd be able to go from there and see what we're going to do with the cap money. I think we should address the center position. I don't think it's realistic that we're going to get. Max, I just don't think it'll be hard to pull that one.

But I'm more concerned with the offensive lines because we keep Caleb up. I think the young wife will see was their step the game. I mean, just about health. And, yeah, I think in a couple of years, Duke of Bernie will be the number. number one receivers, though. You know, I'm confident about that. That's a great question, too. We should add that to our five on it at some point time.

Who's the new Bears W-R-1? Yeah. Or do you think it's T-E-1? Because a lot of people think that's going to be Colson-Leveland. But we could call a tight-end a receiver. A tight-end is a receiver. So who is your top receiver? Colston-Lauveland could be it.

It would be nice to see either Roma Dunes-A, or if we're talking about wide receivers, either Luther Burden or Roma-Dunzee be that guy. obviously, ideally it's Rome because of where you drafted him, but I wouldn't be mad if it was Luther Burdened who was second, or no, he was where was burdened for them? He was fourth. He was

fourth in receiving last year. 60 catches, 652 yards. They were all right in the same ballpark. More 682. O'Dunesay 661 Burden 652 and your leader, Colston Loveham, the only receiver on the Bears last year to be over 700 yards.

He had 713. But it's a really interesting question. And I like that he brought up Ben Johnson too because that feels like the fail safe in all of this. As soon as I start to panic about the loss of DJ Moore and having to depend on those young wide receivers, I think, hmm, the bears have Ben Johnson. He's pretty good at developing these guys and making them good and making them good on the field. Don't get any ideas, Ben Johnson. Don't get any ideas to suddenly retire. I don't want to hear it out of you. Whoa. Why did you even put that out there? Ben Johnson retired? I didn't.

Man. Did somebody put that out there? Well, the retirement talk has been out there from Drew Dalman, so that's why I wanted to bring up. Don't get any ideas, Ben. Don't attach that to Ben Johnson. He's our most important Ben. Franklin is up there.

Yes. Let's go to Steve and Valparaiso. Steve. Steve, are you with us? Hi, guys. Hi. Hi. before we give away the farm for Max Crosby

have anybody thought about all these great pass rushers and how they've been injured I'm talking about Crosby I think Aidan Hutchinson Micah Parsons all these guys get the big contracts they don't really finish a year but when they're playing I'm thinking go for a draft pick

if you can find a young guy it's not injury prone and spend the money on this center. I understand why that's a concern, because any time you have a big money player who suffers an injury, that's going to be it. If you're the Packers, for example, you know you gave up a ton to get Micah Parsons, you depended on him, and then he was out with the ACL.

But in turn, and I know Max Crosby had a cleanup, but he maintained that he was fine. He showed the videos of him doing, you know, he's jumping on the trampoline with his daughter. I don't think he felt like he was done for the season. The Raiders announced that he was being shut down for the season. That at that point might have been a business decision. I'm not sure. So that's a part of this too, is sometimes are you more inclined to get a cleanup surgery

or are you more inclined to get something done when you know you're not going to be with that team next year? And your overall career is still very much in play. Dan, the injury thing can, of course, the bears, we have to trust that the bears will do on whomever they bring in their due diligence on the player injury-wise. But this is the risk you take with any position in football, not just defensive ends, any high-paid premium elite position. Of course, you have to worry about the possibility that the player is going to get injured. Aidan Hutchinson broke his leg. I don't know how you fix that. I don't know how you prevent it.

Trey Hendrickson, that was a core muscle hip injury surgery. You know, he had that done as well. So I understand why they're a concern. But at the same time, that's the price you pay with anybody of consequence, being huge in a game and having that much of an effect on the game and getting injured. The Bears were without their best defensive player last year in Jalen Johnson. Jalen Johnson was out for the whole year. The guys that they pay resources into and money into on the defensive line were essentially out. Daya O'Dangbo was.

injured after however many games. Is injured. Is injured. We'll still... Grady Jared had to have a surgery that we didn't necessarily know about the arthroscopic, correct? Oh, Grady Jared did. Yes.

I swear he's going to bust through this glass window one day. Just come running at us. No, because he doesn't like the cold of Chicago. He's nowhere. Remember, like, famously. He did. He's like me. His nose runs when it's below 75.

He was like, what do you guys want me to do, practice to go hang out in a refrigerator to get used to the cold of Chicago. I do think he was a little bit affected by that, which I understand. He played his whole life indoors in Atlanta. 312-644-67. Is our number you can call us and text us. I don't know if I'm going this far.

3-1-2, Texas. This should make it easier to retain Alamede Zakias, who seemed to have a good rapport and I believe as a free agent. I am not there. Is he a free agent? I thought a Lomide was... We'll check that.

I did think about Alamed A. I'm not, I, if I, if I, especially if I never see in Alameday's third down playoff rep again, I'm okay. He had some dropsies this year, but that was kind of par for the course, the way the season went on for a lot of the Bears' wide receivers. That is not the guy I'm thinking about. I know he's signed a one-year deal. I got to see.

Yeah, the Bears are good. There will be more wide receivers here, obviously. Leila and I just ran through the drafts. You have picks in the third, fourth, fifth. than two in the seven. I mean, there will be resources put into receivers, obviously. He also didn't block enough. He didn't block when he was supposed to block.

And what did Ben Johnson famously say? No rock. No block, no rock. And, okay, so 630 says, I never want to see Zakias in a bear's uniform ever again. That's a good way to describe the text line where one text completely contradicts the other. So let's go back to the phones. 312, 644, 67, 67.

and Jared and or is it Gerard in Oswego? Sorry, there's a bit of a glare here. Oh, it's Brad and Oswego. Yeah, Brad? Sorry, the lights. It rhymes. Sorry, Brad. Wow, those lights must be real bright.

Love listening to you guys. It's all right. So my son and I are going to miss singing Lil Wayne's Go DJ. That's my D.E.J. Every time he makes a play. Nice. But I do think this is in the bear's best interest. The reality is DJ's not getting any younger.

And in my humble opinion, I don't think he was on the same page with Ben or Caleb. And having a guy like Luther Burden, who I think is going to be as good or better than DJ when all said and done, I think this sets us up to make some more moves. acquiring another third day one draft pick that we can either use for a player or even trade for a max and I think this is

this is good for the Bears I think you are one of many people who feel that way like this is it's been a polarizing discussion but now that it's actually happening I think people can kind of absorb it in a different way

it's interesting with DJ Moore because he's one of the it's a rare circumstance where you could take both sides of the DJ Moore value to the Bears with the Bears debate in either way. He's this 18th best wide receiver the Chicago Bears have ever had. That's not, but he had three years here. You know, it's not like if you measure his three years span against somebody else's

three year span, how do you look at it then? Well, the point is, is there haven't been a whole lot of wide receivers that have come through have been this productive for the Chicago Bears. Yeah. Do you disagree with that? I do not. But I also, and I also think to that end, when you consider that he had three years out of his eight-year career here, and that that three-year span included a career year in receiving yards for him, his first year that he was here, and, you know, the moment of the year, for example, catches of consequences, you like to say. Right.

He had an excellent run. But even 18th, I don't think, when you consider the entire bears, do you think that that gives it the proper context? My point was going to be that there has never been a. player that I could think of that you could make the point to say this is an incredibly valuable player on the Chicago Bears right now. But on the other side of it, just like the caller just made the point, you could also say, yeah, there was chemistry issues with Caleb Williams. There were games where were like one target, zero targets? Where is DJ Moore?

So you can like on each side of the debate of DJ Moore and what his value to the Bears was, which sounds weird to say right now, you can make the case that he, was terrific, and you could also make the case that he was disappointing for the bears. See, and I think that that's, think about the last play we saw him play as a bear. That was disappointing. Yeah. I mean, isn't that, isn't that the absolute, like, essence of it, that he made the best catch, maybe, or one of the great catches in bear's history, and at the end, all of a sudden, we felt empty.

That is, that is perfectly put right there. That it's, there's two sides to DJ Moore with the bears. You come over here and see how bright this line. is on the call screen. I'm not even kidding. You can see it for yourself. You want to take another call while I walk over there? Well, I will tell you this real quick.

There was a guy that called in. Now, we're getting flooded with calls as you hear the phone ringing off the hook here in the control room. Stand right here. Oh, man, that's bright. Yeah, peripheral brightness. We're going to call that. You can't see anything, can you? I can't see so good.

Where's my glasses? He's all making fun of me. And it's like, okay, you want to see this for yourself? Don't knock it until you try it. So as Mark Grody gets his headphones back on, we get a call as we're getting several calls into the score control room. A guy calls in and says,

and I say, this is 104 through the score. What do you want to say about DJ Moore? And he says, DJ Moore, you guys aren't talking about WBC? I said, sorry, man. No, he was so disappointed. He is, like, it's just an oblivious baseball lover. And I just thought that was great. And that poor, that poor guy is every reason to believe

we should be talking about the world baseball class. On a normal day. You know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, random caller. It's just that kind of day where there's too much news. And the Ben Johnson, no. No! No! Okay, so more, your calls are making us talk more because you bring up good points. So if you guys

are willing to stay on the line, let's just keep it rolling. Let's keep it rolling all show. I don't even care anymore. 312, 64, 64, 67, 67. You're in with us, man. We're reacting to the DJ Moore News and more here on 104-3, The Score. Chicago, man, it's cold here every day, man. Rahimi Harrison Grody. We are the best show in this town to have the coach and or quarterback sit right here.

Because we're here for a good time. We are here for a good time. We're fun. We're funny. We're serious sometimes. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we laugh. Like, this is perfect.

If you wanted a high chance of a drink spilled all over the studio, we are definitely repeating. Midday's 10 to 2. Maybe we're the show for you. On 1043, the score. Our poor caller, Brad. I think you can still listen to this song, but it just doesn't apply to DJ more anymore.

Now it just applies to grownups and children's and in-betweens. I like that he's bonding with his son over this song. Over the music of our people. Yeah. You can't. There's not every artist you can bond with. Like, that father and son or mother and daughter can bond over. But here we are.

If I had a child, they would know the ways of old school cash money. Yeah. Absolutely. I see that. Oh, yeah. The Rahimi children would be well versed in much music. You've got a good palate. Instead, it's just my siblings who roll their eyes at me, just like all of you.

But they don't have traits. You've got traits. They have traits for like important things, like careers. Real life stuff. 312-644-67 is our number. We continue on the phones. Let's go to Sean and Bolingbrook. Sean, you're on Robaheehmi-Harrison Grotty on the score.

Hey, guys, how are you? Good, Sean. Good. Hey, I had a kind of a quick walk-in to my kind of question in the beginning. But first off, Rome has had two years now being with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, having first year, DJ Moore. So as a top pick, he should be more than prepared for year three. Luther had more for a year and obviously showed more chemistry than DJ. Definitely Caleb, I don't think, had a good rapport with DJ more as far as chemistry-wise, not personality-wise.

And it brings me to my quote that I always go back to with receivers is Musa Muhammad saying Chicago is where receivers go to die. And this poor guy, you know, comes over, does well with a lesser quarterback in Justin Fields, a struggling rookie quarterback, and the guy's nothing but quality. He's the high point in the locker room. And I couldn't be more happy that he's going to Buffalo and going to finally be a number one receiver again for Josh Allen. So I just thought that that quote spoke volumes about receivers. Yeah, I think it's a little bit different, though, with Musin Muhammad.

different time. And look, you're right. The chemistry was not perfect with Caleb Williams, but here's two things. DJ Moore was a productive Bears wide receiver, and they did win games in a winning season where you want a playoff game because of DJ Moore. That's a huge distinction to make right there. Yeah, and I think it's probably the most important one when we talk about this. His targets went down and I'd maintain he can't target himself. But when he was targeted, outside of the one pass place we just discussed. You know, he's the reason he caught that game winning touchdown against the Packers, for example, on that Saturday night game on December 21st.

You know, this is why we're talking about him the way we are. You're right. He had been consistent, and he had also made catches that led to game winners. So that's why that's important. We stay on the phones. 312, 644-67-67 is our number. let's go now to Mike in Tampa. Mike, you're on Rahimi Harrison Grotie.

Hey, guys. How you doing? Hi, Mike. Good. How are you? I'm doing absolutely fantastic. I love this trade for both Chicago and Buffalo. I'm a big Josh Allen fan. I'm more of a Bears fan. Don't get me wrong. I am a Bears fan. True blue. I've met Walter Payton. I've met Dick Buccas.

I've met the fridge. I am a true blue Bears fan. Trust me. But this is great for DJ. He gets a good news start. He gets a great quarterback to throw to him. It's great for us because we get the cap relief that we really need desperately, quite frankly. And we get a second round pick. I don't like the idea of signing Max Crosby or giving away one or two or whatever picks you want to give away for him.

There's other good defensive end rushers. They may not be Max Crosby, but you got Hendricks out there. You got Chubb out there. You got defensive ends that we can pick up without giving up draft picks. The fact that we now have two draft picks in the second round is huge. I'm really happy about this because it gives us the cap space we need. Now we can resign Bayard at safety, which will alleviate at least part of our safety problem. the one thing that I would probably look at is we could possibly restructure

coal commet. DeAndre Swift, as good as he has been, Kyle Menangay came in and did almost as good a job as Swiftie did. And there's a lot of really good running backs. If you watch the combine, there's a lot of really good running backs that are going to be available. So if we want to get some more cap space, Swifty might be the next one to go.

I appreciate the call. I do not think that Kyle Menongai did as well as DeAndre Swift, who had a career year. Correct, yeah. If you had to pick between those two running backs, like you can only have one, it's DeAndre Swift. DeAndre Swift, in the regular season, had 1,087 yards rushing. And yeah, Menongai had 783 yards rushing. But DeAndre Swift also had 300 yards receiving. And so when you put that together, I don't think the two are the same.

No, DeAndre Swift right now is a better player. By the way, we're going to have Alan Robinson coming on here in just a little bit. And to his point, too, like I don't think I've said it or given my opinion on it because we've just been taking all this news in and it's been fluid. I do think this is a good trade. This is a good trade. For all that we're talking about, all the value that DJ Moore has had, my relationship with DJ Moore, all of that, this is a good trade for the $16.5 million in cap savings. and for the second round pick, which the Bears did good work with last year. Doesn't mean they're going to repeat that.

But on the overall, this is a good deal for the Chicago Bears. They could afford to lose a receiver. They were positioned rich at receiver. They had depth at that spot. I agree with that. I just worry that when it's the person who I think made the most catches of consequence, I know Luther Burden's getting up there, I know Colson Loveland had many.

I just think that that's going to, how are you going to replace him? Are you expecting the growth of your other receivers to replace him? Ben Johnson said, receivers need to catch the ball better. And in my mind, the receivers who were still part of that catch the ball better are still on the team. So how much do they have to now cover for what DJ Moore's production was? But all of that said, when it comes to where they could afford,

to lose somebody, even though he was the number one. And as we've mentioned at the time, A.A.V., highest paid player, I think it had to be done if they think that they've got some big targets, either in free agency or possibly in the draft via trade, something. It just makes me believe that if they're going to take this big swing, another one is probably on the way. Probably. And, yeah, they absolutely are depending.

and projecting the guys like Colson Loveland and Luther Burden to be better, even better than they were this year. They have to be better next year. And that is, that's part of the equation. And I don't think it's a terrible projection considering what we saw to those two rookies this year. Also, DeAndreauze was averaged 4.9 yards of carry. And Kyle B. Nungay was at 4.6.

So I want to mention that part of two. And guess what? One of your best run blockers is now no longer on the team. That would be Drew Dalman. Yeah. Frustrating. Let's talk about this with a guy who knows some ball. Former Bears receiver Alan Robinson joins us next on Rahimi Harrison.

Thanks to the breaking news, DJ Moore, headed to Buffalo via trade.