Should the Chicago Bears Trade Up, Trade Down, or Stay Put?

The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Chicago Sports Network

Sports, Football, Sports:football

4.4 • 699 Ratings

🗓️ 10 April 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ruthie kicks things off by celebrating the Michigan Wolverines' national championship, setting the tone before diving into the looming decisions facing the Chicago Bears in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the draft just weeks away, she and Clay break down the different scenarios of whether the Bears should trade up, move down, or stay put and what each path could mean for the roster. Clay zeroes in on potential targets at No. 25 overall and highlights a group of second-round fits with Chicago holding two picks, while also exploring whether a tight end could be in play—including a Wolverine name Ruthie can get behind. The conversation wraps with a look at adding wide receiver depth and how the Bears could continue building out their offense.

Transcript

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0:00.0	A one, a two, a one, two, a three.
0:08.0	It's the charter, charter, charter podcast, charter podcast with Ruthie and Clay.
0:16.0	Clay.
0:17.0	What's up everyone? Welcome back to the charter podcast brought to you by St. Xavier University.
0:25.2	I am Ruthie Polinsky back with Clay Harbor. We are coming to you from our home studios today.
0:35.1	Clay, great to see you. What's happening? Always good. Not a lot. I mean, what's up with you?
0:40.5	Are you still celebrating that big Michigan win? A couple nights back, you know, national champions.
0:47.5	Yeah, okay. What are you talking about? She's wearing a shirt for those of you listening.
0:50.3	She's got a big Michigan sweater on, says Michigan on it. And I don't even know what
0:55.7	you're talking about. Yeah. A huge win. It's my, it's my entire personality, as if it wasn't already,
1:03.6	you know? So we are the champions. Those who stay will be champions, as we say, as Wolverines.
1:10.5	So that was pretty unbelievable.
1:13.1	That game, Clay, we could take a little hoop for a second.
1:15.8	That game was so ugly, a National Championship game.
1:21.1	It was just the way Yukon, I think, wanted to play it.
1:25.0	And slowed us down for a bit, but we couldn't be stopped, even with Yaxel
1:31.7	Lendeborg on one leg. Yeah. I was very impressed. I didn't know many of these players. I didn't
1:40.9	watch a ton of Michigan basketball like you did, and I turned it on. I mean, Yaxel, the seven-foot guy, Mara, Mara, I go, this dude, I don't know who he is. No seven-foot-two, seven-foot-three man is. I go, this guy's got to be a first-round draft pick. And, you know, I looked up all the mock drafts while I was watching the game and started noticing these players.
2:01.6	I'm like, dude, I could be a talent scout because I didn't know anything about these guys. One game in, I'm like, he's a first round pick, he's a first round pick, he's a first round pick. And I looked it up and they're all first round picks, like mocked at least. So heck of a heck of a win. I love Yaxil, but I think by the end of the tournament,
2:20.6	Elliot Kadeau was my favorite player. I mean, he, his passing, his vision is so fun to watch.
2:28.1	So good. So good. He's so good. Obviously, I went and saw Michigan play at the United
2:34.0	Center in the
	...

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