In simple terms, they were moving on from a player they didn't desire anymore and gathering what they could in return.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has never been afraid to act aggressively, and this trade was no exception. It reflected Chicago's hope to fulfill its potential on offense by finding a better fit at running back. Moving Howard was a step in that process.
"When you're dealing with running backs for us in this offense, you want to be able to have a guy that has really good vision that can make guys miss," Bears coach Matt Nagy said at the NFL Combine. "At the same time, there's that balance of being a hybrid, being able to make things happen in the pass game, too, but yet to where you're not one-dimensional. And that's not easy."
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Howard rushed for a career-low 935 yards (3.7 yards per carry) in 16 regular-season games and hauled in 20 receptions without a drop in 2018, a season in which Nagy was committed to giving him a chance in his offense. Ultimately, Howard's exit came after an unproductive year rushing and struggles with route running the way Nagy desired from his backs.
Nagy's comments at the combine -- which came without Howard's name being brought up -- shed light into the Bears' process this offseason. They have been actively scouting running backs in this draft class, hosting Florida Atlantic's Devin Singletary, Penn State's Miles Sanders and Texas A&M's Trey Williams at Halas Hall earlier in March, a source confirmed.
In signing veteran Mike Davis on the first day of free agency, the Bears added stability at running back that allows Tarik Cohen to be preserved in his versatile role while offering an option while a rookie running back grows. Howard wasn't part of the equation.
Howard, 24, is entering the final season of his rookie contract and is owed $2.025 million in base salary. The Bears' biggest blow to Howard's trade value was the obvious nature in which they showcased their intention to move on from him -- which started by admitting in January they would explore the possibility of signing Kareem Hunt.
Teams soon realized the Bears would trade Howard, and their leverage was blown. Given the writing was on the wall, the team informed Howard that he would be either traded or released this offseason, a source said.
What's unfortunate for Howard is that he goes from a Bears offense in which he wasn't coveted to the Eagles' strikingly similar scheme. Both playbooks were developed with roots from Andy Reid in Kansas City.
The Bears will move forward with the steady presence of Davis, the home run threat of Cohen and the hopes set with their rookie running back, believing fully their championships chances are bettered by this trade of Howard.