Unlike nearly every other team selecting in the top ten of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears already have their starting quarterback. Justin Fields isn’t going anywhere. Some might say this has the Bears in a bad spot, whereas others, like general manager Ryan Poles, see the benefit of being able to auction off the No. 1 pick to the highest bidder.
That could include a number of avenues, from simply swinging a deal with the Houston Texans, landing the No. 2 pick, and who knows what else, to ensure the Bears can still land the top player on their draft board.
Or, the Bears could trade for the second overall pick, only to be on the move again. With quarterbacks like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud seemingly atop this year’s prospect pool, the Bears could have multiple trade partners.
Speaking during this past week’s NFL Combine, Poles acknowledged he’s already spoken to at least three teams about a potential trade down, with the Bears GM indicating he knows he can add a 2024 first, plus a 2025 first-round pick to Chicago’s future asset collection.
No matter what, the Bears GM would like to add what he calls a “blue player,” which seems to be a hint that he doesn’t want to move too far down the draft board.
While a trade down seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, the bigger question the second-year GM seems to be wrestling with is simply when to pull the trigger on an offer.
“Should we do this before free agency? Or should we wait? I don’t know. That’s what I’ve communicated [to teams]. I could carry this all the way until we’re on the clock the night of the draft. But then there’s teams that want some certainty because, ‘If I need a quarterback bad, should I do that now when some of these guys, like Derek Carr, are out there?’ To me, they’ve got to go so much more above to do it now. I’m not greedy with it. But they’re gonna have to go above and beyond to close the door now.”
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles on trade process
With teams always in pursuit of their next franchise QB, the Bears are likely to receive several strong offers for the top pick. Whether those offers will improve much from now until draft night on April 27 remains to be seen. It’s possible a team who believes they’re in the running for a veteran solution could feel left out once free agency plays out. Would that lead to a stronger trade offer?
These are the very same questions Poles seems to be thinking through in what will be a crucial decision for the Bears. Now that the NFL Combine is in the books, we may not be far away from our first big NFL Draft trade being consummated. Chances are, it will involve the Bears.
