The Chicago Bears 2020 draft is an important one. GM Ryan Pace knows he has to put together a winner this season. Otherwise, he risks losing his job. One he’s held since 2015. In that time he managed to totally rebuild one of the worst rosters in the NFL but a number of key missteps including the selection of Mitch Trubisky in 2017 now hold him at the mercy of the football gods. He has just two picks in the first four rounds. If he can’t deliver at least one good player from them, odds will not be in his favor of things working out.
What’s even crazier is how the draft itself will play out. Already it’s been announced the Las Vegas live event was canceled. Now momentum is building for teams to have to conduct their business away from their own facilities. The Saints, for example, are reportedly planning to work out of a local brewery. Pace has said the Bears tech department is putting together a similar setup as well.
If that weren’t enough, Peter King of NBC Sports revealed at just how crazy coverage of the draft will look on television.
“Over the weekend I spoke with four people with knowledge of the ongoing discussions between the league, ESPN and NFL Network about draft weekend plans on April 23-25. It’s looking more likely that instead of the two football rivals doing info-warring separate telecasts, they’ll combine to do one telecast, likely out of the ESPN studio in Bristol, Conn., with NFL Network talent either co-hosting or being major contributors to the coverage.”
Chicago Bears 2020 draft will be so surreal
For many years the NFL Network and ESPN have battled for ratings during the draft. Chris Berman vs. Rich Eisen. The self-taught Mel Kiper Jr. vs. the deep football background of Mike Mayock. It’s fun stuff with a lot of fans for both sides. So to see those two crews working in the same studio will be something that will take getting used to. A surefire sign of how crazy this entire situation with COVID-19 really has become.
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If that weren’t enough, the league is working on a possible idea of players having virtual versions of themselves come out to accept jerseys of their new teams with a virtual Roger Goodell. The level of creativity going into making this draft happen is off the scale. It will be fascinating to see how Pace and his staff handle the craziness.
