Chicago Bears fans have eagerly waited for something to happen. A big splash. One befitting a regime that appears to be very much on shaky ground. Thus far GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy haven’t delivered. Not without trying of course. They made a strong offer to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. After that fell through, they attempted to sign top free agents Kenny Golladay and Trent Williams.
Neither materialized. So the Bears have shifted their focus to other pieces of business. Namely filling out the roster with as much quality depth as they can find. Yet it’s hard to feel like this roster is that much better than last season. Where is the hope surrounding this team? Sure Andy Dalton could be a minor improvement at quarterback but not enough to get people excited. This is a big reason why plenty of people remain convinced the Bears have something big planned for the draft.
Something that involves a massive trade up in the 1st round.
Obviously one would assume this would be for a quarterback. All the warning signs are there. Signing a clear bridge option like Dalton to just a one-year deal. Chicago being way too low on the board at #20 to have any hope of landing a top quarterback in this class. It feels like 2017 all over again with Dalton in the role of Mike Glennon. So who will be Mitch Trubisky?
Except things aren’t that simple this time around. Something that people must keep in mind here is the status of Pace and Nagy. This isn’t 2017. Pace was firmly entrenched as the GM back then and free to do whatever he felt necessary to make the Bears competitive. This may not be the case in 2021 with rampant rumors of him and Nagy being on the hot seat. While trading for a star like Wilson is one thing, would George McCaskey permit this GM to mortgage more of the team’s future on an unproven draft pick?
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Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said as much in his recent mailbag.
“I can understand why ownership would sign off on the Bears’ bid to trade for Wilson. They would have been selling a huge part of their future drafts to acquire a proven talent at the position. It’s a totally different discussion if Ryan Pace approaches ownership and asks about mortgaging that much future draft capital to trade up for an unproven quarterback. I imagine George McCaskey would be hesitant to green-light a move like that.”
Chicago Bears aren’t operating as a team focused on the future
Think about this. What good does drafting a rookie quarterback do for Pace and Nagy right now? Nothing. He’d likely sit on the bench for a large chunk of the season and do little to help the team win even if he did play. The Bears need to win this year. McCaskey himself said he needs to see “progress.” That means doing better than 8-8 and winning a playoff game if possible.
For that, they need players who can contribute right away. Players who can be possible standout performers as rookies. Draft-and-stash guys won’t do them any good. That is why wide receivers, cornerbacks, and offensive tackles should be a major focus in this draft. Could the Chicago Bears still trade up for one of those? Sure. That seems to be the thing Pace is known for. Just stop preparing for some massive jump for a quarterback.
The logistics don’t make sense. Not this year.
Everything points to the Bears stacking the roster around Dalton as much as possible. Weapons and protection. This doesn’t mean they won’t draft a quarterback. It’s just more likely that happens later on. Probably in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Maybe not the splash people were hoping for but it’s at least a viable plan this team can move forward with.
