The Chicago Bears won’t tell anybody their plans for the #1 overall pick. There is no reason to. If GM Ryan Poles can keep everybody in the dark, it’s better for him. That means teams will get increasingly anxious about the uncertainty, leading to better trade offers if he intends to move down. Most experts agree this is the likeliest outcome. Too many things line up for it not to happen. There is no definitive can’t-miss prospect in this class, and several teams in the top 10 are desperate for a quarterback.
Arguably the most pressing question for Bears fans is not if the trade happens but when. Nothing is worse than waiting for something momentous to happen. The tension can get unbearable. Longtime analyst and insider Rich Eisen talked about it on his podcast. Based on his industry knowledge and experience, he has a pretty good idea of when the trade will go down. It won’t be at the combine or around the start of free agency. Expect that breaking news to drop sometime around late next month.
That makes sense based on timing for the Chicago Bears.
Teams are still in fact-finding mode right now. There is the combine next week. Then free agency begins on March 15th, followed closely by college pro days. Teams considering a possible trade will want to have all of their data collected before making a decision. Most pro days will be over by March 25th. Right around then, Poles should start getting serious phone calls. GMs and head coaches will know which quarterback they like the most and whether they believe he can be a franchise guy.
During that time, the Chicago Bears will be collecting their own information. It will range from trying to determine which QBs those teams covet and crafting leaks that hint at another team coming up to get them. Along the way, they must also decide which players may still be on their board depending on how far they were to drop. That goes for the 4th pick, 7th pick, 9th pick, and so on. It comes down to how comfortable Poles is with the talent depth in this class. If he isn’t wild about it, don’t expect the Bears to drop too far.
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Not sure Poles would pull the trigger until pretty close to the draft when he has multiple offers. The best one will stand out. On the other hand, if he is to trade down a second time, like from #2 or #4, that may have to happen on the clock so they better be ready. The Bears are going to have a busy and hectic draft room all day for a couple of days.
It’ll prolly be a Tuesday, like 4:30ish.
Let’s just get through Free Agency first. I would love to see the Bears pickup Mike McGlinchey at RT. Then grab Saquon Barkley and let Montgomery walk as our RB1. Add Dre’Mont Jones at DE, and possible a take a flier on Michael Thomas as a WR1 upgrade. Even a guy like Mike Gesicki would be a nice guy to put in the TE room. Line up 12 personnel with Kmet, Gesicki, Saquon, Mooney, Michael Thomas, and Fields? Behind an upgraded o-line? Yes please!
it would seem dropping to 9 for panthers two 2nd round picks and a 2024 first (plus whatever else) would hedge against a Fields bust with the 2024 qb draft class shaping up and net the best value in trade. Don’t even bother with the DL sweepstakes and there’s a ton of edge prospects.
You don’t have to be an insider to predict when the trade will happen. When Poles gets the right offer it will happen.