A year ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced his team was open for business: The top pick in the 2023 draft was up for grabs.
“We need a lot, and that (first choice) gives us more opportunities to incorporate more players,” the Poles said then. “It’s a good situation for our club.”
The combine then became an intelligence gathering mission for the Poles and the Bears. They needed to do their due diligence on the quarterback class, which included interviews with Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
But the Poles also needed to leave Indianapolis with an accurate estimate of the trade market for the first pick, and they got it. A few days after the combine concluded, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers.
The Poles’ objectives in this year’s team should be similar. The Bears will meet with top quarterbacks: USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and potentially others.
And then the Poles will also have commercial markets to explore through their conversations with other GMs. Like last year, one market could be the first choice. Another could be for current starter Justin Fields.
For Poles and Bears, what is the biggest risk? Is it about sticking with a quarterback who has the trust of his teammates but still ranks in the bottom third of the league in many statistical areas? Or is he overlooking the draft’s top QBs for the second year in a row?
What teams might be interested in Fields?
According to NFL.com, 66 quarterbacks started for teams during the 2023 season. That’s a lot. But two more were starters for teams during the 2022 season. That’s wild.
Teams are always looking for quarterbacks, and some won’t be able to find answers in free agency or the draft. Unlike other teams, the Bears are certain with the first pick.
There were 12 quarterbacks included in Randy Mueller’s ranking of the top 150 free agents for The Athletic. Only two of them, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made the top 20. San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold was next at No. 98.
The commercial market comes later. Teams will look for certainty at the most important position in the sport heading into the draft. There could be a competitive market for Fields.
With the help of The AthleticAccording to the writers, here are five potential trade partners to consider as the NFL world descends on Indianapolis next week.
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Atlanta Falcons
New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson didn’t reveal much when talking about what the team wants in its next quarterback.
“Whether it’s a pocket guy, whether it’s a guy that can move around a little bit, we’re just going to look for the best one,” Robinson said.
However, the fact that Robinson spent his entire career under Rams coach Sean McVay in Los Angeles suggests he’s looking for a Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford type. However, Fields’ big arm will attract Robinson. Robinson said the first thing he looks for is “how someone throws the ball and what it looks like.”
Whether the Falcons pursue Fields may simply depend on options. They don’t have a clear path to their next quarterback considering they selected eighth in the first round, and Atlanta isn’t one of the league’s top free agency destinations. — jose kendall
The Broncos witnessed the full Justin Fields experience at Soldier Field in October, when he put up big numbers but made a couple of critical mistakes late. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton saw Fields at his best when the Broncos visited the Bears in Week 4 last season. Fields completed 28 of 35 passes for 335 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (a total he would match next week). But in a close Bears loss, Fields also lost a fumble that was returned for a Broncos touchdown and threw an interception on Chicago’s final drive, sealing the loss.
After expressing frustration with Russell Wilson’s inability to protect the ball during key stretches last season, I don’t see the Broncos giving up major draft capital for a quarterback like Fields who, although younger and more athletic than Wilson, has not been able to fully address his ball security issues.
If the Broncos are going to move draft capital in a deal to acquire a quarterback, it’s more likely to be a move for a rookie that Payton can mold into his offense, even if it means the player has to sit out for a season. behind Jarrett Stidham. . — Nick Kosmider
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Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are highly unlikely to pursue Fields because they hired the offensive coordinator who was fired after working with him in Chicago last season.
Luke Getsy was drafted by the Raiders because of his work as a passing game coordinator with the Packers and his running game concepts with the Bears, as the Raiders decided the biggest problem with the Bears’ offense over the past two seasons was the quarterback and not the offense. coordinator. Getsy also worked with Raiders receiver Davante Adams in Green Bay. — Vic Tafur
New England Patriots
The Patriots are exploring all options to improve their quarterback situation, even if the most likely route means using the No. 3 pick at the position. But they could be tempted to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., arguably the best wide receiver prospect of the last decade. So maybe there’s an argument to trade for Fields and use that first pick on Harrison, immediately upgrading both quarterback and wide receiver, arguably the two biggest weaknesses on the roster.
Even if it seems like the Pats are more likely to pursue a quarterback with their third pick, if those future picks (like Maye and Daniels) don’t disappoint in interviews at the combine, perhaps the Patriots would consider parting with their pick at third round (No. 68) for Campos. — Chad Graff
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Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have two paths they can take at quarterback: hope new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can unlock something in Kenny Pickett that the NFL hasn’t seen or look for an upgrade elsewhere.
While the Rooney family is known for taking a patient approach, general manager Omar Khan has done business with the Bears before, and Fields may be the most realistic outside option. Fields’ mobility would add another wrinkle to the run-heavy scheme Smith will likely install, and the former Buckeye’s big arm would showcase the skill set of underutilized deep threat George Pickens. The quarterback would also be backed by what is projected to be the highest-paid defense in the NFL, so he wouldn’t be asked to be a finished product right away.
But what is the price? If you’re giving up something to acquire him, it’s probably wise to double down by exercising the estimated $23.3 million fifth-year option in May. Beyond that, and perhaps most importantly, the Steelers would have to be ready to punt on Pickett. That’s a big gamble for a quarterback the Bears aren’t sold on just three years after giving up four picks to get him. — Mike DeFabo
How would an exchange develop?
Last year, the New York Jets went all out. They traded for Aaron Rodgers.
In 2022, the Broncos put in all their chips. They acquired Russell Wilson.
A team that is interested in Fields and then acquires him in a trade with the Bears wouldn’t be doing the same thing. He could be hedging his bets on the position, not betting solely on Fields.
Fields’ situation also looks different than the Panthers’ desperate decision to acquire Darnold from the Jets in 2021 in exchange for a sixth-round pick in that draft and second- and fourth-round picks in 2022. The Panthers later guaranteed his option fifth year.
Those three trades, however, occurred before the draft. That is important. Some QB-needy teams will seek clarity given the unpredictability of the draft. Other teams might be more forced to wait until the draft.
The Poles’ plan will have to be flexible, but only to a certain point. The Bears have congratulated Fields since he finished the season. The Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and president and CEO Kevin Warren have done it. But that could be seen as an attempt to create leverage in trade talks that could emerge in Indianapolis.
For all his physical gifts and glimpses of potential stardom, Fields’ numbers tell him not to exercise his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
Among qualified QBs, Fields finished the 2023 season ranked 29th in completion percentage, 23rd in passing yards per game, 22nd in passer rating, 24th in QBR, 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, 31st in sack percentage and 22nd in interception rate (per Pro Football Reference). His numbers on third downs, in the fourth quarter and in late-game situations don’t inspire much confidence either.
As always, more context is required. The Bears, as an organization, should be blamed for his failures as much, if not more, than he is. But the situation is what it is. The Bears added the option to pivot from Fields if necessary.
However, Fields could still be the best option for other teams after free agency and before the draft. The difference between the Bears and those teams is that they have the first pick. The draft still begins with them.
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(Top photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
