A year ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced that his team was open for business — the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft was available.
“We need a lot, and (the No. 1 pick) gives us more opportunities to bring in more players,” Poland said at the time. “It’s a good situation for our club.”
The combine then became an information-gathering mission for the Poles and Bruins. They need to do their due diligence on the quarterback class, which includes interviews with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
But Pole also needed to make a good call on the trade market for the No. 1 pick when he left Indianapolis — and he did. A few days after the combine, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers.
The Poles’ goals at this year’s combine should be similar. The Bears will meet the best quarterbacks: USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Derek Meyer, LSU’s Jaden Daniels, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy and other potential quarterbacks.
The Pole will then explore the trade market through his conversations with other general managers. Similar to last year, there is one market that may be top of mind. Another could be current starter Justin Fields.
What are the bigger risks for Poles and bears? Do you want to stick with a quarterback who is trusted by his teammates but still ranks third in the bottom of the league in many statistical categories? Or miss out on the best quarterback in the draft for the second year in a row?
Which teams would be interested in Fields?
According to NFL.com, 66 quarterbacks will start for their teams in the 2023 season. so many. But there are still two teams starting during the 2022 season. That’s crazy.
Teams are always looking for a quarterback — and some can’t find an answer in free agency or the draft. Unlike other teams, the Bears have certainty about the No. 1 pick.
12 quarterbacks in Randy Mueller’s top 150 free agent rankings Competitor. Only two of them — Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — cracked the top 20. San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold comes in at No. 98.
Next is the trade market. Teams will be looking for certainty at the most important position in sports before the draft. There could be a competitive market for Fields.
With the help of CompetitorThe NFL world descends on Indianapolis next week, and here are five potential trade partners worth considering.
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atlanta falcons
New Falcons offensive coordinator Zach Robinson didn’t reveal much when it came to the team’s expectations for its next quarterback.
“Whether it’s a pocket guy or a guy that can move a little bit, we’re going to look for the best guy,” Robinson said.
However, the fact that Robinson has spent his entire career under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay suggests he’s looking for the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford type. Fields’ long arm will appeal to Robinson, though. Robinson said the first thing he looks for is “how someone throws the football and what it looks like.”
Whether the Falcons pursue Fields may just come down to choice. They don’t have a clear path to their next quarterback, considering they selected eighth overall in the first round, and Atlanta isn’t one of the league’s top free agent destinations. — Josh Kendall
The Broncos saw it all in October with Justin Fields at Soldier Field, who put up great numbers but made some critical mistakes late on. (Michael Reeves/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 (he will tie that total next week). But Fields also lost a fumble for a touchdown to the Broncos in the Bears’ narrow victory and threw an interception on Chicago’s final drive to seal the defeat.
After expressing frustration with Russell Wilson’s inability to protect the football down the stretch last season, I don’t think the Broncos would give up a ton of draft capital for a quarterback in Fields, who despite being younger and more athletic than Wilson Strong, but not yet able to fully resolve his ball security issues.
If the Broncos are going to move draft capital to acquire a quarterback in a trade, that’s more likely a move that rookie Payton can mold into his offense, even if it means the player has to play in Jarrett Stidham Sitting behind him for a season. — Nick Kosmid
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las vegas raiders
The Raiders are unlikely to pursue Fields because they hired the offensive coordinator who was fired after working with Fields in Chicago last season.
Luke Gacy was drafted by the Raiders for his work as passing game coordinator with the Packers and his run concept with the Bears, as the Raiders believe the biggest problem with the Bears offense the past two seasons has been the four Shooting guard instead of offensive coordinator. Getsy also worked with Raiders receiver Davante Adams in Green Bay. — Vic Tafur
new england patriots
The Patriots are exploring all options to upgrade the quarterback position, even if the most likely path is to use the No. 3 pick. But they might be tempted to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., arguably the top receiver prospect of the past decade. So there might be a case to be made for trading Fields and using the No. 1 pick on Harrison to immediately upgrade the quarterback and receivers — arguably the two biggest weaknesses on the roster.
Even though the Patriots seem more likely to use their third-round pick to pursue a quarterback, if those future picks (likely Meyer and Daniels) don’t do well in interviews at the combine, maybe the Pats The Warriors will consider giving up their third-round pick (No. 68) for Field. — Chad Graf
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pittsburg steelers
The Steelers have two paths to go down at quarterback: hope new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can unlock something the NFL hasn’t seen in Kenny Pickett, or look for upgrades elsewhere.
While the Looneys are known for their 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 Smith’s potential run-heavy scheme, and the former Buckeye’s big arm would showcase the skills of underutilized deep threat George Pickens. The quarterback will also be backed by what is expected to be the NFL’s highest-paid defense, so he won’t be asked to be a finished product right away.
But at what price? If you’re giving up something to get him, it might be prudent to double down and buy the fifth-year option in May for an estimated $23.3 million. Beyond that, and perhaps most importantly, the Steelers must be prepared to bet on Pickett. It’s a big bet for a quarterback that the Bears haven’t sold just three years after giving up four draft picks to acquire him. — Mike DeFabo
How will the deal work?
Last year, the New York Jets went all out and they traded Aaron Rodgers.
In 2022, the Broncos are putting all their chips on the table. They acquired Russell Wilson.
A team interested in Fields and then acquiring him in a trade with the Bears wouldn’t do the same thing. It could be a hedging bet on the position, not just a bet on Fields.
Fields’ situation also differs from the Panthers’ desperate decision to acquire Darnold from the Jets for a sixth-round pick in 2021 and second- and fourth-round picks in 2022. The Panthers then guaranteed his fifth-year option.
However, all three trades occurred before the draft. This is important. Some teams in need of a quarterback will seek clarity ahead of the unpredictability of the draft. Other teams may be more forced to wait until the draft.
The Poles’ plans had to be flexible, but only up to a point. The Bears have been complimentary of Fields since the season ended. Pole, coach Matt Eberfuss and president and CEO Kevin Warren have done just that. But it could be viewed as an attempt to create leverage in possible trade conversations in Indianapolis.
Despite Fields’ physical gifts and potential star potential, his numbers tell you not to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.
Among qualifying quarterbacks, Fields enters the 2023 season ranked 29th in completion percentage, 23rd in passing yards per game, 22nd in passer rating and 24th among quarterbacks, adjusted Ranked 26th in net yards per attempt, 31st in sack rate and 22nd in interception rate (per Pro Football Reference). His numbers on third down, fourth quarter and late in the game also didn’t inspire much confidence.
As always, more background information is needed. As an organization, the Bears should bear as much, if not more, responsibility for his failure. But that’s the way it is. The Bears have built-in options to move on from Fields if needed.
However, Fields could still be another team’s top option after free agency and before the draft. The difference between the Bears and those teams is that they have the No. 1 pick. The draft still starts with them.
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(Top photo: Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
