A lot of Chicago Bears fans are hearing GM Ryan Pace is thinking aggressively this offseason. That means the possibility of trading a number of high draft choices in order to secure a quarterback. The man has already given up so many future assets in previous trades. Most of which didn’t pan out as hoped. People are tired of seeing him do this every time. Throwing more valuable picks at problems he creates.
That is an understandable concern. However, there could be an additional motivation behind the Bears being a little more aggressive this offseason. Not just the need for a quarterback. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network revealed some significant details in a recent column about how the pre-draft process will look over the next three months.
Put simply? It is going to be a massive challenge.
“The annual scouting combine as we know it is off. Private workouts, facility visits, dinners and film sessions with draft prospects are banned. Medical exams are limited. The only in-person access teams have to prospects are at the recently concluded all-star games and upcoming pro days, where each club will be limited to three representatives on campus — or fewer if required by state and local regulations that in some cases also may restrict in-person contact with players.”
In essence, this means teams will be going into the 2021 draft with a significant amount of data missing on prospects. Forget just the personal meetings. There also isn’t as much game tape out there what with several players having either opted out of 2020 or played fewer games due to COVID-19. Picks will carry so much more risk this year because of lacking information.
Given how hit-and-miss picks are to begin with, it’s hard to think the Bears can put together a strong enough class to push them into the playoff picture. It’s felt they’re better off applying their resources towards one big move to find a quarterback. A proven one who can give them an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles this past season.
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Are the Chicago Bears right to approach it this way?
It depends on who you ask. Maybe the better idea is for Pace to consider trading back in the 1st round and try to stockpile picks for 2022 when the pre-draft process is likely to return to normal. Then again that approach doesn’t solve the original problem. Finding a quarterback. So all things being considered, it’s easier to understand why Pace and the organization aren’t afraid to pursue a splash move.
Besides, it’s not like they have anything to lose at this point. Everybody is on the hot seat this season. Why hold anything back? Might as well go for it all if this is your last stand. If people want to blame somebody for that approach, blame George McCaskey. He set all of this in motion when he decided to keep Pace in charge another year. What happens moving forward falls at his feet, for better or worse.
It is likely answers will start arriving by late March.
That is when the new league year begins, when trades start becoming official, and free agents can be signed. It would be a shock if the Chicago Bears don’t make a significant move of some kind at the quarterback position around that time. If they do, then talk about the NFL draft is sure to see a noticeable decline due to the loss of high picks. If nothing happens, then things are going to get quite interesting in April.
