The Chicago Bears need a long-term option at quarterback. It’s a topic that has been exhausted over the past few months. Andy Dalton is the man of the moment but that’s it. Beyond 2021, he offers little to them. Nick Foles is fixed as the backup. So nobody on this roster offers something for the future. That is why local and national insiders agree the Bears will draft a quarterback and probably draft him early.
The hottest discussion over the past week is whether GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have designs on moving up in the 1st round. It’s common knowledge that a considerable gulf exists between the top five QBs in this class and everybody else. This has led to the belief that those five could be gone rather quickly. What people can’t determine is how quickly. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune got some interesting information on that exact topic.
“A lot of things will have to break right for the Bears, but they believe moving from Trubisky to Dalton is an upgrade and they are coming off an 8-8 finish. The issue is quarterbacks are going to come off the board early. It would be a stunner if the first three picks are not quarterbacks, and some I have spoken to believe two more could be selected between the fourth and 10th picks. If that’s the case, the Bears would have to trade up and they could face competition from other teams looking to move up for a quarterback — teams selecting higher than No. 20.”
Translation? Don’t expect anybody to make it outside the top 10.
That means the Bears would have to get at least to the 10th spot where the Dallas Cowboys sit. The good news? It appears they’ve been considering the idea of moving down. The bad news is the two teams ahead of them, Carolina and Denver, are surrounded by rumors they could take a quarterback as well. Maybe one of them is just playing possum in hopes of getting a sweet deal to move back.
This is the sort of minefield Pace could be walking into. Don’t forget that other teams could threaten to move up into the top 10 as well. New England at #15 and Washington at #19. Neither has quite as far to go. So the Bears would have to be absolutely sure the quarterback they’re pursuing is worth the price they’ll pay. How long will Pace be willing to wait? Is he content with the second-tier options if an opportunity to move doesn’t materialize? Nobody knows for sure.
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Chicago Bears preferred order of QBs coming into focus?
Increasing signs point to Justin Fields being their likely target if he happens to fall out of the top five slots. This depends on what San Francisco does at #3 and Atlanta at #4. Mac Jones is also somebody they like though it’s not clear if they’re as willing to jump that high for him. In the event they’re unable to make the big move, what happens next? The focus likely shifts to the next tier of options.
Most agree that consists of Kyle Trask, Kellen Mond, and Davis Mills. Rumors persist that the Chicago Bears coaches took a liking to Mills. He interviewed well and displays the types of qualities as a passer they seek. The big hangup with him is experience. He started just 11 games in college due to injuries and the pandemic. Trask was highly productive at Florida with 43 TDs in 2020 alone, but some have reservations about his average arm strength and lack of mobility.
As for Mond?
He’s the most experienced of the three and showed steady improvement throughout his college career. The concern some have is his rather pedestrian stats (19 TD passes in all of 2020) along with a lacking ability to hit the deep ball consistently. The Bears will have to determine which of them has the best chance to become a franchise QB and whether they might have a shot to get them in the 2nd round or move higher. Perhaps even just take them at #20.
That is the sort of situation this team is in. Not ideal.