The Chicago Bears are two games away from controlling one of the top two picks in the 2023 draft. All they have to do is lose both. Much of that depends on how well their opponents play. However, one thing is now clear. If the Bears secure the #1 or #2 picks, they will have tons of leverage. Now they could take the boring route and draft the best player on the board. Nobody would blame them for it. They need superstar talents desperately. At the same time, their roster is riddled with holes. More draft picks would help fill them. That is why so many people are hopeful GM Ryan Poles will try to trade down.
To do that, he needs something to entice other teams. Nothing does that more than quarterbacks. It wasn’t clear where the 2023 QB class sat. While some talented names are in the mix, evaluators have been hesitant to declare them locks for the top five. That changed in a big way on Saturday when both Bryce Young of Alabama and C.J. Stroud of Ohio State went off for arguably their best performances of the year. It was confirmation that both are absolutely capable of big things in the NFL and teams should want to get them.
The Chicago Bears are in a premium spot if they do their part.
Winning any of their last two games would ruin the odds. If it does happen, then the setup is close to perfect. Presuming one of those QBs goes #1 overall to Houston, Poles would hold the keys to the other at #2. There is a host of needy teams lining up in the top 10, including Indianapolis (5th), Atlanta (6th), Carolina (8th), and Las Vegas (9th). It’s also worth mentioning Seattle (3rd) is a wild card since Geno Smith is a free agent and will be 33 years old this season. They may not wish to pay him big money despite his surprisingly good 2022 season.
That is why the Chicago Bears could be holding all the cards if they end up with one of the first two picks. Fans are already celebrating. It might be premature. This team has a history of squandering such opportunities. Two late wins in 1997 robbed them of Peyton Manning. A meaningless win over the Jets in 2002 saw them miss out on Andre Johnson. Wanting to win isn’t a bad thing. However, there is a time when it becomes counterproductive. Most of the players on this roster probably won’t be around by 2024. That is something people must keep in mind. Call it tanking if you want, but the Bears stand to gain so much more if they end up with #1 or #2 overall.
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