Seems a lot of Chicago Bears fans are already resigned to their fate. Rumors are spilling out of Philadelphia that the Eagles are close to trading former Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Wentz. It’s believed the discussions are down to two teams, the Bears and Indianapolis Colts. The belief right now is the Bears have the best offer on the table and the Colts aren’t likely to match the offer.
So in the minds of many, it feels inevitable that Wentz will be the next quarterback in Chicago. A guy who just got done throwing 16 TDs to 15 interceptions last year, got benched for a rookie and reportedly had issues in the locker room both with teammates and coaches. Why would the Bears do this give such obvious risks?
Desperation is the only explanation.
GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have to win in 2021. They can’t go back to Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles isn’t going to solve anything. Houston is digging their heels in on Deshaun Watson. Dak Prescott will be franchise tagged and they can’t expect a rookie will be any help to them either. After Matthew Stafford was dealt last month, it came down to Wentz or guys like Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Tyrod Taylor.
It isn’t hard to see why the Bears may be talking themselves into Wentz. He’s 28-years old and was playing good football as recently as 2019. Whatever happened last year is concerning but there is more evidence in his track record to suggest it might be an anomaly more than anything. However, it’s possible he isn’t the only big name on the market anymore. NFL Network revealed that the Las Vegas Raiders are listening to possible offers for longtime starter Derek Carr.
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“For the last few years, the answer has been a firm no. That may not be the case now. Teams have been calling the Raiders to gauge interest in trading for Carr, and at least right now, the team appears open to considering it in some form or fashion — as long as it can replace him with someone on the same level. In reality, teams believe Las Vegas is open to dealing one of two QBs — Carr or Marcus Mariota.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYgrVz_Dj6c&ab_channel=SportsProductions
Can the Chicago Bears pull back on Wentz or is it too late?
Where it gets interesting is reporters close to the Raiders admit this isn’t a crazy idea. Head coach Jon Gruden is much higher on Mariota than people realize. There is a reason Las Vegas gave him such a nice contract for a backup last season. Keeping him at that affordable number and selling off Carr for multiple picks is something they are considering. Marcus Mosher of The Raiders Wire confirmed it.
“If some team, like the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts or Washington Football Team was willing to surrender multiple first-round picks and absorb Carr’s salary, would the Raiders then be willing to move on? It’s not all that hard to fathom as Mariota did show enough in Week 16 to have the front office excited.”
So that begs the question. Is it too late for the Chicago Bears to reverse course on Wentz and make a determined push for Carr? Plenty of people would prefer the Raiders standout. Though two years older at 30, he’s coming off the best season of his career with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions, topping 4,000 yards. If not for an atrocious defense, the Raiders would’ve made the playoffs.
Is he worth the price tag?
Carr has two years left on his current contract at an average of around $21 million. Compared to other starting QBs in the NFL, that is a bargain. The Bears have salary cap issues, so finding a veteran with some long-term security at a favorable price would be ideal. It comes down to whether they’d be willing to surrender two 1st rounders and take the risk of losing out on Wentz.