Desperate people do desperate things. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy know they’re on the hot seat. They also know they need a quarterback. Andy Dalton is a stopgap. He can keep the seat warm for a year. Yet if they want to truly get this team over the hump once and for all (while saving their own skins), they need a legitimate franchise quarterback. This has led to ongoing speculation about whether the Chicago Bears could make a bold move in the upcoming NFL draft.
What do we know for sure? The top three picks are going to be quarterbacks. Jacksonville is expected to take Trevor Lawrence at #1. The Jets are then believed to be targeting Zach Wilson at #2. That leaves San Francisco who traded up from #12 to #3 for one of the QBs left. Rampant speculation is they’re targeting Heisman finalist and national champion Mac Jones. That would leave Justin Fields and Trey Lance as the two remaining options on the board with Atlanta at #4 apparently willing to move out via trade. Would the Bears dare jump that high?
Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog is more convinced of this than ever.
Good morning Twitter.
Bears want that fourth pick. pic.twitter.com/bkSWy6W3Bo
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) April 9, 2021
Hughes has continued to show a strong connection to what the Bears are doing this offseason. This revelation seems to support a growing theory that the organization wants to make a splash. They know the Dalton signing isn’t going to sway fans on the status of this team. Especially after losing Kyle Fuller. Why exactly should people feel optimistic about where they’re headed? Grabbing a possible franchise quarterback would change things.
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Pace has a relationship with new Falcons GM Terry Fontenot. The two are “like brothers” according to the latter, having spent years together as scouts in New Orleans. That relationship could prove key to working out a deal to get the Bears into that 4th spot. Rest assured there will be plenty of people not happy about this. You’re going to give up more multiple high draft choices for what will be the fourth quarterback taken? That sounds like a massive reach.
Chicago Bears will be living quite dangerously
History always paints an interesting picture about the nature of the draft. Is it a guarantee the first three quarterbacks taken this year will all pan out? No. It rarely happens that way. Here is a list of the fourth quarterbacks off the board going back the past decade.
- Jordan Love
- Drew Lock
- Josh Rosen
- DeShone Kizer
- Christian Hackenberg
- Sean Mannion
- Derek Carr
- Brandon Weeden
- Christian Ponder
- Colt McCoy
Not the most inspiring list, to say the least. The last time four quarterbacks went so early in a draft was 1999. Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, and Akili Smith were the first three picks. The fourth ended up being Daunte Culpepper at #11. So is there hope the Bears actually get it right? Yes. It comes down to a mixture of luck and proper evaluation. Two things that haven’t been on their side for a long time at this position.
From their perspective, it isn’t difficult to see the logic though.
Nagy is a quarterback specialist. He trusts his judgment when evaluating the position thanks to years of playing it and then coaching it. Pace also isn’t the type of GM to fear losing those future 1st round picks. He’s already proven over the years that he can build a capable roster with later round selections and calculated veteran moves. This type of trade wouldn’t scare him as it might others.
It isn’t a guarantee to happen, but this revelation suggests they are serious about getting that position right. Whatever the cost.