Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Confirmation Finally Emerged On That Marvin Harrison Jr. Bears Rumor

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We all know how the NFL draft played out for the Chicago Bears. They took Caleb Williams #1 overall, then turned around and scooped up Rome Odunze at #9 an hour later. It was the first time in NFL history a team had taken a quarterback and wide receiver in the top 10 together. The organization was thrilled with the outcome, while the draft community gave them stellar grades for it. What people don’t know is the outcome could’ve been very different. Marvin Harrison Jr. almost made sure of that.

The Ohio State star was one of the most enigmatic players going into the draft. He’d done none of the typical pre-draft stuff. No workouts, no scouting combine, and no medical tests. His decision was centered around the desire to focus on preparing for the NFL rather than testing drills. However, it appears there was another motivation behind it. Rumors persisted he was trying to tank his stock just enough to reach the Bears’ spot at #9, hoping to pair with Williams. Albert Breer of the MMQB did an in-depth exclusive on the team’s pre-draft process. He officially confirmed this rumor.

In the end, it did no damage to either guy.

The Chicago Bears got Williams’s medicals on the 30 visit, and 31 teams that are now his rivals don’t have information that could be damaging to him or Chicago. The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, are ecstatic to get a player who will be ready to hit the ground running at rookie minicamp and OTAs after training with the Ohio State strength staff as he would if he were suiting up to play football for the Buckeyes in the fall.

Williams, for his part, only visited the Bears, while Harrison only visited Chicago and Arizona.

If Marvin Harrison Jr. hadn’t gone to Arizona, he wanted Chicago.

That pretty much appears to be the truth. There were rumblings the Cardinals might trade down from #4 overall, allowing another team to come up for a quarterback. If that had happened, Harrison likely hoped the teams between #5 and #8 would get the hint that he had no desire to play for them. It didn’t matter in the end. Arizona stayed put and took him at #4, making him the first non-QB off the board. Kyler Murray got his next go-to receiver. Would Harrison have gotten his wish if they hadn’t?

That seems unlikely. The New York Giants took wide receiver Malik Nabers at #6 overall. It is a fair assumption they would’ve opted for Marvin Harrison Jr. had he also been on the board. Then again, it is possible his pre-draft antic might have rubbed some people the wrong way. Great players fall in the draft all the time and for dumber reasons. It would’ve been wild if he had fallen to Chicago, but this will go down as another in a long line of fascinating what-ifs.

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6 COMMENTS

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barry_mccockiner
May 8, 2024 11:43 am

This idea is beyond terrible. Poles gave Justin Fields away to Pittsburgh in order to clear out the QB room so that Caleb wouldn’t have to face any competition, either real or perceived, for QB1. Tannehill didn’t want to be a backup in TEN and he’s not going to want to be a backup here. Nobody who knows anything is even pretending that Caleb has to earn the role. It isn’t a competition. Caleb is QB1. Tyson Bagent is fine in the QB2 role. He isn’t a starting-caliber NFL quarterback and he seems to be perfectly content just to be… Read more »

FootballAtArlington1
FootballAtArlington1
May 8, 2024 8:59 am

Gena and Salley. Two angry old women just clucking away.

TGena
TGena
May 7, 2024 5:44 pm

So, was Marvin Harrison Jr., the player that Ian Cunningham had to talk Ryan Poles out of trading up to get?

Why don’t you ask GM, Poles that question, Erik?

Somehow, you recently were able to recognize Steelers’ HC, Mike Tomlin as a liar (regarding Justin Fields’ future in Pittsburgh) — your intimate connection with Poles should make the MHJ inquiry “child’s play.”

Let us know, too.

BearDownTX
May 7, 2024 8:44 am

I wouldn’t be shocked if Odunze has a better year and career than MHJ. It’s hard to be the #1 guy as a rookie when there are no other options on the field. Not to mention, he is paired with a QB who might not be there for the long haul. Odunze gets the chance to grow with CW as well as have the pressure taken off of him in year 1 bc of Allen and Moore. And then after year 1, he will be the #2 and ascend to #1. Look at all of the guys taken in the… Read more »

David
May 7, 2024 6:41 am

While i think MHJ will be a great player, I also think the draft played out the way it should have for the Bears.

We got the guys that are supposed to be Chicago Bears

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