A Chicago Bears trade for a quarterback isn’t exactly something that will excite fans these days. After all, this organization hasn’t proven overly good at it. They sent a 1st round pick to Cleveland for Mike Phipps. Then they sent a 1st round pick to Seattle for Rick Mirer. Last but certainly not least, they sent a blockbuster package to Denver for Jay Cutler.
All three were failures to varying degrees and ended up costing way more than they were worth. Yet here the team is again, forced into a familiar dilemma. As of right now, they’re sitting at 16th in the upcoming NFL draft. That is typically well out of range for drafting a top quarterback. Thus they’re left with a decision to make. Do they risk taking one that late or do they venture into the veteran market?
It isn’t an easy decision.
The list of options for the latter is somewhat limited. Free agency figures to be far more barren than this past year. Only Dak Prescott stands out as a legitimate option and almost everybody believes the Dallas Cowboys won’t let him get away. With him out of the picture, who does that leave? Not a lot.
Former Pro Bowl linebacker Bart Scott has an idea though. He offered it on ESPN’s Get Up. Rather than waste their time on a project outside of the top 10, the Bears should really consider pursuing New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Somebody who is virtually guaranteed to be available this coming offseason.
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This Chicago Bears trade idea isn’t anything new
Sam Darnold as an option was a topic broached well over a month ago when it became obvious the Jets were the worst team in the NFL. One that figures to hold the #1 overall pick in the 2021 draft. This will give them the rights to Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whom many consider the best prospect at his position since Andrew Luck back in 2012.
This will make Darnold, the #3 overall pick in 2018, a redundant member of the roster. Hence why there is the widespread belief the team will seek to trade him. The kid is still just 23-years old. Exceedingly young for a guy in his third NFL season. This is why many still have hope for him. There is plenty of time to salvage Darnold’s obvious talent by hopefully putting him in a better situation than he experienced with the Jets.
Would this be the right call?
That depends on a variety of factors. Who will be coaching him if such a Chicago Bears trade happened? What would his weapons be and most importantly what would the offensive line look like? Taking Darnold from behind one bad group of blockers to another doesn’t seem like the proper recipe for turning around his career.
The Bears would have to invest significant resources in fixing their front five. Then they’d have to find the right coach who understands what the QB does best and get the most out of him. Simply trading for Darnold won’t fix anything. His game still needs a lot of work. He has problems handling pressure and can get a bit too reckless with the football.
Is his confidence completely shattered at this point? These are all the big questions that need to be asked.