Here’s the thing to remember about the draft. While preparation and relentless hard work play a big part in teams having success with it, there is one inescapable reality about it too. Luck. Sometimes plain, old good fortune plays a huge role in teams landing a player they covet. GM Ryan Pace deserves a ton of credit for his execution of landing quarterback Justin Fields over a week ago. Without giving up the farm, he secured the Chicago Bears a potentially bright future.
The thing to remember here though? Ten other teams had to pass on Fields to make it happen. Given the talent the Ohio State standout has, that is saying something. While certain teams in the top 10 can be excused from such a decision, NFL insider Adam Caplan spoke on Football Full Circle reporting that there was one in particular that many around the league were stunned passed on him.
The Denver Broncos.
It’s easy to understand. Denver has been plagued by quarterback issues since Peyton Manning retired back in 2016. They’ve gone through a myriad of different options including Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, and now Drew Lock. The ongoing frustrations with Lock’s slow development compelled the Broncos to trade for veteran Teddy Bridgewater from Carolina.
Even so, the allure of somebody like Fields seemed like a fairly easy decision. Especially for a new GM hoping to put his own stamp on the team like George Paton. However, it seems they weren’t willing to take the risk. Albert Breer of the MMQB backed up this report, stating the Broncos chose to play it safe with cornerback Patrick Surtain II. They were content to give Lock another chance with Bridgewater as capable insurance.
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Once Justin Fields got past Denver, all bets were off
The Bears knew the Dallas Cowboys at #10 weren’t taking a quarterback. Not after signing Dak Prescott to a massive contract extension. Nor were the New York Giants at #11 who still believed in Daniel Jones. Philadelphia at #12? An outside possibility but unlikely given their reported satisfaction with Jalen Hurts. All Pace had to do was find a landing spot somewhere in that range and Fields would be a Bear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRccBQRaJ7Y&ab_channel=KhaiDk
When the Eagles traded up to #10 for wide receiver DeVonta Smith, that created their opportunity. With the last of the top three receivers gone, the Giants had no prospects they wanted to take at #11. So Pace offered them a future 1st round pick along with two mid rounders to move back. New York accepted and Justin Fields officially headed to Chicago. A rather incredible string of circumstances all played in the Bears’ favor.
Now it’s up to them to make that good fortune count for something.
Pace moved quickly to capitalize on it. The next four consecutive picks he made in the draft were all on the offensive side of the ball including a potential solution at left tackle in Teven Jenkins. The process has already begun with the Bears working hard to build a structure around Fields. One that will turn him into the player he should be. One must wonder if Denver might regret their decision three years from now.