Smoke had been starting to build over the past few days. The Chicago Bears were close to trading the #1 overall pick. While some teams were rumored to be in the discussions, it appears one took the lead in the past 48 hours. That is the Carolina Panthers. Owner David Tepper and new head coach Frank Reich seem intent on landing their quarterback of the future. GM Ryan Poles will move down to the 9th overall spot, collecting a massive return in draft capital along the way, including a 2nd in 2023, 1st in 2024, 2nd in 2025, and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Now the rebuild really gets interesting.
The entire package is a great one for the Bears. It gives them not only tons of extra draft capital, including a future 1st round pick and future 2nd, but it also lands them a dynamic wide receiver in his prime. Moore cracked 1,000 yards in three of the past four seasons with Carolina. He is only 25 years old too. He’s a sharp route runner with good speed and reliable hands. There is no doubt he should become Justin Fields’ go-to guy moving forward. He and Darnell Mooney could form a lethal tandem with the bigger Chase Claypool adding some additional flavor.
The Chicago Bears are suddenly in a fantastic position.
Poles still has a top 10 pick at 9th overall. If he plays his cards right, there should be no issue in finding a quality player at that spot. Initially, some wondered if he might take a stab at wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With Moore now in the mix, that is far less likely. The obvious play is either a pass rusher or offensive lineman. Some names that could be involved?
- Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson
- Iowa EDGE Lukas Van Ness
- Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski
- Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
- Georgia OT Broderick Jones
The Chicago Bears seem to have played their hand perfectly. They get tons of quality draft capital to work with and a young, proven weapon for their quarterback. Now they have a chance to continue building around him in the coming weeks. That offense could look much more talented by the end of April. This is before even discussing what they might be able to do for the defense as well. One must give Poles credit. He’s not afraid to take risks.
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