The Chicago Bears are in an awkward position. They need a quarterback. Stop if you’ve heard that before. The problem is they don’t have a lot of money to spend and they also don’t have many draft picks. Not to mention their highest pick is 20th in the 1st round. This makes it difficult for GM Ryan Pace to have any sort of flexibility in his offseason approach to this problem.
So what do they do? Based on what a source told me, the tentative plan is simple. Find ways to acquire more picks. Pace and the front office aren’t just exploring possible trades for quarterbacks. They’re also considering other maneuvers as well. This includes unloading some of their own veteran talents for additional picks and maybe even some basketball-style trades that would have them take on a player another team no longer wants along with a pick or two as a sweetener.
All avenues are being explored.
In terms of the veteran player angle? Pretty much anybody on a hefty contract who still has value is being considered. Kyle Fuller? Akiem Hicks? Khalil Mack? Jimmy Graham? Nick Foles? Nobody is off the table. The Bears are clearly intent on both clearing cap space and securing as many picks as they possibly can without completely gutting the roster.
The end game is pretty obvious. Use that money and extra picks to further their pursuit of a top quarterback. It’s not a terrible plan. It can work. The problem is obvious though. There are so many moving parts. A lot of things would have to go right. Depending on luck in the NFL is often a losing proposition.
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Chicago Bears aren’t wrong in this approach
It’s the correct form of thinking. Pace knows the situation. He’s not stupid. While George McCaskey preserved his job for 2021, the odds are pretty strong that ownership won’t protect him again if the Bears fail to perform better next season. So he had to approach this offseason with an aggressive mindset. Anything and everything that can be done to improve this roster and find that quarterback must be considered.
If the Chicago Bears lack high-end draft capital to entice teams, then they need to find a way to improve their volume of picks. This method might be their best hope. Sell off expensive veterans and see if they can swing a creative trade to take on a player another team is desperate to get rid of. Pace will need cooperation from other teams, which is a lot to ask. Still, “no risk it, no biscuit” as the saying goes.
He has to try. No stone can be left unturned.
If the QB pursuit falls through, the Bears could at least collect those picks to help overhaul what is an aging roster. Maybe even moving up in the 1st round to secure one of the more promising quarterbacks available. There is no shortage of ways this offseason could go for Chicago. The next three months are going to be nothing short of fascinating.