If the Chicago Bears want to significantly move up in the 2021 NFL Draft for a quarterback, it’s going to be costly, but perhaps needy.
Would the Chicago Bears be willing to take a quarterback with their first pick in the NFL Draft? They better at this point to save GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy’s jobs.
Chicago parted ways with Mitch Trubisky after four years of up and down play. Despite the team adding Andy Dalton as the next “guy”, this is more of a bridge option than full-time starter.
And if the Bears are sold that that Dalton can be the leader who takes them to the Super Bowl, they’ve lost before the season has begun.
To this point, the Bears need a slam dunk move. That likely means moving up to select one of the top five quarterbacks left on the board.
They need someone for the future. Would a trade up with the Atlanta Falcons work? Here’s hoping.
The question though would be the asking price. It took the San Francisco 49ers three future first-round picks and a future third-round selection to move up nine spots in April’s shindig.
The asking price will not be cheap, but it also might necessary for Chicago. In that case, here’s what a deal might look like, based off the long-standing trade value chart:
Bears Get
No.4 Overall
2022 Sixth-Round Pick
Falcons Get
No. 20 overall
No.83 Overall
2022 First-Round Pick
2023 First-Round Pick
If the Bears believe they are a quarterback away from contending, giving Up a first-round pick in 2022 would be a later selection. That likely would mean Chicago made the postseason once more and went deeper than the Wild Card Round.
Should the Bears land at No. 4, the hope would be that Justin Fields would be on the table. With more upside than Jones, plus the knowledge of playing in Big 10 weather, it should only take several months to be aquatinted with the offense before taking over for Dalton.
Best of all? Chicago keeps severn of their selection, keeping them in line to add an offensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver to bolster the depth.
For Chicago, the cost is high, but moving up 16 spots isn’t going to be cheap. At this point, Pace must do whatever it takes to improve the Bears’ offense.
It starts by risking it to land the true franchise quarterback.