Getty QB Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears.
At the low point of the regular season, the Chicago Bears were in position to draft not just their quarterback of the future, but to also have their pick of pass-catchers. Oddly enough, that opportunity could present itself again via a trade of Justin Fields.
The expected trade value for Fields is a package centered around a second-round pick. But if the Bears want to get creative they can put multiple assets alongside Fields in a deal and position themselves to draft wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. just two picks after selecting Caleb Williams first overall.
The New England Patriots own the No. 3 pick this April and while the team is in need of a quarterback, there is some thought they are willing to trade out of the third pick and go a different route to pick up a replacement for Mac Jones. Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago authored a trade pitch on Wednesday, February 14, in which the Bears flip Fields, the No. 9 pick, the No. 75 selection and a fourth-round in 2025 for the Patriots’ choice at No. 3.
“If we’re going by draft value charts, this type of package would be close to even — assuming the Patriots agree Fields is worth a second-round pick,” Shapiro wrote. “The [Houston] Texans shocked the world when they traded up to draft Will Anderson just moments after selecting C.J. Stroud. Maybe Bears GM Ryan Poles takes a page out of their playbook? Doesn’t feel likely, but a blockbuster move like this would put the Bears in position to draft Harrison Jr. themselves.”
Patriots Among Prime Suitors to Trade for Bears’ Justin Fields
GettyQuarterback Mac Jones of the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are a prime candidate for Fields despite holding the No. 3 overall pick. The team and new head coach Jerod Mayo haven’t spoken specifically to the options at that selection, though it is assumed two QBs will already be off the board by then. At that point, the Patriots might be able to get more value by moving off the pick and accumulating a haul of assets for doing so.
“The Patriots also need a quarterback, but there are people around the league who believe they are open to trading the No. 3 selection, moving back in the draft and addressing the quarterback position in free agency,” Dan Graziano of ESPN reported on February 10.
Fields makes considerable sense then, as a somewhat proven entity with bonafide arm and leg talent that is superior to the average NFL signal-caller, who is playing on a cost-controlled rookie contract in 2024. Any team who holds his contract rights can also exercise a fifth-year team option for a price in the range of $21 million for the 2025 campaign.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on February 14 that the time has come for Jones and the Patriots to part ways, even with a new coach running the sidelines.
“It’s really hard to live down your history with an NFL team, and Jones’s with the New England Patriots is not good,” Breer wrote. “He was drafted 15th and hasn’t come close to living up to his slot. He was good as a rookie, and regressed badly since.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. Can Be Part of Ushering in New Era in Chicago With Caleb Williams
GettyWideout Marvin Harrison Jr. of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
If the Bears can get all the way to No. 3 in a Fields trade with the Patriots, Harrison makes a ton of sense on the roster.
ESPN’s draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. predicted Chicago will draft Rome Odunze of the Washington Huskies with the No. 9 overall pick to pair alongside DJ Moore with Williams under center. However, Kiper also predicted that Harrison will go fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
“Harrison is one of the best receiver prospects of the past decade, a 6-foot-4 speedster who can run every route and break tackles after the catch,” Kiper wrote on January 23.
If the Bears feel strongly enough about the receiver position to use a top-10 pick on one and can leapfrog the Cardinals into the three-spot, everything could change — not just in this draft, but in Chicago for years to come.