Trade Proposal Sees Bears Swap No. 1 Pick For 2 Firsts, Remain in Top 5

Matt Eberflus, Bears

Getty Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears reacts after a play during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on December 18, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears should probably deal the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and one trade partner stands out above the rest.

The Indianapolis Colts own the rights to the No. 4 selection and need a quarterback as much, or more, than any franchise in the league. Indy general manager Chris Ballard has already declared publicly that he will “do whatever it takes” to secure the team’s future under center, and there is no better way to do that than trading into the No. 1 slot in a quarterback-heavy draft.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report on January 11 argued that moving down just three spots could net Chicago four draft choices, including two firsts, all while remaining inside the top four selections in 2023.

Interestingly, the Bears are the last team to make a short leap from inside the top five to land their preferred quarterback. Granted, Mitchell Trubisky didn’t work out in the team’s favor, though the move provides a little insight into what could happen.

The Colts can offer a similar deal including this year’s fourth overall selection, as well as third- and fourth-rounders and a future pick — maybe even a 2024 first rounder, if Ballard becomes truly desperate — allowing the Bears to move down a few slots and still land Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. or Georgia’s Jalen Carter.


Bears Can Drive Up Price of Top Pick by Entertaining Fields Trade

Cooks Bears Trade Pitch

GettyQuarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears celebrates a win against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

Chicago doesn’t have to do much posturing considering the strength of its offseason position, which is bolstered by approximately $92 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. However, the more likely the Bears are to use the top pick on a quarterback, the better price they can get for moving off of it.

Some unconventional wisdom suggests that Chicago might do better to trade breakout star Justin Fields, draft a player like Bryce Young of Alabama, get four more years of high quality quarterback play at a rookie contract price rather than just two years, and use the draft capital and extra salary they create to add to the roster around Young.

While an intriguing proposition, trading Fields might be tempting fate a little too much considering the Bears’ 100-plus-year history of mediocre to poor quarterback play. Still, entertaining the proposition and playing interested teams off one another should allow Chicago to procure the No. 4 pick and one more future first-round selection from the Colts, as well as a handful of mid-round picks to seal the deal.


Bears Should be Thinking Defense at Top of 2023 NFL Draft

Jalen Carter, Georgia

GettyDefensive tackle Jalen Carter of the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC Championship Game against the LSU Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Colts are also an ideal trade partner for the Bears because Chicago would still pick fourth in what is a loaded 2023 draft class.

That position should ensure the team the ability to draft either Anderson or Carter, as Sobleski noted above. The linebacker and the defensive tackle are both considered to be generational talents at their respective positions, and either one would fit in perfectly with a defensive-minded Bears team looking for pass rushing and strength along the interior.

The unique quality offered by Anderson and Carter is the one thing that might hamstring Chicago in trade discussions over the No. 1 pick, as they make the notion of trading outside of the top 5 with a team like the Las Vegas Raiders or the Carolina Panthers far less palatable and, therefore, far more expensive for the suitor in question.

Read More
,