(Getty) Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy
Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and right now, the Chicago Bears are smoldering when it comes to draft day rumors. With the NFL Draft approaching in less than two weeks, rumors continue to fly that GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy will be looking for a young quarterback to groom in the upcoming draft — with many analysts, including ESPN’s John Clayton and Jeff Hughes of DaBearsBlog — suggesting they may move up in the draft to do it.
Now, one of the team’s top insiders is adding more fuel to that fire. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has covered the team for the last two decades, and in his latest column, he has some revealing thoughts about what the team has planned.
“The Bears are in a challenging spot because they don’t pick until No. 20, and it would be super costly to trade up to No. 4 with the Atlanta Falcons, who are reportedly open to offers for the pick,” Biggs wrote. “Such a huge move would likely require three first-round picks — which the 49ers paid to swap spots with the Miami Dolphins — and it’s unknown if (Bears chairman George) McCaskey would provide his blessing for such a risky move for the fourth pick at the position. Maybe he would, but that would require extraordinary faith in Pace.”
And yet, Biggs says that faith may be there.
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Bears at Pro Days of Mac Jones, Trey Lance & Justin Fields
Hughes suggested last week that Chicago was trying to move up to No. 4 in a potentially huge trade with the Falcons, and if that’s true, the team is certainly doing its homework. The Bears have been at the Pro Day performances of Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones — one of whom will still be available at No. 4
Biggs added that Chicago is likely hoping one young signal-caller slips slightly: “If Pace and Nagy are eyeing one of the top five quarterbacks — and both have been around the country getting close looks at the prospects, with Nagy photographed Wednesday at Fields’ second pro day in Columbus, Ohio…Pace and/or Nagy also have gone to see Jones and Lance.”
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League Expects Bears to Make Big Move, Biggs Says
Biggs has been one of the primary insiders for the Bears over the last several years, most recently breaking the news that Chicago was signing quarterback Andy Dalton, so his thoughts and opinions hold quite a bit of heft. He thinks the Bears may be trying to actively plan around which quarterback the San Francisco 49ers select at No. 3:
Like everyone else, the Bears are probably trying to figure out which quarterback the 49ers will select and how the board will fall so they can determine where they might be able to have a shot at the fourth or fifth quarterback. There has been sentiment around the NFL for a few weeks that the Bears are plotting a move for a quarterback, that Pace and Nagy view that as their best chance to spark a turnaround while also providing hope for the future. The Bears could continue with their plan to start Dalton while bringing along a rookie, hoping the veteran performs well enough that they don’t have to turn to a draft pick in an effort to try to save jobs.
Whether they trade up or not, the Bears will likely be drafting a quarterback for the first time since they traded up to pick Mitch Trubisky in 2017, so it’s safe to say that they’ll be one of the more fascinating teams to watch in the upcoming draft. Bears fans just hope they get it right this time.
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