Here we go.
The 2021 NFL Draft is just about underway, and the rumors the Chicago Bears are moving up from the 20th overall pick are officially in high gear.
The idea Chicago may try to trade up to nab a young signal-caller in the first round has been getting kicked around by fans and analysts for months, and now, one of the team’s prominent insiders has given the rumors some depth. Top Bears insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed what he sees the Bears doing in the draft, and considering Biggs has been a top source for Bears scoops, including preparing fans for the eventual signing of Andy Dalton, he’s someone worth listening to.
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Biggs: ‘Paramount’ Bears Leave Draft With QB
“It stands to reason the Bears’ top plan is to come away from the first round with a rookie quarterback to pair with Andy Dalton and develop in the aftermath of the Mitch Trubisky era,” Biggs wrote Wednesday evening.
“A depth chart with Dalton and Nick Foles puts the Bears in a year-to-year predicament at the position, so it’s paramount they come out of the draft with a quarterback who sells hope for the future and gives them a legitimate prospect,” he added.
With rumors swirling that the New England Patriots are going to go after Jimmy Garoppolo, potentially taking one more quarterback-needy team out of the running in the first round, things could get very interesting for Chicago if general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy decide to trade up for a playmaker under center.
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A Look at Potential Trade Partners for Bears in 1st Round
With the Denver Broncos adding Teddy Bridgewater — yet still not being out of the market to add another quarterback — it leaves the Bears in an interesting spot. The Atlanta Falcons have expressed an openness to trading the No. 4 overall pick, but that price may be too steep for the Bears. According to Biggs:
NFL sources say the Detroit Lions at No. 7 and Carolina Panthers at No. 8 also have made it known those picks are available … and rumors are the Philadelphia Eagles might trade out of the No. 12 pick, especially if a cornerback they’re eyeing isn’t available. It might be more palatable to (Bears Chairman George) McCaskey and Bears fans alike if Pace trades up for one of those picks because it wouldn’t be nearly as costly as moving all the way to No. 4. The Bears likely would have to give up the 20th pick and their 2022 first-rounder to move up to No. 7 or No. 8, but they might not have to include their top pick in 2023.
That makes sense. Moving into the top five could potentially cost Chicago too much — but if one of the top five quarterbacks like, say, Trey Lance or Justin Fields — slipped slightly, it could be the perfect opportunity to take a shot on their next quarterback of the future.
Buckle up, Bears fans.
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Bears Insider Reveals ‘Top Plan’ for Draft