NEWSLETTER
You saw it.
I saw it.
Now, let’s address it.
NFL reporter Jason La Canfora went to the bird app and pressed send on a tweet that ruffled some feathers. And here it is:
Reading that anonymous NFL general managers left the Senior Bowl “fairly convinced” that the Bears will trade Justin Fields filled me with the same emotions that hit you. My eyes rolled so hard that I’m surprised they made it back around to their default position. And yes, I’m cognizant of La Canfora’s past — particularly regarding his notable misses in reporting about the Bears with accuracy. However, I don’t want to go down that path. Instead, I’d like to use this to spawn a larger discussion. Because part of me is glad La Canfora didn’t leave this in his drafts. But please hear me out before you give me the death stare.
If only for a moment, let’s take the tweet at face value. Because we could surmise that La Canfora’s tweet is a sign that Bears GM Ryan Poles is doing his job. Drumming up potential interest for a player you have publicly backed is risky, to be sure. But if Fields understands he’s the guy and knows what is coming (it sure sounds like he does), then there is no risk. If Poles is truly committed to Fields and Fields knows he isn’t going anywhere then why even let that get floated? Well, let me explain.
It boils down to this: Putting it out there that several league GMs think Fields will be dealt feels like a nudge to teams that might want the first pick to step their offers up. In other words, if your team wants Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, or even Kentucky’s Will Levis, then you better come correct with a trade offer for the pick because we’ll otherwise take one of them off the board. Couple La Canfora’s tweet with a recent report that the Bears will do their homework on the draft’s top quarterbacks, and suddenly things make more sense when they wouldn’t have on their own.
In the end, I look at my calendar and see we’re still only in the middle of February. Silly season hasn’t even begun on the rumor mill. But we’re starting to see some head games formulate and take place. Only 70 days until the Bears go on the clock with the first pick. That is, unless, some team is willing to pay the price of doing business.
