NEWSLETTER
The projected run on quarterbacks early in the 2018 NFL Draft will impact the Chicago Bears one way or another. And while there is a growing likelihood of four signal callers going within the first five picks, it just takes one to fall and create a potential trade scenario.
That one could be UCLA’s Josh Rosen, and those potential trade scenarios could feature the Arizona Cardinals or New England Patriots. Let’s dive in.
Long-time Arizona sports personality Mike Jurecki sees the Bears as a possible trading partner for the Cardinals if Rosen’s stock takes a tumble and if the team is truly intent on moving up.
Jurecki offers up the possibility of a second-round pick also coming to Chicago in addition to a swap of first-round picks. Considering the demand for the position, particularly in this draft, the Bears would be making a mistake if they didn’t hold out for more than just a second-round pick for falling back seven spots in the draft. Having three picks in the top-50 would be nice, but moving out of the top-10 should probably come with a higher price tag.
Perhaps having another trade partner changes the dynamic. Jurecki also notes the Buccaneers could be a fit for a deal too, citing GM Steve Keim’s relationship with Tampa Bay’s Jason Licht.
Again, the Bears don’t have to trade out of the No. 8 pick if they don’t want to (and if the perfect guy is there for the taking, value elsewhere becomes, you know, less valuable), but the team is in a prime opportunity to do so if the right deal comes along. At the same time … if the goal is not to be picking this high for the foreseeable future (winning will do that to you), then GM Ryan Pace might be wise to take one last swing at a top-ten talent in hopes of coming up with a home run.
WalterFootball.com explores the possibility of a Bears-Patriots trade, which comes on the heels of New England acquiring a second first-round pick. Depending on how the the first five picks go, the Patriots could certainly use both of those picks as part of a deal to move up in the draft for a quarterback whose stock has fallen. If Rosen takes a tumble and the Patriots want to get to him before the Cardinals or any number of other teams can do so, the Bears could find themselves in a position where they are given an offer they can’t refuse from New England.
The site suggests a trade that makes sense for Chicago and New England looks something like this:
This deal would move the Bears out of the top-10, but into a place where the team could get tremendous value with a pair of late first-round selections. Chicago could possibly land a pair of Week 1 starters with upside and potential who fit immediate needs. Players like Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn, UTEP guard Will Hernandez, Ohio State guard/center Billy Price, or Iowa center James Daniels (who is set to visit the Bears) could be fits along the interior line. Edge defenders such as Boston College’s Harold Landry and Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard could be possibilities to fill that spot.
The team could even expand on the idea of adding to their running back mix with Georgia’s Sony Michel, LSU’s Derrius Guice, or USC’s Ronald Jones. Because if the Bears really wanted to bite the Eagles’ style, they’d find a back that fits between the LeGarrett Blount-style power running of Jordan Howard and the Corey Clement-like pass-catching prowess of Tarik Cohen.
And while the Bears would lose the higher of their two fourth-round picks, the team would gain a third-round pick – something the team currently doesn’t have.
The Bears will have a variety of options to choose from on draft weekend. If their preferred prospect isn’t there at No. 8, trading down and adding picks is a possibility that would keep Chicago from reaching for a player who might not be the ideal fit, while also giving the team additional spins at the proverbial wheel. But if the best player on their board is available, it’s difficult to imagine the Bears trading out of a position to get him.
So while the New York Jets jumped the market to trade up to be in a position to take one of the three best quarterbacks in the draft, we will likely have to wait until draft day if we are to see additional movement – especially if it involves the Bears.
