NEWSLETTER
Andy Dalton and Nick Foles continue to be names floated on the quarterback-movement rumor mill, not infrequently connected to the Chicago Bears.
The latest comes via a “longtime source” who “is particularly connected in quarterback circles and has unique relationships in the executive and agent community” by way of Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Got that? Okay.
In a piece in which he tries to get a grasp on the quarterback market, La Canfora reached out to this source with hopes of getting a handle on football’s equivalent to musical chairs from someone in the know. In Bears circles, La Canfora is probably better known for a few notable whiffs than anything else, but perhaps bringing in a third party as a guiding light will provide a different perspective.
With the necessary caveats out of the way, let’s talk about La Canfora’s source weighing in on the possibilities of Dalton or Foles landing in Chicago. Let’s begin with Foles, who La Canfora’s source believes will land with the Indianapolis Colts. HOWEVER, the source offers up a bit of a hedge while doing so, telling La Canfora: “The Bears have some interest too, and (coach Matt Nagy) likes him, too. I think he gets traded.”
Foles has been on our potential trade target radar since the regular season. But since the football season ended, one NFL insider predicted a Foles trade to the Bears. More recently, reports have surfaced that the Jaguars want to trade Foles and hand the keys to Gardner Minshew II, who took over for the Super Bowl LII MVP after his collarbone injury knocked him out early in the season. From a Bears perspective, Foles checks a bunch of boxes. Foles has extensive starting experience, knowledge of Matt Nagy’s system, and familiarity with Chicago’s new offensive coaches — Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor and Quarterbacks Coach John DeFilippo — which could ease a transition should a trade be reached between the two sides.
There are cost concerns and cap ramifications that need to be considered in trading for Foles, which is why a team with ample cap space like the Colts would make sense as a landing spot for the Jaguars QB. But it shouldn’t go unnoticed when a league executive notes how the Bears could be interested in a quarterback who knows (and is comfortable) with his role as a backup, but also has proven he can chip in when called upon in a pinch.
And then there’s Dalton, whom La Canfora boldly predicted would be the Bears’ Week 1 starting QB in 2020 back in January. That outside-the-box prediction seems more plausible now than it did then, especially after rumors surfaced in February that the Bears had contacted the Bengals about a possible Dalton trade. Much like a Foles trade feels inevitable, the same can be said about a Dalton deal. Cincinnati is reportedly willing to work with Dalton in facilitating a trade to a new team, which could help move matters along. But the timetable for consummating such a deal has yet to be determined.
But unlike the perspective regarding Foles’ future, La Canfora does not include word from his source on that possibility. Instead, La Canfora writes: “Dalton’s connections to new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor are well known.”
Are Dalton’s connections with Lazor well known? Yes. We talked about if the Lazor hire had anything to do with Dalton-related rumors upon the new OC’s hiring. But still … it feels like a reach making the Bears as a future home for Dalton a thing because of the simple connection to Lazor. This is one of those times where less isn’t necessarily more.
There are mock drafts with five signal callers in the first round.
Free agency, which officially opens its doors in 10 days, features the Greatest of All Time (Tom Brady), a possible Hall of Fame (Philip Rivers), and former first-round picks (Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota) with various levels of upside.
And that’s before we even get to possible trade options, of which the Bears seem certain to explore as they go on their search for competition to push (or even supplant) incumbent starter Mitch Trubisky.
So with that in mind, don’t expect quarterback rumors to dry up between now and the start of free agency. Change is on the horizon for the quarterback landscape in the NFL. To what extent and how it impacts the Bears will soon come into focus.
