The Chicago Bears’ desire to upgrade at quarterback this offseason was the football world’s worst-kept secret …. But their hankering to move Nick Foles might’ve been a close second.
NFL insider Adam Caplan tells radio talk-show host Scott Ferrall the Bears were trying to trade Foles throughout the offseason. But because no team had interest in Foles, a deal never came to fruition. Remember, it takes two to tango. And one side simply can’t force a trade upon another team. That’s just not how any of this works.
Trade rumors followed Foles over the winter and spring. There was buzz about the Broncos as a destination as early as January. Philly made sense as a fit for nudging Jalen Hurts along his development curve. But Foles’ contract (and lack of production in 2020) evidently scared off any (and all) suitors. Because, even after the Bears paid Foles’ bonus, there was nowhere for him to go. The game of musical chairs ended with Foles back where he started.
On the one hand, the failure to trade Foles is a big yikes. Being unable to get anything of value for Foles one year after trading a fourth-round compensatory pick to get him stings. It serves as a reminder that represents a failure in terms of pro scouting and valuing of draft picks. But it doesn’t have to be a total loss in the long run. Hear me out…
If Foles remains on the roster, then the Bears can put him to use in other ways. For instance, GM Ryan Pace has been raving about the makeup of the team’s quarterbacks room all offseason. Foles can back up Pace’s words by taking Justin Fields under his wing. Showing the ropes to the rookie, sharing his professional experiences, and helping build a bridge to Matt Nagy, Bill Lazor, and John DeFilippo (three coaches he knows well) are among the things Foles can do for Fields early in his developmental phase.
Perhaps a trade can happen down the road when a team needs QB depth in training camp or the preseason. If not, then the Bears could simply bite hard, swallow and deal with one more year of having Foles on the books. Should that scenario play out, the Bears can create $7 million in cap space by cutting Foles next offseason (with a $3.67 million dead cap hit). There is no cap room to be gained by parting ways with Foles now, so Chicago might as well get used to a QBs room with him working alongside Fields and Andy Dalton.
For more from Caplan, check out the video below: