One thing about Adam Schefter is he rarely disappoints. When the guy has something to say, he's not afraid to give a straight answer. He was in rare form during an appearance on Waddle & Silvy for ESPN 1000. Unsurprisingly, the discussion centered around what the Chicago Bears will do at quarterback. He echoed his previous comments from another appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Based on what he's heard around the league, everybody expects Bears GM Ryan Poles to stay at #1 and take Caleb Williams. If that proves true, it means Justin Fields will likely be traded.
Here is where it got interesting. Schefter was asked about Fields' potential market once the off-season got going. While he doesn't think there will be a mad scramble from teams to acquire him, he still thinks there will be enough involved to create a strong market. As to what the Bears can get, it will "definitely" be a 2nd round pick and could end up being even more.
This marks the second major insider, alongside Tom Pelissero, to mention there is a strong possibility the Bears could wrangle a 1st round pick from somebody for Fields. That would be a tremendous return.
Several factors will determine Justin Fields' market.
It starts with the evaluation of the other quarterbacks in the draft. Everybody not named Caleb Williams. How strongly do they feel about Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., or J.J. McCarthy as potential franchise guys? Then, there is the free agency group. Could Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Russell Wilson all be available? These factors make it wise for Poles and the Bears to get a trade done before the league year begins in mid-March. Teams might be less inclined to pay a significant return for Fields once the market opens and the draft draws closer.
The thing left to determine is who might pay that price tag. As things stand, eight teams have legitimate question marks at the quarterback position.
- Washington
- New England
- New York
- Atlanta
- Minnesota
- Las Vegas
- Pittsburgh
- Tampa Bay
The first three are high enough in the 1st round that they won't surrender such a pick for Justin Fields. Atlanta (#8) is the first team that feels like a serious possibility. Ryan Pace works in their front office. He drafted Fields and the QB is a Georgia native. Minnesota might retain Cousins, but if not, they become an immediate possibility. Their GM Kwesi Odofo-Mensah isn't shy about making inter-divisional trades. Las Vegas just hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, so that feels unlikely. Pittsburgh (20th) picks late enough in the 1st round to where they may feel the price is worth it. Tampa Bay likely will look to keep Mayfield.
As things stand, it feels like Atlanta and Pittsburgh are the most obvious landing spots. Then again, others could enter the fray if their original quarterback plans don't work out.
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