Belief Is "Feeding Frenzy" Possibly Forming For Bears' #1 Pick

Combine week started with a bang this year. Adam Schefter of ESPN has always had a flair for the dramatic. He didn't disappoint. Only 24 hours before players start reporting for the scouting combine in Indianapolis, he dropped the bomb that the Chicago Bears were already getting interest from multiple teams regarding the #1 overall pick. The belief is GM Ryan Poles is "leaning towards" dealing the pick, presuming he gets the kind of offer he's looking for. That isn't hard to picture.

Schefter wasn't done, though. He went on ESPN 1000 later the same day with Kap & J. Hood to discuss the new revelations. He made several things clear during the interview. First off, he firmly believes Justin Fields isn't going anywhere. He will remain the starting quarterback in Chicago. When the topic of the #1 pick came up, things got interesting. Schefter dropped two hints about what is to come that are worth noting.

One is that an overlooked team is a threat to move up. The other is how big the market is.

"When you look and the possibilities that are out there? You have the Texans at two, the Colts at four, the Seahawks at five, the Raiders at seven, the Falcons at eight, (and) the Panthers at nine. One, two, three, four, five...that's six teams in the top ten that you can make an argument could use help at the quarterback position. Six teams! So, the Bears have the #1 pick and they don't really have a need at quarterback.

I know there's talk about Justin Fields. I'm not buying it. I think he's their guy. They just have to surround him with the right people. If you don't have a glaring need at quarterback, and they don't, and the Texans, Colts, Seahawks, Raiders, (and) Panthers all have questions over the long term, you could have a feeding frenzy for that #1 overall pick."

The Chicago Bears have all the leverage right now.

Seattle is one team people haven't talked much about, which is a surprise. They have two 1st round picks, including the 5th overall. They're in a perfect position to move up if they want. It seems people haven't entertained the idea because there is an assumption they will simply re-sign Geno Smith and be happy. After all, he went to the Pro Bowl and led them to the playoffs. While true, he is also 33 years old, lost in the playoff opener, and would cost north of $30 million per year to bring back. If the Seahawks are hesitant to make that kind of investment, then moving up to #1 for a guy they love in this draft makes sense.

The problem is they may have competition. Depending on what happens in free agency next month, five other teams will be vying for quarterbacks too. Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, and Lamar Jackson need to figure out their situations. Carr is a free agent. Rodgers could be traded. Jackson will likely get franchise tagged. There is speculation he could be dealt too. If Carr were to sign with the Jets or Saints, as many believe is possible, that would be great for the Chicago Bears. Then all they'd need is for Rodgers to retire or stay in Green Bay and Jackson to stay in Baltimore.

From there, the remaining teams would have a choice. They could take their chances with Jimmy Garoppolo, or they start thinking about the draft.