The Chicago Bears have three games left. Their chances of making the playoffs are all but dead. Now, it's about pride and trying to build some momentum for next year. It is also about people trying to save their jobs. Head coach Matt Eberflus and quarterback Justin Fields are under a ton of pressure to finish strong after a disappointing past two months where they wasted multiple opportunities to get the Bears into playoff contention. Team president Kevin Warren is rumored to be considering an organizational shakeup.
That would likely include one or both of them being gone. Nothing is set in stone. The evaluation process is ongoing. So, I decided to take a big-picture look at the organization and made bold predictions about what will come in the next four months. Be prepared for some twists.
Matt Eberflus gets fired and replaced by Joe Brady.
Cleveland might've been a crippling blow for Eberflus. A third 4th quarter collapse in two months is a bad look for any head coach, especially one with no proven track record. As the Bears seem poised to pursue a young quarterback, they will likely desire a head coach who can develop him. That means an offensive mind. Nobody would've dreamed Brady would be in the conversation a month ago. Yet since he took over for Ken Dorsey, the Buffalo Bills have become a far more balanced and effective unit.
They've cut down on the turnovers and have put up points against some of the best defensive teams in the league, like Kansas City, New York, and Dallas. Brady was a one-year wonder at LSU and had a great first year at Carolina, but was unceremoniously dumped in 2021. Most feel he was a scapegoat for Matt Rhule's failures. I predict he will finish the year strong in Buffalo and the Bears give him a shot.
Justin Fields is traded to Atlanta...for Kyle Pitts.
One thing we've learned about Poles is that he's not afraid to do unconventional trades. Most GMs would prefer trading for straight draft picks. Poles doesn't mind targeting veteran players if he feels their value is worth it. That is what happens here. Atlanta desperately needs a quarterback. Fields is a Georgia native. Ryan Pace works in the Falcons' front office. It's an obvious move. However, Atlanta might be reluctant to give up picks. Perhaps they might be willing to swap a fellow 2021 1st round pick for Fields. Tight end Kyle Pitts started out his career with a 1,000-yard season for the Falcons but has failed to find traction under head coach Arthur Smith since. He could probably use a fresh start, and the Bears need another weapon.
The Chicago Bears lure Danielle Hunter away from Minnesota.
Conventional wisdom says the Bears should avoid paying two massive defensive line contracts at the same time. However, with the prospect of a QB change coming, it might make more sense for the team to focus their early draft assets on offense. So Poles decides to find a running mate for Montez Sweat by prying away Hunter from the divisional rival Vikings. Chicago has more than enough salary cap space to meet his likely number and it would be around a three-year deal, given his age of 29. That means his contract and Sweat's would run out around the same time. The Bears defense will be terrifying if they play at their best during most of that stretch.
Ryan Poles will trade down from #1 overall and still take a quarterback.
Most assume the Chicago Bears' general manager will do one of two things. He will either take a QB at #1 overall, or he'll trade the pick for draft assets and target other positions. I put forward the possibility he does both. Poles reaches the conclusion that the gulf between Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and the other top quarterbacks isn't as wide as the media wants you to think. He will bait another team desperate to draft one of those two into a massive trade, securing more future draft capital. Then he uses the higher of his two 1st rounders to take whichever quarterback he wants. It will be either Jayden Daniels of LSU or J.J. McCarthy of Michigan. Both display attributes Poles likes from accuracy to decision-making and pocket poise. It certainly helps they also have the desired height and plenty of athleticism.
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