Insider Claims Chicago Bears' Eventual #1 Pick Trade Partner Is Obvious

The Chicago Bears haven't reached any decision yet on the #1 overall pick. There is still far too much work to do with all-star games, the scouting combine, pro days, and free agency. However, everybody seems to think their course is obvious. At some point, GM Ryan Poles will work the phones and trade the pick to a team desperate for their desired quarterback. Chicago already has Justin Fields. They're in the middle of a rebuild and need more assets. It makes too much sense. The tricky part is finding a team willing to make that move.

Plenty of experts have their theories about who it will be. The popular choice is the Indianapolis Colts. They have the 4th overall pick. After the expensive Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan failures, they won't go the veteran route. Their GM, Chris Ballard, has direct connections to Poles. It makes so much sense. However, insider Jeff Howe of The Athletic has a different perspective. He feels the team to watch isn't Indianapolis but the team they will try hard to jump in the Houston Texans. Howe explained his reasoning on the Hoge & Jahns podcast.

It's hard to argue with this from the Chicago Bears' perspective.

The idea for Poles is figuring out how to get some extra assets for his draft coffers while giving himself a shot at the top prospects on his board. The easiest way to do this would be to swap places with Houston at #2. They have more than enough picks to swing such a deal. They would get their quarterback of choice, while the Bears get two or three extra selections and their preferred non-QB option. Houston should feel inclined to make such a deal with the threat of Indianapolis moving up at the forefront of their minds.

Poles is ultimately the one who controls this narrative. It would be an utter shock if nobody made an offer for the #1 pick. Somebody will. It comes down to whether the Chicago Bears GM deems it good enough to accept. He would be irresponsible to sell such a valuable pick for cheap. While he would get large packages from Indianapolis and other teams further down the board, Howe is correct. The most sensible option would be Houston. This way, he gets more picks and the player he wants.