Insider Gives Overlooked Reason Ryan Poles Won't Trade The #1 Pick

Since 2000, the #1 overall pick in the draft has only been traded three times. Ryan Poles was responsible for that third instance last year, dealing the pick to Carolina for a large package, including wide receiver D.J. Moore and four additional picks. One of them was their 1st round pick in 2024, which has since become the #1 pick in the 2023 draft. Now, people are wondering if history might repeat itself. The Chicago Bears GM could become the only person in history to trade the pick twice, likely for an even more significant return this time.

It's a fun idea to speculate. Much of it depends on what Poles thinks of the current quarterback class. If he likes one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels, it is unlikely he will trade the pick. However, there is another problem that is not being considered. Kevin Clark of The Ringer brought it up during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. Part of the problem is the Bears may not have a sucker this time. Carolina was desperate for a quarterback last year and had an owner in David Tepper willing to pay an exorbitant price to get the guy he wanted.

That may not be the case this time.

Ryan Poles has shown he can find quality deals.

Carolina was far from the only example. Squeezing 4th and 6th round picks out of Philadelphia and Miami for Robert Quinn and Chase Claypool are good examples. To say there are no desperate teams would be inaccurate. The Atlanta Falcons are a perfect example. They've been in QB hell ever since Matt Ryan departed. Their owner, Arthur Blank, is 81 years old. His time is running short. They undoubtedly feel the pressure to get that position figured out. The New York Giants could be another possibility, desperate to get out of QB purgatory with Daniel Jones and that bloated contract.

The truth is there are no signs at this point that Ryan Poles is planning to move the pick again. Last year was different. Whispers were evident even right after the season that Chicago was interested in moving the pick. This time, everything points to them staying put and taking whichever quarterback they prefer. Maybe that changes if a team comes forward with an offer they can't possibly refuse. The odds are likely that updates on this will start surfacing around the end of the scouting combine.