If the Chicago Bears are going to get a substantial market for the #1 pick, they need to see how the veteran landscape unfolds via free agency and trades. Depending on where the biggest names go, it will impact which teams may or may not be interested in making a run at #1 overall. Many experts and insiders believe GM Ryan Poles will keep the phone lines open and they'll be busy for months to come. True movement isn't likely until the end of March, though. That is when the veteran market should be mostly settled.
Nobody can say for certain how things unfold. Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated decided to put together projections on how he sees things breaking. Based on his assessment, this is the exact scenario the Bears should be cheering for.
- Tom Brady - Retires (has since been confirmed)
- Aaron Rodgers - Stays with Packers
- Derek Carr - Signs with Washington
- Jimmy Garoppolo - Signs with Miami
- Lamar Jackson - Stays with Ravens
- Geno Smith - Stays with Seahawks
- Daniel Jones - Stays with Giants
The primary significance of this is that none of the top options ended up with a team picking in the top 10. Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Carolina failed to secure any big names. That means all of them will have more desperation to land a quarterback in the draft. It stands to reason at least one of them would be willing to pay the hefty price to get the guy they want.
The Chicago Bears need one other thing to make this work.
They need the top quarterbacks like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud to blow one or two of those teams away in drills and interviews. They must get somebody to fall in love. If and when that happens, the anxiety starts to set in. What if somebody else feels the same way about this quarterback? They might get to him before we do. That is when the phone calls to Halas Hall will get intense. Poles can weigh the offers carefully. Once he gets one he deems impossible to pass up, he can pull the trigger.
Nothing is set in stone. One of those quarterbacks could always do something unexpected. Still, everything points to the Chicago Bears having a strong list of teams having interest in the #1 pick. It will come down to how much they offer and how far Poles would be willing to move down. Anything can happen. If there is a trade, smart money says it comes together a few weeks before the draft between late March and early April. Keep track of the quarterback workouts until then.
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