Reports Confirm Division Rival Could Ruin Chicago Bears QB Hopes

This NFL draft is still days away and people are about ready to burst with anticipation. As is the case every year, it's the quarterbacks that drive the narrative. With an unusually high concentration of top prospects at the position this year, it's led to some rampant speculation. The first two picks are basically confirmed with Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. Insiders also revealed San Francisco is down to either Mac Jones or Trey Lance at #3. So where does this leave the Chicago Bears? It isn't a secret they've been surrounded by rumors of trading up for weeks. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy want to get that position right. The Mitch Trubisky failure still hangs over their heads. It seems like the only way they can avoid losing their jobs is to finally secure this team a franchise QB. Their best hope is one of those top five. The obvious question is how high do they have to get in order to get somebody they want?

Based on recent information? There is one team they have to worry about.

Fittingly, it's the Detroit Lions. The longtime Bears rival sits at #7 overall. With Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Miami ahead of them unlikely to take quarterbacks, that makes their spot particularly interesting. With Carolina at #8 and Denver at #9 at least minor threats to take a QB, the Lions could be that spot a QB needy team down the board wants to jump to. They're certain to find a front office ready to negotiate in Detroit. Here's what Albert Breer of the MMQB had to say.

"The Lions are the team in the top 10 hungriest for a trade down—and that makes sense, given they’re working with just a half-dozen picks."

He wasn't alone either. Peter King of NBC Sports reinforced this belief in his own column. It's crystal clear the Lions are looking to move down in order to secure more picks for their rebuild.

"No question in my mind Holmes hopes the Patriots (15) will want to pay a ransom to move from 15 to 7 and pick their QB of the future, and the way New England’s uncharacteristic offseason has gone, you can’t eliminate that as a possibility."

This presents a major problem for the Bears. It's unlikely Detroit would willingly negotiate with Chicago about a trade considering the risk of handing their division rival a possible franchise quarterback. That means one of two things. Either Pace has to gamble that nobody trades for that pick or he has to find a way to get in front of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za43jPpO0RE&ab_channel=CBSSportsHQ

Chicago Bears must weigh price in all of this

Pace has already thrown a lot of future picks away in previous trades since 2017. A habit that is in danger of coming back to haunt him as the Bears now boast one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. He needs to be exceedingly careful how much he's willing to give up in any move for a quarterback. Yes, if he hits on it then the franchise is set for the next 10-15 years at the most important position in football. However, a miss could set the organization back a decade if they're not careful. Giving up a future 1st round pick is pretty much a given if they want to get into the top 10. What they must try to avoid is giving up multiple future 1st round picks. Something they already did with Khalil Mack back in 2018. Everybody remembers what the Jay Cutler trade did to this team. History is threatening to repeat itself.

Can Pace contain his desperation and be responsible?

Plenty of people have doubts. His track record speaks for itself. When quarterbacks are involved, the Chicago Bears GM has a bad tendency to let his emotions cloud his judgment. Handing career backup Mike Glennon $45 million. Falling in love with Trubisky so much he traded away three extra picks to move up one spot for him. Paying a 4th round pick and $21 million guaranteed for Nick Foles. With rampant speculation his job might be on the line, it isn't hard to imagine Pace doing anything possible to ensure he gets his guy. That includes finding a way to get in front of Detroit.