Teams Now Said To Be "Scrambling" To Trade With Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears already had plenty of leverage going into the scouting combine with their #1 pick. Everybody felt multiple teams would want to trade up with them for a chance to draft a quarterback of their preference. Then the combine happened and those teams watched C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson put on a show. It's becoming a real possibility that most of those QBs might not make it out of the top 5. If teams don't want their guy to land in Houston at #2, they have to call Ryan Poles.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has been fanning the flame over the past 48 hours. He confirmed interest in the Bears' pick is significant and appears to have only gained steam since the combine started. His latest comments might've been the most noteworthy yet. He stated that there is basically a scramble unfolding for the rights to that spot, with Poles sitting squarely at the heart of the storm.

It gets better. Shortly after those statements, Rapoport elaborated further. He stated that talks have gotten to a point where enough momentum is building for a deal to possibly happen even before the start of free agency on March 15th.

There is logic to the Chicago Bears doing it this way.

A trade before free agency allows them more time to assess their new position in the draft, determining which players will likely be available when they pick. It also would grant them time to potentially move down a second time depending on how far they draft with the first trade, say to #2 with Houston or #4 with Indianapolis. As for the team acquiring the pick, getting it before free agency allows them to start laying the groundwork for building around their new quarterback.

It would be somewhat unprecedented. No top five picks in modern NFL history have ever been traded before the start of free agency. They've all happened somewhere between late March and mid-April. The Chicago Bears might be ready to buck that trend. Rapoport also indicated the deal could be pushed forward if a veteran player were involved. No names were mentioned but it's a safe bet Poles would target somebody at a position of need, like a pass rusher. That would enable him to target a different position in the 1st round.