The Chicago Bears are one of the top teams rumored to draft a quarterback this year in the 2021 NFL draft. There are rumors of them trading up in the draft, along with rumors of them standing pat at 20 and taking a quarterback on Day 2 or Day 3.
.With Andy Dalton “promised” the Week 1 starting job, any quarterback drafted by the Bears is likely going to redshirt their rookie season. That is going to help out any young quarterback, a lot.
In the month of April, quarterback Justin Fields has seen his draft stock plummet. At one point, Fields was a lock for the second overall pick. Now, Zach Wilson is a -2000 favorite to be the second overall pick by the Jets, which means Fields out of that spot.
The next quarterback off the board will come from the 49ers with the third pick in the draft. They’ll have a choice between Mac Jones, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance. If Fields isn’t their choice, he might have to wait a decent amount of time before he finally hears his name called.
Whether he plummets out of the top 10 or not, teams like the Bears won’t likely take any chances. Though the Falcons have rumored to be interested in trading out of their spot, at No. 4, the Bears would have to give up a lot to move up 16 spots. It doesn’t seem realistic.
Teams like the Broncos and even Eagles, (if they’d like to draft another quarterback) have more pulling power than Chicago, as they hold the 9th and 12th spots in this year’s draft.
If Chicago is going to trade into the top 10, the two realistic options for them are the sixth pick and the eighth pick. The Dolphins don’t need a quarterback, neither do the Panthers.
Moving up to either spot is doable, but at what cost? The Bears shouldn’t give up more than this year’s first-round pick and their 2022 first-round pick. There will likely be a mid-round pick or two added to the trade as well.
Even if Fields were to fall out of the top 10, teams like the Patriots and the Washington Football Team have expressed interest in Fields. The only way the Bears get Fields is by jumping both teams in the draft via trade.
Here are the likely options for the Bears to get in a position to draft Fields:
With Miami
Bears Receive: Sixth overall pick (Justin Fields).
Dolphins Receive: 20th overall pick, 52nd overall pick, 2022 first-round pick
With Carolina
Bears Receive: Eighth overall pick (Justin Fields).
Panthers Receive: 20th overall pick, 83rd overall pick, 2022 first-round pick
We are five days away from the 2021 NFL draft. It’ll be interesting to see which decision(s) Ryan Pace makes on Day 1. Whether it’s Fields or not, this draft is pivotal to the future success of this team. They have to figure out a long-term quarterback plan. Andy Dalton doesn’t have a long-term future in Chicago.
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