Could Bears GM Ryan Poles reconsider his statement about not wanting to make Justin Fields “live in the gray” if a draft-day deal seems more promising?
At this point, you have to wonder if Ryan Poles is reconsidering things.
He would not change his mind about spending the top selection in the draft on Caleb Williams. Rather, he may have to revisit his statement about not wanting Justin Fields to “live in the gray.”
The Bears have Fields in “the gray,” as Poles described it, because he doesn’t know where or if he’ll be dealt.
They have clearly expressed an interest in picking Caleb Williams.
If they move Fields, it will most likely happen before Tuesday ends, since by Wednesday, when contracts may be officially signed, Fields’ primary landing location may be gone.
Kirk Cousins’ contract expires when the 2019 league year begins, accelerating all remaining prorated bonus money against the Vikings salary cap. They can prevent this by extending his contract. So they’ll clearly want to determine whether to sign him to a contract extension right now or let him go as a free agency to another team, most likely Atlanta.
If Pittsburgh chases Russell Wilson, as rumored, the Bears may be unable to move Fields. That is, unless they wish to trade him to the division foe Vikings.
During an appearance on WSCR AM-670’s Bernstein & Holmes Show, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk painted a picture of the current Bears quarterback’s nightmare scenario.
Florio believes the Bears should sell Fields now, or before March 11, and take whatever they can get, or risk keeping him until April 25 or 26, after Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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At that point, teams who wanted a quarterback might find they still don’t have one and suddenly there would be a secondary market for Fields on Day 2 of the draft, April 26.
So the Bears have to play a game of musical chairs on March 11 unless they can trade him immediately.
“You’ve got to be in that main stream, that game of musical chairs, if you’re the Bears as teams are filling these spots because by Tuesday (March 12), where’s the spot going to be?'” Florio informed Dan Bernstein and Leila Rahimi. “And then what they’d have to do if the chairs fill up with veteran quarterbacks who are available without a trade, is wait until after Round 1 of the draft and hope that a team that had said, ‘we’ll just get our quarterback there,’ doesn’t get the guy they want and a market for a second-round pick in the 18 hours between the end of Round 1 and the start of Round 2. That is a
It might not actually be so big of a risk from the Bears’ standpoint as from Fields’ standpoint. It’s just going to mean a lower draft pick for the Bears.
However, for Fields it’s two months of waiting when he could be focusing on a particular offense or battle for starting position.
The Bears appear to be facing a small market for Fields and a potentially reduced return on their transaction. It’s difficult to imagine it becoming worse after the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but it is possible.
It could mean taking a pick from another team next year, or it could mean receiving a second-round pick if another team is very desperate.
It’s likely that someone will be in need before then.
Even with a supply of six quarterbacks who could be Round 1 picks, it might not sufficiently meet the needs of every team. The first three QBs will be taken at this time by the Bears, Commanders and Patriots. Then there are three other QBs with first-round potential.
