The Bears traded their 4th round pick (#110) for 6-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, making a huge splash that caught many off guard. Not only will Allen bolster an all-of-a-sudden dangerous offense, but this also gives us a peek into the hand of Ryan Poles, who hasn’t let anyone see his cards thus far. The Bears are down to just four picks in next month’s draft: picks 1 and 9 (both first rounders), pick 75 (third round), and pick 122 (fourth round). With such little draft capital left, we can be assured that Poles and the Bears aren’t done wheelin’ and dealin’ yet.
Here Are Some Keenan Allen Highlights For Your Viewing Pleasurehttps://t.co/H6QqwAita3
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) March 15, 2024
Where did the picks go?
While the Keenan Allen trade is a brilliant move for a modest price for the Bears, it does leave them a little shorthanded for the draft. So where did all the draft picks go? Their second round pick was sent to Washington for Montez Sweat, and after watching Tez during his time with the Bears in 2023, it looks like it was a good trade for Poles and crew.
While the Bears still have their 3rd rounder and just traded their 4th rounder, their 6th round pick was traded to the Dolphins in exchange for Dan Feeney, who is currently and UFA but served as a nice depth piece during the 2023 season. Nkeal Harry was acquired from the Patriots last offseason for this year’s 7th round pick, but that looks like it was more of a donation than anything since Harry did a whole bunch of nothing during his Bears tenure.
Option 1: Trade Fields
The biggest mystery now for the Bears is where they get some of these picks back from. The first thought is getting some selections in exchange for Justin Fields, but a lot has changed in a week. Since the start of free agency, Bears fans have been smacked in the face with the reality that Fields is not going to fetch the picks that many hoped.
Going into the free agency period, many experts guessed that a second round pick would land Fields while others said that maybe a third and 5th would get it done. Heck, ESPN’s Mel Kiper even believed that a first rounder was a possibility; but after a week, we can see that none of that is happening. While no one truly knows what conversations Poles is having, it can be agreed that things don’t seem to be pointing to the Bears getting a great return on Fields.
Option 2: Trade the #1 Overall Pick
They won’t actually trade the first overall pick of the draft again, will they? Well, it’s possible. Ryan Poles has been pretty open about saying that they will absolutely move the top pick if they can get a haul similar to that of last year’s swindling of the Carolina Panthers. That trade saw the Bears swap first rounders, add a 2024 first and second, a 2025 second, oh and DJ Moore.
If someone calls the Chicago brass with an offer somewhat similar to that, do the Bears pull the trigger? Maybe. Are they in love with Caleb Williams? Maybe. Will they be content with another QB if they do make the move? Maybe. Will they stick with Fields when all is said and done? Maybe. But the bottom line is, Poles will listen and maybe, just maybe, the Bears drop down a spot, or two, or more, and restock themselves with picks for this year and next.
Option 3: Trade Down from #9 Overall
This seems to be a logical option. Many expect the Bears to use their second pick of the first round on a receiver, edge rusher, or maybe one of the stud offensive tackles. The best thing that could possibly happen for Chicago is as many quarterbacks going in the top eight picks as possible. The more QBs taken, the more others fall to the Bears. And if more players fall to them, that gives Poles a chance to get one of the players he covets at a spot lower than ninth overall.
This seems to be happening and there’s still over a month until the draft. It looks like at least four, and maybe five, QBs will be drafted in the top eight picks (Williams, Daniels, Maye, McCarthy, Penix). If at least four of them are off the board, that means that sitting at nine, the Bears will have a nice group to choose from. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers also seem like sure things for the top eight. That leaves Chicago with a chance to grab one of the following players who will fall to them at pick nine:
Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
Joe Alt (OT, Notre Dame)
Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
Olu Fashanu (OT, Penn State)
Any of the four aforementioned players would be worth taking at pick nine, but there’s a chance that Ryan Poles could drop down even further and get one of these players or someone else of similar value. Brock Bowers, JC Latham, Jared Verse, and Amarius Mims could be in play if they trade down but still inside of the top fifteen.
Multiple trades looks like the way to go
It really seems like the Bears are going to draft Caleb Williams at #1 overall, and if they do, the Bears have to move on from Fields because they cannot be in a locker room together. Between the drama that the Chicago media would stir up and the fact that Fields is so beloved by his teammates, it just wouldn’t be beneficial to the organization to have them both in Halas Hall.
Here’s a likely scenario…Poles gets something for Fields, (I would try to throw in a 2025 pick with him to get a better pick in return this year), then he takes Caleb, and trades down once or twice after getting to pick nine and seeing multiple players he’d like to have. In the end, the Bears would end up with Caleb Williams, another top tier player, and more than just the four picks they currently have. No matter what happens, even with only a handful of picks, Ryan Poles and the Bears are in a great position to walk out of the draft a lot better than they are walking in.
