Last month, the Bears radically shook up NFL draft boards when they traded away the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for DJ Moore, the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, a first-round pick next year, and a slew of other picks. On Wednesday, the Bears released a new episode in their 1920 Football Drive series that shed more light onto the blockbuster deal.
“It was calm and cool for awhile and then it turned into pretty much pacing all day long,” said Ryan Poles in the video.
Poles had previously shared that several teams had expressed interest in trading the No. 1 overall pick, and revealed that it took about three days of serious negotiating for the team to land on the right scenario. That was receiving a package that not only included a future first-round pick, but also included a premier player.
“It’s so fluid, it shifts and changes all the time when you’re talking with different teams,” Poles said. “Some teams are super aggressive, some are playing in the gray and you kind of have to read between the lines.”
In the end, the Bears reached an agreement with Carolina, a team that Poles said stuck with the Bears throughout the process.
“I knew from the jump that they were a team that really wanted their quarterback. They wanted to control the draft. That meant a lot to them. They got in front early, at the combine. I had a good relationship with their general manager, Scott Fitterer, and felt like at that time it was best to close on the deal when we did, instead of dragging it out.”
Detractors believe Poles could have waited for a sweeter deal that included more first-round picks. Others say by making the Panthers sweat, Poles could’ve squeezed out more valuable picks. But a big reason to simply say yes and accept the deal in early March was because free agency was right around the corner. Since Moore was involved in the deal, and had a hefty contract on the move, it behooved both the Bears and the Panthers to have that salary cap clarity before entering negotiations with free agents.
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“So, felt comfortable moving forward with Scott and Carolina,” Poles siad. “It helped us today with DJ Moore, but also down the road with future draft picks.”