Mike Tannenbaum: ‘I would trade Justin Fields'

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Amidst the Bears receiving the rights to the No. 1 draft spot in the next NFL draft, pundits have started to speculate and devise outside-the-box ways the Bears can leverage the pick. 

Some, furthermore, have taken to ill-advised measures they believe will capitalize on the Bears' future without hurting it. 

"I would trade Justin Fields," Mike Tannenbaum said on ESPN's "Get Up!" "And I'm taking nothing away from him. I think he has a chance to be good, maybe a top-ten quarterback. But, if you can get at least a first- and a third-round pick, which I believe you can, because so many teams need a quarterback, I'm going to draft Bryce Young, who I think is going to be a better quarterback than Justin Fields.

"And when I do that and get at least a first and a third-round pick, I'm resetting Bryce Young's rookie contract and I'm going to be able to get at least four starting-caliber players."

Tannenbaum, the former NFL executive with 27 years of experience, announced relatively popular thinking about Fields. The ex-GM is not alone. Plenty of others, like Skip Bayless, side with the argument of drafting a quarterback. 

Yet, this thinking is not only extremely dangerous, but it's also premature, ludicrous and the antithesis of running an organization. 

Justin Fields was one of the most electric players in the NFL last season. He became the third quarterback in history to run for over 1,000 yards and helped make the Bears' offense into a competitive unit. 

Yes, Fields has yet to consistently show off his big arm and prove running the ball isn't a crutch for his offense. But, that doesn't mean it's time to throw in the towel on him. 

Unfortunately, some are willing to make that sacrifice for the opportunity of bolstering the roster in bulk with a trade return.  

"A great illustration of this, guys, is what happened in Jacksonville," Tannenbaum said. "Trevor Lawrence is on his rookie deal. They go out and get guys like Christian Kirk, Brandon Church, Evan Ingram amongst others.

"So if I could turn Justin Fields basically into six quality players and get Bryce Young who I think will be the better player, I'm making that move if I'm the Bears."

Tannenbaum's plan is riddled with risk on the idea that Young could outperform Fields as the quarterback for the Bears. 

RELATED: Why Bears believe they're on the right track

Fields, as opposed to Young, has proven to outsiders he can lift a bottom-tier offense off the ground. He did just that this season. For four weeks during the season, the Bears averaged over 30 points per game on the back of Fields. They also ended the season with the 23rd-ranked offense. 

Considering the Bears have one of the worst offensive line and wide receiver groups in the NFL, Fields' performance this past season was stellar, and by no means an indication the team should think about trading him. 

The focus should, and likely will be, on the pieces around Fields, not the man himself. 

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