With the NFL Scouting Combine behind us, fans are turning their attention to this year's draft. And trade talks surrounding the Chicago Bears’ No. 1 overall pick have returned to the forefront of many conversations.
Teams who are in need of their own signal callers, like the Houston Texans, could be interested in snagging the coveted top pick. It's becoming apparent that the Bears will be trading the pick, but the question is no longer “if” they'll trade it, but “when.”
“Should we do this before free agency? Or should we wait? I don't know. That's what I've communicated [to teams],” Bears GM Ryan Poles said to NBC Sports’ Peter King.
“I could carry this all the way until we're on the clock the night of the draft. But then there's teams that want some certainty because, ‘If I need a quarterback bad, should I do that now when some of these guys ... are out there?’ To me, they've got to go so much more above to do it now. I'm not greedy with it. But they're gonna have to go above and beyond to close the door now.”
The Bears have already decided to stick with Justin Fields for the long haul, and Poles believes that it's a decision they will have to see through.
“When we started to adjust and adapt to what he did well, and he started running the ball a little bit, we saw a very unique and special ability and talent that can change the game,” Poles told King, adding that the next step is to work on making him into a more efficient passer. “I do think there’s potential that we have something really good, and to me, you’ve got to see it through.”
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With the team rolling with their current QB, a trade for the No. 1 pick could come way ahead of the first few rounds of this year's draft.
Poles even alerted King that “he’d spoken to three teams at the combine about a deal,” even though he wouldn't identify who those teams are.
On "PFT Live," Mike Florio and Chris Simms discussed that while the Bears organization has an immense amount of leverage, teams looking to round out their roster with major players “also have options out there, too,” and they “may not be willing to bend to those demands.”
Poles has a few options of his own. The Bears could move once, twice or even three times. Moving from No. 1 to No. 2 with the Texans, then to No. 4 with the Colts, then to No. 8 or No. 9 with the Falcons or the Panthers, with each team springing up to get a quarterback is one example. Eventually, Poles will have to make a choice and try to maximize the haul.
The Bears are sitting in the perfect spot with many options to choose from, but soon they'll be looking at when's the right time to go all in and make a move.