There have been some conflicting reports on the Chicago Bears’ intentions with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With the draft now less than two months away and NFL free agency around the corner, the Bears’ plans are starting to take shape in the wake of the draft scouting combine.
Bears ‘focused’ on drafting Caleb Williams, trading Justin Fields before NFL free agency
The Bears appear to have solidified their NFL Draft plans at the scouting combine, based on a new report.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The Bears are “focused” on using the top pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. That means the team is ready to move on from incumbent QB Justin Fields. The Athletic reports the Bears would like to trade Fields before free agency opens on March 13. Only one problem: the market for Fields is ‘soft’ right now.
Russini notes that the Bears may have to wait for the free agent quarterback market to develop before making a Fields trade. Kirk Cousins is the biggest name available. The assumption is that Cousins will return to the Vikings, but Russini noted that the Atlanta Falcons — a trade often mentioned as a trade suitor for Fields — are a team to keep an eye on for Cousins.
The Bears landed the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft thanks to a trade they made in the 2023 draft. Chicago sent the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 to the Carolina Panthers for a package headlined by their 2024 first round pick and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Carolina selected QB Bryce Young, and then had an NFL worst 2-15 season. The Bears passed a QB year to keep Fields, but it appears they are ready to roll the dice a new quarterback this time around.
Coming into the draft scouting combine, veteran NFL insider Peter King reported that the Bears keeping current quarterback Justin Fields was “the way the wind is blowing.” There has been some speculation that consensus top QB prospect Caleb Williams preferred to land somewhere else other than Chicago, but he quieted those rumors by affirming his desire to be the No. 1 pick and play for the Bears during interviews at the combine.
The Bears also hold the No. 9 overall pick in this draft. They could target a top pass catcher like Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers ... if either is still on the board. Otherwise, the Bears could go with defense or trade down.
The Bears might have the most sorry QB history in the entire NFL. Chicago has never had a 4,000-yard passer in franchise history. No Bears quarterback has ever thrown for 30 touchdowns. Williams will be the best QB prospect in franchise history if he is indeed the Bears’ pick. Of course, there was plenty of hype and hope for Fields when he was drafted only a few years ago.
It appears Caleb Williams will be a Bear. What happens with Fields is still anyone’s guess.
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