Bears Would Need ‘Historic Haul’ to Trade Out of No. 1 Pick, per Report
A little over two months remain until the 2024 NFL draft, but the Chicago Bears‘ plan for the No. 1 overall pick appears to be taking shape.
Chicago, which dealt last year's first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for a package including two first-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore in a March blockbuster, is faced with a similar dilemma one year later.
Keep dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields and trade the pick for another blockbuster? Or hold onto the pick and select a franchise QB from a draft class that includes 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and USC product Caleb Williams?
A Saturday morning report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport sheds light on Chicago's thinking. The Bears would need a "historic haul" of draft picks and compensation to trade the first pick, according to the insider.
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Rapoport adds that one source said the return for the Bears would have to be "crazy."
In other words, it seems highly likely that the franchise will be selecting its QB of the future come April, whether it's Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye, the consensus top two QBs in the 2024 draft class.
Such a decision likely means that Fields, the subject of a great debate among the fanbase thanks to his improvement in 2023, will be traded during the offseason.
One thing is clear. It promises to be an exciting offseason in Chicago.