USA Today
Justin Fields Needs to 'See It Through'
When the combine started last week, Bears GM Ryan Poles said there was a possiblity he'd trade away the first pick sooner rather than later.
By sooner, he meant just before free agency begins with the signing period March 15.
In an interview with NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk's Peter King, Poles went a little farther and added strength to unsourced rumblings over the weekend by saying the Bears were getting pursued heavily by teams about a quick trade.
Poles told King that he had conversations at the combine with three teams about a trade and he also told King he was sure he could get "a '24 one and a '25 one," in the package for the trade. The one other thing Poles said he wants is the chance to get a "blue player."
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King also stated there are only six or eight of those in the draft, but didn't make it clear whether he was saying this in his column or Poles had said that.
Before the draft it was known the Colts would like to move up, and King says Carolina owner David Tepper "made it clear internally" he wants a long-term quarterback.
A trade down with Carolina would make it difficult for the Bears to stay in a spot to get one of the "blue" players because Carolina drafts ninth.
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The need to get a first-rounder in 2024 and/or 2025 is huge because the Bears would be in position with two first-round picks and possibly other ammunition next year to move up and draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams if Justin Fields can't live up to expectations.
Fields will get his chance to start again this year. Poles has said this throughout any postseason press conferences and told King the same thing, adding, "we've got to see it through," with Fields.
By this, it's obvious he sees Fields as a quarterback who hasn't had a fair chance to display his abilities. Fields played in a different system as a rookie and played before he probably should have been on the field. Last year he was playing in a lineup short on help because they lacked cash for free agency help and had no first-round draft pick.
While none of this is shocking, King at least attached some specifics and quotes from Poles to the rumors floating around about the Bears trading down early. These all were rumors started by Poles himself at his combine-opening press conference with comments about trading down soon.
While it might not seem wise to get rid of the pick now when teams could be more desperate later, Poles had said at the combine's outset that the trade could come earlier and cited a player involved in a trade as one possible reason.
"There's scenarios where you could, you know, add players as well potentially, which again gives you some clarity on what you want to do in the draft," Poles said then.
Without a player involved, don't be surprised if the Bears do take this drama all the way to mid-April or later.
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Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
