What Nick Foles Trade Says About Bears Draft Strategy

The trade for Nick Foles and subsequent free agency moves left the Bears with two draft picks in Round 2 and then nothing for 113 picks.

They don't pick again after the 50th pick until Round 5, pick No. 163.

That's a long time to sit around twiddling your thumbs while listening to Mel Kiper Jr.

"It's a strong draft," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said at the combine last month. "With us having two No. 2s that's impactful for us."

Impactful, yes, but it doesn't mean the impact must be felt in Round 2.

With so many picks between the 50th pick of the draft and the fifth round on Day 3, it's an open invitation for the Bears to trade away one of those second-round picks and pile up extra picks. They could even remain in Round 2 by dealing down or take Round 3 and Round 4 picks.

In fact, they really need to do this type of thing.

With free agency a week old and cash reserves depleted for the Bears, they're unlikely to do much more beyond adding a few more fringe or depth players. They brought back safety DeAndre Houston-Carson on Monday and now have four safeties under contract when a few days ago they had only Eddie Jackson.

So safety doesn't become the pressing need it was, but they definitely can use a pick for another quality safety unless they really do think Deon Bush is an answer at safety.

They found Jackson in Round 4. They found Adrian Amos in Round 5.

It's tough to get quality linemen who are capable of stepping in immediately unless they're taken early in the draft. So this becomes one possibility for that first second-round pick.

Quality cornerbacks can usually be found in the late second or third round and they need one more to challenge Artie Burns, Tre Roberson and Kevin Toliver for a starting spot.

They need a speed receiver to replace Prince Amukamara, and it's as deep and talented a receiver group as there has been.

"Thats a strength of this draft for sure," Pace said.

Finding rare speed at the position isn't something a team can wait too long for, either. After Day 2 of the draft, it's not easy to locate players like this unless they have other question marks such as bad hands or poor route-running ability.

Considering where the Bears draft now, a trade down looks almost inevitable in Round 2 and it could help them restock the fourth-rounder they lost when trading for Nick Foles. They might even be able to come away with one more pick.

Pace has done this in the past and come out with a bonanza, just like he's dealt away a handful of picks to move up for players like Mitchell Trubisky, Leonard Floyd and David Montgomery.

In 2016, Pace traded a second-round pick to Buffalo for a later second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and another fourth-rounder the next year.

He also traded a second-round pick to pick up a later second-round pick, and a fourth-rounder and drafted Cody Whitehair and Bush.

The next year, he again traded a second-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for a later second-round pick, a fourth rounder, a sixth-rounder and a 2018 fourth-round pick. The picks allowed him to select Tarik Cohen and Adam Shaheen and then make more deals.

So considering what Pace has managed to do with second-round picks in the past, and the possibility they'll be lining up less accomplished veterans at need positions like cornerback, wide receiver, guard and safety, odds strongly favor a deal down in Round 2 with one of the two second-round picks.

If not, then it's going to be an awful long time to wait between picks to find players who might not even possess the talent level to fill those vacant roster spots.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven