Bear Digest

Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler: Trade Justin Fields

Longtime NFL draft experts Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler believe the best Bears path in the draft is selecting Caleb Williams to reset the QB salary cap clock.
Gene Chamberlain|
Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler: Trade Justin Fields
Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler: Trade Justin Fields

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Chicago Bears

The first round of playoffs are over and Senior Bowl practices still a couple weeks away but the draft experts are jumping to the forefront a bit early.

It could be because of the Caleb Williams draft declaration but both longtime ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. and The Athletic's draft expert Dan Brugler are saying they expect the Bears to select the USC QB and part ways with Justin Fields.

Neither are reporting it, just using their experience, situation knowledge and analysis of draft talent on hand to say the Bears should be expected to move on from Fields.

Kiper also said he thinks it's not out of the question the Bears could get a first-round draft pick in return for Fields, while Brugler is a little less complimentary of the Bears starter.

"This was a difficult decision," Kiper said. "I went back and forth."

There were pluses to Fields, Kiper admitted.

"But when I came to the conclusion after going back and studying, Caleb Williams, that's the guy to take," Kiper said on ESPN.

A major reason, and the same one Brugler pointed to: "You reset the clock," Kiper said.

In assessing Williams, Kiper pointed out it wasn't all positive.

"Sensational quarterback two years ago, early this year, then he had some issues from really that Arizona game, the Notre Dame game on," Kiper said. "But the bottom line is when you study the overall body of work, fielding the ability of him with his arm talent, the way he sees the field and how instinctive he is as a quarterback, to me, we say, well 'it's an unknown with Caleb Williams,' People say it's a known with Justin Fields. No it's not. It's an unknown wehether Justin Fields can be a franchise (QB). So, sure, it's an unknown with Caleb. It's also unknown with Justin. So I'm going to reset the clock. I'm taking Caleb Williams."

In saying Fields could retrieve the Bears a good price in a trade, Kiper said they came out winners because Fields "...did them a favor by looking so good (at year's end). You needed Justin Fields to look good and show great promise as a double-threat quarterback."

Brugler appeared on WSCR-AM 670's Mully & Haugh Show with replacement hosts Gabe Ramirez and Marshall Harris and, like with Kiper, pointed to the financial aspect of going with Year 1 on a QB contract as opposed to paying Fields with a contract extension.

"It's about resetting the quarterback clock and with Justin Fields it's not quite that way," Brugler said.

Brugler was a bit more critical of Fields' play.

"It's just, things are too methodical," Brugler said. "He's gotten better in some areas, especially from the pocket. For a guy that's a 4.4 (second in the 40) athlete things are just too methodical from the pocket and with some of the decision making. 

"He has not taken the steps as a passer that convinces me, yeah, this guy is worth a $100 million contract and I'm willing to trade the No. 1 overall pick to bet on Fields and bet on a $100 million contract."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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