Are Trading Days Over for the Bears?

An alarming trend is developing in mock drafts, if you're the Bears and think you might want to trade down yet again in Round 1 for an extra pick.

Then again, maybe it's a positive trend for trading.

Trading down again apparently is something the Bears have talked about. Even board chairman George McCaskey mentioned GM Ryan Poles could do it during an interview on ESPN's AM-1000 last week.

"We're at a good spot at No. 9," McCaskey told AM-1000. "And if he sees a player he likes at No. 9, we'll go get him. Otherwise, who knows, maybe another trade."

This came after Poles said following the start of free agency that a trade down or even one up, presumably in Round 2, might be possible.

If they're thinking of trading pick No. 9, the biggest reason a team would call them is the chance to draft a quarterback who is falling. Initially, there had been a great number of mock drafts and analysts saying four would go in the first 10 picks.

Mock drafts now are hitting an undeniable trend and it's not in favor of four QBs in the top 10. Sure, they're only mock drafts, but many of these are based on what reporters have heard from sources about some team or players in the draft.

A number of mocks came out in the last few days with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis dropping out of the top 10. This would seem to be a good thing for the Bears in a trade situation because if a quarterback is falling, then a team back in the round might want to trade up and pick him. This is how the Bears got Justin Fields.

Howerver, the mocks don't just have him falling. It's as if the floor is falling out from beneath him. One mock has him dropping as far down as No. 23.

CBS' Ryan Wilson and Kyle Stackpole both have Levis falling out of the top 10 in mocks updated Wednesday, Wilson all the way to 23 and Stackpole to 11. If he was slipping back to 11, it might be ideal for a Bears trade down because they could field an offer and not move back too far while picking up an extra pick.

Todd McShay's ESPN draft on Tuesday had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Levis at No. 14 after trading up with New England.

That would be another situation somewhat like 11.

However, if he's falling to 23, it's not good for any trade.

It means teams really aren't into him and in that case no one is trading all the way up to No. 9 from way back in the round.

The Bears have already traded down from No. 1 and moving all the way to the back of the first round wouldn't be good for getting quality players.

The other mocks aren't much different than Wilson's.

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano had five quarterbacks going in Round 1, but not with Levis in the top 10. He fell down to No. 16 and went to the Commanders. If he's falling that far, it's a bit like with No. 23. People aren't coming up to No. 9 for him.

Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner had a mock draft calling for Levis to fall all the way to No. 22, where the Rams selected him with a pick acquired from Baltimore.

Not all of them say this. NFL.com mock drafter Lance Zierlein had Levis still in the top 10. But it was Anthony Richardson who fell to 14. In that case, it might be favorable for the Bears because of Richard's unique athletic skills and big arm. If there was a team willing to draft him at No. 14, then someone might want to move up to No. 9 to take him.

The trading could be done for the Bears if these big drops occur in demand for Levis. They could still want to deal up in Round 2 in order to target a particular player—most likely a defensive player. They have the draft capital to accomplish it in two second-rounders and the first pick in Round 3.

"As you know from the first draft with me, we did a lot of movement back, but then maybe there's some movement back and then going the other way, too," Poles said several days into free agency.

Also, there's always the possibility of someone trading up for someone besides a quarterback, like possibly a specific skill player. Running back Bijan Robinson would come to mind.

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