Rumor: Commanders 'Very Interested' in Bears Trade for No. 1 Pick to Draft Caleb Williams
The Washington Commanders have been flying up draft boards over the past month and a half with a six-game losing streak.
While the losses have effectively ended the Ron Rivera era in the nation's capital, it may have set the team up for success in the future.
Going into Week 17, the Commanders are in line for the No. 3 overall pick, which may not be high enough to get the player they truly want, but it positions them to trade up for the projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, who just so happens to be a Washington D.C. native.
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"There's some thought around the league that Washington is very interested in Caleb Williams, a Washington, D.C., native who's the strong favorite to be picked first overall," ESPN's Dan Graziano writes. "The Commanders, with a break here or there over the next couple of weeks, could find themselves in position to either draft Williams or trade up a spot or two to get him."
The Bears hold all the cards and will be the first domino to fall in the offseason quarterback carousel. In all likelihood, Chicago will have a trade to make ... either dealing Justin Fields to pave the way for Williams or parting ways with the No. 1 pick to get some more draft capital.
There's a school of thought that suggests the team should move Fields over the top pick.
"Many people around the league believe Chicago should just take USC's Caleb Williams and start over," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes. "But Fields has made this decision difficult with his toughness, work ethic and playmaking. He has shown some growth over the past five weeks, and he's very well liked in the locker room."
Chicago has the inside track for the No. 1 pick this season after trading out of the top selection last year with the Carolina Panthers, who went on to select Bryce Young from Alabama. Young and the Panthers have struggled this year, winning just two games and holding the worst record in the NFL.
If Chicago opts to trade the top pick for the second year in a row, Washington may be the top suitor on the list willing to make a trade.
