Peter King Reveals Likely Trade Package Bears Get For #1 Pick
The Chicago Bears are open for business. This isn’t new information. It’s been confirmed by multiple insiders that the team is getting lots of interest in the #1 overall pick. Teams are desperate for a quarterback and might be willing to pay a heavy price tag to get the guy they want. GM Ryan Poles has plenty of leverage. There is no consensus top QB in this class, and that uncertainty will create paranoia. On top of that, he has the Texans sitting right behind him at #2. Everybody knows they’re taking a quarterback. It’s not hard to connect the dots. Longtime insider Peter King has seen this before.
He talked at length about the situation on his podcast for NBC Sports. While there are obvious risks with moving up for a quarterback, he stated it’s still likely to happen anyway. Why? Too many teams in the top 10 badly need a quarterback. King believes there is a strong possibility that Chicago could come out of the draft with multiple future 1st round picks. He broke down the type of package they’d be looking at. In fact, he even pinpointed the team that might be the one to watch.
Peter King isn’t the only one who hinted at this.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN added some fascinating details. From what he’s hearing, Carolina isn’t comfortable sitting behind two QB-needy teams in Las Vegas and Atlanta. They’ve tried the veteran route with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Both were flops. Their team brass seems ready to take a big swing.
“If you’re looking for a team in the top 10 of the draft that could trade up to take a quarterback, keep an eye on the Panthers. They pick at No. 9, right behind the Atlanta Falcons and Raiders, both of whom could be thinking QB there. And many people I spoke with in Indy expect the Panthers to be aggressive in their efforts to move up and secure their franchise QB.”
Either way, Peter King is the latest insider to indicate the odds are strong that Chicago will trade the pick. It’s about Poles waiting for the offer he can’t afford to turn down. There is also the lingering question of how far he is willing to drop. Some say the Bears shouldn’t venture outside the top five because they’d miss out on a chance at Will Anderson or Jalen Carter.
However, a move further down would guarantee a bigger trade package for them. This team is in the middle of a rebuild. They have so many holes to fill. Adding multiple extra 1st round picks would be a gigantic boost to their future prospects. It depends on how confident Poles is that he can find a good player despite such a steep drop. Answers to these questions will like come around the end of March when the first waves of free agency have passed.