In a comprehensive piece, Adam Jahns of The Athletic details how Bears GM Ryan Pace, head coach Matt Nagy, and the rest of Chicago’s brain trust approached their quarterback situation this offseason. These types of behind-the-scenes stories are always worth a read, especially for fans of the team in question, and particularly notable here is that the club identified the No. 8 through No. 12 overall selections as the “sweet spot” to target a collegiate QB. Pace’s predraft research indicated that trying to acquire the Falcons’ No. 4 overall pick would require too much draft capital, but he didn’t want to start calling teams holding picks eight through 12 too early for fear of tipping his hand.
So he waited until the day of the draft to start making those calls, and while the early run on QBs pushed down quality players at other positions, Pace identified Ohio State QB Justin Fields as his top target. 11 Bears staffers filed reports on Fields, and all of them had very similar grades on him. Pace and Giants GM Dave Gettleman had worked out the parameters of a trade earlier in the day, and when Fields was still on the board after the Eagles leapfrogged the Giants — Pace feared Philadelphia might have been targeting Fields — Chicago and New York were able to swing a trade that brought the former Buckeye to the Windy City. Now, Pace and Nagy will hope that the bold maneuver will help them keep their jobs.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Even though the Bears just signed Andy Dalton this offseason, they extended him a courtesy that the Packers did not extend to Aaron Rodgers when they drafted Jordan Love last year: they told Dalton that they might pick a QB. “I talked to [Dalton] earlier in the day on [the day of the draft], and we were just catching up,” Nagy said (via Albert Breer of SI.com). “And at the same time I said, ‘Hey, listen man, I have no idea which way this thing may go, you never know, but all positions are open and we can do a lot of different things, including at quarterback. So I just want you to understand that and be aware for that.'” Of course, the news couldn’t have come as a surprise to Dalton, who was signed to a one-year contract and who presumably has no delusions that the Bears acquired him as their quarterback of the future, but it’s the type of gesture that might have helped ease the strain on the Packers’ relationship with Rodgers.
- The Lions‘ first-round pick, No. 7 overall selection Penei Sewell, has tested positive for COVID-19, as Sewell himself tweeted several days ago. He will therefore miss this weekend’s rookie minicamp, but at this point it sounds like he is either asymptomatic or else has mild symptoms, so there shouldn’t be any cause for concern.
- The Packers selected Georgia CB Eric Stokes with the No. 29 overall pick of the draft, but if Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman had still been around, execs around the league believe he would have been the choice, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes (subscription required). Of course, taking a first-round receiver this year after selecting Love in the first round in 2020 might not have been enough to placate Rodgers. The Ravens took Bateman off the board with the No. 27 overall selection.
- The Vikings have been busy over the past couple of days, trading cornerback Mike Hughes to the Chiefs and signing first-round pick Christian Darrisaw.
Cliff Book on Da Bears’ QB’s. some dude from 1950’s, 1985 Jim McMahon, J Cutler, and now Fields. Gawd, I hope Justin lives up to the hype!
The Packers valued Love higher than you armchair GM’s..you don’t know the methods or how they made the value. But this constant harping that somehow they’re screwing him over with every move is ridiculous. Enough of this garbage..
Trading up 8 places while giving up significant draft capital for the 4th QB is hardly a smart approach. In the past decade, Derek Carr is the only QB drafted 4th at the position that has actually amounted to anything. Pace compounded the mistake by drafting from a college that can’t seem to produce QBs that can thrive in the NFL. Pace probably only succeeded in getting the Bears another Mike Tomczak.
Maybe he doesn’t pan out, but if he’s the guy it doesn’t matter what they gave up for him. Some people had him as the second best QB prospect behind Lawrence, so I don’t buy too much into him being the fourth QB off the board. Pace and Nagy got their guy, and at the very least, there can’t be anymore finger pointing between them.
Agreed. Because of the poor decision to pick Trubisky over Mahomes and Watson, they really had no choice but to make this move. And yes, many gms had him as the 2nd best QB. Not sure they have enough solid WR pieces around him beyond Robinson, but I think it was a solid move with their backs to the wall.
You really have to knock it off with this “4th QB taken” schtick. They are many reasons why it’s a pointless complaint.
There are a number of red flags that lead many to believe when Fields can’t find his first look wide open, which he won’t very often, he’ll wilt under pressure. He’s not going to have the talent at RB & WR he had in college which means he’ll have to make good decisions very quickly. He hasn’t shown the ability to do this. Get used to teams blitzing him relentlessly and Fields either running too soon or getting sacked. Could be wrong, but that’s what happened in college when his receivers weren’t immediately open.
I think the truth is, regardless of what a guy showed in college, there is no way to know if he will or will not make the next step. I would venture to say there is an endless list of ‘can’t miss’ guys who missed. Fields is a tremendous athlete. I think the bigger question is whether or not Nagy is coach enough to handle the challenge.
First ballot hall of farmers are supposed to make their teammates better. If the lazy “1st round WR” narrative continues by these shills….then logic dictates they MUST determine that Rodgers isn’t as good as they suggest. So shills….which is it?
What does one have to do to be a hall of farmer? Does he/she have to milk x amount of cows or is it based on filling x amount of buckets of milk? How about herding x amount of sheep, etc?