ESPN3 Minute Reading
The Chicago Bears have been approached by several teams about trading the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, and Chicago is said to be “leaning” toward moving the pick, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Bears own the top pick in a year where anywhere from eight to 12 teams could look to move the quarterback,
Since the AFL/NFL merger in 1967, the No. This last happened in 2016, when the Los Angeles Rams moved from No. 15 to No. 1 two weeks before quarterback Jared Goff was selected from Cal. This is the second time in the last 22 years that the No. 1 pick changes hands before the draft (the Atlanta Falcons moved up from No. 2 to draft Michael Vick first overall in 2001).
Bears GM Ryan Poles has maintained a steady hand in his approach to upgrading the Bears’ roster after the team went 3-14 last season. In January, he reaffirmed his commitment to quarterback Justin Fields, whom the Bears drafted No. 11 overall in 2021, and said he would have to be “pushed” to draft a quarterback prospect in April. Alabama’s Bryce Young is expected to be the first quarterback taken.
“We have flexibility where if there’s opportunities where if we can turn that into a lot of players who come in and help us, we can do that,” said Poles. “If it stays put or is actually chosen by some people, we can do that too. I know what I expect, what we expect, so we will move the needle to be more successful. men who can affect the this football team.”
Quarterback-needy teams that fail to acquire veterans in free agency like Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and potentially Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson, if they’re available, may be looking hard at trading. for the top pick.