Choose Your Own Adventure - Chicago Bears #1 Overall Draft Pick Decision Fan Fiction
What a perfect day for Bears fans. Literally everything to boost our future prospects came through. Carolina got Beathard by the Jaguars securing the Bears #1 overall pick while Justin Fields continued his end of season romp showcasing not only his elusiveness as a runner but his development as a pocket passer.
This angle tho...
Whether you want the Bears to keep Fields or draft Caleb Williams (or Drake Maye I guess), Sunday ruled. It's a fascinating conundrum because like my tweet implies, you'd hate to miss out on the next Pat Mahomes but you also sorta need to build an army around your QB to have success.
So let's have some fun with a little choose your own adventure. There's all of two options to choose from.
1. Draft Caleb Williams
2. Trade the #1 Overall Pick
1. Draft Caleb Williams
Great choice! While Justin Fields has shown he belongs as a legit NFL starter, you can't let a possible Pat Mahomes like prospect slip by when you have a chance to draft him (again). Rewind your rookie QB contract by three years. This allows you to free up more cash to build around Caleb in the coming years with front loaded contracts.
With about $80M in cap space in 2024 according to SpotTrac, it's not unreasonable to fantasize about some potential pieces that can be added. Figure Jaylon Johnson bites a chunk out of that, but Chris Jones could test free agency allowing the Bears to beef up the defensive interior while Josh Allen (the other one) could replace Yannick Ngakoue on the end to make a scary defensive front. That's an aggressive plan but this is my fan fiction!
Now to deal with Fields. The beauty of his play as of late is you get the benefit of recency bias on the trade block. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see any reason the Bears can't get a mid-first based on this. And speaking of recency bias, let's invite proximity bias to the party and deal him to Atlanta who just got chewed up by him on Sunday. Fields for the #9. Maybe even more, but we'll stick with this. Now at #9 and #10 the Bears can address their dire need at OT (Alt, Latham, Fashana, whoever is left) and nab a playmaker opposite of DJ Moore in Rome Odunze.
That's a helluva scene change. Caleb. Odunze. A top OT. Not to mention the bag of cash to fill other needs in free agency.
BEAR DOWN!
2. Trade the #1 Overall Pick
Great choice! Fields has shown progression in his development in the past several weeks since coming back from injury and not just against trash teams like the Cardinals (who beat the Eagles). Why not stock up on easily three #1 picks and who knows what else? Drake London from Atlanta? Davante Adams (OK maybe only two firsts)?
For 2024 - the Bears can still pull the trigger on one of the stud tackles to protect Fields and add en Edge rusher to replace Ngakoue using their native pick and whoever they trade with (Falcons, Raiders?). If 2024 Poles can pull a 2023 Poles and grab a stud wide receiver with whoever they trade with their situation will look a lot similar to "Choose Your Own Adventure" option 1 only they'd have at least two more future first round picks as well.
BEAR DOWN!
This is all fan fiction at this point but now that the #1 pick is locked up and we've seen what we've seen from Fields, the arrow on this sad pathetic franchise is somehow looking up. It's even tempered my anger with the news that Eberflus is going to be brought back (kinda). The only thing that's left is to see how they screw it up.
Until then. I'm sky high excIted.
BEAR DOWN!