Even though it looks like it may take longer than anticipated, the Chicago Bears still seem very much ready to trade quarterback Justin Fields.
After players like Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed contracts wherever they end up, the front office plans to watch the dominoes fall at the top of free agency, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, which published a report on Monday, March 4.
While Poles has set up the Bears to trade Fields in the upcoming days, Breer noted that Poles is also willing to wait a little while longer if it takes some time for the quarterback market—which features Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins as the front-runners—to emerge. “The team’s adaptability is crucial; Chicago will realistically look for the best value for its 11th choice in the 2021 draft. It has not been operating with the presumption that it will receive a first-round pick, and it most likely won’t.
Justin Fields Is Not as “Robust” as First BelievedÂ
Chicago went into the Combine with the impression that there was a lot of trade interest in Fields throughout the league, with up to four or possibly five suitors prepared to give up at least a second-round selection in exchange for the quarterback. But according to a Monday report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears undervalued.
On the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter stated, “I don’t think the market for Justin Fields is as robust as the Bears and he had thought.”
Fields might yet wind up with the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, or Minnesota Vikings, though not all of them will when the quarterback carousel stops for a while and players sign with their present clubs or sign with new ones.
The Falcons, for example, are contenders for both Cousins and Mayfield. They may also trade up with the Washington Commanders (at No. 2) or the New England Patriots (at No. 3), provided that both teams are prepared to give up their pick.
Then there’s Russell Wilson, who was informed by the Denver Broncos on March 13 that he would be released when the NFL season began. Wilson is more likely to wind up as a backup quarterback for a rookie, like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or UNC’s Drake Maye.
The basic line is that once a week or two of free agency passes, the Bears will have a better idea of who still needs a quarterback and how many clubs can realistically move up at what will be a hefty price (several first-round picks, at least) to take a possible franchise rookie QB. They can then reevaluate the Fields market and focus on the best offer at that stage.
Bears General Manager Ryan Poles plans to give an early update on Justin Fields’ status.Â
Ryan Poles, stated last week at the NFL Combine that he wanted to “do right” by Fields. Most people interpreted this to imply dealing the quarterback as quickly as possible.
Poles remarked, “I think you guys know me well enough now.” “I want to treat Justin right too, if we do decide to go that route. Living in the gray is something that nobody wants to do. That’s uncomfortable, I know. That’s not a scenario I would want to be in either.
Still, it seems like it would be better for the organization and the quarterback to wait a few more weeks and then reassess the market.
