One would have left the NFL Combine last week thinking Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and his staff would be busy attempting to finalize a deal to send Justin Fields to a new home for the 2024 season. Circumstances during and after the NFL Combine appear to be delaying their goodwill toward the former first-round pick.
Ryan Poles wanted to “right by” Justin Fields
Per video of Poles’ comments at the NFL Combine posted by Josh Norris, the Bears third-year GM said he wanted to “do right” by trading Fields before free agency if Chicago decided they wanted to draft a quarterback in April.
“It just depends on what opportunities pop up,” Poles said. ” I will say this. I think you guys know me well enough by now. If we do go down that road, I want to do right by Justin as well. No one wants to live in gray. I know that’s uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation either.
“So we’ll gather the information. We’ll move as quickly as possible. We’re not gonna be in a rush and see what presents itself and what’s best for the organization.”
"If you decide to draft a QB, what is your motivation to trade Justin Fields before free agency?"
Ryan Poles: "…. if we go down that road, I want to do right by Justin. No one wants to live in grey." pic.twitter.com/Bl6eq9HRAJ
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) February 27, 2024
Justin Fields’ trade value has gone down
Fields’ trade value tanked since Poles’ comments on Tuesday morning at the NFL Combine. A few things transpired in the NFL’s quarterback market. It’s looking more likely than ever that the Minnesota Vikings will let Kirk Cousins enter free agency. The veteran quarterback is expected to have serious interest in joining the Atlanta Falcons–a team the Bears were looking to as a possible trade partner.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were linked to Fields as well before the NFL Combine. However, Steelers GM Omar Khan is worried about giving up a high draft pick for a quarterback in year four of his rookie deal. They’re also interested in Russell Wilson, who entered the free agent market last week after the Denver Broncos released him.
The Las Vegas Raiders could be an option. But they are interested in trading up in the first round to take J.J. McCarthy. The Raiders also hired Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator this offseason.
To put the market for Fields in perspective, by the start of the weekend, the Vikings and Raiders had the best odds to trade for Fields.
Yes, the Chicago Bears still want to draft Caleb Williams
Per Dan Graziano with ESPN, the Bears are still expected to draft Caleb Williams next month. However, the Poles’ staff now has to wait for free agency to start so they can hold more leverage when quarterback-needy teams miss out on Cousins and Baker Mayfield:
“But they did not find the market they were hoping to find for Fields, so as of now, they’re waiting to see what happens with Cousins, Baker Mayfield and maybe some others, and what kind of market emerges once those situations sort themselves out.
The idea that Chicago could get a second-round pick for Fields no longer seems likely, but it’s always possible that one of these QB-needy teams will get panicky once other options fly off the board, so it behooves GM Ryan Poles to wait.
Right now, the message the Bears are getting back from teams is that they don’t consider Fields more of a sure thing than other potential one-year options such as Sam Darnold or Drew Lock, who wouldn’t come with the fifth-year option decision that Fields’ eventual team will have to make by early May.
It’s an odd offseason in which the supply at the quarterback position seems to be higher relative to the demand than usual, which works in favor of the teams who are looking for quarterbacks and likely drives the price down in these kinds of trade talks.”
Like it or not, the Fields’ value in the league is closer to Darnold, Lock, and Lance. The Bears might not feel that way, but that’s what the market says right now.
The Chicago Bears are forced to be patient
The demand will certainly be higher before the 2024 regular season. Unfortunately for Fields and the Bears, they must wait for teams to come to the realization they lost out on a top quarterback in free agency or the draft.
Per Jeremy Fowler with ESPN, the Bears are being patient about the prospect of trading Fields.
Fowler: Some around the league are starting to wonder whether the Bears have any enticing offers. But one word was used by a source on the situation: “Patience.” The Bears aren’t panicked despite no deal reached for a Fields trade. I
f somehow Cousins and Mayfield re-sign with their respective teams, Chicago suddenly has potential leverage with Atlanta. Or if Mayfield leaves, does Fields jump into the fray with Tampa Bay? Letting a few dominoes fall is risky, but it also isn’t the worst thing.
Being patient is the right move for the Bears because they should squeeze a higher pick out of a quarterback-needy team with less leverage in late March or early May. However, Poles is in no way doing right by Fields by making the quarterback delay joining his new team.
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