This Bears roster move adds flexibility for the 2020 NFL Draft
Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears made the right business decision to release Mike Davis in order to receive what should be a 2020 fourth-round compensatory draft pick.
News broke fairly early on Saturday morning that the Chicago Bears released running back Mike Davis. This was not a surprise move. In fact, I was nervous Ryan Pace was going to botch the entire situation. Waiting until Saturday was actually a smart move though. This allowed the Bears to keep the Lions from trying to add Davis to their roster for running back help and inside info.
Reports from Overthecap.com show that the Bears should receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2020 NFL Draft due to the loss of Adrian Amos to the Green Bay Packers in free agency. The compensatory draft pick formula is somewhat complex, but if the Bears truly receive a fourth-round pick it will give Ryan Pace more flexibility in the upcoming draft.
My opinion on what the Bears should do this offseason regarding the quarterback position has been well documented. The team needs to add a veteran free agent like Marcus Mariota, Philip Rivers or Andy Dalton if they become available. The Bears also need to draft a quarterback.
This would leave the team with Mitchell Trubisky, a veteran and a quarterback from the draft. Allow them to compete and see who winds up on top. The draft pick could even be groomed while sitting behind Trubisky and the veteran. This move will limit their roster flexibility in 2020 because they will need to keep all three on the active roster, but I do not care. They can make that work.
My thoughts on how the Bears should handle the 2020 NFL Draft are well documented as well. With two second-round picks, I think one should be used on a quarterback. This draft class seems deep at quarterback and I would love the idea of Jake Fromm or Jacob Eason in the second round.
That said, drafts never seem to go as planned and there have been some decent quarterbacks drafted in later rounds that have made significant impacts for their teams over the years. Russell Wilson was a third-round pick and he is having an MVP type season right now. The Bears do not have a third this year or even a fourth. This is why getting that extra fourth-round pick is important.
Look at the success Gardner Minshew was having this season. Even better, look at what Dak Prescott has done since being drafted by the Cowboys. Prescott was a fourth-rounder. With this extra pick and depending on how the draft goes, Ryan Pace now has more flexibility.
The team could add offensive line help, defensive line help or even a tight end with their second-round picks instead of a quarterback. We all know quarterbacks can drop. Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow are clearly going towards the top of the first round. Others like Fromm and Eason or maybe even Justin Herbert could fall to the second round or further.
Not to mention, some other quarterbacks look to be solid additions to any team as a developmental quarterback who could sit and watch before playing in a year or more. Those guys include Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love and Jamie Newman. Even someone like Anthony Gordon could be worth looking into late in the draft.
The important thing here is that the pick allows Ryan Pace flexibility to draft the best player available and not necessarily reach. Hopefully, the next six games go well and Trubisky looks to have found his groove. I’d still want a quarterback but could understand waiting much longer.