The Chicago Bears traded for Nick Foles in a flooded free-agent quarterback market
Backlash has come across Ryan Pace due to recent quarterback developments months after he traded for Nick Foles. The stench around the Chicago Bears comes from the idea that Jameis Winston signed a veteran minimum deal, albeit with incentives to be a backup in New Orleans.
The following day, Andy Dalton was released, after trade talks between the Bears and Bengals intensified at the NFL combine.
Many across the NFL are looking at Dalton, Winston, and also Cam Newton as free agents. They are wondering why the Chicago Bears decided to trade a fourth-round pick for a quarterback when there were so many to negotiate with as a free agent.
You could argue that the Chicago Bears could have sat and waited and played up their interest in Winston and Newton. They knew that Andy Dalton was going to be released, we all knew that once Joe Burrow was drafted. If the Bears showed interest in all three, would the Jaguars release Foles, knowing that the Bears would not make a trade? Who else was going to trade for Foles? They would have either had to release him or bench him.
Nonetheless, this move should scream to you what Ryan Pace thinks of Nick Foles.
Pace did not want to see if the Jags were going to let him go or not. He did not want to play up his. interest. He wanted Nick Foles because he wants Foles to start.
If Ryan Pace wanted “an open competition,” he would try to sign all of these quarterbacks. Why not add Winston to Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky? Try to bring in Newton to throw once the COVID scare dies down. Dalton is a free agent if there is an “open competition” for the job, why not add him and see who is the best? Remember the kicker competition and all of the names they brought in? There are three quarterbacks, and two competing. For a position, this important, Pace seems confident in just two players solving all his problems.
He chose Nick Foles with conviction. You do not select your backup with the type of conviction, especially in a market like this. If he were choosing a backup, he would have waited and saw all of the quarterbacks become free agents. He wanted a starter so he traded for a guy in a depressed market.
Pace hired DeFilippo; Pace traded an asset for Foles, Pace ignored Winston, Newton, and did not have the patience to wait for Dalton to be released to be a potential answer. This is the type of move, in the kind of market, that you only make for a starter. Ryan Pace thinks that Nick Foles will be the Chicago Bears starter.