Chicago Bears: 3 trades with the Falcons to move up to draft a quarterback
The Chicago Bears send David Montgomery to keep future draft capital
In this scenario, the Atlanta Falcons get a running back who I think is one of the better running backs in the NFL. The thing is, running backs are very expendable unless they are named Walter Payton or Adrian Peterson. David Montgomery is not going to be one of those household names in 15 years.
What Montgomery does bring to the table is a three-down back who can not only run, break tackles and block when needed, but he is a receiving threat too. The Atlanta Falcons offense would look great with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Hayden Hurst and David Montgomery. Right now, they are counting on Mike Davis.
Davis looked decent when filling in for Christian McCaffrey, but he was nothing special. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry for the Panthers last year and could not even find playing time while here in Chicago the year before that. Yes, this is the same Mike Davis that the Chicago Bears cut in 2019 to earn a compensatory fourth-round pick to trade for Nick Foles. The same Mike Davis that was supposed to be a part of Run D-M-C here in Chicago — that threesome never took off.
With this scenario, the Chicago Bears would also only have to send a future first and a future second-round pick as opposed to two first-rounders. Montgomery is a young, proven running back. Last season, he gained 1,070 yards rushing, 438 yards receiving and a total of 10 touchdowns. He did this in only a little over 14 games too.
If the Falcons don’t want to wait until 2023 for their future second-round pick, the Chicago Bears can make it a 2022 pick instead. Either way, the Chicago Bears should see a fifth or sixth-round pick back in return as David Montgomery is equal to a second-rounder in 2021 and brings immediate impact to a win-now team.
The Chicago Bears would need to either draft another running back in the 2021 NFL Draft or count on recently acquired free agent Damien Williams who should have been the Super Bowl MVP in 2019. The team could also add another free agent running back to pair with Williams should Ryan Pace send Montgomery in a trade to move up.
Next. Bears trade back and still land a QB. dark
Final Thoughts:
Unless the Chicago Bears know for sure they are getting Justin Fields in this draft, I am not sending all of this future draft capital and/or players to move up to the fourth-overall pick. I’d take my chances with Andy Dalton and a quarterback like Kyle Trask or Kellen Mond on Day 2 of the draft. The Bears are similar to the Falcons as in they are a win-now team that is seeing their window close abruptly.
Which move, if any, would you be willing to make if it meant guaranteeing a top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft?