Indianapolis Colts emerge as trade partner for Chicago Bears No. 1 Pick
By Peter Jurich
The moment the Chicago Bears secured the number one pick, trade rumors began swirling, at least for Bears fans. Trading the number one pick almost seems like an inevitability, as general manager Ryan Poles said in his Tuesday press conference that the team will have to be “absolutely blown away” with a quarterback to replace Justin Fields.
Colts among handful of teams who could trade up for the number 1 selection
Fields will likely remain the starting quarterback and the team should use their first draft pick somewhere else, but for other QB-needy teams, the first overall pick is an extremely valuable commodity.
Within the top ten of the draft, there are many teams who will look at the quarterback, including the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and Las Vegas Raiders. Other teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, could draft a quarterback to develop behind solid veterans in Geno Smith and Jared Goff respectively.
While many teams may send offers to the Bears for the first overall pick, one team seems more realistic than others.
The Indianapolis Colts, whose loss to the Houston Texans helped grant the Bears the first overall pick, should be calling for a number of reasons. A QB-needy team themselves, the Colts actually have what should be a competitive roster, with multiple players who have been Pro Bowl or All-Pro in the past. Once the team hires a new coach to replace interim Jeff Saturday, it is likely that this regime will be looking to get their quarterback immediately.
Additionally, the Colts trading with the Bears would let them jump their division rival Houston Texans in the draft. Preventing their rival from selecting the number one quarterback in the draft could be a huge move for their future within the division, so not only should the Colts be looking to trade up, but they would likely be able to give a haul to ensure their selection.
Asked if there is a QB at the top of the draft they want, would he give up heaven and earth to trade up and get him?
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 10, 2023
Ballard: "Yes. I’d do whatever it takes."
What could the Chicago Bears get from the Colts for the number 1 overall pick?
So what would a Colts/Bears trade look like? It’s hard to forecast the market of the number one pick without definitely knowing which franchises would even be interested in moving up, but it’s safe to say a trade from number 4 to number 1 would net the Chicago Bears a haul.
A trade probably looks something like this: the Colts get the number 1 and the Bears get the number 4, their second-round pick this year, and their first two pick next in 2024. There are also players on the Colts’ roster the Bears could look to acquire in this move.
I doubt that the Colts would trade Michael Pittman Jr or Quenton Nelson as they’d be putting a rookie quarterback in a worse situation, but defensive stars such as Shaquille Leonard and DeForest Buckner might be on the table.
Either of these players would dramatically improve the front seven, and both have played under Matt Eberflus during his time as the Colts’ defensive coordinator.
No matter what the details are in the trade, the Bears would be able to get a haul from the Colts to not only get their franchise quarterback but potentially block the Texans from doing so.