Dark horse team the Chicago Bears could trade with in 2023 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears are set to field potential offers for the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Potential trade candidates have included the Indianapolis Colts, the Houston Texans, and the Carolina Panthers. There is, however, a dark horse candidate in the race to acquire pick number one, and that is the Atlanta Falcons.
There’s a lot of speculation as to why the Falcons could be in this group of teams. The Falcons ended the season with a 7-10 record, failing to reach the playoffs despite competing in a rather lackluster NFC South division. However, one could argue that their team was competitive and has some solid pieces, including wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. Their head coach, Arthur Smith, has done some good work down in Atlanta.
The Falcons could emerge as another trade candidate for the Chicago Bears
The speculation begins with the Falcons interviewing former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Fangio currently is a defensive consultant for the Eagles, but few Bears fans could ever forget how well his Bears defenses performed. Fangio would be working with a defense that was bottom-five overall in the league, including turnovers and yards allowed.
Former Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace is also now in Atlanta, and he’s had a clear voice in the team’s free agency acquisitions. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if he vouched for Fangio. Pace has a tendency to be aggressive in the draft, especially if there’s a quarterback he wants.
That brings us to our third piece of speculation. The Falcons’ current quarterback situation isn’t ideal. Marcus Mariota was brought in as a free agent, and he struggled for a large part of the year. His replacement, Cincinnati rookie Desmond Ridder, didn’t appear any better.
The NFC South is wide open for the taking in 2023. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be losing Tom Brady, and there’s uncertainty with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. The Falcons could seize the opportunity to take control of their division, and if that means acquiring Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, or Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, then it wouldn’t come as a shock if Pace gets in touch with his former team once again.
Of course, there are a lot of things the Bears would have to consider with trading with the Falcons. The biggest question is this: do the Bears feel confident in moving down seven spots in a crucial year for the franchise?