Recent quarterback rumors could really hurt the Chicago Bears
If you were to ask 20 random Chicago Bears fans what they want the Chicago Bears to do with the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, you'd probably get 20 different answers. That said, I am confident that most of them would like to see the team trade down in some shape or form.
A popular opinion around social media is that the Chicago Bears should trade down twice. I have made it known that it sounds much easier to do than is truly possible. Fans who want to see the Bears trade back would like to see the Houston Texans move up from second-overall to the top pick, then they want the Colts to move up from four to two. Honestly, the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim. The Bears would have a better chance of moving down to two and then below four or to four and then further down again if they wanted to trade back twice.
The Chicago Bears could lose leverage with recent rumors
If I am being realistic though, it's most likely that Ryan Poles only trades down once. I think the Colts give them the best possible outcome as they would likely gain the 4th-overall pick, the 35th-overall pick, a mid-round pick, and a 2024 1st-round pick. The Texans moving up from two to one is not going to net very much draft capital despite what fans believe or have seen in online mock draft simulators.
Now, there have been rumors that the Texans are not even interested in a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. Instead, rumors are heating up that Houston is interested in bringing in veteran free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has connections with the Texans' new head coach DeMeco Ryans and Houston's general manager Nick Caserio. Ryans was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco while Caserio was a part of the New England Patriots organization.
Atlanta is also rumored to be in on Jimmy Garoppolo. I didn't see the Falcons as a front-runner that would be interested in the first-overall pick, but we shouldn't rule them out either. They could be a wildcard as the team doesn't seem completely sold on Desmond Ridder. Free agency is obviously going to impact the upcoming draft. The hope is that the quarterback carousel doesn't ruin things for Ryan Poles too much.
dark. Next. Two things must happen for Bears at NFL Combine
If these two things happen during the 2023 NFL Combine, then the Chicago Bears should be able to net the highest return should they decide to trade out of the first-overall pick. If they stay put, then these things won't actually matter to them.