Ryan Poles was gifted the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he had his hand in the Panthers' demise this year, landing the first pick in the draft yet again. Moving on from Justin Fields and drafting Caleb Williams is on the table, but if Poles makes the decision to stick with Fields, then moving down from one makes sense. Looking at the first five teams in the 2024 NFL Draft, two other teams are in need of a quarterback, while a couple more are within striking distance should they look to trade up.
The hope here is that Washington and New England both want Caleb Williams. With a bidding war between these two franchises, plus the other couple of teams outside the top five trying to move up, Ryan Poles finds the perfect scenario.
The Chicago Bears trade with the Commanders
The Commanders have new ownership and are looking to move on from a checkered past. Sam Howell looked solid for a short time this season, but after losing eight games to close out the year, Washington is in desperate need to shake things up. To guarantee the Patriots do not move ahead of them, the Commanders offer a trade with future draft capital and the Bears accept.
Bears and Commanders Trade:
Commanders Receive:
1st Overall Pick
Bears Receive:
2nd Overall Pick
40th Overall Pick (2nd Round)
2025 1st Round Pick
2026 2nd Round Pick
To help sweeten the pot, the Commanders give the Bears the second-round pick they traded to Washington for defensive end Montez Sweat along with the team's first-rounder in 2025 and second-rounder in 2026. Some might be upset they didn't land three first-rounders, but moving up one spot from two to one probably won't land them that much draft capital. Mainly, because the team fighting for the rights to Caleb Williams would be New England and I don't see their draft strategy drastically changing with Bill Belichick gone. They won't give up 3 firsts either.
This is why Ryan Poles trades down again.