The Chicago Bears' quarterback is still the number one topic in the NFL. The Combine is about to start and general manager Ryan Poles has yet to make his decision official. Will he trade the top pick of this April's draft, or will he instead trade starting quarterback Justin Fields.
As this offseason progresses, more and more people around the league feel that Poles will decide to trade Fields. While Fields has shown flashes of greatness, he has not been consistent. While some feel that getting a haul from the number one pick would help him play with better talent, some have given up hope on him becoming the franchise quarterback.
Does Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles keep the pick or keep Fields?
This class of quarterbacks is a good one. Prospects like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, among others, have very good careers in the NFL ahead of them. Some feel that Williams is a "generational" talent. He draws comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning.
There are reports that Poles could have a decision made during the Combine. The intensity of the situation is high. Sides have been taken and each one is entrenched with their guy. Additionally, the new league year begins at 4PM Eastern on March 13th. Teams want to have their quarterback plan in place. Should Poles decide to trade Fields, he has to do it while plans aren't already set in place.
The argument for trading Fields is that the Chicago Bears could reset at quarterback and avoid paying Fields the big money he could be in line for soon. With a prospect, the team has four seasons with him under a friendly contract. Then there is the fifth-year option. It would be bigger but not as big as a new contract.
King feels differently from most on what the Bears will do
In his latest article, NFL expert Peter King dropped two bombshells. The first one was his retirement from writing. He will no longer be writing full-time on his Football Morning in America column. That was a surprising announcement. However, his second one opened a lot of eyes.
King wrote that he feels that Poles and the Bears will likely keep Fields and trade away the pick for a haul.
"I suppose the Bears are going to trade the top pick. I know nothing, but that seems to be the way the wind is blowing. What I say: The Bears could keep Justin Fields (and should), and trade the first pick down once or twice, and build the kind of supporting cast a team needs to contend."Peter King
While King did preface his words by saying he knows nothing, someone of his stature knows plenty. He would know where the wind blows for every team in the league. He would not throw this information out if he didn't know something.
Would it not be a great way to walk off by breaking this news? King has broken a lot of stories over his career and to do one while announcing his retirement would be a great way to go. As for Poles, he has always prioritized building through the draft. Trading the top pick in the draft would help him do that for several drafts. Look at what he got last year. He will still be getting a pick in next year's draft.