Teams are ‘scrambling to get’ the Bears’ number one draft pick

The NFL Combine is obviously an important place for the prospects to put their best foot forward as they try to impress teams with their on-field work, their personality and football IQ during the meetings, and a clean bill of health via the medicals, but it’s also a breeding ground for teams to lay the groundwork for trades and signings.

The Chicago Bears were already in the offseason’s catbird seat with the most money available for free agency and the number one overall pick, and the buzz coming out of Indianapolis has just strengthened their position.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport has been giving updates on what he’s been hearing all week during the NFL Network’s combine coverage, and his latest is that teams are “scrambling to get up to number one.”

The top quarterback prospects all did their part this week, and while there still may not be a consensus number one, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, and Kentucky’s Will Levis, all have plenty of hype surrounding them.

Rapoport went on to say that there is “momentum” that a trade up to one could be made before the start of free agency, which opens officially on March 15, and the early negotiating period two days prior.

I think the best-case scenario for the Bears would be an early trade with the Texans moving back to two, allowing them to shop the second overall pick to the Colts, Panthers, Falcons, or another QB-needy team.

The early trade up will allow the Bears plenty of time to weigh their options while bolstering their roster in free agency.

The NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 27, and for anyone near the Lombard, Illinois area, we’ll be hosting a WCG meet-up/ NFL Draft party at Noon Whistle Brewing. Bear Bones hosts Mason West and Danny Meehan will be there and will be participating in our night one live stream on our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel. More details on the event will be posted as we learn them, but we hope to see you all there!