The Chicago Bears are open for business. That is the belief among many around the NFL. With no need to draft a quarterback and a roster in the middle of a rebuild, the most logical course of action for them is to trade out of the #1 spot. There is no shortage of teams in the top 10 that need quarterbacks. Houston (#2), Indianapolis (#4), Las Vegas (#7), and Carolina (#9) probably stand out the most. However, the general consensus is one team feels like the most logical partner in any deal.
That is the Colts. Their Matt Ryan experiment was a disaster this past season. They sit in a good spot with the 4th pick and would have the desire to jump ahead of Houston, their division rival, to land the quarterback of their preference. Adam Jahns of The Athletic spoke to Indianapolis beat writer Zak Keefer about the situation. He didn’t even try to dance around the subject. From what he knows about the situation inside the Colts organization, there is most definitely a strong chance they’ll call about the #1 pick.
“Are the Colts in play for a potential move up to No. 1? Absolutely. To start, general manager Chris Ballard said as much earlier this week, asked whether he would move “heaven and earth” to trade up to the top spot if he believed there was a franchise-changing quarterback available: “I’d do whatever it takes,” he said. “If we thought there’s a player that we’re driven to get that makes the franchise and the team better, that’s what we would do.”
Secondly, the Colts are done with the veteran quarterback route, scarred by recent misses on Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan, and owner Jim Irsay wants a young QB. Those around him believe the Colts — who have the fourth pick in April’s draft — will do whatever is needed to make that happen. Ryan Poles, keep your phone handy.”
The Colts hold the 4th pick. That means GM Ryan Poles would still be in the top five after moving down, giving him a reasonable chance to land one of the two best defensive prospects on the board. There are also ties between the organizations. Colts GM Chris Ballard worked with Poles from 2013 to 2017 in Kansas City. They know each other well. Head coach Matt Eberflus also served as Indy’s defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021. Communication shouldn’t be an issue, given such familiarity.
What it comes down to is compensation. Ballard is notorious for being highly protective of his draft picks. He doesn’t like making overly aggressive trades. That doesn’t mean he won’t. His moves for DeForest Buckner and Wentz prove as much. He will likely have to give up a future 1st round pick in this deal. If he can accept that, then something should get worked out. One must not forget he is under lots of pressure from team owner Jim Irsay. All of these factors will play in the Chicago Bears’ favor.
