In exchange for Justin Fields, what would the Bears obtain? Coaches and eight NFL executives comment
INDIANAPOLIS: With the Bears planning to choose a quarterback in the draft and part ways with their three-year starter, it appears like Justin Fields’ time in Chicago is running out.
Fields will give the Bears one more favor before leaving when they split ways. In order to determine Fields’ trade worth, The Athletic surveyed eight coaches and club executives this week. All of them felt the Bears would acquire a valuable player before choosing USC’s Caleb Williams with the top choice in April.
with the top choice in April.
There was some fluctuation in the replies, but the general consensus is that the Bears would choose in the second or third round. According to one executive, he might be acquired for a third- and fifth-round selection in exchange for a second-round pick or a pick of comparable value.
Depending on where the selection is in the round, two additional executives predicted that the return will be a second- or third-rounder. Another thought was that it may be a third-round pick in 2025 that, depending on specific statistical standards, might drop to a second-round pick.
A coach who would only part with a third-round choice had the lowest value. Another executive anticipated that he would get a second-round pick, but he acknowledged that his own team would not give up that much.
An executive said, “There’s a reason they’re moving on.”
During this drill, Fields’ detractors
he still has to work on improving his field vision to predict his passes, and his uneven accuracy as a first-round pick in 2021 is still a cause for worry. Over his career, Fields has accumulated 6,674 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. Last season, he ended with a career-high 61.4 completion %.
One coach was an exception in that he believed the Bears would receive a first-round pick.
“Assign and receive,” the coach stated.
Fields, who turns 25 next week, is still a gifted player with exceptional running and scrambling skills (2,220 career yards and 14 touchdowns). It’s also important to note that Fields has had two offensive coordinators and two head coaches in the last three seasons due to the Bears’ protracted reconstruction and lack of support for their quarterback. It’s difficult to imagine many quarterbacks succeeding under those conditions.
One executive stated that a team would have to commit to a strategy to fully use Fields’ abilities in order to obtain him. It is not possible for his next club to make him adapt to their offensive scheme, which is a surefire method to impede a young quarterback’s progress.
