CHICAGO — As soon as the Chicago Bears landed the top pick in the 2023 NFL draft, speculation that the team would look to deal either the pick, or incumbent quarterback Justin Fields, ran rampant.
It's unsurprising, considering the number of quarterback needy teams on the market, as well as the appeal of quarterbacks in this draft class - like Alabama phenom Bryce Young, Ohio State's CJ Stroud, and Florida's Anthony Richardson.
The latest reports indicate the team is focusing their effort on moving the number one pick and acquiring more assets to build around the 23-year-old Fields, who finished ninth in MVP voting last season despite Chicago's 3-12 record.
Locked on Bears podcast host Lorin Cox believes the timing of this announcement is key, as Chicago is looking to acquire a big haul of picks similar to the Sam Darnold and Trey Lance trades in previous years.
"The Bears put this out at a very specific time," Cox told Peter Bukowski of the Locked on Sports Today podcast. "They just arrived in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine. That's really when this kind of conversation picks up."
The Bears are no doubt hoping these quarterbacks put on a show at the combine, driving up interest by opposing teams and therefore creating a bidding war which could net the Bears a significant haul of draft picks to build around Fields.
Cox doesn't think it matters which quarterback dominates at the combine, as long as interest remains high it will drive up the value of the pick - and the return for Chicago.
"It doesn't really matter which quarterback becomes the consensus top guy among the group, as long as one of them does," Cox continued. "Or as long as multiple teams are interested in multiple quarterbacks. They just need to drum up as much of the hype as possible."
The NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 27, although a trade for the top pick is likely to happen a month or so before that - giving the acquiring team plenty of time to evaluate their options ahead of the big day.
For more on what a trade package might look like, check out the Locked on Bears podcast.