Bears lock up No. 1 pick in 2024 NFL Draft after Panthers loss
The Chicago Bears officially have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it's not because they have the worst record.It's because the Carolina Panthers will finish the 2023 season with the NFL's worst record. The Bears actually have seven wins on the season at the time of publication and are currently slated […]
The Chicago Bears officially have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it's not because they have the worst record.
It's because the Carolina Panthers will finish the 2023 season with the NFL's worst record. The Bears actually have seven wins on the season at the time of publication and are currently slated to pick ninth thanks to their record.
The team showed good improvement in Matt Eberflus' second year and it appeared to hit a home run in the form of the Montez Sweat trade, but there are still plenty of questions when it comes to the overall roster and more specifically – quarterback.
Will the Bears stick with Justin Fields now that they officially have the No. 1 pick?
Personally, I think they do, and I also think they should. Fields showed plenty of improvement in Year 3 and a big reason why is because of D.J. Moore. It's amazing what a quarterback can do when he actually has weapons around him, right?
The Bears are now in a prime spot to add Marvin Harrison Jr. to the mix, which would easily take both the Bears offense and Fields' game to another level. They can then draft an edge rusher, interior offensive lineman, or whichever position they prefer with whatever the second first-rounder becomes.
The one reason to trade Fields, that doesn't have anything to do with what he does on the field, is that Year 3 of the Matt Eberflus/Ryan Poles era will be one in which they'll probably have to make the playoffs if they want to keep their jobs.
That could lead them to making the argument to trade Fields so they can draft "their guy", thus buying more time.
It makes sense, but if I'm the McCaskeys, I'm telling them the expected results will still be the same, if not damn close enough. Because if you get "your guy", then you should be able to still build off the success you had in 2023. Especially with the draft picks on tap.
Either way, it's going to be another exciting offseason, except it'll have more the aura of taking the playoff leap instead of just putting the puzzle together. The Bears are moving in the right direction, but things can really take off if they make the right decision, here.
