NFL insider reveals reason why Bears traded No. 1 overall pick now
Bears GM Ryan Poles had a specific reason for pulling the trigger on a trade now.
If you haven't heard by now, the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers pulled off a massive trade on Friday afternoon.
The Bears are sending the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to Carolina for a 2023 first-rounder, a 2023 second-rounder, a 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second-rounder, and wide receiver DJ Moore.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, GM Ryan Poles had a specific reason for doing the trade at this time. Poles wanted to secure Moore before the start of free agency.
Moore fills a huge need for the Bears and theoretically makes it a position group that will not have to be addressed early in free agency.
Perhaps Poles realized that the expected crop of free agent receivers is weak this year. Receivers headed for free agency include DJ Chark, Jakobi Meyers, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Moore is cleary a level above any of those receivers.
With sub-par QB play for much of his career, Moore still put up big numbers. Moore eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in three of the last four seasons. Moore never got into the endzone much, but that's to be expected when you play on an anemic offense.
The Bears' top three recceivers will now be Moore, Chase Claypool, and Darnell Mooney.
With one need crossed off, Poles can now agressively target other roster holes during free agency. The most glaring issues with the Bears' roster now appear to be the defensive and offensive lines.
Picking in the ninth slot also gives the Bears options. It is widely expected that at least three of the first four picks in the draft will be spent on quarterbacks. This means that a player like Tyree Wilson could fall further than expected, for example.
The Bears could also be set up to now take an offensive tackle. Peter Skoronski, of nearby Northwestern, is often mocked around the ninth pick, and would fill a major need for the Bears. There doesn't seem to be an offensive lineman worthy of the number one pick, so trading back to select one makes sense.
