There are two competing camps regarding the Chicago Bears and the No. 1. Either GM Ryan Poles will pick the best defenseman in place, or he will hand down the pick to the team most desperate for a quarterback. Every camp has a fair argument. Picking #1 gives them the best possible chance of landing a Superstar. On the other hand, a swap back would secure them several high picks, allowing the Poles to completely revamp an exhausted roster. It is not an easy decision and requires careful consideration.
Local insiders Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns spoke about it on their Hoge & Jahns podcast. Hoge predicted that the bears would end up trading the pick. Not only that, they won’t even wait until draft night. They will cover it weeks before the event. Jahns went one step further. He agrees that the Bears will swap picks, but went so far as to say which team will ultimately close the deal.
That would make perfect sense for the Chicago Bears.
Start with the connections. Poles worked with Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard for years in Kansas City. You have a strong personal relationship. Matt Eberflus also worked as the defensive coordinator for the Colts from 2018 to 2021. He’s well respected in this building. Such familiarity often makes it easier for two teams to discuss trading opportunities.
Then there’s the situation the Colts are in. Their attempts to solve the QB problem have stalled badly over the past two years. Carson Wentz disappointed in 2021 and Matt Ryan was a disastrous flop last year. Owner Jim Irsay is reportedly furious with the top team for not getting young in the position sooner. That leads to thinking the obvious. Ballard will be under intense pressure to land one of the top contenders this year.
What ties this together is the fact that Houston is ranked #2. The Colts and Texans are divisional rivals. If Indianapolis covets one of the quarterbacks in this class, they probably won’t feel comfortable risking him moving to a team they would have to play twice a year. The only way to prevent this is to jump ahead of them at #1. That’s why the Chicago Bears have so much influence.