Seattle might not be ready to trade Russell Wilson today, this week or even this month. But that does not mean he will not become available and the Bears need to be ready to pounce when that time comes.
The same is true for Deshaun Watson.
Houston and Seattle really don’t want to trade their franchise quarterbacks, because no team really wants to make such a move. However, they ultimately might have to and the best chance the Bears have at getting a franchise quarterback is still through those two guys. Keep in mind, Jay Cutler wasn’t traded until April 2 because that’s how long it took to convince Denver they had to move him.
This might seem a rather scary proposition, but it also might be the club’s best option.
Imagine a world in which the Bears could keep all of their 2021 draft picks and still add either Watson or Wilson. That is looking more possible each day as other teams in the market for QBs look to make permanent moves in the draft. With that, they risk entering the 2021 season with Nick Foles as the starter, if Houston and Seattle remain stubborn.
That really isn’t the worst thing. Foles looked horrendous at times last year, but at least some of that was because they couldn’t protect him. Even Patrick Mahomes needs protection. The one game they had Sam Mustipher at center and Foles at quarterback, they scored 23 points, despite a right side consisting of Rashad Coward and Jason Spriggs. That won’t happen again in 2021 as the Bears figure to spend an early pick, assuming they have one, on a tackle.
Foles doesn’t have to be the only option.
Jacoby Brissett is capable, will likely be cheap and would surely be an upgrade over what Mitch Trubisky has been for much of his career. Or they could take a flier on a player like Tim Boyle, who has been impressing people in Green Bay for years. Boyle has won competitions against Brett Hundley, Deshone Kizer and Jordan Love the last three years and has actually been impressive, with a passer rating better than 100 in the preseason, though that context is needed. He could be another Matt Flynn or Craig Nall, but he could also be another Matt Hasselbeck.
The Bears could make a big splash on draft day for a quarterback, though that would eliminate them from either Watson or Wilson and I’m not sure that would be smart, especially considering Wilson’s affinity for the organization. There is a conversation to be had about possibly acquiring a quarterback and then making that quarterback available in a trade for either Watson or Wilson, but Houston or Seattle would have to love the quarterback the Bears picked. In an ideal world, the Bears would be able to get that quarterback at 20 and still be able to keep all future assets to make a move for one of the stars.
A top-five quarterback has basically never become available and right now there are two and at least one of them has expressed interest in playing for the Bears. It’s worth waiting to see if that is possible because the other options just aren’t that great.
Until Seattle and Houston say definitively it is never going to happen, the Bears should wait, even if that means waiting until 2022.
