NFL Draft 2021: 5 predictions for potential first-round trades
By Peter Panacy
NFL Draft Trade No. 3: Bears trade up with Panthers for No. 8 overall pick
The Carolina Panthers were notable losers from the 49ers and Dolphins’ NFL Draft trade blockbuster, essentially dropping down a spot in the pecking order for a potential franchise-caliber quarterback.
Whether or not it was a quick reaction, the Panthers now pinned their hopes on former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold by trading for him not long after San Francisco and Miami made their moves.
Carolina is reportedly now looking to move its own quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, which could continue shaking up the quarterback carousel this offseason. Yet a primary beneficiary of all this could be the Chicago Bears, who missed out on the chance to trade for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason and instead are currently hinging their hopes on veteran backups, Nick Foles and Andy Dalton.
Those two don’t provide a winning formula for head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace, who both have to be considered hot-seat candidates depending on what happens in Chicago this year.
If anything, it’s time for the Bears to be aggressive.
The Panthers own the No. 8 overall pick, and it’s likely the only realistic quarterback who’d still be available at that point is Mac Jones, presuming he even falls that far. But if he does, and the Panthers are content with giving Darnold a shot, it certainly would be worth it for Pace and Nagy to explore an aggressive trade-up from their current top pick in the NFL Draft, No. 20 overall.
Not even Jones is going to last that deep into Round 1, so if the Bears want to grab a quarterback early, they’ll have to act now.
And engineering a move with Carolina might be the best way to ensure it happens.