Justin Fields has been the center of just about every trade rumor you could possible imagine this offseason, in the light of his up-and-down play and the Chicago Bears owning the 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive year.
Why Are The Chicago Bears Looking To Move On From Justin Fields?
Despite having a strong finish to the season, as the Bears went 5-4 down the stretch, Chicago is unlikely to pass up the opportunity to reset their rookie timeline – Fields is already about to go into his 4th year, with his 5th option decision date fast looming.
And whilst there have been concerns about Caleb Williams, both reports that suggest he may be reticent to be drafted by the Chicago Bears, who have a poor organizational record at developing young quarterbacks (although this was quickly rebuffed by the Williams camp, and that he may have the commonly cited “character issues“, it seems like his talent and proven ability on the field at USC and Oklahoma will likely see him taken as the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Justin Fields: A Man In Limbo
So the question is; what is to happen to current starting quarterback, Justin Fields?
Well, some members of the Bears community feel strongly that the team needs to build around Fields by getting him a new offensive coordinator – now Shane Waldron and more pieces around him.
They would prefer for the Bears to trade down, once again, continue to gather future draft capital, and further build the roster with blue chip prospects like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Alabama’s Terrion Arnold.
Others, however, believe that Fields at times good, at times not great play will ultimately not get Chicago to the promised land, and that to win a Lombardi Trophy, you need a blue chip guy at QB (unless you are the San Francisco 49ers) on a cheap deal to have the best possible pieces around him.
What is Fields Worth On The Market? And How Many Teams Are Interested?
Well, this has been the question all year; some have argued that he is worth as much as a 1st round pick, whilst others believe that his value is considerably less.
NFL insider, Adam Schefter, has commented on this, and reveals what he believes Fields’ trade market will look like.
“I think it will be limited to a certain extent, but it really doesn’t matter if it would be limited because if it were just a couple of teams [interested] — and I think there could be — then that’s all it takes”
In addition, Schefter announced what he thinks the Bears could get in return for Fields.
“The consensus in an informal poll of league evaluators is that Fields would be worth a second- or third-round pick in a pre-draft trade.”
However, he maintains that Chicago might be able to squeeze a little more out of viable suitors.
“I think they might get a 1. I do, yeah.”
Personally, I think a 1st round pick is very high for a player who has achieved remarkably little in the National Football League, albeit with some excellent flashes at times. However, if the right team feels strongly enough about Fields, then anything is possible.
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