The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles just finalized a trade that sent quarterback Carson Wentz to the Colts for a pair of picks. The Chicago Bears were reported to be one of the possible trade destinations for Wentz.
Another concern for the Bears this offseason is that they do not have a high enough pick to get the likes of Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance in the upcoming draft. Maybe they can get Mac Jones, but he is not projected to be in the same tier as the aforementioned names and this might be a reach.
With Wentz off the table and their draft selection in mind, here are the three best quarterback options for Chicago.
3. Marcus Mariota, Las Vegas Raiders
We did not see much of Mariota last season, since he was playing behind Derek Carr. For a second overall pick, Mariota has mostly underwhelmed. So, why is he here? He provides a balance between a quarterback with modest upside, while not handicapping the team's salary situation.
Mariota can serve as a type of bridge quarterback, although the Bears have yet to acquire the promising, young option that they need in the waiting, so the term bridge is used loosely here.
He has mobility and is a good athlete. Although he has been in the league for six seasons, Mariota still projects as a bit of a reclamation project. His best season was back in 2016 with the Tennessee Titans, where he threw for 26 touchdowns and just nine picks. That feels so long ago, but if he can get back to anything close to that form, then his $11,350,000 cap hit would be worth it.
2. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott signing with the Bears is wishful thinking, especially with the team's cap space or lack thereof. But boy, the two-time Pro Bowler could re-energize the franchise and make them one of the more interesting teams in the league. He is a mobile quarterback with good accuracy and obvious star power.
The potential hurdles to getting Prescott are that he would demand top dollar and might not be drawn to Chicago with its relatively poor offensive line and lack of weapons. The latter is made worse with wideout Allen Robinson hitting free agency. For most of his career, Prescott played behind one of football's best lines and had playmakers in the receiving corps. But strangers things have happened, right?
1. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Honestly, Watson is the best option for basically every team that wasn't in the Super Bowl, which makes his acquisition tough to say the least. He is good enough to make most teams a contender and led the league in passing yards with 4,823. Watson is right at his prime and he might even improve his play.
The price for Watson is very steep. For the Bears to have a chance of getting the quarterback's services they would probably have to offer four first-round picks. It is difficult to compete with the assets of Watson's two most likely destinations – New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Another challenge is interested teams with more complete rosters. Also, based on his experience with the Houston Texans he would probably stay away from teams whose front offices have a questionable track record.
But no matter the cost, if the Bears can swing for Deshaun Watson, they absolutely should, then figure everything else out later.
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