The Chicago Bears made a huge move early in the offseason by trading away the top overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers jumped up after agreeing to a deal with Chicago general manager Ryan Poles.
Poles said that he knew the Panthers were eager to get their quarterback in an appearance on the Bears' 1920 Football Drive show. He said that he is cool with Carolina GM Scott Fitterer, leading to a deal that should help both sides.
“I knew from the jump that [the Panthers] were a team that really wanted their quarterback,” the Bears GM said. “They wanted to control the draft. That meant a lot to them. They got in front early, at the combine. I had a good relationship with their general manager, Scott Fitterer, and felt like at that time it was best to close on the deal when we did, instead of dragging it out…So, felt comfortable moving forward with Scott and Carolina. It helped us today with D.J. Moore, but also down the road with future draft picks.”
For the price of the ninth overall pick, several other draft picks and a very solid wide receiver going to the Bears, the Panthers have the choice of whichever quarterback they want, which will likely be Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. They have made some other moves to surround whichever QB they choose with a solid supporting cast.
The Bears now have more draft capital to work with as they build around young talents like Justin Fields, Jaquan Brisker and Cole Kmet.
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