The Bears have an enormous decision in front of them this offseason.
Should they draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the draft? Or, should they trade it down to collect future assets and stick with Justin Fields?
The predominant thinking this early in the offseason is USC's Caleb Williams is too elite to pass on. But could the Bears be persuaded with potential trade packages? The Denver Broncos are reportedly desperate to find a new signal caller after their experiment with Russell Wilson ultimately failed.
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"At present time there’s little wiggle room for any of those teams willing to move down unless a blockbuster deal is placed in front of them. And a blockbuster deal from the Denver Broncos would surely include cornerback Patrick Surtain. I’m told while the franchise doesn’t want to trade Surtain, they would consider moving the corner only as a last result to secure one of the top passers," Tony Pauline wrote and reported for Sportskeeda.
It's worth mentioning Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a strong affinity for Williams. Payton is so strongly opinionated about Williams' talent, that he suggested Williams could change the game of the NFL.
"I think he's a generational player," Payton said of Williams on "The Herd" in November 2022. "... At some point, we're going to move to a lottery system in the NFL [draft]. This is a player that possibly does that."
Currently, the Broncos own the No. 12 pick in the NFL draft. Considering the value of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft, that's a loooooooong way from the No. 1 pick. That means the Broncos would have to give an arm and a leg to move up that high, or even near the No. 1 pick.
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Strictly speculation, that would take several first-round picks and Day 2 picks to pull off. Not to mention, a blue-chip player like Surtain would have to be available. All put together, that's an enticing offer, certainly.
Surtain, 23, was the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. So far in his three-year career, Surtain has earned two Pro Bowl nods and one first-team All-Pro selection in 2022.
He has seven career interceptions, one pick-six, 36 pass blocks, one forced fumble and 187 tackles to his name. He's a supreme coverage corner, keeping opposing quarterbacks' targets under 60% for the entirety of his career. That's astounding. And that's on a Denver team that barely pressures the quarterback; they ranked 21st in sacks last season.
Can you imagine pairing Surtain with Jaylon Johnson on the opposite end? That would be an unstoppable duo. And that kind of offer would certainly pique the interest of the Bears, who have been a defensive-minded team since its inception.
The Bears could pull off several trades in the draft, too. Behind them, the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Broncos are all in need of a quarterback. It wouldn't be outrageous to say they could execute multiple trade-down scenarios.
But if they're certain Caleb Williams --- or any other quarterback prospect --- would propel their offense further than Fields can, they will need a great deal of restraint to reject the offers that will inevitably come flooding in this offseason.
Ryan Poles and the front office have a tall task in front of them. But they'll have plenty to work with in the draft and the trade market, should they opt to move down from the No. 1 pick.