Bears general manager Ryan Poles seemed chagrined, maybe even a little embarrassed, to have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. But he’s not giving it back.
“Losing, it hurts. You always expect to win more than three games,” Poles said Tuesday at his season-ending media availability. “I got home and one of my buddies from the neighborhood drove by like, ‘Hey, congratulations on the first overall pick.’ I’m still not in that mindset right now. It hurts. It hurts to be in that position.”
Well, here’s a trade scenario that might ease Poles’ pain: The No. 1 overall pick to the Colts for the Colts’ first-round pick (No. 4 overall), second-round pick (No. 36) and 2024 first-round pick.
Based on recent trades for top-three draft picks, that’s a reasonable scenario — at least in Chicago — that should work for the Bears. It likely would allow them to still draft one of the two potential difference-making defenders in the draft (at this moment) — Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter or Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.
It would virtually replace the second-round pick (No. 32) they traded to the Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. And it also would give the Bears an additional first-round pick next season that could be in the top 10 — or high enough for the Bears to trade into the top 10 or higher.
If not this deal, Poles figures to get a similar haul for the No. 1 pick, with three quarterbacks just waiting for some desperate team to fall in love with them: Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.
The Colts just check all the boxes for the Bears to max out on the deal:
1. They need a quarterback.
2. They need to make a splash after back-to-back disappointing seasons.
3. They have the No. 4 pick.
4. They have a general manager who is feeling the heat in Chris Ballard.
5 They have a wacky, impulsive, shoot-from-the-hip owner calling the shots in Lincolnwood’s own Jim Irsay.
Sure enough, Ballard took the first step in creating the trade-frenzy the Bears are hoping for. Asked at his own season-ending media availability Tuesday in Indianapolis if he would “move heaven and earth” to trade up in the draft to get a quarterback he loves, Ballard replied: “Yes. I’d do whatever it takes.”
Poles played it only a little more coy. He still paid lip service to the idea that the Bears could actually take the best player available at No. 1. But the reality is this: Operators are standing by at Halas Hall.
“We can evaluate the talent there,” Poles said. “We can see what player presents themselves in that position to help us. And then we can look at the scenarios. If the phones go off and there are certain situations where [a trade] can help us, then we’ll go down that avenue, too.
“We have good flexibility to help this team, regardless if it’s making the pick there or moving back a little bit or moving back a lot. We’ll be open to everything.”
Poles insisted he was not obsessed with the Texans-Colts game Sunday that gave the Bears the No. 1 pick. And wasn’t cheering when he heard the good news. Truth be told, there was a bigger reaction in the Soldier Field press box when the Texans took the lead.
“I honestly wasn’t paying attention to that,” Poles said. “Someone in here [the interview room] saw me and told me about it. And I was like, ‘Eh.’ I just wasn’t in the mood for it.”
Eventually, Poles will warm up to the idea — and he probably did the moment he stepped out of the interview room at Halas Hall.
