Carr signing with the Saints as first QB domino falls in favor of Bears originally appeared nbc sports chicago
Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitter has made it clear that his “ideal” scenario is to “draft and develop” a quarterback in the first round.
But during the availability of fitter and head coach Frank Reich at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, it was clear that the Panthers Derek was very interested in Carr.
The Panthers had a phone call with Carr and then met with the free agent at the combine. With the NFC South wide open, signing Carr, a top-12 quarterback still in his prime, undoubtedly seemed tempting to Fitter and Reich.
Carr signing Carolina may have turned away a potential trade partner from bear radar, As Bears general manager Ryan Poles seeks to extract maximum value for the No. 1 pick from a quarterback-need team, it is imperative that as many teams as possible bid on the pick. The more bidders, the higher the price. high demand. Supply short-simple economics.
That makes Monday’s news that Carr intends to sign with the New Orleans Saints music to the ears of Poles.
The Saints had a gaping hole at quarterback, but were not in the picture for the No. 1 pick.
With Carr headed to New Orleans, that leaves the Panthers with two options. They can either scramble to land Aaron Rodgers in a hail-mary attempt or make a trade-up with the Bears at No. 1 or the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3.
Should the Panthers view the price as rising too high, they could change their plan and look to a bridge quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo.
Poles and bears undoubtedly leave the alliance feeling good about their leverage in the business market.
Persistent buzz around the combine is that the Bears are looking for first and second round picks in this year’s draft, as well as future firsts in 2024 and 2025, to go outside the top five. Perhaps it’s only the first future in 2024 if the move is in the top five. Either way, it’s a huge price to pay for the Panthers should they be enamored with one of the draft’s top signal-callers.
The Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons have either shown or are expected to show interest in the No. 1 pick.
As the quarterback carousel ramps up, some of the scenarios floating around Indianapolis last week raised my eyebrows.
As it pertains to the Texans, there is a view in some league circles that Houston will go No. 2 and potentially not draft a quarterback. Houston, along with Chicago and Atlanta, has the most talent-depleted roster in the NFL. New head coach DeMeco Ryan could add a veteran quarterback in free agency (Garopolo, Jacoby Brissett) and then take the best player available.
The other note raised in Indy is that the Raiders, long believed to be the favorite to land Rodgers, should his time in Green Bay end, perhaps to give up draft assets for the aging quarterback. Don’t be interested, when there are so many holes in the roster to fill.
There’s always time to change that, but I left Indy feeling the Raiders would draft a quarterback that was more likely a Round 1 trade-up when I arrived.
Poles built up his leverage with the anticipated “Trade Justin Fields” smokescreen. Now that his phone is starting to ring up with calls from people desperate to change their quarterback fortunes, that leverage is no longer needed.
The Bears’ general manager confirmed their plans to enter the 2023 season with Fields as their starter. Poles maintained that he would have to be “blown away” in order to draft the quarterback and for that to happen he gave a laundry list of things he would need to look at from a prospect.
Seven weeks after giving themselves two yards to trade Fields, Polls made it clear that the Bears plan to move forward with Fields as their quarterback and believe that he will be a great prospect in Year 3. Will make a big jump as a passer.
Connected: NFL Combine notebook: Intel on Bears price, trade partners, and QB class
Poles will not accelerate business. He said it might be worthwhile for the Bears to move it before free agency, but he’s comfortable waiting until he gets his desired return. capacity for bear to trade twice Very real, but Pols also said he wouldn’t make the trade if it meant missing out on a player who could greatly impact the Bears on the field and in the locker room.
spend 10 minutes with Will Anderson of Alabama and he feels like that type of player,
Perhaps Andersen’s love limits the moves the bears can do. But with Carr off the market, Poles will have no shortage of suitors for the most valuable asset in the NFL.
The off season passes through Chicago, and that highway got a bit congested.
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