Bears almost traded No. 1 overall pick to different team?

Before sending the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in a blockbuster deal more than a week ago, the Chicago Bears were deep in negotiations with Houston Texans about swapping picks. 

According to NBC Sports’ Peter King, Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted that he was close to pulling off a deal that would have allowed Chicago to move back twice inside the top 10 and stockpile plenty of draft capital both this year and next.

“I thought there was an opportunity to do something historically pretty cool with a trade from (No. 1 to 2) and (No. 2 to 9),” Poles told King. “That had potential to add more draft capital this year, and then the possibility that you’re sitting on three ones in the following year. That had my attention. But my gut told me to trigger on it now.”

Initially, Carolina wanted to include an additional first-round pick in 2025 instead of including receiver D.J. Moore, because Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer believed the two had equal value.

Once Moore entered the mix, Poles stated he couldn’t wait any longer, holding out for a better offer that might not have come.

“My sense is that Poles is close to Carolina GM Scott Fitterer from years of road scouting and personnel conversations, and he could get a read on exactly what Carolina would do and what it wouldn’t,” King suggested. “He doesn’t know Houston GM Nick Caserio as well, so it could be Poles was never sure how far the Texans would go to do the deal.”

Moore, who’s just 25 and already has three 1,100-yard seasons and 21 touchdowns in five years, is a bona fide No. 1 WR. Pairing him with Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and tight end Cole Kmet gives quarterback Justin Fields a quartet of talented pass catchers who should help the 23-year-old QB take a giant step in his development in Year 3. 

It also allows the Bears to spend their first-round pick on an offensive lineman to help better protect Fields, who was sacked 55 times in 15 games in 2022, instead of using it to draft another receiver.