The 2023 offseason is once again being dominated by quarterback discussion. The carousel could feature some big names this offseason and two teams in the middle of those discussions are the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears.
The Ravens are attempting to work out a long-term deal with former MVP Lamar Jackson. The two sides were unable to agree to an extension last offseason and things could come to a head in a few weeks.
Chicago owns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That puts them in a prime position to select a quarterback, should they want one. Already with Justin Fields on the roster, many people believe it would be better for the Bears to keep and build around him. They could trade the No. 1 pick for a king’s ransom to build up the roster around the 2021 first-round pick.
That will be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. If an extension cannot be worked out between Jackson and the Ravens, a trade remains a real possibility. Could the two teams come together on a deal?
A blockbuster trade between the Ravens and Bears was suggested as a proposal that Chicago could actually consider. The Bears would acquire Jackson in exchange for Fields and the No. 1 overall pick in this hypothetical trade.
Chicago is lapping the field in available cap space as one of the franchises that could sign Jackson to a lucrative deal without even blinking an eye. There would be a ton of work remaining to turn this into a competitive roster, but the dynamic Jackson would raise the team’s floor as he is further along than Fields is.
As for Baltimore, they would reset their quarterback clock a little bit with Fields. They would be in a position to then cash in on trading the No. 1 pick, should they be convinced Fields is their quarterback of the future. If not, they could look to move him and use the first overall pick on the signal caller of their choosing.
It would certainly be intriguing to see them swapped for each other, but the Bears agreeing to this trade seems unlikely. They know they are more than one move away from contending and this move would restrict them in multiple ways. Acquiring Jackson, with the current state of their roster, may not even turn them into a playoff contender.
Staying the course with Fields or trading him and selecting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud is the avenue that Chicago should go down. Landing Jackson would certainly be a flashy move, but one that wouldn’t improve the outlook of the franchise all too much.
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