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Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders Destined for a Blockbuster 2024 Draft Day Swap?

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Paul Magno | Last updated 3/26/24

The Chicago Bears will be drafting USC blue-chip quarterback prospect Caleb Williams with their first-overall pick in April’s NFL draft– or, maybe not?

There’s a growing feeling among some media experts and insiders that Williams to the Bears is not as much of a lock as others believe it to be. Some feel that Chicago could still very well trade away their top draft spot in exchange for a haul of talent, similar to the deal they made with the Carolina Panthers last year.

Others even see the possibility that the team could keep their pick and select a quarterback other than Williams.

Chicago Bears Undecided on Caleb Williams?

If the words of Bears general manager Ryan Poles are to be taken at face value (and aren’t just part of an extended bluff front offices have to utilize prior to draft decisions), a decision has yet to be finalized internally when it comes to which quarterback the team will select.

ESPN’s Chicago Bears reporter Courtney Cronin recently lent credence to the idea that Chicago is still mulling over options with a post via Twitter/X.

She wrote:

The Bears are on the clock one month from today (April 25th). Does Ryan Poles know when he will/hopes to have a decision on which QB they’ll draft at No. 1?

Poles: “I don’t. I don’t right now. Hopefully it just hits me.” (Laughs)

Yeah, out of context, that’s a bit of a throwaway comment that doesn’t mean a whole lot. But given that the Washington Commanders, who have the no. 2 draft spot right behind the Bears, are reported to be pretty interested in acquiring DC-area native Williams, debate has to re-open about whether a deal could be made facilitating the swap of draft spots between the Bears and the Commanders.

A Washington-Chicago Draft Day Trade?

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has added a charge to that buzz in a recent article. Knox proposes the possibility of a Washington-Chicago deal that would have the teams swapping spots in the draft and the Commanders throwing in a second-round draft to complete the transaction.

Per Knox:

“…There’s no guarantee that Williams is Chicago’s preferred target. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on March 12 that the Bears were still very much in the evaluation process.

If the Bears eventually settle on [Jayden] Daniels or [Drake] Maye as their top choice—here’s where we note that Maye is the top-rated QB on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s big board—that could try squeezing valuable draft capital from Washington to move back a spot.

Would the Commanders play along? That’s the unknown. If the Bears are dangling the No. 1 pick, then new general manager Adam Peters must assume that Chicago views at least one other quarterback as on par with Williams. Chicago would have to hold its cards tightly enough that Washington is unsure of the Bears’ choice, and the Commanders would have to view Williams as the clear top quarterback.

If all of that plays out, though, the Commanders would have to at least consider Chicago’s offer. However you want to rank the 2024 quarterbacks, Williams is an elite prospect. He was also born in D.C. and played his high school ball in the area.

Flipping a second-round pick for a player who might fall to Washington anyway would be a gamble, but securing Williams would be the perfect way to jump-start the new Commanders era.”

The idea of a Chicago-Washington one-two swap has been entertained by members of the media several times since the draft order was established. All of the speculation is predicated on the idea that the Chicago Bears don’t want Caleb Williams and that the Commanders desperately DO.

If that turns out to be the case, a deal would not only be logical, it would also be probable. With just about a month to go before the draft, both teams will have to decide if what they want is really what they want.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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