Bears likely just had the opportunity to trade Fields and get a 1 and keep the 1st pick in the draft to get Stroud. They chose not to. It's a bold strategy and I think it has to be very situation-specific rather than the go-to option for teams in that situation.
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You know, I'm probably in the fringe minority, but I kind of like Justin Fields. Is he elite or ever going to be? No, but he's pretty exciting to watch, and he could develop into a good starting QB. Could. If I were a CHI fan I wouldn't be that upset about trying to develop Fields for another year.

Tell me I'm crazy.:-)
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I'd be pissed as hell, though, if we used that #9 pick on a RB.
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Are they going to do that? They need an OL and at least a TE or something before a RB I'd think.
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Its disgusting that ANY QB gets more than Mahomes!

Hell they shouldnt get near his money. He has EARNED it!

I get it, thats how the league works. Oh geez, the next QB to sign is going to get even more!

Just because the next guy shows some potential and is next in line, BIG DEAL!

I dont know why they dont just look at the player and say, when you accomplish anything close to what Mahomes has, we will pay you accordingly.

I am not saying dont pay the guy, he will still get many millions but performance should matter.

How could Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones and Justin Herbert even argue that? They could not.

I can see Burrow getting something close, you could make an argument for Josh Allen to be close to that kind of money. But they havent done what Mahomes has, no one has.
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But that’s not the question.

Would the Bears be better off trading Fields for a 1 and then getting Stroud?

You can be excited about Fields but more excited about having a comparable or better rookie QB at cost control for another 2 years.

I think Fields definitely has potential, but it’s hard to be completely sold on him.
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On one level I get what you're saying.

But really, who cares what they get paid? I think it's hilarious that so many teams are totally willing to overpay their QBs when they clearly aren't worth the money. And, to my eye, almost all QBs are way overpaid. But Please, dipsticks, please keep doing that.

Reason being, you're never going to win a SB overpaying your QB. The QB should always take a pay cut, if they want any shot at winning in Feb. In fact, he should be the one saying he will take a pay cut, so the team can surround him with as much talent as possible. Because 100% of them need plenty of talent around them to win anything. Hell, the top three or four players on the team should take pay cuts, if they want to win.
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I’ve seen many of their fans and some of their beat writers wanting Bijan at 9. They do need just about everything, on both sides of the ball, so a true BPA strategy might in fact be Bijan.

Along the OL, they really need RT, C, and LG. They could upgrade at LT, but Braxton Jones actually graded out pretty good last year (top 10 in many categories). Given the plethora of holes, I just don’t think they take a LT on day 1… and They can get a starting RT, C, or LG later in the draft.

I think most likely for the Bears at #9 is DL (a 3-tech or Edge) if one of the top talents slips. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go Bijan though.
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Well yeah. Justin has obvious flaws. But he can play in the NFL.

I don't know much about Stroud, since i didn't get to watch any college ball this year, but like any drafted QB, he's all potential. maybe you draft him and he's the next . . . Mahomes or Joe Burrow (or whoever fits best), or maybe he's a total bust like Ryan Leaf/Jamarcus Russell.

It's a tough question. You'd have to either be pretty much off Fields or 100% positive that Stroud not only will make it in the NFL, but that he's definitely going to exceed anything Fields would do.
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Thought they needed a LT, my bad. Even still, not sure RB would be my first choice. I mean, maybe if the guy was the next CMC.
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Yes, for 2 reasons:

1. No bonafide "generational prospect" type of QB. If there were Lawrence or Burrow type of prospect, then that would certainly change things.

2. The trade allows you to move on from Fields and draft another QB if he doesn't make significant strides in year 3 with Moore and all the other talent they have added and will have.
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it goes up every year, it was only inevitable.

He signed a 10 year deal and the Chiefs were quick to give him that after the first Superbowl and it was smart as fuck. I don't think the Chiefs are taking advantage of Mahomes or anything, that was an eye opening deal at the time.

Both sides had to have known that within a few years some other QB is going to get a bigger per year contract from another team.
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Still must be awkward in those contract meeting though , “ I think I deserve more money than the the guy who will knock me out of the playoffs every year for the rest of my career”, team “ fuuuuuuuuuuuuck , ok”
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Thats a harder situation imo. I didn't see a lot of bears games, but late he looked like a better passer than lamar at times.
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And-

Mahomes doesn't care.

He's acquired generational wealth for his family, and now cares only about rings and glory, not benjamins.

They got ahead of the curve, and that was really smart.

Like this little stretch we're currently in is the WORST of the Mahomes cap hit situation. And we just won a SB. It's only going to get easier from '25 on.
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