Trade Pitch Moves Bears Off Williams For Daniels/Maye, Adds Pick

Bears May Prefer QB Other Than Caleb Williams With Top Pick

GettyQuarterback Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Michael David Smith of NBC Sports reported over the weekend that Washington will listen to trade inquiries for the No. 2 pick.

“[Head coach Dan] Quinn said the Commanders are getting close to setting the top of their draft board, but haven’t finished evaluating the quarterbacks,” Smith wrote. “Quinn did say the Commanders’ phone is ringing in trade talks and the Commanders will listen, but it sounds unlikely that anyone would offer enough to get them to move down.”

Chicago is in a different situation, however, as it could afford the Commanders the chance to move up to draft Williams — a hometown hero in D.C.

“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,” Knox wrote. “If the Bears eventually settle on Daniels or 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 — they could try squeezing valuable draft capital from Washington to move back a spot.”

Bears Must Engage in Subterfuge to Convince Commanders to Trade for Caleb Williams

GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the USC Trojans.

Moton added that the key for the Bears is to sell Washington on the fact that they will absolutely draft Williams first if they don’t move off the top pick. That may be a hard sell if Chicago is willing to discuss a deal at all.

As such, the Bears probably need to come with a bigger ask than just the Commanders’ 2024 second-round pick to trade back a spot. Whether Chicago is willing to accept the 36th selection as enough of a return isn’t actually as relevant as the perception in Washington’s front office.

“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,” Moton wrote. “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 jumpstart the new Commanders era.”