With the inclusion of Marvin Harrison Jr for a workout, the Chicago Bears could be ready to turn the 2024 NFL Draft on its head with big moves.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been busy overhauling the offense. He added new weapons like wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Gerald Everett to help the likely top overall pick in the NFL Draft, Caleb Williams. Wanting to ensure Williams is as comfortable as possible to succeed, he may not be done.
Pairing Allen with DJ Moore gives the Bears one of the best wide receiver duos in the league. Both are incredible route runners who use their intelligence to beat defenders. They also have the ability to make big plays. These are two of the best targets a number one overall pick can have to start his career.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has made a number of huge moves in his three years. He could have another big move to strengthen the offense even more.
Poles is known for making a lot of moves in the draft. In his first draft in 2022, he turned five picks (none in the first round) into 11. Last year, he made what could be considered one of the greatest draft trades in recent league history. It is certainly the best one in franchise history.
Poles traded last year’s number one pick to the Carolina Panthers. In exchange, he received what became offensive lineman Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, Moore, and the number one pick this year. Additionally, he still has Carolina’s second-round pick in 2025.
That trade is one that will reverberate for a decade. Wright and Stevenson had very good rookie campaigns. They look to be contributors for quite some time. Moore, one of the top wide receivers in the league, had a career year in 2023. Williams is considered by many a “generational” talent who may do things no other Chicago Bears quarterback has ever done.
Poles has not made what could be considered a huge trade like he made last year. Sure, the Allen trade was big. However, while he had a great 2023 season, he is an aging receiver (he turns 32 on the final day of the draft on April 27th) who has an injury history.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Chargers asked him to rework his contract to save money but he refused. They were about to cut Allen before Poles came calling. Also, Allen contemplated retirement. He could have a good season but he is not in the Chicago Bears’ long-term plans. Those could be the reasons he only fetched a fourth-round pick.
Poles wants to make sure Williams succeeds not only this year but also for years to come. As a result, he still needs to find another wide receiver. A wide receiver who can grow and connect with Williams.
The Chicago Bears will host wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr this week. That could send tremors throughout the league.
It was interesting that the Bears announced that they would host wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr for a visit this week. Why would they do that, however? It’s not that having Harrison would be bad. Quite the contrary, Harrison is considered the top wide receiver in the draft. Some even feel that he is the “generational” talent at wide receiver.
Way back before Poles traded QB1 Justin Fields, there were many who felt he should trade the top pick for another historic haul. They felt he could trade the pick and move down a couple of spots and still take Harrison. That plan went out the window after the Fields trade.
The question many have now is whether Poles uses his second first-round pick, number nine overall, or trades that for more picks. With the Chicago Bears owning just four picks, there are many who feel he could do that.
Well, how about Poles trades up? He could package the ninth overall pick with future draft picks to move up and select Harrison. The Bears have 16 picks in 2025 and 2026 combined. Seven of them in the first three rounds. He has the assets to combine a few and trade to acquire Harrison.
Some might feel that Poles could signal that he may trade the number one pick and pick up a veteran quarterback. He could make a trade for the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, for example. That could happen if the Arizona Cardinals, who own the fourth overall pick, trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team.
Of course, everything we say before the trade is absolutely speculative. No one but Poles and his staff know what will happen. However, this would be in line with other trades Poles has made. People have constantly been wrong on what he does. With people expecting him to either use the ninth pick or trade down, it would be so like Poles to trade up instead.
Poles said numerous times that Year 3 of the rebuild is crucial. That is when he expects the team to take a major step forward. Having generational talents at both the quarterback and wide receiver would go a long way to making that happen. It would also help Poles erase the narrative that the Chicago Bears cannot have a successful quarterback.
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