Why the Washington Commanders have limited bargaining power in a hypothetical deal with the Chicago Bears.
For much of the last week, there has been widespread suspicion that the Washington Commanders will stop at nothing to trade Caleb Williams. The problem with that thinking is that the Commanders have little leverage in a prospective deal with the Chicago Bears.
Despite all of the hope trafficking that Commanders fans have done, there is no scenario in which the team can force the Bears to give up the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams is unlikely to reject to play for the Bears, therefore Chicago has little incentive to make a deal with the Commanders given the lack of value in moving down one slot.
To that end, if the Bears finish their evaluations and conclude that Williams is not only the top quarterback in the draft, but also the best option for their squad, the discussion will be ended. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune noted in a recent mailbag, the Bears will take Williams if he checks all of the boxes.
“When the Bears complete the evaluation process and set their board, if Williams is the top quarterback, I don’t see how they consider a trade with the Commanders. How could a team that has been seeking a franchise quarterback for decades pass on the chance to draft its top-rated quarterback? They have the top pick, there is no way of telling where they will be drafting next year — or what next year’s quarterback class will look like — and it’s counterintuitive to think there is a better route.”
In the end, all of the bogus conspiracy ideas will show to be pointless mental exercises. At the end of the day, Justin Fields has not demonstrated enough consistency in his first three seasons to suggest that he is capable of becoming the answer at quarterback. Fields’ lack of consistency is a major reason why the quarterback position remains a question mark. With that concern raised, the Bears will not pass up the opportunity to improve at the position if Williams’ evaluations match expectations.
