2021 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears setup to fail in finding improvementon April 24, 2021 at 1:00 pm

It was that lack of trust in Pace that led many fans to believe that the general manager would be fired after the 2020 season. Instead, Bears’ chairman George McCaskey and team President Ted Phillips not only opted to retain Pace but expressed that Pace has full control over the football decisions made by the organization. Both McCaskey and Phillips claimed that they are not involved in football-related decisions.

That claim is about to be put to a test next week during the 2021 NFL Draft. There have been growing rumors that the Bears are plotting a move up in the first round to select one of the five top quarterback prospects that are projected to be selected in the first round.

Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune continued those rumors when he quoted a source on Wednesday that suggested that the Bears are desperate:

“I think everybody is trying to trade out,” said a front-office source for a team selecting in the top 10. “We’d trade out in a second. Why wouldn’t you? If someone is moving up for a quarterback, let’s go.
“I look at the Bears, and there could be a desperation move by them. They couldn’t get it done in free agency. They’re trying to get it done in the draft. They need to get a guy to develop. They need to pull the ‘give me some more time’ move.”

Despite all this smoke of the Bears being desperate to move up in the draft, there have been contending arguments that McCaskey and Phillips are not going to allow Pace to make such a deal. The logic behind that argument is that McCaskey and Phillips do not want Pace giving up future assets due to the fact that there is a relatively strong chance that the team could have a new general manager by this time next year.

If that is the case, then the Bears are already set up to fail in regards to the 2021 NFL Draft. If Pace is indeed handcuffed entering the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears will not be making a blockbuster trade to move up in the draft to select a quarterback like Justin Fields in the event that he falls. Not only would that be a mistake this season but it would already set the next general manager back a year as the 2022 rookie quarterback class is not nearly as talented as the current crop of quarterbacks available in the 2021 NFL Draft.

That is the reason why there is no excitement in Chicago for the 2021 NFL Draft. McCaskey and Phillips have already shot the team in the foot with their decision to retain Pace. Now, if they block Pace from trying to find a franchise quarterback like Fields, it will only signal more failure in the years to come for the Chicago Bears.