[dt_divider style=”thick” /]First of all does this sound crazy? No. Well maybe a little. Leading up to this draft, reports were telling us the Bears liked Trubisky, a lot. Some mock drafts had Chicago taking him although a general consensus was that the team would go defense with Jamal Adams, Marshon Lattimore or Solomon Thomas with the third overall pick.
But here we are at the end of round one and the Bears did something nobody expected and one of the boldest draft moves they have made in quite some time, as they traded up one spot to number two over the San Francisco 49ers to select Mitchell Trubisky. In the process the Bears gave up the 3rd overall pick, picks 67, 111 and a 2018 third-round pick, which seems a lot to give up for a player who only has 13 starts under his belt. Bears GM Ryan Pace disagrees.
"When we were this close," said Pace of #Bears trade for Trubisky. "I didn't want to sit on our hands and risk not getting that player."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) April 28, 2017
So when looking at this pick there are a few angles we can take here. Some may be surprised purely because the Bears signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon in the offseason to be the starting quarterback in 2017. Although, now you have to wonder just how sold they are on Glennon being the number one guy for years to come. You don’t spend a number two pick on a quarterback, especially one you trade up one spot for, if you don’t see him as being the future of the franchise at the position.
There is also added pressure here for Trubisky. Will he start Week 1? Unlikely unless somehow he completely outperforms Glennon in training camp. But I believe the plan here, and not surprisingly, is to sit Trubisky for 2017. For an organization starved of truly elite level play at the position, the expectation is that Trubisky will eventually be that guy.
Can he be that guy? Possibly, but the pick is still a risky one. Now consider what was on the board when the Bears were on the clock, and what they had to choose from – and passed on. Given that, and with the fact that John Fox might find himself on the hot seat soon, there is a chance pressure will mount to turn to Trubisky. That might come from ownership, from the fan base, or even from within the coaching staff. Chances are, Trubisky will be expected to be ready to perhaps be the starting quarterback before 2018 if Glennon doesn’t work out.
Another aspect when considering this pick is that you have to feel now for Mike Glennon. Is he safe for 2017? Most likely at this point, but the pressure on the Bears organization to play Trubisky might come quickly. How long realistically can the Bears afford to sit him?
#Bears GM Ryan Pace says there is no quarterback competition in 2017
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) April 28, 2017
When could we potentially see Trubisky take the field in 2017 is an interesting thought if nothing else. Looking at the Bears schedule to start the season, it comes across as a tough one, with the first four games coming against the Falcons, Buccaneers, Steelers, and Packers. If Glennon comes out of that stretch playing poorly and the Bears are 1-3, or even 0-4, then calls could be loud and long in Chicago to see what Trubisky can do, but even then the schedule isn’t particularly favourable until Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers, so I don’t see Trubisky in a Bears uniform before then.
A lot of eyes will now be on the Bears throughout the offseason and into the 2017 season. My initial reaction to this pick was one of surprise. Frankly, I was stunned. Of course it’s way too early to say if Trubisky is the franchise quarterback the Bears need, but the pressure is on him right now and whether he lives up to the lofty heights of a second overall pick remains to be seen. It’ll be an interesting journey for the Bears organization and its fanbase, and it starts now.