Wheeling and Dealing Produces Coveted QB

NFL Draft Bible's Roy Countryman finds if there is a will there can be a way when it comes to finding the quarterback the Chicago Bears really want.

NFL Draft Bible's mock draft on FanNation this week did more than turn a few heads.

It caused some really sore necks. A few eyeballs had to be put back into their sockets, as well.

This was a attention-grabber as Roy Countryman detailed a seven-round mock draft involving trades and the real eye openers were deals involving quarterbacks. The Bears were involved in this.

The NFL Draft Bible mock couldn't get Deshaun Watson to the Bears. He went, instead, to Carolina in a multiplayer deal. They didn't get Sam Darnold, who was shipped by the Jets to the 49ers for a swap of first-round positions and a fifth-round pick.

Instead, the Bears landed the big fish, Russell Wilson and it took the aid of the team coached by former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to pull it off. 

That wasn't all.

Perhaps to make Wilson feel at home, the Bears also obtained wide receiver Tyler Lockett in the deal as well as safety Quandre Diggs and a third-round pick in 2023.

To get Wilson, Lockett, Diggs and the draft pick, the Bears sent Seattle wide receiver Anthony Miller, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, the ninth pick of the draft in Round 1, the 83rd pick in Round 3, a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 first-round pick.

It might have occurred to you that the Bears don't have the ninth pick of the first round to send to Seattle, so the Seahawks could presumably use it to go about finding a quarterback to replace Wilson.

This is where Fangio's team came into it. The Broncos own the ninth pick overall. The Broncos sent that pick to Seattle to receive the 20th pick in Round 1 from the Bears, the 83rd pick in Round 3 that the Bears dealt to seattle and the 2022 first-round pick Seattle acquired from the Bears.

It all checks out, close enough anyway, with the Jimmy Johnson chart of draft pick value. Or, at least, it seems to be very close.

Now that's wheeling and dealing. In real life, the Bears may not be so creative and Fangio's team probably less accomodating.

Also, Seattle can't even be sure a ninth-round pick will net a quarterback. Countryman has them getting one by using it to select North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.

So the Bears got their quarterback and a slot receiver from the Seahawks.

Through all this, the Bears were able to retain their second-round pick and Countryman has them taking Hicks' replacement, Washington defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. 

They're going to need a few milk shakes and steaks thrown into that first-round deal from the Broncos and Seahawks both because Onwuzurike is only 6-foot-3, 290 pounds. The Bears usually have defensive linemen in the front three players at 300 or heavier. The 6-3 is a little short for most of their tastes, as well.

The Bears already are losing Roy Robertson-Harris in free agency and maybe even Brent Urban. Trading away Hicks might be preferable to losing Khalil Mack but it would sure leave Bilal Nichols and Eddie Goldman holding down the fort alone while the gate is getting stormed. And they're replacing him with a small 6-3, 290-pounder. That's smaller than Robertson-Harris and he was originally a linebacker.

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Remember, the Bears do not have a fourth-round pick because they dealt it to Minnesota last year for the right to draft Trevis Gipson in Round 5. So, they're going to be waiting an awfully long time after Round 2 for another pick because they've also traded the third-rounder in the Wilson deal.

Finally, they got back into the selection process and took yet another wide receiver in Simi Fehoko from Stanford. He is a 6-foot-4, 227-pound classic X-style receiver.

Fehoko shows a good understanding of how to find his spots vs. zone coverage and is big enough to ward off defenders in man-to-man contested catches.

However, why do the Bears even need another X-receiver?

Before his draft, Countryman set down a series of free agency moves by teams. He envisioned Allen Robinson leaving the Bears for the Washington Football team.

Whoops. Everyone knew a tag was coming for Robinson and it did.

Countryman already had the Bears signing a receiver to take Robinson's place in free agency, too. He had Tennessee wide receiver Corey Davis coming home to the Chicago area as a free agent in Robinson's spot.

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In Round 6, the Bears went for coernerback Nashon Wright of Oregon State with the first of their three picks that round. You may have remembered Wright being discussed a bit in analysis on BearDigest.com in the past. He is 6-4, 187. It's not often you get a 6-4 cornerback. Some project Wright as a safety as a result, but scouts say he does know how to use his long reach and plays tight man-to-man coverage. The Bears will need this if they're getting rid of Johnson.

The Bears also have two compensatory picks in the sixth round and at the round's 33rd spot they selected tackle/guard Jaylon Moore from Western Michigan. The final pick they have in Round 6 was used for Georgia safety Richard LeCounte III.

LeCounte is the Bulldogs safety who missed a few games at season's end due to an off-road motorcycle accident. The Bears would like his ball-hawking style. He had eight career interceptions, six fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.

Moore could be the replacement at right tackle if they don't sign Germain Ifedi to a new contract, after letting go of Bobby Massie. He's 6-foot-5, 315 pounds and has an 82-inch wingspan. A tough Detroit prep player, he is said by scouts to lack refinement in his blocking technique but can overwhelm defenders with his 11-inch hands and muscle.

The last pick in Round 7 was on Wisconsin defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk, a possible two-gap performer as a five-technique at defensive end who is a bit light at 293 but built like Urban—6-foot-7.

To cap off a wild trading day for GM Ryan Pace and the Bears, Countryman has them getting Loudermilk with the fourth pick of the round after acquiring it in a draft day trade.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven