Bear Digest

Hometown Focus for Justin Fields?

The Atlanta Falcons could become the new favorites for a Justin Fields trade destination after reports saying Pittsburgh wasn't interested in trading for a QB.

Gene Chamberlain

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The Atlanta Falcons originally looked like a top potential landing spot for Justin Fields if the Bears tried to trade him, and along came the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With reports coming out of Pittsburgh saying that team is cool to the idea of trading for a quarterback, the Falcons look more like a favorite again and their general manager did nothing in interviews to douse this idea.

On NFL Network's "The NFL Report," Steve Wyche and James Palmer talked to Terry Fontenot about the team's quarterback need.

"That's a top priority for us this offseason, and it's exciting," Fontenot said. "Again, not only people that have been in the building, but people outside of the building from (coach) Raheem (Morris) and (offensive coordinator) Zac (Robinson), (QBs coach) T.J. Yates, (assistant coach) Ken Zampese, (assistant QBs coach) DJ Williams—we have a lot of really smart people in the building.

"We're going to spend a lot of time together, make sure we attack that the right way. We're not going to close any doors, be it trades, free agency, the draft. We will make sure we keep an open mind there and we're going to attack it and make sure we get it right."

Fontenot made certain not to get into specifics about the plans to attack it lest he be accused of tampering. Teams can't talk about acquiring other teams' players who are under contract or face the possibility of losing draft picks and/or cash.

Atlanta is where Fields is from and the Falcons picking eighth in the draft. They also have a pick in Round 2 at No. 43 and two picks in Round 3 at Nos. 74 and No. 79.

Fontenot did answer whether he thought it was possible for players in general to improve at later point in their careers. Fields' numbers haven't been good as a passer with the Bears.

"You evaluate players at every point in their career," Fontenot said. "That's why it's so critical as we go through free agency and possible trades, when evaluating every player.

"You're never going to look at a report from last year or the year before, we're going to look at the evolution of the players. So, yes, to answer your question, we have to be detailed and evaluate players in every phase."

The network's Andrew Siciliano and Bucky Brooks also cornered team owner Arthur Blank about the topic of quaqrterback.

"You know, if I had an answer for you right now I still wouldn't tell you but I actually don't even have an answer," Blank said. "So I think this is a very intense period of time between roster evaluation free agency, draft perparation, trade examinaitions, all of those things come into play.

"Clearly the quarterback play we got last year was not at the level to match the rest of our roster, in my opinon and the opinion of most people. So that's something we have to fix."

Blank went on to express confidence in Morris and new coordinator Zac Robinson, who came to the Falcons from the Rams, in finding an answer at the position.

Desmond Ridder posted an 83.4 passer rating with 12 TDs, interceptions, 64% completions and 7.3 yards per attempt last year in winning six of his 13 starts for Atlanta. Fields had an 86.3 passer rating with 6.9 yards per attempt, 61.4% completions and 16 TDs to nine interceptions in leading the Bears to a 5-8 record for the same number of starts.

Oddsmakers had made the Steelers the betting favorites to be the team where Fields plays next year after it had been the Bears, but it's possible this could change again. The Falcons had been third in odds, according to DraftKings.

Atlanta is also where former Bears GM Ryan Pace works in personnel. Pace was the one who drafted Fields.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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