If it feels like NFL Draft season is longer than the actual NFL season, that's because it pretty much is. Teams that were eliminated from the postseason race early have had their sites set on the draft since as early as November, and in the months since, the anticipation for the NFL's biggest offseason event has only grown, through the combine, free agency, and now, which is the time when draft rumors are really starting to fly.
The Chicago Bears have killed it this offseason, first by hiring Ben Johnson to be their new head coach, then by greatly fortifying their offensive line through a couple of trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and the free agent signing of Drew Dalman.
Other fanbases have derisively referred to the "offseason championships" that the Bears just keep winning, but that's just the fear talking. The Bears are coming, and though we said things would be different last year after Caleb Williams came to town, this time we really mean it. Anyone who doesn't believe it is about to find out.
The Bears have been caught up in their share of rumors with the draft approaching, so let's get into them.
All reports indicate that the Bears love Ashton Jeanty
The "Ashton Jeanty to the Bears" train has been barreling down the tracks for quite some time, but in the past week, it seems that everyone is reporting that the Bears love the Boise State running back. There's a lot to unpack here, because this could mean a lot of things.
First off, if the Bears do love Jeanty, who could blame them? He's a terrific prospect that some scouts have called the next LaDainian Tomlinson. If loving Ashton Jeanty is wrong, I don't want to be right, and maybe the Bears don't want to be, either, especially seeing as they hosted him for a top-30 visit. Seriously though, nobody of any repute has even tried poking holes in Jeanty's game, so if the Bears love him, they're in the same boat as 31 other teams. The strongest argument against him is that "you don't take a running back that high," and that's been proven to be a weak way of thinking.
Why exactly are all these rumors coming out now? Let's put on our detective hats to figure it out. The first possibility is that the Bears put the rumors out themselves. What do they stand to gain? If they leaked it, it's likely that they don't plan on drafting Jeanty and are trying to raise the price for someone that wants to trade up. If someone else did, it's to raise the price for a team to trade up in front of the Bears, or even in front of the Raiders, who draft sixth and are the other top-10 team that has been tied to a potential workhorse back. Maybe the Patriots (who have been rumored to want to trade down), Jaguars, Jets or Panthers are behind it.
One thing we can safely rule out is that this leaked out of Halas Hall by accident. The Bears have been running a tight ship since Ben Johnson was hired, and there's no reason that they would have made it through free agency leak-free only for that to end now.
TJ Watt dropped a bomb on the rumor mill with a cryptic Instagram post. Could the Bears get involved?
It's not very often that one of the best defensive players in the game might (huge emphasis on "might") become available. After TJ Watt's pot-stirring Instagram post in which he put up a picture of himself throwing deuces, the trade rumor mill is abuzz.
Is Watt signalling that he wants out of Pittsburgh? Does he just think the cameraman captured his good side? What's really going on here?
The Bears have experience trading for a top-end pass-rusher, as they did so just before the 2018-19 season when they acquired Khalil Mack in a blockbuster deal with the Raiders. Montez Sweat isn't anywhere near Watt or Mack, but it was a big deal when the Bears traded for him midseason a couple years ago.
The Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency to rush the passer opposite Sweat, but they're definitely still in the market for an edge. Many mock drafts have them taking someone like Shemar Stewart or Mike Green with the 10th pick, or using one or both of their second-round picks to select another well-regarded edge like Nic Scourton, Landon Jackson or Princely Umanmielen.
Any team would love to have a guy like Watt, who has been arguably the defensive player of the decade. Even with a year left on his deal, though, the price to pry him from the Steelers would be exorbitant. Would the Bears really pay it? As aggressive as Poles has been in the trade market, nothing is impossible.
What's almost certainly happening here is that Watt is exerting some pressure on the Steelers to renegotiate his deal and give him an extension. Myles Garrett, the closest thing Watt has to a peer, just signed a four-year, $160 million extension. Watt has about $21 million left on his final year. Watt is only about 14 months older than Garrett, so the situations are comparable.
Previously happy relationships in the NFL can quickly turn sour, but the smart money says that Watt will remain in Pittsburgh and get himself a new deal. Bears fans, don't go getting any custom Watt jerseys in navy and orange just yet.
Conflicting rumors have the Bears trading up and down in the first round
Let's get to the most pertinent question on Bears fans' minds. What are the Bears going to do at No. 10?
There are a lot of ways this thing can go. The easy answer is that the Bears will stay put and select the best available player and/or the best fit. That could be Jeanty, offensive linemen Armand Membou or Will Campbell, tight end Tyler Warren or any number of pass-rushers.
Some rumors have the Bears trading up, either to jump the Raiders for Jeanty or to take a huge swing into the top four for Abdul Carter, whom some people believe is the best player in the draft. The Penn State defensive end could be just the game-wrecker new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen needs, but it won't be cheap to get him or Jeanty.
If the Bears stay put, their next move is going to be determined by what happens before them. There's a pretty decent chance that Jeanty, Membou, Campbell and Warren could all be gone. If that's the case, it could make a lot of sense for Poles to trade back and still get an edge rusher while adding a middle-round pick. Quite a few mocks have projected just that.
What should the Bears do? That's why they pay Ryan Poles the big bucks. No matter what, Bears fans should be glad that the team has already improved so much this offseason that there really is no wrong answer.