NFL Rumors: Stefon Diggs fuels trade fire, Tua contract buzz, Falcons-Fields trade package
NFL Rumors: Insider proposes Falcons trade package for Justin Fields
Will they or won't they is the big question surrounding the Chicago Bears right now. It could apply to both projected No. 1 overall pick (which the Bears own) Caleb Williams out of USC or also to incumbent quarterback Justin Fields. But it's more pertinent for the latter and the looming question of whether Chicago will trade the former first-round pick for more draft capital to hit the reset at QB.
The general consensus, at least for now, appears to be that trading Fields is the better option for the Bears and the most likely course of action. We'll see how things play out over the next three-ish months, but it's most definitely on the table. And should it happen, one of the most frequently mentioned trade destinations for Fields has been his hometown Atlanta Falcons.
Not only would a trade to the Falcons put the Kennesaw native and former Georgia Bulldog back closer to home, it'd also be a great fit with Atlanta's bevy of talented skill position players but glaring hole at quarterback. What would that trade look like for the Falcons and Bears, though? ESPN insider/analyst Bill Barnwell ($) broke down potential trade packages, and here's what he projected a deal for Atlanta looking like:
"The Falcons have the eighth pick in the draft, as we discussed earlier, and their young players are too valuable to go back to the Bears in a Fields deal. The Falcons have their own second- (40) and third-round picks (74). They also have a pick coming from the Jaguars as part of the Calvin Ridley deal, which will be a second-rounder (48) if Ridley signs an extension with the Jags or a third-rounder (79) if Ridley doesn't re-sign with the team. I wonder if Atlanta would be more likely to send the 48th pick if it lands it from the Jaguars; if not, the two third-round selections might be the middle ground that makes sense."
From Barnwell's projections, it appears unlikely that the Falcons would want to part with the 40th overall pick for Fields. But the Calvin Ridley trade opens up a ton of possibilities for the club as they will have an extra Day 2 pick, potentially at No. 48, to bargain with in that regard.
At the same time, though, the Falcons could be more motivated than most to get Justin Fields. Beyond the hometown connection, their roster and the hiring of Raheem Morris speeds up the timeline to fix the QB issue. That could force their hand a bit to give up No. 40 or No. 48 if they Ridley signed a new deal with the Jags, but we at least know the range of draft capital the Bears would get that we're talking about here.