In an unorthodox twist, the Chicago Bears won?t meet with the projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, for his top 30 meeting after the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis as originally planned.
However, Sports Illustrated?s Albert Breer reports it as a sign of the Bears? path toward drafting him.
?Until this weekend, the Bears had planned to bring USC Trojans QB Caleb Williams to Chicago for his top 30 visit Tuesday, fresh off the combine,? Breer wrote on March 4. ?That is extraordinarily early?most teams don?t even start with 30 visits until the end of March or beginning of April when pro days are wrapping up.
?Williams and the team decided to move things around: Rather than shuttling the quarterback to and from California again, in the midst of preparations for his March 20 pro day, the Bears will host Williams in Chicago shortly after that instead.?
Breer runs through bullet points that suggest the Bears will indeed select Williams.
He reports Williams impressed team officials in Indianapolis with his performance at the combine. They have also received positive feedback from those around him. Breer also writes that Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury — whom the Bears interviewed for the same role — about his father, Carl Williams, who is active on the business side but leaves football to his son.
Bears, Caleb Williams Agree to Push Back Top 30 Visit
Free Agency Could Impact Bears? Plans
A lot can happen in the two-plus weeks between the originally planned date for Williams? visit and the new one. That is especially true with free agency slated to start on March 13. And the early negotiating window opens two days before that.
That could allow for a better trade market to develop for Fields, which Breer noted the Bears are open to doing.
It?s something they may need to do amid little interest, at least at the combine.
?The team spent most of the week gauging interest around the league to evaluate his value,? The Athletic?s Dianna Russini wrote on March 2. ?Though I expect the demand for Fields to be robust ? it appears his market is soft for now. It was hard to find strong interest from any team.?
Kirk Cousins is viewed as the top free agent in a market that also includes 2023 Most Improved Player Baker Mayfield and could include one-time Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson.
Breer sets the expectation for a return in a Fields trade at a package of Day 2 and 3 picks.
Justin Fields Sends Message to Bears Front Office Amid Trade Rumors
ESPN?s Jeremy Fowler painted a far more optimistic picture for the Bears. He linked four teams to Fields, though he phrased it as destinations the quarterback could have interest in. At any rate, Russini noted, it would only take one to change the current outlook.
?After asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on Fields’ radar,? Fowler wrote on March 3.
Fowler noted ?plenty of smoke? around Fields and Atlanta.
Breaking Down Justin Fields? Rumored Trade Market
Steelers general manager Omar Khan also spoke about exploring all of his options to make the team better this offseason. He declined to go into specific details when asked directly about trading for Fields, though.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported on March 4 that the team is not interested in trading for Fields.
The Raiders hired former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to fill the same role. It seems unlikely that either he or Fields would seek out a reunion, with how things played out.
Minnesota is a division rival, which seems like a lofty proposition, particularly in this situation.
The Falcons are Fields? hometown team and need a quarterback. But Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot passed on Fields in the 2021 draft. And their offensive coordinator coaches a scheme more suited to Cousins, who also has ties to Atlanta.