The Chicago Bears used to have the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, but they traded it to the Carolina Panthers. Ryan Poles, general manager of the Monsters of Midway, has slammed the NFC South team for this move with a very rude statement.
The 2022 NFL season was not the best for the Bears. They finished the campaign with a dissapointing 3-14 record, which gave them the 1st-overall pick in the upcoming Draft.
However, the Bears knew they could get more by trading their pick. Multiple teams were interested in it, but the offer made by the Panthers was the most attractive, and Chicago went for it.
Bears’ Ryan Poles gets real on how the Panthers insisted on trading for their No. 1 overall pick
The Panthers had the 9th-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they wanted to trade up to be ableto pick the best quarterback of this class. The Bears were willing to give away their No. 1 selection, and Carolina did everything to get it.
Ryan Poles, Chicago’s general manager, revealed how they were able to reach an agreement with Carolina. The Panthers really wanted their position, and the Bears took advantage of their interest.
“I knew from the jump that they were a team that really wanted their quarterback,” Poles said of the Panthers.“They wanted to control the draft. That meant a lot to them. They got in front early, at the combine. I had a good relationship with their general manager, Scott Fitterer, and felt like at that time it was best to close on the deal when we did, instead of dragging it out.
“It was calm and cool for a while, and then it turned into pretty much pacing all day long.It’s so fluid. It shifts and changes all the time when you’re talking with different teams. Some teams are super aggressive. Some are playing in the gray, and you kind of have to read between the lines.”
In exchange for the No. 1 pick, Chicago receivedthe 9th-overall pick, a 2023 second-rounder, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round selection and a star receiver like D.J. Moore.