Bears, Panthers trade guarantees a QB is going 1st overall in 2023 NFL Draft

How Friday's HUGE news impacts the Seahawks at pick 5: Seaside Joe 1469

It’s done and we have now locked in two more starting quarterbacks for the NFC in 2023: Justin Fields has been confirmed as the starter for the Chicago Bears and (ROOKIE FIRST OVERALL PICK) will take over for the Carolina Panthers. Yes, the Panthers are who we thought they’d be, trading up with the Bears to secure their quarterback of the future.

The Bears traded the first overall pick, courtesy of the Texans winning their season finale and Chicago fielding a horrible roster, to the Panthers in exchange for picks 9 and 61 in the 2023 draft, a 2024 first, a 2025 second, and receiver D.J. Moore. This is definitely a move for a quarterback and for now it increases the odds that the Seattle Seahawks will have three teams ahead them in the draft who as of today need a new starting QB.

The Panthers, the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter

Compensation update, per sources: Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for: 🏈pick No. 9 🏈pick No. 61 🏈a first-round pick in 2024 🏈a second-round pick in 2025 🏈WR DJ Moore

In my worthless opinion, the Panthers will select Bryce Young because he’s got by far the best college resume, but does it even matter? If Carolina wants Cam Newton 2.0, then Young will go to the Houston Texans. If the Panthers want C.J. Stroud, then Young will go to the Texans. If the Panthers and Texans want Richardson and Stroud, then Young will go to the Colts.

Allegedly!

If it plays out that Will Levis is drafted ahead of Young too, then fine, I’m not here to play fortune teller. These are just opinions with six weeks until the draft. But as of six weeks before the draft, there are three teams ahead of Seattle who need a quarterback and one of them just guaranteed that’s what they’re doing.

I would not expect the Texans to trade down. They have so much draft capital, why not just pick their top-ranked quarterback prospect after the Panthers choose one? It doesn’t make sense to me that Houston would be taking calls for the second overall pick barring a completely desperate team going apeshit.

I would not be surprised if the Cardinals traded down…I’d be shocked if they traded down with the Seahawks. Not only because of the NFC West, but also because that’s not what Pete and John are known to do. They won’t panic.

Why should the Colts swap four and five? That doesn’t make sense to me either. I covered this in a bonus article last week about Will Anderson and why I do not expect him to last until Seattle’s pick, but Friday’s trade increases those odds slightly.

(Speaking of bonus articles, did you read Friday morning’s on Drew Lock? There have been at least 2-3 bonus articles per week and more as we get to the draft! Your support here is greatly appreciated! Bonus article on Thursday on Geno’s contract too!)

If we can imagine three quarterbacks in the top-four now, then it’s up to the Cardinals as to who will be available to the Seahawks at five. That’s not the power that we wanted Arizona to have at the end of the season, but it wasn’t up to Seattle…blame Russell Wilson. The Cardinals could take Anderson, Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, or trade out, as of the options most expect right now.

Their move will be harder to predict. Carolina’s is extremely easy. It’s a quarterback. We just don’t know which one yet.

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