NFL talent evaluators apparently don’t love Justin Fields.
Fields, the incumbent Bears starter who seems on his way out of town for presumed No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, is not generating much trade interest as free agency approaches, according to ESPN.
“I’ve said all along, I’d be surprised if the Bears didn’t go Caleb Williams at one,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “So, what happens to Justin Fields? I don’t think the market for him right now is as robust as the Bears and he had thought.
“That’s going to be interesting to see what they do.”
Reports indicate the Bears have already decided they are going to draft a quarterback rather than it run back with the inconsistent Fields, which makes the 25-year-old dispensible.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he believes the right thing would be to trade Fields by March 13 — the start of free agency — should the team commit to drafting its next quarterback.
It appears several things are working against the Bears in their attempt to trade Fields with free agency a little more than one week away.
Fields has not shown he’s a franchise quarterback through his first three seasons, and the acquiring team would soon have to decide whether to pay him as if he’s a top-notch quarterback.
Teams also may prefer to wait for free agency, when they can sign players without draft compensation.
While the free-agent class beyond Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield is not inspiring, Fields has not shown he’s significantly better than the second-tier free agents.
If the Bears fail to complete a deal before free agency starts, they risk the pool of suitors becoming even smaller since some quarterback-needy teams will have made moves.
Early rumblings have Cousins deciding between the Falcons and Vikings, with Atlanta gathering momentum, and Mike Evans staying with Tampa Bay may be a sign that Mayfield will soon re-sign.
The Bears may be forced to settle for a package beneath their initial asking price, although all it takes is one team to push its chips to the middle.
“I know they talked about hoping to move on from (Field) if they were comfortable with a quarterback in this draft — i.e. Caleb Williams — by the start of free agency,” Schefter said of the Bears’ plans. “The Bears had hoped to say they had wanted to place Justin early on in the process, I’ll be curious to see if they can get a deal done in place by next Monday or they have to wait for some of these other quarterback moves to shake out before they can find a home for Justin Fields.”