2017 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears get fleeced dealing with rookie John Lynch

The Chicago Bears created the first shock in the 2017 NFL Draft by trading up and selecting Mitchell Trubisky. No matter how he progresses, Ryan Pace gave up too much to move up one slot to select a red shirt player.

We waited with breathless anticipation for the 2017 NFL Draft to arrive. On Thursday night, it finally did. We waited with breathless anticipation to find out who the Chicago Bears would select with the third pick. Well…

The Bears gave everyone the first shock of many in the night. Many expected general manager Ryan Pace and the front office to trade out of the third pick and they did just that. The problem was that those people expected the Bears to trade DOWN and acquire more picks. Instead, they moved UP to select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and gave away three picks to do so.

The move elicited many groans and head scratching. This offseason has been interesting for the Bears, to say the least. Many felt Pace overpaid to acquire Mike Glennon through free agency. With the Trubisky selection, that feeling grows. Now, most feel he overpaid to pick Trubisky. I understand that things did not work out during the Jay Cutler era, but it feels like Pace is trying to overcompensate for that.

Going into the draft, some wondered what first-time general manager John Lynch of the San

More from Da Windy City

• Juan Soto appears headed to the Yankees which is not a big blow Chicago Cubs offseason
• 3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to Nashville
• Chicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agency
• The Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei Ohtani
• Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates

Francisco 49ers would do. Yes, he was a good player, but that doesn’t always translate to the front office, with a few exceptions. Well, in his first draft day deal, he may have fleeced Pace. In addition, he flipped the pick Pace gave him to re-enter the first round. That means the two teams ahead of the Bears, the 49ers and the Cleveland Browns, each GAINED an extra first round pick while the Bears LOST three picks to move up one spot. Pro Football Weekly wrote about how Pace probably

Pro Football Weekly wrote about how Pace probably put undue pressure on himself:

"Forget for a second how much the Bears paid; did they bid against themselves similarly to the Mike Glennon free-agent splurge? We’ll obviously never know for sure, but we have it on good authority the Niners weren’t drafting Trubisky, and Chicago was up next on the board…it felt like his predecessors neglecting the position inexcusably for years may have clouded Pace’s judgement a bit here."

To be honest, Trubisky may turn out to be a good quarterback, we don’t know. The reason we don’t know is because there are only 13 games on tape for him. That brings the thought of teammates Mark Sanchez, who had just 16 starts in his college career. On the other hand, remember that Cam Newton had just 14 career college starts.

The problem is how much the Bears gave up to move just one spot. There are a lot of holes on this roster. Trading down would yield more draft picks to fill those holes. Giving up three picks, especially two of them in this year’s draft, hurts their ability to improve the team. As mentioned by Pro Football Weekly, Pace could have made the Trubisky selection AND still have those three picks.

Next: Bears top second round targets

Perhaps Pace has some more surprises for us on Friday night. He might make more deals to add picks. This draft class has better prospects later in the draft than high-impact players at the top. Also, many scouts feel that championships are built in the second and third rounds. Just ask the New England Patriots. Let’s see what happens going forward.