Report: Bears focused on acquiring Foles or Dalton
The Chicago Bears are zeroed in on trading for either Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles or Cincinnati Bengals pivot Andy Dalton, sources told ESPN's Ed Werder.
There is a sentiment within the Bears organization that incumbent starter Mitchell Trubisky should be forced to compete for the job, Werder added.
The issue for #Bears in trade discussions with #Jaguars for Foles and #Bengals for Dalton is compensation as team lacks a first-round pick already. That creates reluctance to give up more than a third-day pick in this years draft.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) March 16, 2020
An earlier report suggested Chicago was talking to free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but the team appears to be turning its attention elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars appear to be rebuilding after trading away defensive end Calais Campbell and cornerback A.J. Bouye, so getting Foles' $22-million-a-year salary off their books would be a logical move.
Foles, a former Super Bowl MVP, failed to live up to expectations in his first season with Jacksonville. He missed 12 games due to a broken collarbone and produced a passer rating of just 84.6 across four starts.
Sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew started in relief of Foles, and he'd presumably be the full-time starter if the veteran is moved.
In Cincinnati, Dalton is considered expendable with the team expected to draft former LSU star quarterback Joe Burrow first overall.
Dalton threw for 3,494 yards,16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 13 starts last season.
The Bears have publicly declared that Trubisky will be their 2020 starter, but it's also been widely speculated that the NFC North team will look to add competition for the former No. 2 overall pick.