5 Creative Moves the Chicago Bears Can Pull on Draft Day

The Chicago Bears currently hold one pick in each of the first six rounds of this year's NFL draft, but if they are creative once the draft begins on April 30, they may be able to add more than just six new players to their roster.

At his introductory press conference back in January, general manager Ryan Pace pointed out it is all about winning games in the NFL.

"Guys, it's all about winning games and that's what I'm here to do," Pace said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Every decision we make goes back to what's best for this organization. It's as simple as that."

In order to rebuild the Bears, Pace may have to get a little creative in this year's draft. He could try to trade some of his higher picks to add more picks later in the draft, or he could try to trade a player or two already on the roster to help the team in the long run.

Here are five creative moves the Chicago Bears can pull on draft day.

Draft Marcus Mariota

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Pace stated earlier this offseason that Jay Cutler is going to be the team's starting quarterback in 2015, but he also said he has taken a look at Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

“I think you have to watch a lot of tape on those guys to feel good with it,” Pace said, according to John Mullin of CSNChicago.com, “and we’ve done enough research on [Mariota] that I think he’s a good quarterback. That [system-quarterback image] doesn’t scare me away from it at all.”

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago, the Bears met with Mariota last month for a predraft visit. 

Mariota won the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushing for 770 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

He is considered one of the two best quarterbacks in this year's draft along with Florida State's Jameis Winston, and while Winston appears to be the favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mariota could potentially drop to the Bears at No. 7.

Even though the Bears have Cutler and his $16.5 million cap hit on the books for 2015, Mariota may be too tough to pass on in the first round if he is still available.

He likely would not play at all in 2015, but ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that could be a good thing.

"If Mariota were there as a developmental quarterback, knowing you've got Cutler for this year, it would certainly make sense from that standpoint," Kiper said, according to Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. "Because Mariota needs time, and he would be afforded that opportunity with the Bears."

If the Bears believe Mariota can be an elite NFL starter, they should consider taking him with their first pick, even if he has to sit for a year behind Cutler.

Draft WR Dorial Green-Beckham in the Second Round

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The Bears traded much-maligned receiver Brandon Marshall and a seventh-round pick this offseason to the New York Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick, leaving them with a need at the receiver position.

This year's draft has a lot of talented receivers, but the Bears may be able to land one of the most talented receivers in the second round.

Dorial Green-Beckham was one of the country's most highly touted high school receivers in 2012, and he eventually decided to go to the University of Missouri. As a true freshman, he caught 28 passes for 395 yards and five touchdowns before hauling in 59 catches for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns his sophomore season in 2013.

He was dismissed from Missouri's football program last April for off-field issues and later transferred to the University of Oklahoma, but he never played a game for the Sooners.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed Green-Beckham as the fourth-best wide receiver in this year's draft, but he knows Green-Beckham's off-field issues make him a bit of a risk, writing:

"

The off-field issues may outweigh the impressive potential for Green-Beckham, which means he may be drafted much later than his ranking. He has two drug-related arrests from his time at Mizzou and was ultimately dismissed from the team after being accused of burglary and domestic assault after allegedly breaking into an apartment and pushing a woman down a staircase, as Tod Palmer of The Kansas City Star reported. Green-Beckham enrolled at Oklahoma but never played in a game after the NCAA upheld his suspension.

"

On the field, Green-Beckham has all the tools to become an elite NFL receiver. He measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine at 6'5" and 237 pounds and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash. He is a physical receiver who runs smooth routes and has the ability to go up and grab the football.

While at Missouri, he ran only a handful of routes and will need to learn more in order to be successful in the NFL. He appears lazy at times and will need to improve his work ethic, but despite all his flaws, he has the potential to develop into a threat in the NFL.

CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler compared Green-Beckham to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

"Although the off-field issues cannot be ignored, Green-Beckham has a physical skill set that rivals Jones on the field with rare athleticism and ability for his size," Brugler wrote.

There are obvious question marks about Green-Beckham's character, but if the Bears feel like he has put his past behind him, taking him in the second round could end up being a steal for a team that needs more depth at the position.

Trade DT Will Sutton for a Late-Round Pick

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The Bears spent two of their first three draft picks last year on defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton, but with the team making the shift from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense in 2015, Sutton may not have a spot in Chicago's new scheme.

A dominant 3-technique defensive tackle at Arizona State in 2012 and 2013, Sutton looked to be an ideal fit in Chicago's Cover 2 defense last season, but his skill set does not translate to Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense.

He is not big enough (6'0", 303 lbs) to anchor the inside at the 0-technique nose tackle position, and he does not possess the run-stopping ability or strength to be a two-gap player.

The Bears could try to make do with him at either position, but they could potentially try to trade him on draft day to a team that runs a more traditional 4-3 defense.

Dickerson was asked about how Sutton fits in Chicago's new defense, and he thinks it makes the most sense to try to move him this offseason, writing:

"

Will Sutton is interesting because I have a hard time envisioning how he fits in a 3-4. Sutton looks more like an undersized three-technique in a 4-3 front. The Bears list him at 6-foot tall. Can they use him? So, if a team calls about Sutton on draft weekend, I'm sure the Bears will have a conversation. Whether a team actually is interested in Sutton (25 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss) is another story, but he may be better off finding another 4-3 team in the future. 

"

As Dickerson pointed out, Sutton did not have the most impressive rookie campaign last season, but he is still just 23 years old and has the potential to develop into a starter in the right situation.

Teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Dallas Cowboys could be looking for a defensive tackle for their 4-3 defenses, and Sutton could be an intriguing option, particularly for Dallas.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has had success in the NFL running a Cover 2 defense, and Sutton could be an ideal replacement for Henry Melton in Dallas' Cover 2.

Sutton would likely only garner a sixth- or seventh-round pick, but the Bears could use additional picks near the end of the draft to help add depth and bolster their special teams.

Listen to Trade Offers for Matt Forte

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Following another productive season in 2014, running back Matt Forte skipped Chicago's voluntary workout last week and is looking for a contract extension, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

After Biggs' report surfaced last week, Forte took to Twitter to let fans know there were no issues:

"

Relax everybody... It's called voluntary W/O for a reason. I've always been there especially when it counts!

— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) April 14, 2015"

Forte rushed for 1,038 yards on 266 carries with six touchdowns and set an NFL record for catches by a running back in a single season with 102 in 2014. His 1,846 all-purpose yards were the sixth most in the NFL last season, according to FootballDB.com.

Forte will turn 30 later this year and is entering the final year of his four-year, $30.4 million contract he signed back in 2012.

Even though he has been one of the league's most consistent running backs since entering the league in 2008, it does not make much sense to give an aging, seven-year veteran running back another big contract. While Forte has been extremely productive, head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase have had success with lesser running backs in the past.

Earlier this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles proved there is a trade market for running backs when they sent LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Granted, McCoy is 26 years old, but he has only played one fewer season than Forte. The Bears likely would not be able to get back a player of Alonso's caliber like Philadelphia did, but they may be able to shop Forte around for a third- or fourth-round pick.

Many Bears fans would not like the idea of seeing Forte in another uniform, but he still has value at the age of 29, and the Bears should at least listen to trade offers and pull the trigger if they are offered a deal too tough to pass up.

Trade Back with Cleveland to Gain Additional Picks

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

While the Bears could be in the running to take Mariota with the seventh overall pick, they may be able to flip that pick for a handful of selections if a team like the Cleveland Browns is desperate enough to move up to draft Mariota.

The Browns used a first-round pick on Johnny Manziel last year, but he struggled on the field and was recently released from a drug and alcohol treatment facility, meaning the quarterback position is still wide-open in Cleveland.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Browns are willing to trade the 12th and 19th picks to take Mariota in the first round.

If the Browns are willing to trade both of their first-round picks to move up to the No. 7 spot, the Bears should jump at the chance.

While they will likely be out of the running for a receiver like West Virginia's Kevin White or an edge-rusher like Clemson's Vic Beasley, they could set themselves up for long-term success by nabbing a defensive tackle like Washington's Danny Shelton and a safety like Alabama's Landon Collins. 

As much sense as it would make for the Bears to hold onto the seventh overall pick and select Mariota—or another top prospect—it may make more sense for the Bears to add as many draft picks as they can considering all the needs they have both offensively and defensively.

In the end, being able to draft two players in the top 20 in exchange for the seventh overall pick should be a no-brainer for Pace and the Bears.

Statistical information courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and NFL.com. Combine numbers and measurables courtesy of NFL.com.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich