Bears, Texans Had 'Significant' Trade Talks for No. 1 Draft Pick Before Panthers Deal

The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans engaged in "significant discussion" about a trade involving the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, according to NBC Sports' Peter King.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles told King he was considering another move back in the top 10 if that trade had gone through.

"I thought there was an opportunity to do something historically pretty cool with a trade from one to two and two to nine," he said. "That had potential to add more draft capital this year, and then the possibility that you're sitting on three ones in the following year. That had my attention. But my gut told me to trigger on it now."

Chicago ultimately sent the top selection to the Carolina Panthers. Poles not only landed some valuable draft assets, including the No. 9 pick and a 2024 first-rounder, but also got a significant upgrade for the passing game with D.J. Moore.

The 25-year-old wide receiver had three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons before catching 63 passes for 888 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.

Poles probably could've accumulated more picks had he executed separate trades with the Texans and Panthers, and perhaps Carolina still would've parted with Moore in that scenario.

But you can't blame Poles for taking the sure thing and accepting a deal that simultaneously strengthened the roster now and provided some long-term flexibility.