Am I allowed to say I told you so?

For months I’ve been saying the prime trade partner for the Chicago Bears was the Carolina Panthers. Last week I told anyone that would listen to the meatball that this trade was happening. During the season I was on an island rooting against my beloved Bears for the highest draft position possible. Some got mad at me. Some laughed at me.

Well, who’s laughing now?

I’m sorry for the victory lap, but it needed to be said. I had some harsh criticism my way for these stances. And I apologize for nothing. Today is the reason why I held firm. There were Bears fans that seriously wanted to beat the Vikings the last week of the season.

Come on guys, look at the bigger picture. You wanna talk brick by brick? Today was a keystone. Today we will look back on as one of those “where were you?” moments.

And don’t get me wrong, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to key in on the Panthers as a potential target. The minute the Texans won by a miracle vs the Colts and we lost our over minds at the CHGO Studios, there were three teams that were obvious candidates: the Texans, the Colts and the Panthers.

The Panthers always made the most sense to me because that was the spot where you could get the best return. And that opinion only solidified over the week at the Combine down in Indy. I straight up asked the Panthers GM Scott Fitterer if trading up in the draft before free agency was a good option. He didn’t say no. Then he went on to say drafting a quarterback and not signing one in free agency was the ideal move. That’s all I needed to know. Add that with the rumor mill coming out of Indy and the writing was on the wall. 

Ryan Poles just set this franchise up for the long term. And he isn’t done yet. I’m all in on Poles. This guy is a mob boss. He is the antithesis of Ryan Pace. But all due respect to Pace who brought in QB1, Justin Fields. That was his parting gift. A wash for everything he did to set the Bears back. Now Poles is building off of that move.

GM of the Carolina Panthers, Scott Fitterer, on if it's advantageous to make a trade up in the draft before Free Agency: pic.twitter.com/p8W8AzIJ0V

— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) March 1, 2023

Some questioned the approach of Poles last offseason, not me. They need to learn to win? Don’t worry, they will. Another narrative that made absolutely no sense as the depleted Bears roster scratched and clawed in most of the games this year in a losing effort. We finally have a front office with a sense of direction. A front office that understands you don’t trade up, you trade down. A front office that doesn’t panic but is patient. That’s what good teams do.

The Bears just addressed three dire needs in one fell swoop. They got back into the second round this year. You got an additional first round pick next year. And you continued to bolster a WR room that was desperate for help. 

Enter DJ Moore. DJ Moore is a dynamic talent that has put up numbers with average QBs. A great shot in the arm for the passing offense and Justin Fields. It pushes that depth chart back and makes guys like Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool even more dangerous. Ryan Poles said he wanted playmakers. He wasn’t lying.

And this move also puts to bed any speculation about how the Bears feel about Justin Fields. They don’t make this move if they don’t believe in Fields in regards to taking DJ Moore as opposed to future pick/picks. It’s abundantly clear how they feel about Fields. So lay the hot takes and clickbait to bed. Fields is the guy.

How many signs do we need before we realize the Bears are finally becoming a franchise we’ve dreamed of? The Bears have a quarterback that other teams wish they had. The Bears hired a new president. The Bears are building a state-of-the-art stadium and village to go around it. The Bears just traded their fist round pick for a haul!

The writing is on the wall. The Bears are building for a bright future.

Brick by brick.