Check out what Ryan Powles had to say about the Bears being the No. 1 pick

LAKE FOREST – Within five days, the deal was there for all to see, and all that was left was to make it official.

The Bears were able to trade their most valuable commodity of the offseason on Wednesday as the NFL opened the new year.

The deal with the Panthers was completed just after 3:00 PM CST on Wednesday, when the Bears sent Carolina the No. 1 overall pick for the No. 1 wide receiver prospect along with four picks over the next three drafts.

• WR DJ Moore
• 2023 first round pick (9th overall)
• 2023 second-round pick (61st overall)
• 2024 first round pick
• 2025 second round pick

It’s the biggest move Bears general manager Ryan Posey has made in his 14 months at Halas Hall and has been generally well-received by fans hoping for a turnaround on the team.

Now the Poles had their first reaction to the number 1 pick.

“Having the overall No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has given us a great opportunity to take steps forward this season and in our long-term plan,” Poles said in a statement released by the team. “We are thrilled with the additional picks we received, including being in the top 10 this year, and the addition of a proven and dynamic playmaker in DJ Moore.”

The latter part is great news for quarterback Justin Fields, who has received support from management throughout the offseason. Having a franchise signal-caller made the No. 1 pick a lot easier given that many teams need quarterbacks in the 2023 offseason.

So the Poles had a few options to choose from over the past few months, but the Panthers ended up winning. Not only do the Bears get Moore, who is now arguably their best receiver, but they now have ten picks in the 2023 draft and two first-round picks in 2024.

“We had some aggressive offers to consider, but ultimately it felt like the right fit for both teams in what Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer presented, and it keeps us in an area of ​​the draft this year that we really like.” — Poles said in a statement.

There are a few others who did too.