I know people are sick of this conversation, and the talking points have been repeated time and time again. But I actually find the Trubisky draft conversation to be pretty fascinating.
Essentially, we’re using hindsight to justify or denigrate things that we’ll never know were true or not. There’s something kind of beautifully fatalistic about that.
I mean, the meat of it is, which of the players picked will work out? If the Bears’ pick works out more than the 9ers picks, it was justified. If Trubisky ends up being a solid 10+ year pro, it was justified.
Ah, but it’s not so simple, is it? Not when you could’ve had the eventual MVP QB. But what would’ve happened had they done that? And let’s say the Bears stood pat at 3 and still got Trubisky—I fully believe he’d have less pressure on him right now, despite the fact that he still would’ve been a friggin top 3 pick in the draft!
That’s crazy that one spot and a couple of picks to the 9ers can have that much effect.
Those are all exhausted points that have been repeated and repeated, but I actually really like the point brought up by the commenter, which is less discussed—What if the 49ers were going to themselves pick Trubisky?
I have no idea whether there’s merit to that, but I love the argument because, if true, Lynch’s own inexperience and inability to add 2+2 would’ve ironically contributed to him being crowned king of the 2017 Draft. The idiot savant! Love it!! And based on what we know about his reaction afterward, we know that this is absolutely plausible!
Lynch’s decision in that moment could’ve altered the lives of so many people that night, it’s crazy. Consider:
Despite a fawning Washington Post story that tries to re-write history, I know for a stone-cold fact that Trubisky was the #1 QB on the Chiefs’ board. Then-pro-player-personnel-head Brett Veach did indeed love Mahomes, but he was still the little brother in the room, and GM Dorsey, Reid and owner Clark Hunt liked Trubisky. Once Trubisky was off the board, the Chiefs still had a guy they really liked (Mahomes) available. Veach was thrilled. They traded up ahead of the QB-needy teams to get him. The rest is history.
If Lynch drafts Trubisky, or trades that pick to some non-Bears team who does, the Bears potentially draft Watson—I fully believe the Chargers or Cardinals or someone else see the run on QBs and go ahead and get Mahomes in the top 10, not even affording Kansas City a shot at him.
Trubisky ends up in Cleveland or San Francisco.
Watson ends up in Chicago.
Mahomes ends up in LA or Arizona.
Knowing he’s still got time with Alex Smith, Andy Reid waits until the following year to get his QB, or the Chiefs trade for Jimmy Garoppalo.
Think how many people’s lives change with that Lynch/Pace decision potentially. How many GMs’ fates change. Also think about how the national narrative around these young QBs changes.
I know such is the nature of drafts, but I find the thought exercise fascinating. And the above is absolutely incredibly plausible if the Bears don’t trade up.
