The Bears made an underwhelming signing by bringing in quarterback Andy Dalton on a one-year, $10 million deal, but it wasn’t before they almost pulled off a blockbuster trade for disgruntled Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Bears GM Ryan Pace and Seahawks GM John Schneider met in Fargo, North Dakota to discuss a potential blockbuster trade for the future Hall of Fame QB, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. However, after the Bears made an offer and the Seahawks slept on it, head coach Pete Carroll swooped in and nixed the trade.
Rapoport said the deal included “multiple first-round picks.” On the “Dan Patrick Show”, the host revealed more specifics of what the offer allegedly was: three first-round picks, a third-rounder, and two starters, per a source, though it wasn’t clear who those starters were.
It wasn’t until the Seahawks decided that they would not trade Wilson that the Bears agreed to terms with Dalton. Chicago also poked around on signing Jameis Winston, but he ended up re-signing with the Saints on a one-year, $12 million deal.
On ESPN, Adam Schefter theorized that while the Seahawks were unwilling to deal Wilson at this time, a trade down the road isn’t necessarily out of the question. He also proposed the possibility that signing Dalton could be a stepping stone to acquiring Wilson after all.
“Remember this: the Seattle Seahawks also liked Andy Dalton when he was coming out of the draft (in 2011),” Schefter said. “So if the Seahawks ever come around and change their line of thinking, maybe Andy Dalton could be a chip in that trade.”