(670 The Score) Before the Bears selected quarterback Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, they conducted a long process to reach their decision.
The Bears' work ahead of that 2017 draft came into question again Friday evening when Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson -- the No. 12 pick in that draft -- tweeted that he never spoke with Chicago's brass. It's a claim that's false, sources said, and even Watson himself said before that draft that he spoke with the Bears.
While Watson's tweet sparked more questions, the Bears' process in scouting Watson was similar to their work in evaluating Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes, whom the Chiefs selected at No. 10 overall.
The Bears attended and watched games in fall 2016, interviewed and evaluated the prospects at the NFL Combine and carefully processed workouts like pro days. As the Bears neared the finalization of their conviction in Trubisky close to the draft, they attended dinner with him at a restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They also dined with Mahomes before the draft. They never did so with Watson.
In March 2017, the Bears had also sent a team to Watson's pro day workout at Clemson that included general manager Ryan Pace, then-coach John Fox, then-offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone, director of player personnel Josh Lucas and team southeast area scout Sam Summerville.
Ultimately, the Bears viewed Trubisky far enough above Watson and Mahomes that they traded up one spot to No. 2 overall to ensure no other team would take him after the Browns locked in on defensive end Myles Garrett at No. 1. Though Trubisky had started just 13 games in college, his skill set intrigued the Bears -- and many other teams evaluating quarterbacks. There were also some concerns about Watson's accuracy after his 17-interception 2016 season and wonder about whether Mahomes' splendid ability to improvise would translate from college to the NFL.
Trubisky stood out above the rest in the Bears' mind, as Pace explained in 2017 after trading up to select him.
"Just as we studied all these quarterbacks, his accuracy jumps out right away," Pace said. "His ability to process and see the whole field jumps out right away. He's very athletic, he can extend a play.
"Very good on third down. Very good completion percentage with pressure in his face. Just a lot of traits that he has that translate well to the NFL game."
The tweet from Watson on Friday evening was a quote tweet of a debate regarding whether race played a factor in the Bears' selection of Trubisky. Though quote tweets and retweets aren't endorsements, it opened the door for poor and unfair accusations against Pace.
If Pace is to be accused of anything, it's simply a misguided belief in Trubisky that in turn led him away from two of the NFL's top quarterbacks in Watson and Mahomes.
"If we want to be great, you just can't sit on your hands," Pace said then. "And there's times where you got to be aggressive. And when you have conviction on a guy, you can't sit on your hands. I just don't want to be average around here; I want to be great. And these are the moves you have to make.
"The most important position in sports is quarterback, and I don't ever think you're a great team until you address that position, and you address it right."
After three seasons, all indications are the Bears were wrong in their decision. Watson is a two-time Pro Bowl selection in Houston. Mahomes was NFL MVP in 2018 and led Kansas City to a Super Bowl win in February.
Meanwhile, Trubisky has been inconsistent in 41 games as the Bears' starting quarterback, and the team declined his fifth-year option in early May. That decision came after the Bears traded for veteran quarterback Nick Foles in March to press Trubisky for the starting job.
Watson and the Texans are scheduled to play the Bears on Dec. 13 at Soldier Field.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
