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Did John Fox not have Mitch Trubisky as his No. 1 QB? Bears' war-room video is revealing

The Bears traded up to take quarterback Mitch Trubisky second overall. (AP)
The Bears traded up to take quarterback Mitch Trubisky second overall. (AP)

PHILADELPHIA — The Chicago Bears made the first big noise of the 2017 NFL draft when they moved up one spot to No. 2 to take North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubusky. Of course, some of that noise included booing from Bears fans.

There are concerns with the pick, as stated in our Round 1 instant grades from Thursday night. Of course, the reality is that if Trubisky becomes a star, a lot of people outside the organization are going to look dumb.

That said, it’s fascinating to watch the Bears’ draft room video they posted on Twitter on Friday morning to give a behind-the-scenes look at the aftermath from the front office once the trade was executed and the pick was made.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace spoke to Bears coaches and scouts, and read off the list of big Trubisky boosters in the room.

“No. 1 quarterback for me,” Pace said. “No. 1 quarterback for Josh. No. 1 quarterback for Mark. Dowell’s No. 1 quarterback. Overall scout’s No. 1 quarterback. Area scout’s top quarterback. That’s conviction. On a quarterback.”

Josh is director of player personnel Josh Lucas. Mark is director of college scouting Mark Sadowski. Dowell is offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

Any key names missing there? One stands out: head coach John Fox.

Let’s be fair. Pace was talking off the cuff (and even with the camera rolling likely wasn’t sure his words would be broadcast). And it’s possible he simply forgot to mention Fox when going down the list. Possible … but unlikely.

And if ESPN’s Chris Mortensen’s reporting on this is accurate, he was not clued in to the Bears’ plan on draft day.

This is surprising. But perhaps not shocking. Pace and Fox are not in any way tied at the hip, and even with Pace’s risky maneuvering Thursday, the common wisdom might be that Fox heads into next season on a hotter seat than Pace has. Both could stay, depending on how 2017 goes; both could go.

But it’s telling when the head coach (a) isn’t mentioned by the GM in that situation and (b) that the head coach isn’t keyed in to a major move.

Fox very well might like Trubisky. After all, he hopped on the phone and say, “We’re excited, man. We’re super excited. … We couldn’t be more fired up, man. Hope you are too.”

That’s something. But coaches don’t even explain their apathy for a prospect when they’re welcoming them into a franchise minutes after being picked.

Remember, years ago Fox was stuck with Jimmy Clausen as the Carolina Panthers’ top draft pick in 2010, and Fox wasn’t crazy about it. He even talked about it at the NFL scouting combine a few months ago: “That situation was a little bit unique, because I think people projected him maybe even into the top 10. On draft day, that’s not how it materialized. I can’t give you all the exacts. He was dropping.

“Personally, I never even watched him, because he wasn’t a targeted guy for me in our pre-draft assignments. But I can say now I would hope we draft someone that I’ve actually gotten a chance to watch.”

Could be nothing. But this feels odd to us.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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