NFL Draft 2017: Mitch Trubisky To Chicago Bears After Trade For 2nd Pick

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Bears were part of the first big trade — and the first big surprise — of the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday, moving up a spot to choose University of North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The trade shocked many fans and draft observers because the Bears had signed Mike Glennon, the backup quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to a three-year, $45 million deal in the offseason.

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For the chance to choose Trubisky during Thursday's first round, the Bears, who originally had the No. 3 overall pick, traded with the San Francisco 49ers, who initially had the No. 2 overall pick. The teams not only swapped their first-round picks, but Chicago also gave up its third- and fourth-round picks, as well as a third-round pick in 2018.

While Glennon will most likely be Chicago's starter Sept. 6 against the Atlanta Falcons for the team's first regular season game of the 2017 season — in fact, general manager Ryan Pace said as much late Thursday — the addition of Trubisky to the roster begs the questions: Who will carry the franchise into the future as the starting quarterback? And whose future will be carrying a clipboard for the franchise as the backup QB?

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"Wow! Can't wait to give everything I have to the @ChicagoBears," Trubinsky — who said his favorite player growing up was Bears legend Walter Payton — wrote on his Twitter account after being picked. He echoed a similar sentiment in a video posted on the Bears feed.

"We couldn't be more fired up, man," Fox is heard telling Trubisky during the call. "We hope you are, too."

It turns out, however, that Bears fans could be more fired up about the team's first-round pick. Not only didn't they share Fox's enthusiasm for the Mitch Trubisky Era, but many thought the Bears paid too high a price for their quarterback of the future who is considered even more of an unproven commodity than most players making the jump from college to the pros. Trubisky only started 13 games in the three years he played at North Carolina.

Most of the online shade directed at the Bears, while snarky at times, was of the passionate variety that comes from fans who take their rooting interests seriously. But some of the shots crossed the line to downright mean-spirited when comparing Chicago to the Cleveland Browns.

Then there were the awkward posts that had nothing to do with fans or haters. Such as this embarrassing ESPN video with "Monday Night Football" cohost Jon Gruden that shows Trubinsky still has more to learn before becoming the Bears' on-field leader.

Or a few unfortunate tweets of the quarterback's own doing, including a since-deleted one from 2011 expressing a 16-year-old Trubisky's enjoyment about kissing a paricular part of the anatomy. Or this ill-advised update from 2015 that, in hindsight, Trubisky now regrets publishing given his new team affiliation:

Remember, kids: The internet is forever. (For context, the previous tweet was in reference to Green Bay's NFL divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, which the Packers won.)

RELATED: Who Do The Chicago Bears Play And When In 2017?

Trubinsky and Bears management had their defenders, too. No, honest, they're out there:

So who is Mitch Trubisky? Patch introduces you to the Bears' first-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, a player who will keep fans talking until the new season begins in September.

Meet Mitchell Trubisky

Stats and info provided by NFL

Position: Quarterback

Hometown: Mentor, Ohio | College: University of North Carolina

Age: 22 | Height: 6 feet, 2 inches | Weight: 222 pounds | Hand Size: 9.5 inches | Arm Length: 32 inches

College Stats

• 67.5 completion percentage
• 4,762 passing yards
• 41 touchdowns
• 10 interceptions

NFL Combine Stats

• 40-Yard Dash: 4.67 seconds
• Vertical Leap: 27.5 inches
• Standing Broad Jump: 9 feet, 8 inches
• Three-Cone Drill: 6.87 seconds
• Overall Score: 6.31, "Chance to become Pro Bowl-caliber player"

NFL.com Analysis

• Strengths: "Built to withstand physical challenges of the position. Calm field general. … Tough and competitive. Shows courage and poise in the pocket. … Has all the arm you need."
• Weaknesses: "Will have to learn NFL footwork from under center which could take time. … Too willing to float balls rather than air-mailing them out of bounds when he's making a bail-out throw against pressure. Needs better drive accuracy between the hashes. … Inconsistent deep ball touch. Has touchdown opportunities he babies and invites defenders time to recover."
• Most Like … Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
• Overall: "Trubisky is a high-end quarterback prospect who possesses NFL size, a big arm and the ability to throw with accuracy from the pocket or on the move. … He hasn't put all the pieces together yet, but the puzzle is all right in front. Trubisky projects as a good starting quarterback with a high floor and the potential to be great."

YOUR TURN: What do you think of the Bears trading up to grab Mitch Trubisky with the No. 2 pick? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section. Plus, take Patch's poll on the topic.

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (left), the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pose during the first round in Philadelphia on April 27. (Photo by Elsa | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images)

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