Bears off-season thread 2022

[Bertz]

I'm okay with it, I'd probably be more unequivocally happy if they'd done a WR instead of Brisker.

 

I'm curious if there's any immediate next steps in free agency from here. Or is the plan is just to see what guys shake out during camps and be opportunistic? Or door #3 of just continuing to roll as much cash over to next year as possible.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm okay with it, I'd probably be more unequivocally happy if they'd done a WR instead of Brisker.

 

I'm curious if there's any immediate next steps in free agency from here. Or is the plan is just to see what guys shake out during camps and be opportunistic? Or door #3 of just continuing to roll as much cash over to next year as possible.

They absolutely have to sign one, and more realistically two, wide receivers.

[WrigleyField 22]

Landry, Fuller, and Hurns are 3 WR they could sign at varying levels of $/risk/upside.

[UMFan83]

 

Asked a friend who is a Utah State fan about him and he said "Fast and not much else. Can't catch for horsefeathers but solid kick returner"

 

Sounds about right for a UDFA, and in line with this draft's theme of speed.

[jersey cubs fan]

[We Got The Whole 9]

Trestan Ebner is a weird pick to me considering how we seemed to zero in on athletic freaks. He didn't have stellar production. He did have one pretty good year as a returner in 2020. But he registered a 4.8 RAS. Then we grabbed Teague as a UDFA who registered a 9.8.

 

Sure hope Ebner makes the PS. I know it can be true of a lot of 6th rounders but he feels like a probable cut and I'm not sure what they see in him.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Kramer was sub-5 in the 40.

Any IL fans here want to weigh in on him?

 

Undersized, but solid. Had some injuries this past year, think an ankle injury maybe? He's played a lot of football, will be interesting to see if he can make the roster.

Thanks. Seems like a decent pick.

[jersey cubs fan]

Trestan Ebner is a weird pick to me considering how we seemed to zero in on athletic freaks. He didn't have stellar production. He did have one pretty good year as a returner in 2020. But he registered a 4.8 RAS. Then we grabbed Teague as a UDFA who registered a 9.8.

 

Sure hope Ebner makes the PS. I know it can be true of a lot of 6th rounders but he feels like a probable cut and I'm not sure what they see in him.

He’s a change of pace back and special teams guy, no? There’s so few talented skill guys on this team and not ST depth, I’m sure it won’t be that hard for him to make it. The RB room is fairly bland and screaming out for a guy who can catch a pass and run with it.

[WrigleyField 22]

Poles seems to value 40 time over the agility drills like cone/shuttle. But he also got skill guys who are pretty dense.

 

Just kind of interesting. Overall a class big on athletic traits though.

[WrigleyField 22]

horsefeathers ton (20+) of UDFAs already reported, but only 2 who were combine invites.

 

LB Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin

NFL Combine rating = 5.63

PFF Big Board= 200

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jack-sanborn/32005341-4e04-7762-4775-97edb77192d7

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/jack-sanborn/82566/draft-profile

 

TE Chase Allen, Iowa State

NFL Combine rating = 5.96

PFF Big Board = 296

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chase-allen/3200414c-4c08-1182-aecf-faa5e2918941

https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/chase-allen/39988/draft-profile

[WrigleyField 22]

Jean Delance is another combine invite guy they signed

 

OL Jean Delance, Florida

NFL Combine rating = 5.90

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jean-delance/32004445-4c07-3640-9622-ed04594313c9

https://thedraftnetwork.com/sr-prospect/jean-delance-a25c32fe-2b5a-4acc-b18c-60fcc79c2829/

 

So far 22 total signings and 14 tryouts. With that number of signings I think they actually need to make some corresponding moves, or some tryouts are being mis-reported as signings.

[mul21]

McShay either hates everything the Bears did in the draft or is way more optimistic than anyone else I’ve seen about the Velus Jones pick. He chose that as the Bears best pick of the draft. I tend to lean toward option one even though I can see the upside on Jones.

[WrigleyField 22]

McShay either hates everything the Bears did in the draft or is way more optimistic than anyone else I’ve seen about the Velus Jones pick. He chose that as the Bears best pick of the draft. I tend to lean toward option one even though I can see the upside on Jones.

Yea probably just sees that was the first O pick and called it the best lol

[gflore34]

I was disappointed with the pick of Jones, fast sure but, he only managed one good season with all that speed, coupled with everything I read suggesting, if the stars align, his ceiling is a kick returner. Would Brisker would have been there at 71? Possibly. Should have gone with Pickens at 49 and, taken your chances at 71 with Brisker or the like being available. Apparently, Poles and Fields personally scouted Jones and Fields came away really liking him so, guess, we'll see if he amounts to anything beyond a special teamer.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm probably just hot taking, but I can't shake the thought that this is *exactly* what I would expect the off-season to look like if Poles just didn't like Fields and wanted to start fresh with his own QB pick in 2023

[David]

McShay either hates everything the Bears did in the draft or is way more optimistic than anyone else I’ve seen about the Velus Jones pick. He chose that as the Bears best pick of the draft. I tend to lean toward option one even though I can see the upside on Jones.

Yea probably just sees that was the first O pick and called it the best lol

 

Chicago Bears

 

Velus Jones Jr., WR, Tennessee (Round 3, No. 71)

 

I love Jones' upside. He's a tad under 6-foot and is still refining his route running, but look at his speed and contact balance. He is a threat any time the ball is in his hands, with instincts and elusiveness in the open field and the breakaway speed to take the top off the defense. Jones' 4.31 in the 40 ranked fourth among all participants at the combine and second among receivers, and he's built like a running back.

 

Chicago can get the ball in his hands on quick slants and let him pick up extra yards. They can target him on deep shots. They can get him involved on sweeps. And they can use him in the return game, where he averaged 24.4 yards per kickoff return and 15.1 per punt return during his college career.

 

The Bears signed Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown this offseason, but they lost Allen Robinson II. This WR group is probably worse than it was last year, and it only had 176 catches from receivers then (No. 27). How is quarterback Justin Fields going to take the next step if the Bears can't land him some reliable weapons in the passing game? Without a first-rounder, Chicago had to get creative, and the upside here is immense.

 

[gflore34]

I'm probably just hot taking, but I can't shake the thought that this is *exactly* what I would expect the off-season to look like if Poles just didn't like Fields and wanted to start fresh with his own QB pick in 2023

 

Again, then why would the McCaskey' hire Poles if that was the case? Just doesn't make sense they'd go with someone who's priority was something other than putting Fields in the best possible situation to succeed.

[Derwood]

I'm probably just hot taking, but I can't shake the thought that this is *exactly* what I would expect the off-season to look like if Poles just didn't like Fields and wanted to start fresh with his own QB pick in 2023

 

Would t Poles want to fix the O-Line for his new QB? How does this draft help ?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm probably just hot taking, but I can't shake the thought that this is *exactly* what I would expect the off-season to look like if Poles just didn't like Fields and wanted to start fresh with his own QB pick in 2023

 

Would t Poles want to fix the O-Line for his new QB? How does this draft help ?

 

We took a lot of late round project ol who might contribute ona few years

[ChiCubsFan]

What O lineman could the bears have drafted that would have helped 2022 Justin Fields?

[Bertz]

IMO occam's razor is that he thinks he can scout his way to a good line, so he took a critical mass of guys he likes and they'll work it out on the fly. I don't love doing the appeal to authority for execs so I won't, but given Poles' resume and his background it wouldn't be especially shocking if he has a competitive advantage over the market when it comes to scouting O-line play.

 

I think if he didn't like Fields he would have simply traded him prior to a historically horsefeathers QB draft rather than putting him in the ground as part of a 9-dimensional chess play.

[Derwood]

I think the easier answer is that we swapped one "smartest guy in the room" GM for another

[jumbo]

IMO occam's razor is that he thinks he can scout his way to a good line, so he took a critical mass of guys he likes and they'll work it out on the fly. I don't love doing the appeal to authority for execs so I won't, but given Poles' resume and his background it wouldn't be especially shocking if he has a competitive advantage over the market when it comes to scouting O-line play.

 

I think if he didn't like Fields he would have simply traded him prior to a historically horsefeathers QB draft rather than putting him in the ground as part of a 9-dimensional chess play.

 

I agree that I don't think Poles dislikes Fields or is setting him up to fail somehow. Reactions to the draft are always entertaining, even just watching it on live TV. The teams' boards are so much different than all the draft experts...the amount of research the teams put in dwarfs the analysts and talking head types. When a team goes against the collective media board there is usually a negative reaction.

 

I think Poles, Flus & co made a board and stuck to it on day 2, knowing that they were planning to add picks on day 3 and get some volume. The team has so many holes that BPA is really the best approach. The improvement to the offense is hinging on the improvement in coaching, the change to a more QB friendly scheme, and Fields' individual development (along with that of Kmet, Mooney).

 

The defense got a lot of help in the secondary, which was easily as big a hole as OL, WR, or any other position on the roster. The overall unit certainly takes a step back without Mack and Hicks, but those guys missed the last half of the season as it is. Two day one starters came out of this draft, and the secondary looks to be a strength with Johnson, Jackson, Gordon, Brisker and Young. Vildor, Graham, Shelly look a lot less ugly as CB 4, 5,6. Not to mention DHC and Cruikshank could come on the field for Dime packages over thoes guys.

 

Poles apparently said in one of his press conferences that he knew he couldn't fill all the holes in one offseason. It's true

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm fine with not filling all the holes in one off-season.

 

The fact that most of the holes that did get filled were focused on defense is concerning to me. But maybe it will be fine.

[WrigleyField 22]

I have zero issue with the draft overall.

 

My issue was how much they sat out FA. Even an extra starting caliber OL and WR would have made a nice boost to O.

 

Hopefully all those OL pay dividends down the line but this year, it still feels like a little bit of a wish and a prayer. But if Thomas or Jones is awesome day 1, Poles looks like a genius.

 

About that extra WR still. Unless they're playing lots of 12 personnel (which I guess could help protect a young OL), there's some vets they could go sign to raise floor of group.