Chicago Bears Offseason Thread (the tank must payoff)

[jumbo]

1 hour ago, BigbadB said:

If they sign/trade for 2 DE's, I'll be pretty happy with this roster. I feel like Walker, Robinson and Gipson are all decent enough as rotational backup DE's. But, they still need two starters. I'd be fine with an older dude since there are guys who can rotate in and out to keep everyone rested.

There are several options just sitting there waiting to be picked up. Some may be possibly hoping for a SB contender to nab them, but the Bears have money to spend and should spark interest with playing time available.

It's a long time until the next draft, but if Fields proves to be "the guy", I feel like the Bears can be in a great place going into the next draft. 

They picked up Walker , who I look at as set the edge type guyversus being a pass rushing profile, many because of his bigger size and lesser speed. I've heard that most of his sack production came from DT, so maybe he kicks in on pass rush downs when he's on the field. 

I looked up the RAS #s on Gipson, Robinson, and Green (other FA vet pickup). They are all pretty similar, roughly 4.7 speed, 33-34" arms, 6'4 ish, Green is a little heavier than the other two. So in my view they've already got their 2 DE vet types. The only way they upgrade is if they pick up a talented cap casualty or work a trade for Chase Young or their other end (name is escaping me). I don't think a trade is likely. We'll see with cap cut guys, but I think we're mostly looking at our DE roster. 

[CubinNY]

4 hours ago, gflore34 said:

You're probably correct, for what its worth most draft experts believe the Bears did well.  Guess my expectations were a bit too high nevertheless, it certainly appears the OL, receiver and running back rooms are significantly improved.  There really is no excuse for Fields not to take big step forward in the passing game next season.  No more excuses, no more Swiss Cheese turn style at C, no more receivers with hands of stone, it's all on Fields and, to some extent, Getsy.

Barring injury and a lack of actual talent, the only thing that will stop Fields will be atrocious play-calling. The Bears coaching staff is more than capable of that. 

[David]

On 4/29/2023 at 4:45 PM, jersey cubs fan said:

Roquan is better than anybody they brought in, and Khalil Mack is in the mix of that group. They are relying on a secondary to carry the defense and none of them are first round talent types. 

I missed this earlier.  Roquan isn't better than Edmunds. 

 

And even if you argue otherwise, at the very least, it certainly isn't some slam dunk like this statement makes it seem.

Edited May 3, 2023 by David

[David]

Both Jeremiah and Brugler have our draft in the top 5

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by David

[jersey cubs fan]

did a 7th grader come up with that ranking system from that Jeremiah tweet?

[raw]

3 hours ago, David said:

I missed this earlier.  Roquan isn't better than Edmunds. 

 

And even if you argue otherwise, at the very least, it certainly isn't some slam dunk like this statement makes it seem.

I do think Roquan is better than Edmunds, but it's pretty close. I do think Smith has limited upside (size related) and Edmunds is trending upward (and has Urlacher upside in this scheme). PFF has historically not liked Roquan very much, but he and Edmunds have gone back and forth on who's graded higher each year.  2022 was the best year for both, but Edmunds scored a decent bit higher. IIRC, Edmunds coverage numbers dwarfed Roquan this year.

[David]

Sooooo sounds like he's better 😉

 

But I've been a Roquan hater since they picked an undersized chubby LB 8th overall.  And then he turned out to be a weirdo on top of it.  But yeah, he's admittedly a very good player.

[jersey cubs fan]

I’ve read and listened to a bunch of bears draft stuff with this site being down and have softened. I’d say I’m whelmed. I like the first round tackle and the offensive guys in general. The defensive guys from the 2nd day are where I’m less than enthused. Yes, they are probably each an upgrade to what was there. But the tackles in particular are not particularly appealing. In general I don’t really like the idea of drafting for physical traits over football playing ability. I get that the role a player is asked to play in college can hold back their personal production, but I don’t love the idea of assuming a change in role will allow for a breakout. 

the DJ Moore move is still my favorite acquisition, but stabilizing the right side of the line is a close 2nd. Upgrading the RB and TB rooms overall is also great. 
 

I think this team is capable of scoring a lot of points and occasionally preventing the other team from scoring 28. 

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

I feel the same way.  I like the Wright pick.  Carter was the only defensive player that might have been intriguing there, but I get why they wouldn't feel great drafting him.  If I had to make the choice, I think I like making the offensive line better and seeing what Fields can do with better receivers and a better line.  I also like the WR and RB they took and again agree that the DT's are the one area of concern.  Watching Dexter be so slow to react to the snap is a bit concerning.  Maybe thats teachable.  Maybe it was actually what they were asking him to do at Florida (read first and then react), but I don't know.  

[David]

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by David

[David]

If Smith starts, you're in trouble 

 

(No, really, tho)

[jersey cubs fan]

2 hours ago, David said:

If Smith starts, you're in trouble 

 

(No, really, tho)

yourine trouble?
 

[Magnetic Curses]

On 5/3/2023 at 5:03 PM, raw said:

I do think Roquan is better than Edmunds, but it's pretty close. I do think Smith has limited upside (size related) and Edmunds is trending upward (and has Urlacher upside in this scheme). PFF has historically not liked Roquan very much, but he and Edmunds have gone back and forth on who's graded higher each year.  2022 was the best year for both, but Edmunds scored a decent bit higher. IIRC, Edmunds coverage numbers dwarfed Roquan this year.

I think Edmunds's height gives him an advantage as a MIKE. he'll be better at covering that role even though Roquan is also really good in coverage.

[raw]

Didn't really give my overall thoughts on the draft since the site went down and had a busy week. But if anyone cares.

Wright- I like the pick. He was definitely the safe pick. Seems like a lot of takes are "Poles drafted athletes instead of football players", but these aren't mutually exclusive things. Wright is a really good football player, who is also a really good athlete.

I didn't love the trade. Trading down 1 pick is weird and the 4th in 2024 is basically a free pick, but I think there were other trades in this draft for 2-3 picks and we saw them go for slightly more. Giants moved up 1 spot and gave up a 2023 5th and 7th. The Steelers gave up a 2023 4th to move up 3 spots. Same with the Bills who moved up 2 spots. I think most would agree a 2023 4th is more than a 2024 4th, which the Bears already had the Eagles 2023 4th, but considering the trade was in the top 10, I would have liked a little bit more, especially when you consider the Eagles 2024 4th will likely be a later pick than the Giants or Bills 2023 4th.

But back to Wright, I like the player a lot. I can't complain about getting my 3rd ranked OT when the top guy was already gone. And I can't complain about getting Justin protection. The Bears revamped the offense, but really only added 3 starters. Of course, those starters were a top 3 FA OG on the market, the best WR to change teams to this offseason, and a top 10 pick at RT. I hope the process in taking Wright wasn't influenced by their support of Braxton Jones and the fact that Wright is a RT and wouldn't force them to have to make a tough decision on who plays what side. But the result is still solid. Sounds like Wright will trim down a bit, which I love. He looks like a mauler, but isnt really that in the run game. I do think outside zone fits him well, if he's in the 315-320 range and he can just move in space and just crush everything that gets in his way. Pass blocking, he low key has beautiful feet and mentally is ready for counter moves. He doesn't approach every rep the same. He knows his opponent. He knows who the speed rushers are and cheats outside, while also having the ability to adjust to an inside counter. He knows who the power guys are and knows they can't beat him to the edge. He knows who the combo players are (Will Anderson) and we saw how he did there.

DTs- I forgot to include my DT rankings in the draft thread. But I wasn't very high on Dexter. His get off is terrible. I know Poles explained it as his job being to hold up blockers and read the play, but he was extremely slow off the snap. Showed no urgency to get off the ball, to get off the block, or to get in the backfield. And maybe he was coached to play that way, but you have to coach it out of him because the Bears D wants literally the opposite of all those things. LOL. But Pickens is those things. He's quick off the ball, quick off the block and quick to get in the backfield....when he wants to be. Needs to do it more consistently and finish better, but he's a developmental 3T. I would have liked him a little later in the draft, but he wasn't making it to 103 and the Bears probably felt they couldn't trade back and still get him, especially with the way DEs and CBs went off the board.

Speaking of CBs, they picked two. Stevenson is an interesting player. He reminds me a bit of Jaylon Johnson coming out. Big physical man CB who can throw WRs off their routes by being aggressive. Stevenson has a little more speed to keep with the faster guys if he can't get hands on him. But like Johnson, he has very little ball production. So the Bears, who are said to be unsure about signing Johnson long-term because of lack of ball production, kind of got the same type of guy, IMO. Like Johnson, Stevenson will have an adjustment to a zone heavy scheme. We've seen Johnson lose his guy at times in zone. But where Stevenson is definitely better is ability to play inside. Johnson struggles when not on the boundary. Stevenson doesn't necessarily need to use the sidelines for help. I have watched a little Smith since the draft. Seems to be a late bloomer type. Really good athlete who needs to continue his upward trajectory. Kind of similar to Stevenson, but maybe even a better athlete. I think he's honestly the CB4 on this team for most of the season, and there will be injuries so don't be surprised if he starts multiple games. 

Roschon Johnson- everyone loves this pick, I had him as my RB3, but he was a good 2 rounds the top 2 guys IMO. Good value where he was picked. Bears are raving about him already. I don't think he competes for starting RB. IDK if he ever does, but like I said in his scouting report, he will do it all. Play special teams, pass block, lead block, run inside, outside, and catch passes. He's a Raymont Harris, ultraback type. Like Raymont, he's not a special player, just a really good piece to have. 

Tyler Scott is interesting. He's kind of a Mooney clone. Like Mooney coming out, I don't know the route running ability. I just know the dude has speed and can get deep in a hurry. He's good insurance in case you can't come to terms with Mooney, but he wasn't drafted high enough to care about the redundancies in skillset. If Mooney is around long-term and Scott is a clone, worst case you wasted a 5th round pick on a WR, which pales in comparison to the wasted 3rd round WR last year. Best case, you have 2 Mooneys for at least 4 years and you can really threaten defenses deep.

Noah Sewell was the only other pick I wasn't too crazy about (Dexter the other). He's an old school 2-down LB. He plays downhill and downhill only. No sideline to sideline ability, not going to be a big factor in pass coverage. Maybe you can blitz him whenever he's on the field on a pass down, but only can do that so much without the offense seeing it coming. That being said, that pretty much described Jack Sanborn before he actually played NFL games. Sanborn got on the field and showed a lot more side-to-side and pass coverage ability than I thought he ever would, and Sewell is a better athlete with a better pedigree. So obviously, willing to give this pick a chance. But again, if he fails, its a 5th round pick.

The 7th round picks are whatever. If you get anything from them, they are steals. Whether they are Charles Leno, long-term solid starters or DHC long-term special teams guys, you get more than your money's worth if they even make the team. That being said, I'm rooting for Travis Bell more than I have any other 7th round pick. By all accounts, he's an amazing person. Poles was in love with the guy and said he's one of the best people he's ever met. Worked a FT job while playing college ball. Also a good athlete. I'd imagine if push comes to shove, Bell will certainly get the benefit of the doubt and make the roster. The other guy, Williamson, I frankly have no idea about him. Though he did make an INT in practice yesterday (tipped by Sewell) that there's pretty nice video on. 

[WrigleyField 22]

Nice write up raw. I can't agree more about the process-result thoughts on Wright. I hope it's solid process and great results. But agreed, not really sure. 

[UMFan83]

very confused about why they would specifically request not playing the Bears in Germany. I guess Chicago is a big city team so there may be a draw there but the chiefs are going to sell out regardless of who they play. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by UMFan83

[jersey cubs fan]

The bears have a big European following and would eat up a lot of ticket sales in Germany. Maybe chiefs want to be focus of that game?

[WrigleyField 22]

DBB has been saying it for a while. 

Chiefs have a pretty big stadium. Does it have a lot of SRO capacity? 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance/_/sort/homePct

[jumbo]

On 5/7/2023 at 11:20 AM, raw said:

Noah Sewell was the only other pick I wasn't too crazy about (Dexter the other). He's an old school 2-down LB. He plays downhill and downhill only. No sideline to sideline ability, not going to be a big factor in pass coverage. Maybe you can blitz him whenever he's on the field on a pass down, but only can do that so much without the offense seeing it coming. That being said, that pretty much described Jack Sanborn before he actually played NFL games. Sanborn got on the field and showed a lot more side-to-side and pass coverage ability than I thought he ever would, and Sewell is a better athlete with a better pedigree. So obviously, willing to give this pick a chance. But again, if he fails, its a 5th round pick.

 

I heard some chatter about Sewell as a push rusher/edge rusher on 3rd downs? Someone said that he was good at this in college. I kind of think that is dreaming on limited college production while increasing a skill level. 

I noticed that TE Kuntz was on the board when Bell was picked. I would have liked him there and think Bell would still be avialable at 258, but that's a small nit to pick and I don't know if they would have liked Kuntz. 

[raw]

4 hours ago, jumbo said:

I heard some chatter about Sewell as a push rusher/edge rusher on 3rd downs? Someone said that he was good at this in college. I kind of think that is dreaming on limited college production while increasing a skill level. 

I noticed that TE Kuntz was on the board when Bell was picked. I would have liked him there and think Bell would still be avialable at 258, but that's a small nit to pick and I don't know if they would have liked Kuntz. 

Agree with all of this. I'm very "meh" on Sewell as an edge rusher. He's not very long. I know guys like Parsons aren't either, but Sewell isn't that level athlete, clearly. 

Yeah, I liked Kuntz as well (there's a joke here somewhere). He's definitely a guy I would have drafted if given the chance. But the Bears do have a similar-ish player in Chase Allen who spent last year on the practice squad.

[raw]

7 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

The bears have a big European following and would eat up a lot of ticket sales in Germany. Maybe chiefs want to be focus of that game?

This is exactly it. They already lose a home game by being overseas, the Bears would mean they also essentially have a road game with a likely Bears friendly Euro crowd.

[raw]

Actually, apparently the Chiefs can protect 1 home game from going overseas, and they want to protect the Bears game and have it in Chicago, because Bears fans travel well in the states. 

The Bears are also their closest opponent geographically that they have at home so that'll naturally help that be the Chiefs highest grossing revenue game.

So rumor has it, the Lions will be sent to Germany to play the Chiefs and the Bears game will be in KC and the Bears will NOT have to go overseas at all this year.

[jersey cubs fan]

21 minutes ago, raw said:

Actually, apparently the Chiefs can protect 1 home game from going overseas, and they want to protect the Bears game and have it in Chicago, because Bears fans travel well in the states. 

The Bears are also their closest opponent geographically that they have at home so that'll naturally help that be the Chiefs highest grossing revenue game.

So rumor has it, the Lions will be sent to Germany to play the Chiefs and the Bears game will be in KC and the Bears will NOT have to go overseas at all this year.

Do they have trouble selling out games without road fans showing up?

[WrigleyField 22]

18 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Do they have trouble selling out games without road fans showing up?

Based in what I saw their attendance last year was a hair over official capacity (100.4%). But some of these stadiums have such low "official" figures with big expandable or SRO capacity, I don't really know what that means. They have a pretty big stadium. Is it possible the easily sell out 97-100% of official capacity but have a +3% SRO capacity they dip into only a few times a year for big draws? 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance/_/sort/homePct

You can see other sites that track it differently though (for example counting Dallas as their official 80k instead of the expandable 100k capacity). Not sure what Arrowheads deal is there. 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by WrigleyField 22

[Tryptamine]

22 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Do they have trouble selling out games without road fans showing up?

No, but thanks to dynamic pricing they can charge significantly higher prices for a fanbase that travels well.