Week 16 BEARS vs. Buffalo Bills, Xmas Eve

[jersey cubs fan]

And to think, the guy that made the right move to get him (atoning for prior mistakes?) is gone and the guy who has not acquired a single player to help Fields in a year is in charge of surrounding him with talent. Great QBs elevate the team, but they don’t win on their own.

[gflore34]

And to think, the guy that made the right move to get him (atoning for prior mistakes?) is gone and the guy who has not acquired a single player to help Fields in a year is in charge of surrounding him with talent. Great QBs elevate the team, but they don’t win on their own.

 

Poles has no limitations next offseason, a bounty of resources to get it correct, if there isn't marked improvement on both sides of ball next season. He, without question, should be removed because, if he cannot get it right with that number of resources, he'll never get it right.

[Sammy Sofa]

And to think, the guy that made the right move to get him (atoning for prior mistakes?) is gone and the guy who has not acquired a single player to help Fields in a year is in charge of surrounding him with talent. Great QBs elevate the team, but they don’t win on their own.

 

Poles has no limitations next offseason, a bounty of resources to get it correct, if there isn't marked improvement on both sides of ball next season. He, without question, should be removed because, if he cannot get it right with that number of resources, he'll never get it right.

 

That's the endless Bears cycle.

[gflore34]

And to think, the guy that made the right move to get him (atoning for prior mistakes?) is gone and the guy who has not acquired a single player to help Fields in a year is in charge of surrounding him with talent. Great QBs elevate the team, but they don’t win on their own.

 

Poles has no limitations next offseason, a bounty of resources to get it correct, if there isn't marked improvement on both sides of ball next season. He, without question, should be removed because, if he cannot get it right with that number of resources, he'll never get it right.

 

That's the endless Bears cycle.

 

I can see that, it shouldn't be all that hard to fix things, hell, doesn't take a genius to figure out drafting Will Anderson and signing an impact DL will quite probably fix the defense. Poles should be capable of seeing such moves.

[WrigleyField 22]

The only real question is if he actually is capable of making proper risk-benefit decisions in FA.

 

2022 FA points to no, but may have been a tank/culture building combo. He basically has to have a 180 FA approach in 2023. Be agressive early and often and most are gonna look like overpays. But that is the path that has been built up towards (partially legacy from Pace, but also because of how 2022 went)

Edited December 22, 2022 by WrigleyField 22

[WrigleyField 22]

On the other hand it's possible he's a Ballard-like "stick to my valuations" guy which is just code for u have no risk tolerance and don't understand markets.

 

We'll see!

[jersey cubs fan]

The only real question is if he actually is capable of making proper risk-benefit decisions in FA.

 

2021 FA points to no, but may have been a tank/culture building combo. He basically has to have a 180 FA approach in 2022. Be agressive early and often and most are gonna look like overpays. But that is the path that has been built up towards (partially legacy from Pace, but also because of how 2021 went)

I am more concerned about his ability to find talent than making proper cost benefit analyses. Most guys at least come in and acquire a handful of quality players in their first offseason. But Poles failed miserably there. Not a single good offensive player and a couple ok defensive guys. This team is still largely a Pace acquired roster, especially at all the difference making positions. That’s weird.

[raw]

The only real question is if he actually is capable of making proper risk-benefit decisions in FA.

 

2021 FA points to no, but may have been a tank/culture building combo. He basically has to have a 180 FA approach in 2022. Be agressive early and often and most are gonna look like overpays. But that is the path that has been built up towards (partially legacy from Pace, but also because of how 2021 went)

I am more concerned about his ability to find talent than making proper cost benefit analyses. Most guys at least come in and acquire a handful of quality players in their first offseason. But Poles failed miserably there. Not a single good offensive player and a couple ok defensive guys. This team is still largely a Pace acquired roster, especially at all the difference making positions. That’s weird.

 

Eh. I know the jury is still out on them (as it is for most of this roster, including Fields), but Poles has added what looks like at least an adequate, Charles Leno level LT in Braxton Jones and added Chase Claypool who is potentially a very productive WR in a good offense.

 

But yeah, the guys to most likely be "stars" of a playoff contending team are from the Pace era (Fields, Jackson, Jenkins, Herbert maybe, Mooney and Kmet maybe)

[WrigleyField 22]

The only real question is if he actually is capable of making proper risk-benefit decisions in FA.

 

2021 FA points to no, but may have been a tank/culture building combo. He basically has to have a 180 FA approach in 2022. Be agressive early and often and most are gonna look like overpays. But that is the path that has been built up towards (partially legacy from Pace, but also because of how 2021 went)

I am more concerned about his ability to find talent than making proper cost benefit analyses. Most guys at least come in and acquire a handful of quality players in their first offseason. But Poles failed miserably there. Not a single good offensive player and a couple ok defensive guys. This team is still largely a Pace acquired roster, especially at all the difference making positions. That’s weird.

 

Eh. I know the jury is still out on them (as it is for most of this roster, including Fields), but Poles has added what looks like at least an adequate, Charles Leno level LT in Braxton Jones and added Chase Claypool who is potentially a very productive WR in a good offense.

 

But yeah, the guys to most likely be "stars" of a playoff contending team are from the Pace era (Fields, Jackson, Jenkins, Herbert maybe, Mooney and Kmet maybe)

Yea, I laugh every time people say Poles isnt gonna spend as heavy in FA because Mooney, Kmet, etc are all gonna be extended. Which to a certain degree is possible, but also hilarious if the winning plan was "Pace's QB and resigning most of his recent picks"

[WrigleyField 22]

The only real question is if he actually is capable of making proper risk-benefit decisions in FA.

 

2021 FA points to no, but may have been a tank/culture building combo. He basically has to have a 180 FA approach in 2022. Be agressive early and often and most are gonna look like overpays. But that is the path that has been built up towards (partially legacy from Pace, but also because of how 2021 went)

I am more concerned about his ability to find talent than making proper cost benefit analyses. Most guys at least come in and acquire a handful of quality players in their first offseason. But Poles failed miserably there. Not a single good offensive player and a couple ok defensive guys. This team is still largely a Pace acquired roster, especially at all the difference making positions. That’s weird.

I mean I guess. But to the extent he tried it was kind of a small sample with objectively low ceilings. He whiffed on low ceiling FAs, but he can't build his roster plan around low ceiling FA guys in 2023.

[WrigleyField 22]

Thoughts on the Bears draft pick odds.

 

Thread has some added thoughts and I may actually be understating the #2 pick odds and overstating the #3 pick odds because the LA-DEN game is such a dependent driven result and I more modeled the odds as totally independent, which isn't technically correct, but greatly simplifies the efforts.

 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I still think Braxton Jones absolutely sucks donkey balls and PFF grades are rngs that no one should care about.

 

Poles didn't acquire a single good offensive player, but he also went out of his way not to invest in any, so I'm willing to give an incomplete on his talent judgment for now. We'll know a lot next season.

[UK]

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I still think Braxton Jones absolutely sucks donkey balls and PFF grades are rngs that no one should care about.

 

Poles didn't acquire a single good offensive player, but he also went out of his way not to invest in any, so I'm willing to give an incomplete on his talent judgment for now. We'll know a lot next season.

 

I with you on this one. I'm all for bringing in a LT and letting him and Borom battle it out for the lesser of weak links at RT.

 

He should be graded on what he brought in, regardless of how little they allocated towards improvement. His draft has been ok but they'll need to become good/great (hit on Brisker and maybe on Sanborn and Gordon) Velus is a bust, Jones while playing better than where he was picked should not be counted on as anything more than a backup swing tackle.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I still think Braxton Jones absolutely sucks donkey balls and PFF grades are rngs that no one should care about.

 

Poles didn't acquire a single good offensive player, but he also went out of his way not to invest in any, so I'm willing to give an incomplete on his talent judgment for now. We'll know a lot next season.

That's cool, but you're probably wrong

 

https://www.chicitysports.com/braxton-jones-is-a-huge-steal-for-bears/

 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35253675/2022-nfl-week-16-power-rankings-1-32-poll-pleasant-surprises

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I still think Braxton Jones absolutely sucks donkey balls and PFF grades are rngs that no one should care about.

 

Poles didn't acquire a single good offensive player, but he also went out of his way not to invest in any, so I'm willing to give an incomplete on his talent judgment for now. We'll know a lot next season.

That's cool, but you're probably wrong

 

https://www.chicitysports.com/braxton-jones-is-a-huge-steal-for-bears/

 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35253675/2022-nfl-week-16-power-rankings-1-32-poll-pleasant-surprises

 

 

QB who is ungodly good at avoiding rushers + coaching staff that knows he sucks and calls plays to protect him

[minnesotacubsfan]

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but I still think Braxton Jones absolutely sucks donkey balls and PFF grades are rngs that no one should care about.

 

Poles didn't acquire a single good offensive player, but he also went out of his way not to invest in any, so I'm willing to give an incomplete on his talent judgment for now. We'll know a lot next season.

That's cool, but you're probably wrong

 

https://www.chicitysports.com/braxton-jones-is-a-huge-steal-for-bears/

 

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35253675/2022-nfl-week-16-power-rankings-1-32-poll-pleasant-surprises

 

 

QB who is ungodly good at avoiding rushers + coaching staff that knows he sucks and calls plays to protect him

EVERYONE, pff, ESPN, etc is saying positive things about Jones. He doesn't have a ton of experience, he's not a 1st rd pick, but he very well may be our LT of the future and he very well might be good at it and there's nothing bad about that

[UMFan83]

Changing topics a bit, its crazy how having a young emerging franchise QB changes what should really be garbage time of the season. Last year, the Seahawks game was around the same point of the season as we are at now and I remember being completely disengaged and didn't really bother watching much of it at all. The season was virtually over in my mind. This year the team is even worse record-wise, but I'm stoked that I still get 3 more chances to watch Justin Fields play this year. I will prioritize watching my 3-11 team play in miserable conditions against a Super Bowl contender on Christmas Eve because I might will probably see more sweet plays by Fields. Excited that there are 2 more games after this one. Bears have a big offseason and a ways to go to be a good team, but I'm incredibly thankful that my lifelong dream of seeing a franchise-caliber QB in Chicago looks to be fulfilled finally.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Pff, ESPN and random bears fans are a good trifecta of people I don't take football takes from.

 

I watch Jones get turnstiled by every decent edge we face, then after the game get told how great he is.

 

Like I said, maybe I'm just being stubborn

[BigbadB]

I have to give Poles a pass on the entire offseason. He had so little to work with, there was really very little he could have done to make this team a success in one season. One of the weakest rosters in the league, very few draft picks and a minimal amount of cap space made it next to impossible to make improvements. He certainly wasn't going to be outbidding anybody for talent. We saw how much WR FA's were going for. It absolutely sucks that there is very little WR talent available this offseason, and that is my one concern with how he goes about handling improvements there. I honestly don't think he can screw up improving the roster everywhere else considering his resources this time.

 

His biggest hurdle will be figuring out a way to spend all of that money while also being able to extend Fields when the time comes.

[WrigleyField 22]

I have to give Poles a pass on the entire offseason. He had so little to work with, there was really very little he could have done to make this team a success in one season. One of the weakest rosters in the league, very few draft picks and a minimal amount of cap space made it next to impossible to make improvements. He certainly wasn't going to be outbidding anybody for talent. We saw how much WR FA's were going for. It absolutely sucks that there is very little WR talent available this offseason, and that is my one concern with how he goes about handling improvements there. I honestly don't think he can screw up improving the roster everywhere else considering his resources this time.

 

His biggest hurdle will be figuring out a way to spend all of that money while also being able to extend Fields when the time comes.

Beleiving that is exactly the problem he absolutely could have gotten a bigger name WR and OL at minimum to jumpstart the offense and teams rebuilding. This massive cap space they have in 2023 didng materialize out of thin air, but is a direct result of punting in 2022 FA.

 

Believing they can't spend now and extend Fields later is basically owner propoganda.

[BigbadB]

I have to give Poles a pass on the entire offseason. He had so little to work with, there was really very little he could have done to make this team a success in one season. One of the weakest rosters in the league, very few draft picks and a minimal amount of cap space made it next to impossible to make improvements. He certainly wasn't going to be outbidding anybody for talent. We saw how much WR FA's were going for. It absolutely sucks that there is very little WR talent available this offseason, and that is my one concern with how he goes about handling improvements there. I honestly don't think he can screw up improving the roster everywhere else considering his resources this time.

 

His biggest hurdle will be figuring out a way to spend all of that money while also being able to extend Fields when the time comes.

Beleiving that is exactly the problem he absolutely could have gotten a bigger name WR and OL at minimum to jumpstart the offense and teams rebuilding. This massive cap space they have in 2023 didng materialize out of thin air, but is a direct result of punting in 2022 FA.

 

Believing they can't spend now and extend Fields later is basically owner propoganda.

 

I'm not saying they can't spend now. I'm just saying they have to spend while keeping an eye on the biggest prize (Fields). They are clearly going to be going on a significant spending spree this offseason since the cupboard is so barren.

[BigbadB]

Beleiving that is exactly the problem he absolutely could have gotten a bigger name WR and OL at minimum to jumpstart the offense and teams rebuilding.

 

I don't remember any bigger name WR's that were reasonably available. Hill, Adams and Kirk signed lucrative deals. AJ and Hollywood Brown cost a small fortune in draft picks. After those guys, you have JuJu, Zay Jones, Corey Davis, Devante Parker, Robert Woods, etc....

 

Who could they reasonably afford that improves the WR room this past offseason? Granted, I wanted them to go WR with one of those 2nd rounders. But rookie WR's aren't a guarantee to be better than what they have in the first year, either.

[jersey cubs fan]

I have to give Poles a pass on the entire offseason. He had so little to work with, there was really very little he could have done to make this team a success in one season.

You don’t have to give him a pass. nobody expected him to make the team a success year 1. What he could have done was make the roster better, but he made it much worse.

[WrigleyField 22]

Beleiving that is exactly the problem he absolutely could have gotten a bigger name WR and OL at minimum to jumpstart the offense and teams rebuilding.

 

I don't remember any bigger name WR's that were reasonably available. Hill, Adams and Kirk signed lucrative deals. AJ and Hollywood Brown cost a small fortune in draft picks. After those guys, you have JuJu, Zay Jones, Corey Davis, Devante Parker, Robert Woods, etc....

 

Who could they reasonably afford that improves the WR room this past offseason? Granted, I wanted them to go WR with one of those 2nd rounders. But rookie WR's aren't a guarantee to be better than what they have in the first year, either.

Kirk's deal was worth the money. Add in Zay Jones too. The last guy I liked who hasn't produced is Cedrick Wilson, but you could at least make a case he's stuck behind Hill and Waddle. When he got snaps in Dallas he produced.

 

Juju has been great for KC. Not sure what type of deal he would have taken to come here as he obviously took a one year deal to prove it with Mahomes as his QB.

 

And then Cooper was available in trade for peanuts.

[WrigleyField 22]

I have to give Poles a pass on the entire offseason. He had so little to work with, there was really very little he could have done to make this team a success in one season. One of the weakest rosters in the league, very few draft picks and a minimal amount of cap space made it next to impossible to make improvements. He certainly wasn't going to be outbidding anybody for talent. We saw how much WR FA's were going for. It absolutely sucks that there is very little WR talent available this offseason, and that is my one concern with how he goes about handling improvements there. I honestly don't think he can screw up improving the roster everywhere else considering his resources this time.

 

His biggest hurdle will be figuring out a way to spend all of that money while also being able to extend Fields when the time comes.

Beleiving that is exactly the problem he absolutely could have gotten a bigger name WR and OL at minimum to jumpstart the offense and teams rebuilding. This massive cap space they have in 2023 didng materialize out of thin air, but is a direct result of punting in 2022 FA.

 

Believing they can't spend now and extend Fields later is basically owner propoganda.

 

I'm not saying they can't spend now. I'm just saying they have to spend while keeping an eye on the biggest prize (Fields). They are clearly going to be going on a significant spending spree this offseason since the cupboard is so barren.

As it appears right now, the biggest influence on the Bears spending is gonna be the required cash minimums.

 

By the time a Fields extension comes it won't matter one iota that they held back spending in 2022.