Chicago Bears offseason

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

I wouldnt be STUNNED, I mean Stroud and the Texans won 10 games just last year seemingly starting from a worse position than the Bears are at.  But it would require Caleb to be very good from day 1 like Stroud.

I wouldn't be stunned either.  I mean it won't be that hard to replace Fields' production.  We will probably improve at QB, even with a rookie.  

[minnesotacubsfan]

5 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I wouldnt be STUNNED, I mean Stroud and the Texans won 10 games just last year seemingly starting from a worse position than the Bears are at.  But it would require Caleb to be very good from day 1 like Stroud.

Houston played in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL AND struck gold with Stroud.

I feel like the best-case scenario would be that the 2024 NFC Central mirrors the 2023 AFC Central with 3 teams making the playoffs. I dont think the Bears are going to win the division and think 9 wins and a playoff spot is much more likely than 10 wins

[UMFan83]

So I was going to get into the PFF mock draft craze that it seems like everyone is doing, but upon starting a mock draft I realized you can't make draft day trades unless you subscribe to PFF+?  So everyone here and on twitter that posts their mock drafts with trades is paying $10 a month for PFF+?

[Tim]

18 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

So I was going to get into the PFF mock draft craze that it seems like everyone is doing, but upon starting a mock draft I realized you can't make draft day trades unless you subscribe to PFF+?  So everyone here and on twitter that posts their mock drafts with trades is paying $10 a month for PFF+?

I waste enough time doing the mock drafts it was worth it to me.

[minnesotacubsfan]

5 minutes ago, Tim said:

I waste enough time doing the mock drafts it was worth it to me.

its all that money you made by selling nsbb, dont lie

 

[minnesotacubsfan]

37 minutes ago, PosterToBeNamedLater said:

I actually wouldn't care too much if they spent money on the D-line this offseason (and I say that as someone who is fully on board with being annoyed at how they have focused so much effort on being good on defense in the past, and fully on board with improving the offense).  I would hope they spend to get a good center (center shouldn't cost *that* much money).  Even if they want to draft one, it might be good to have an experienced one at first with a rookie QB.  But I feel like most really good offensive skill players don't hit free agency.  I want both first round picks used on offense.  Ideally, Williams at 1 and Odunze/Nabers at 9 (if they are gone, I would be happy with one of the left tackles or Bowers).  One of the reasons I liked the Sweat trade from last year was I hoped they wouldn't feel the need to force a pick on the D-line with one of their 1sts in a draft where the top prospects are all offensive players.  I really won't be surprised if they trade back from 9, though. 

So to me, it would be ideal if the Bears can try to really improve/load their offense through the draft.  While those players are cheap, I don't care if they spend some money on Hunter/Chris Jones/some other good D-lineman.  When the offensive players get to the stage where they are going to be expensive, focus the salary cap money on them and draft defensive players to replace the older ones. 

I'd agree more or less with you, although I differ slightly on Center. I dont know who the likely FA's might be this year and I wouldn't mind paring a rook C with a rook QB, as long as the C is the better one available in the draft. Its a bit of a spin on the old "take a QB and his LT" take, but considering Wright was picked last year and they love Jones, I could see it working

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

13 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

I'd agree more or less with you, although I differ slightly on Center. I dont know who the likely FA's might be this year and I wouldn't mind paring a rook C with a rook QB, as long as the C is the better one available in the draft. Its a bit of a spin on the old "take a QB and his LT" take, but considering Wright was picked last year and they love Jones, I could see it working

Yeah, I wouldn't mind if they drafted a good center and started them.  I guess part of it is that FA is before the draft.  Without a 2nd rounder currently, we don't know if a good enough one is even going to be available.  And even if the rookie starts, there are injuries and we need depth.  And even good centers don't cost that much where it will make it hard to spend elsewhere.  I wouldn't mind them picking up a guard in FA as well, whether as depth or to start over Davis.  

[BigSlick]

2 hours ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

 I would be STUNNED if the bears won more than 9 games with a rookie, and that would include shoring up a ton of holes on offense coupled with a continued rise from the D. not unhappy, but stunned

 

It all depends on how good we expect Williams to be coming out the gate. Nobody should expect or depend a rookie to be as good as CJ Stroud was, but on the other hand, this team is significantly better than the 2023 Texans were, so that has to be accounted for. 

If Williams isn't a disaster, this team should be better than last year. But the range of possible play from him is as wide as the equator - one can expect anything from Cade McNown-unfathomably-bad to CJ Stroud-holy-horsefeathers-this-guy-is-a-stud 

 

I wouldn't be shocked, but I would be marginally displeased, if they got a bridge QB for 2024 (or, unlikely, but possible, that they keep Fields for a bridge year). I get it, but I also think Williams is good enough to start, warts and all, plus, as a fan, I'm impatient and I want to see what he's got. 

Edited February 16, 2024 by BigSlick

[WrigleyField 22]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

So I was going to get into the PFF mock draft craze that it seems like everyone is doing, but upon starting a mock draft I realized you can't make draft day trades unless you subscribe to PFF+?  So everyone here and on twitter that posts their mock drafts with trades is paying $10 a month for PFF+?

I pay annual so less than that a month, but I lie to myself and say their fantasy football content helps me in my leagues (it doesn't it's all luck)

[CubinNY]

The thing that scares me most about Williams is his tendency to hold on to the ball. If he doesn't do that, the Bears should be a very good team next year. 

[WrigleyField 22]

10 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

 

I wouldn't be shocked, but I would be marginally displeased, if they got a bridge QB for 2024 (or, unlikely, but possible, that they keep Fields for a bridge year). I get it, but I also think Williams is good enough to start, warts and all, plus, as a fan, I'm impatient and I want to see what he's got. 

 

But seriously I think that Lucas clip probably speaks to part of the problem with bringing in an outsider to bridge. That guy (say a Minshew or Brisset) will have no upper hand in terms of lockerroom respect or even offense familiarity. So both guys are competing for reps at a equal starting point and if the natural talent gap is clear it would get awkward and possibly unproductive. Better to just commit to the guy and give him all the reps than pay lip service to a very marginal vet who could flop just as easily. If you really needed a young QB to slow develop that would be one thing, but that shouldn't be Caleb. 

Edited February 16, 2024 by WrigleyField 22

[BigSlick]

I think the biggest problem with keeping Fields is, ironically, that he's such a nice guy and is very well-liked by the locker room. This would be exponentially worse than the Andy Dalton thing because... everyone likes Fields and doesn't want to get rid of him - how the heck is Caleb Williams supposed to deal with that when it's time for Fields to go. 

But yeah, I don't think you honestly need a bridge QB. You put Williams out there and see how he does. He's started for 3 years in college, he'll turn 23 during the 2024 season (hilariously enough, he's only 1.5 years younger than Fields), he's a big boy - I don't think you need to worry about ruining him by letting him start out the gate. (Bookmark this post 3 years from now if I'm disastrously wrong) 

Edited February 16, 2024 by BigSlick

[minnesotacubsfan]

55 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

The thing that scares me most about Williams is his tendency to hold on to the ball. If he doesn't do that, the Bears should be a very good team next year. 

yes, but the scouts all rave about his quick release. you can hold the ball longer if you have a hair-trigger, Fields biggest issue wasn't holding onto the ball so long to extend a play, it was his reaction time from deciding where to throw to the point of actually throwing the ball, I felt

Edited February 16, 2024 by minnesotacubsfan

[WrigleyField 22]

20 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

I think the biggest problem with keeping Fields is, ironically, that he's such a nice guy and is very well-liked by the locker room. This would be exponentially worse than the Andy Dalton thing because... everyone likes Fields and doesn't want to get rid of him - how the heck is Caleb Williams supposed to deal with that when it's time for Fields to go. 

But yeah, I don't think you honestly need a bridge QB. You put Williams out there and see how he does. He's started for 3 years in college, he'll turn 23 during the 2024 season (hilariously enough, he's only 1.5 years younger than Fields), he's a big boy - I don't think you need to worry about ruining him by letting him start out the gate. (Bookmark this post 3 years from now if I'm disastrously wrong) 

The players would get over losing Fields in 2025 instead of 2024. I actually don't see the major difference there.  The difference is how Caleb handles either scenario, but any teammate reaction is same just a matter of timing. 

[minnesotacubsfan]

2 minutes ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

The players would get over losing Fields in 2025 instead of 2024. I actually don't see the major difference there.  The difference is how Caleb handles either scenario, but any teammate reaction is same just a matter of timing. 

I mean, if Caleb comes in and starts snapping off 15 yard bullets into the hands of open underutilized wr's in preseason, the players might get over JF before the season even starts

I just worry the learning curve of the nfl may prohibit the atmospheric rise of any rook qb, with a few exceptions of course

[Ding Dong Johnson]

22 hours ago, BigSlick said:

It was time, but it is sad to see Eddie Jackson go. He gave us some real fun moments, but he's clearly passed his prime and can't stay healthy. 

I will NOT say the same thing for Whitehair. 

[UMFan83]

2 hours ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

I pay annual so less than that a month, but I lie to myself and say their fantasy football content helps me in my leagues (it doesn't it's all luck)

To be clear I don't look down on anyone who pays for it, I was just surprised at the number of people who pay for it given how many mock drafts I see on twitter, etc.

[BigSlick]

I will NEVER pay money for some nerd to shout numbers at me 

[NorthsideAvenger]

.

Edited February 17, 2024 by NorthsideAvenger

[Wilson A2000]

23 hours ago, CubinNY said:

The thing that scares me most about Williams is his tendency to hold on to the ball. If he doesn't do that, the Bears should be a very good team next year. 

Holding onto the ball too long is a very big problem though

[Tryptamine]

21 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I will NEVER pay money for some nerd to shout numbers at me 

If more people started taking this stance, I'd be out of a job.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

57 minutes ago, Wilson A2000 said:

Holding onto the ball too long is a very big problem though

That's axiomatic. It's only "too long" if you don't make a play.

[SpongeWorthy]

williams does hold the ball too long and that needs to be coached out of him

but he believed usc had to score TDs on every possession to compete because the defense was so ass so he was always looking for the home run play

even in his first year at sc when the defense was merely bad instead of basically the worst in the country he didn’t hold the ball as long

[minnesotacubsfan]

5 hours ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

That's axiomatic. It's only "too long" if you don't make a play.

this is idiotic, but right  on que

[minnesotacubsfan]

40 minutes ago, SpongeWorthy said:

williams does hold the ball too long and that needs to be coached out of him

but he believed usc had to score TDs on every possession to compete because the defense was so ass so he was always looking for the home run play

even in his first year at sc when the defense was merely bad instead of basically the worst in the country he didn’t hold the ball as long

I wouldn't be surprised if Williams had a god complex. And, in today's NFL, that will be rewarded. The issue for me is that Williams was right where Fields was 4 years ago. I'm 50/50 on where the Bears go at this point, but if its anything other than Fields vs Williams, god knows what will happen, and I would be disappointed with anything other that those 2