Chicago Bears offseason

[UMFan83]

Bears FINALLY do something at QB

 

Wonder what this says, if anything, about Bagent.

[Brian707]

Williams-Bagent-Rypien for the depth chart

[jersey cubs fan]

Spent a fortnight with seattle, last year,  practice squad guy at best 

[Bertz]

I'd assume Rypien's just there to be the guy in the QB room who already knows the system and that Bagent is still the guy who'd get to play in case of injury.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Honestly, I'm not that upset with the Bears' approach. Free agency in the NFL sucks.  It's a league with brutal aging curves and a system strongly biased towards teams keeping players they want to keep.   

I just wish we tried a *smidge* harder to not have complete black hole positions that we later have to trade 2nd round picks to deal with, or we end up having no centers who can actually snap.

[jersey cubs fan]

7 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

Honestly, I'm not that upset with the Bears' approach. Free agency in the NFL sucks.  It's a league with brutal aging curves and a system strongly biased towards teams keeping players they want to keep.   

I just wish we tried a *smidge* harder to not have complete black hole positions that we later have to trade 2nd round picks to deal with, or we end up having no centers who can actually snap.

This is exactly why I am upset with the bears approach to free agency. They’ve had opportunities to improve the team with nothing but money, have plenty of cap space, and have refused to do anything about it for three offseasons in a row. 
 

austerity is a plague justified by the ignorant 

[Bobson Dugnutt]

The Bears should have cheap talent at QB, both OT positions, and, hopefully, WR for the next few seasons. FA is not always the smartest way to spend money, but it does seem like they’re in a good spot to be a little aggressive. 

[gflore34]

6 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

This is exactly why I am upset with the bears approach to free agency. They’ve had opportunities to improve the team with nothing but money, have plenty of cap space, and have refused to do anything about it for three offseasons in a row. 
 

austerity is a plague justified by the ignorant 

Poles ignorance or just plain stubbornness to attempt anything at WR is what has me upset.  It's very clearly a position of need, there are some options - Osborn, Brown, Ridley - who would most definitely help to improve the team.  What does he do?  A RB and two DB's now maybe, they're low hanging fruit and they'll be a WR move but, it certainly doesn't appear that something is on the horizon.

[jersey cubs fan]

#NeverForget

[We Got The Whole 9]

34 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Poles ignorance or just plain stubbornness to attempt anything at WR is what has me upset.  It's very clearly a position of need, there are some options - Osborn, Brown, Ridley - who would most definitely help to improve the team.  What does he do?  A RB and two DB's now maybe, they're low hanging fruit and they'll be a WR move but, it certainly doesn't appear that something is on the horizon.

He traded for Moore and can easily take a guy at 9 or whatever spot he trades back to. He also traded for Claypool. He hasn't completely punted the position, at least the way he has with the C position.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Brett Rypien? Woof. I guess the Bears needed a new Nathan Peterman.

[Tryptamine]

Why add a few top tier free agents when you can add a dozen mediocre to crappy ones?

[UMFan83]

2 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Poles ignorance or just plain stubbornness to attempt anything at WR is what has me upset.  It's very clearly a position of need, there are some options - Osborn, Brown, Ridley - who would most definitely help to improve the team.  What does he do?  A RB and two DB's now maybe, they're low hanging fruit and they'll be a WR move but, it certainly doesn't appear that something is on the horizon.

Sounded like the Bears were in on Gabe Davis until the end and even offered a similar contract to the one he signed.  Did Poles just not have a backup plan at WR?  I would have assumed that being in on Davis meant the Bears planned to sign a WR in FA

[Brian707]

8 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

Sounded like the Bears were in on Gabe Davis until the end and even offered a similar contract to the one he signed.  Did Poles just not have a backup plan at WR?  I would have assumed that being in on Davis meant the Bears planned to sign a WR in FA

I know they say they were in on Davis but who knows. I agree should have had a backup plan 

Edited March 14, 2024 by Brian707

[BigbadB]

Poles definitely has a style. It's definitely not a popular one with the fans. While most GM's approach the legal tampering period like it's opening bell at the stock market, Poles kinda just sits back and watches. 

Have to figure they still need a C, WR, WR, WR, EDGE, EDGE, DI, DI. 

There are still lower tier guys that can improve this roster in free agency, but he's probably going to have to get some of the better ones at most of those positions to make it a decent offseason. I'm really interested to see how he plans to improve the WR group. 

 

[raw]

11 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Poles ignorance or just plain stubbornness to attempt anything at WR is what has me upset.  It's very clearly a position of need, there are some options - Osborn, Brown, Ridley - who would most definitely help to improve the team.  What does he do?  A RB and two DB's now maybe, they're low hanging fruit and they'll be a WR move but, it certainly doesn't appear that something is on the horizon.

Word is, Bears made the same offer for Gabriel Davis, but he chose Jacksonville. They are supposedly interested in Hollywood Brown, Curtis Samuel, and maybe Mike Williams. 

While I don't LOVE the approach in FA either, there is a theory that teams should draft premium positions and pay for the non-premiums. It's the best cost approach as premium positions are more expensive in free agency and the contracts tend to be worse long-term. So far, Poles has paid multi-year deals the last 2 offseasons to 2 safeties, 2 RBs (counting Travis Homer), 2 LBs, a guard, and a hybrid DL Demarcus Walker. They also paid a run stopping DT a 2-year deal after signing him to 1 year last year. Over the previous 2 drafts, Poles has drafted OT, 3 CBs, 3-tech (ish), and will add QB and either WR/DE with all his top 60 draft picks, while also trading a pair of 2nds for WR and DE. So, seems like we have a thought process down.

Also, you can't really harp on the misses, because you don't know if the Bears have offers on guys or not, and you don't know if the player chose another team/situation. That being said, they have to spend the money. I'm really surprised they weren't in on the short-term, high cap hit deals like Danielle Hunter. Seems to be right up their alley, even if it is at a premium position.

[raw]

6 minutes ago, BigbadB said:

Poles definitely has a style. It's definitely not a popular one with the fans. While most GM's approach the legal tampering period like it's opening bell at the stock market, Poles kinda just sits back and watches. 

Have to figure they still need a C, WR, WR, WR, EDGE, EDGE, DI, DI. 

There are still lower tier guys that can improve this roster in free agency, but he's probably going to have to get some of the better ones at most of those positions to make it a decent offseason. I'm really interested to see how he plans to improve the WR group. 

 

The C group still has some solid players. Evan Brown, Coleman Shelton, and Connor Williams. Also a half decent draft class.

I don't think they really need 3 WRs. They clearly need a WR2. Good chance they get one of the top 3 in this loaded draft if they want at 9. If they sign a decent FA WR, then you're already looking at a situation where you have at least 1 of DJ Moore, Kmet, the top 10 pick, Gerald Everett, D'Andre Swift or the FA WR on the bench on every play. Obviously, not a bad situation to have weapons, but that's where a 3rd WR is overkill unless it's a day 3 draft pick to develop along with Tyler Scott.

With edge, they could probably use 2....or they could use 1 really good one. Sweat is going to play 70% of the snaps. Ideally, they'd look at one of the Eagles guys on the other side. They have Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat on the trade block. Not sure what either would take, but both are on the final year of their deals and the Eagles just paid Bryce Huff 17M. Bears don't really have picks to trade, but I wonder if they could get Sweat for a 2025 pick. Demarcus Walker also plays edge on run downs. If they have to play Dominique Robinson or a Day 3 pick 15% of the snaps, they'll probably be fine, assuming health.

DL, I think also needs just 1 guy. Have Billings, Dexter and Pickens, with Walker getting reps here as well. I don't love Pickens and that's a lot of pressure on Dexter, so another body would be nice here. 2 feels like overkill unless has edge versatility.

[jersey cubs fan]

14 minutes ago, raw said:

 If they sign a decent FA WR, then you're already looking at a situation where you have at least 1 of DJ Moore, Kmet, the top 10 pick, Gerald Everett, D'Andre Swift or the FA WR on the bench on every play. Obviously, not a bad situation to have weapons, but that's where a 3rd WR is overkill unless it's a day 3 draft pick to develop along with Tyler Scott.

 

The problem with that group is that all of it is complementary, and none of them are able to elevate the group on their own. DJ Moore is a fine #1, if you have top end talent elsewhere. Cole Kmet is a fine TE, if you have top end talent elsewhere. Swift is an okay RB, you need to surround with top end talent elsewhere. 
 

if every player in the league went into a draft tomorrow, none of the Bears players would be close to selected at the top of their position. It’s all second tier (or lower) guys. That’s fine, if you have an elite QB, but the Bears do not, and probably will not for a couple years. So they have to spread it around to everybody, and to do that you need a hell of a lot more than what they have now.  

[WrigleyField 22]

12 hours ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

Honestly, I'm not that upset with the Bears' approach. Free agency in the NFL sucks.  It's a league with brutal aging curves and a system strongly biased towards teams keeping players they want to keep.   

I just wish we tried a *smidge* harder to not have complete black hole positions that we later have to trade 2nd round picks to deal with, or we end up having no centers who can actually snap.

Free agency only sucks if you're a efficiency nerd who enjoys missing the forest for the trees.  

 

Poles is approaching free agency every year with way more conservativeness than the talent level or cash spending of the team says he should.

 

[raw]

11 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

The problem with that group is that all of it is complementary, and none of them are able to elevate the group on their own. DJ Moore is a fine #1, if you have top end talent elsewhere. Cole Kmet is a fine TE, if you have top end talent elsewhere. Swift is an okay RB, you need to surround with top end talent elsewhere. 
 

if every player in the league went into a draft tomorrow, none of the Bears players would be close to selected at the top of their position. It’s all second tier (or lower) guys. That’s fine, if you have an elite QB, but the Bears do not, and probably will not for a couple years. So they have to spread it around to everybody, and to do that you need a hell of a lot more than what they have now.  

I mean, IDK what you expect. If you have one of the top QB prospects in history, DJ Moore, and a top 10 pick at WR, that's the foundation of an elite passing game (hell, just the QB is if we're being real). I don't see many scenarios where the Bears could have added tier 1 players in the Poles era so far. And  adding 2 top 10 picks to the playmakers on offense is "a hell of a lot more" than they have now. That's kind of the whole point.

[jersey cubs fan]

I’m not particularly enthusiastic about going into a draft with Ryan Poles absolutely needing to nail two top ten picks at positions hes yet to show an ability to draft for things to be going right next season. 
 

When Poles NEEDS to address a position, typically he ignores it entirely. I’m not counting my chickens on that #9 pick. Especially not when he’s content giving Waldron guys “familiar with the system” and still seems pleased with his defensive minded head coach. 

[BigbadB]

 

54 minutes ago, raw said:

I don't think they really need 3 WRs. They clearly need a WR2. Good chance they get one of the top 3 in this loaded draft if they want at 9. If they sign a decent FA WR, then you're already looking at a situation where you have at least 1 of DJ Moore, Kmet, the top 10 pick, Gerald Everett, D'Andre Swift or the FA WR on the bench on every play. Obviously, not a bad situation to have weapons, but that's where a 3rd WR is overkill unless it's a day 3 draft pick to develop along with Tyler Scott.

I'm not necessarily saying they have to go out and get big name WR's at all 3 positions. I'm just saying they probably need 3 more WR's on the roster. I think they need someone in the Boyd, Samuel, Brown, Williams group and a top 3 draft pick at that position and either a day 3 WR or another free agent of some sort, even if it's bringing back someone like ESB. Right now, the roster at WR is DJ Moore and Tyler Scott. Velus can return kicks, so he's your 5th or 6th WR depending on how many they carry, and given Velus' inabilties, 6 is probably the amount they need. Webster or Johnson are practice squad fodder. So, you still need WR2, W3 and W4 or W5 depending on whether that person is better than Tyler Scott.

[BigbadB]

Do we have any idea where they stand as far as cap space at this point? I feel like they still have about 35m left to spend minus the rookie money. Spotrac is showing 57m, but they haven't calculated Everett, Byard, Pryor or Obgombemiga into the totals. 

[gflore34]

15 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

I’m not particularly enthusiastic about going into a draft with Ryan Poles absolutely needing to nail two top ten picks at positions hes yet to show an ability to draft for things to be going right next season. 
 

When Poles NEEDS to address a position, typically he ignores it entirely. I’m not counting my chickens on that #9 pick. Especially not when he’s content giving Waldron guys “familiar with the system” and still seems pleased with his defensive minded head coach. 

I'm not confident he'll even address WR at 9, Odunze or Nabers could both still be on the board and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he goes DL - Turner, Verse, Latu.  Now, if trades down at 9 and goes DL and WR, I think that'll work.

[raw]

52 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

I’m not particularly enthusiastic about going into a draft with Ryan Poles absolutely needing to nail two top ten picks at positions hes yet to show an ability to draft for things to be going right next season. 
 

When Poles NEEDS to address a position, typically he ignores it entirely. I’m not counting my chickens on that #9 pick. Especially not when he’s content giving Waldron guys “familiar with the system” and still seems pleased with his defensive minded head coach. 

Yeah, but then he trades a future 2nd for that need! 

I get being completely skeptical. He can be as incompetent as he wants to be as long as he nails this #1 pick. Getting an elite QB can cure all and make everyone look like a genius.