2025 Bears Offseason Thread

[Soul]

If Loveland and Burden are both hits I’ll consider it a good draft though.  Add Turner as either a starter or solid rotational guy and I’ll be very pleased.

Big ifs.

[jumbo]

22 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

This is more or less where I'm at. I think Loveland was a completely reasonable pick just like Warren or Jalen Walker would have been. At #39, though it wasn't a position of need, I think Burden was clearly their BPA and I'll never be angry for taking BPA, especially with Henderson gone. Trading #41 is where things started to go downhill.

Their first trade was #41, #72 and #240 for #56, #62 and #109

This inherently was not an awful deal.

At #56 Trapilo was kind of a meh pick. I don't hate it, but it was extremely bland he's more or less injury insurance.

I legitimately liked Turner quite a bit at #62

I'm just about positive they thought they could land Skattebo at #109 and when he wasn't they traded back landing picks #132 and #169. Unfortunately for the Bears, there was then a run at RB that saw 4 more RB go off the board before the Bears would pick again at #132.  Instead the Bears make the worst and most puzzling pick of their draft picking Hyppolite who, unless the Bears know something the rest of the league doesn't, was a massive reach. 

At #169 they take Frazier who a legitimately good value pick at the time with some upside. 

So it basically becomes do you like Trapilo, Turner, Hyppolite and Frazier more than you would have liked adding a duo at #41 and #72 like one of Ezeiraku/Tuimoloau/Ersery and one of Landon Jackson/Unmanmielen/Kaleb Johnson. It's even possible Turner was still there at #72 if the Bear were infatuated with him. Personally I'd have much rather had the latter of the two and that's ignoring that with #240 they still probably could have gotten Monongai  who they eventually took at #232.

They then traded down yet again giving up #148 for #195 and a 2024 4th with the Rams so we can probably safely assume it's going to be in the back half of the 4th roughly #130. It wasn't a homerun or anything but there wasn't anyone I was dying for them to have between #148 and #169 and they added a pick next year that's high enough that you might get a starter out of it

At #195 they took Luke Newman who is most likely going to be your generic back up interior lineman. 

I feel like they only got 2 sure fire guys who are going to see lots of action and a bunch of other guys who are either rotational pieces or depth. I wouldn't not at all be surprised if Turner ends up being the 3rd guy who sees a lot of action.

I tried to post something like this the other day and didn't get through it. Essentially would we have been better off with 41 and 72 than what we got with 56 and 62? Same with 109 over 132 & 169. This one seems easier because I had never heard of Hyppolite or Frazier after doing some mock drafts. 

I do like getting the fourth back for next year. 

[Rcal10]

5 hours ago, jumbo said:

I tried to post something like this the other day and didn't get through it. Essentially would we have been better off with 41 and 72 than what we got with 56 and 62? Same with 109 over 132 & 169. This one seems easier because I had never heard of Hyppolite or Frazier after doing some mock drafts. 

I do like getting the fourth back for next year. 

I don’t mind the trade back at all. They may have still ended up with the DT and OT they took if they stayed at 41 and 72. It sounds like they really like the A&M tackle. Either way, maybe a different OT guy and DL line, but similar. Even when they moved back to 132, from 109, had they gone with either Kansas, Kansas St, SMU, Oregon or even Miami RB here and then drafted Maryland LB in rd 7 I would have liked the draft a lot better. But maybe they like the Rutgers guy and maybe he ends up better than all the guys who did have 3rd or 4th round grades on them who were available when 132 came up. I also like they got a 4th next year. 

[jersey cubs fan]

On 5/2/2025 at 9:19 AM, We Got The Whole 9 said:

This is why I wouldn't spend months obsessing over mock drafts
 

 now you're all dejected because the draft didn't go how you hoped it would. 

 

 

Who’s you all? There’s like one dejected person 

[We Got The Whole 9]

I was talking to Tryp

[minnesotacubsfan]

Ooh, it’s fair for us all to look at a draft of “guys” after finally feeling like they have the mythical “franchise quarterback”  and feel - cromulent. It almost felt like a let down from having to HAVE to find a QB.

Otoh it’s fair to wonder if we got enough

i feel like it was a decent draft and made sense at points, but also was a bit puzzling. We’ll see

 

[BigbadB]

7 hours ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

Ooh, it’s fair for us all to look at a draft of “guys” after finally feeling like they have the mythical “franchise quarterback”  and feel - cromulent. It almost felt like a let down from having to HAVE to find a QB.

Otoh it’s fair to wonder if we got enough

i feel like it was a decent draft and made sense at points, but also was a bit puzzling. We’ll see

 

We don't know what the guys in the war room know. All the guys paid money to predict where everyone gets drafted don't even know what's going on in those rooms. For every guy who lives up to his draft pick position, there is another guy who didn't. There are obviously can't miss prospects, but each GM, HC, OC and DC have their own lists of guys who fit their needs and wants. Maybe a guy like Hyppolite is something Dennis Allen wanted for a LB that can keep pace with a guy like Hockenson and LaPorta on passing downs, or chasing running QB's or RB's who catch a lot of passes.

Mocks can be fun to speculate where guys will get drafted, but at the end of the day, those mocks can be way off or right on the money, depending on how much research they do. Or it may not even matter how much research they do. It's possible that 3 or 4 of the UDFA's the Bears picked up after the draft end up being better than Hyppolite. Once you get past the first 3 or 4 rounds, it's a crapshoot if you are getting an NFL caliber player anyway. So is a pre-draft visit something to throw off other teams on your draft plans or just to rule out guys you might be interested in?

What's a bit fascinating is that they host a lot of players pre-draft, but not one of the guys they invited got drafted. They hosted Tyler Warren, but not Coleston. They hosted 6 WR's, but not Burden. They hosted 5 OLinemen, but none of the guys they drafted.

To me, Swift, Kmet, Edmunds and Thuney (if he doesn't get extended) is where the big savings for payroll happens next year. The draft protected all of those positions, except RB, unless the 7th rounder is legit. They can easily pick up a RB in next year's draft. 

The Bears drafted guys that we didn't expect. I never saw a mock with Burden or Coleston, so I agree it was puzzling. But I'm certainly not going to pretend I know better what this team needed than Poles, Johnson and Allen.

[CubinNY]

On 5/3/2025 at 10:22 PM, minnesotacubsfan said:

Ooh, it’s fair for us all to look at a draft of “guys” after finally feeling like they have the mythical “franchise quarterback”  and feel - cromulent. It almost felt like a let down from having to HAVE to find a QB.

Otoh it’s fair to wonder if we got enough

i feel like it was a decent draft and made sense at points, but also was a bit puzzling. We’ll see

 

The issue is that the draft was flat in terms of talent. Not a lot of high-end performers and a bunch of similar profiles. I think the Bears did what they wanted to do, and that's important. It is readily apparent that Poles went out and got the types of players his coach wants. Now they have to execute their plan. In terms of coherency, this is the best the organization has looked since I can remember. 

[jumbo]

On 5/5/2025 at 11:23 AM, CubinNY said:

The issue is that the draft was flat in terms of talent. Not a lot of high-end performers and a bunch of similar profiles. I think the Bears did what they wanted to do, and that's important. It is readily apparent that Poles went out and got the types of players his coach wants. Now they have to execute their plan. In terms of coherency, this is the best the organization has looked since I can remember. 

I keep coming back to the question: When was the last time the Bears hired an offensive coordinator with 2+ years of play calling experience in the NFL? Answer is NEVER.

If Ben Johnson can deliver 75% of the Detroit offense he will instantly be among the best is the modern history of the franchise.  I have confidence in him 

[Outshined_One]

2 minutes ago, jumbo said:

I keep coming back to the question: When was the last time the Bears hired an offensive coordinator with 2+ years of play calling experience in the NFL? Answer is NEVER.

Martz?

[jumbo]

4 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

Martz?

I worded that poorly...

 

When was the last time the Bears hired an offensive coordinator with 2+ years of play calling experience in the NFL as head coach? Answer is NEVER.

[Brian707]

1 hour ago, jumbo said:

 

When was the last time the Bears hired an offensive coordinator with 2+ years of play calling experience in the NFL as head coach? Answer is NEVER.

 

Matt Nagy* even though Reid was calling most of the plays

[Bobson Dugnutt]

2 hours ago, Brian707 said:

 

Matt Nagy* even though Reid was calling most of the plays

Nagy was only the OC in KC for one year before the bears hired him.

[Brian707]

5 minutes ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

Nagy was only the OC in KC for one year before the bears hired him.

 

Edited: He was co OC in 2016 with Brad Childress so you are correct

Edited May 6, 2025 by Brian707

[jumbo]

Nagy was not the play caller for the two years he was OC

Nagy called some number of games but it was minimal, not multiple seasons worth

[UMFan83]

Panthers release Clowney.  Have no idea how good he still is but gonna ask the inevitable question since the Bears have a need at Edge

[Andy]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

Panthers release Clowney.  Have no idea how good he still is but gonna ask the inevitable question since the Bears have a need at Edge

Wasn't a big factor last year. His release seemed inevitable after Carolina traded up twice for edge rushers

[Thurman Merman]

Now that Chicago Pope is in the Vatican I predict 20 Superbowls in a row. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Clowney is like a Jeff George level bust. Unfogettable hype, middling results, but journeys around for a lot longer than expected

[minnesotacubsfan]

5 hours ago, Andy said:

Wasn't a big factor last year. His release seemed inevitable after Carolina traded up twice for edge rushers

dudes 32 and never had dbl digit sacks, hard pass

[jumbo]

I'm still a little surprised they released Walker and made the "he is playable" spot open. I know Walker wasn't some difference maker but now they have who behind Sweat & Oyedingbo? Booker, Hardy, WR Robinson....Not much unless I'm forgetting someone

[mul21]

I saw a highlight video of Monongai blocking yesterday (both blitz pickups and run blocking) and I have a feeling that part of his game is a big reason why the Bears grabbed him.  The guy is willing and will lay people out when given the opportunity. Looks like another piece to try to protect Caleb and keep him healthy.

[BigbadB]

20 hours ago, jumbo said:

I'm still a little surprised they released Walker and made the "he is playable" spot open. I know Walker wasn't some difference maker but now they have who behind Sweat & Oyedingbo? Booker, Hardy, WR Robinson....Not much unless I'm forgetting someone

Turner can play all along the line. I'd even bet he gets more reps on the outside than on the inside. Inside, they have Jarrett, Dexter, Billings C. Williams, Pickens and Jonathan Ford. New DC. so we can expect some different looks than Eberflus' defense.

[Tryptamine]

Really interesting that Ozzy Trapilo is working exclusively at left tackle so far.

[BigbadB]

2 hours ago, Tryptamine said:

Really interesting that Ozzy Trapilo is working exclusively at left tackle so far.

Braxton is a free agent at year's end. That, and he's recovering from a broken fibula that is supposed to limit him in training camp. Trapilo is probably designed to be his replacement in 2026, while possibly filling in for him this year.