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So, now that Calvin Johnson is back and bye weeks are mostly over. It appears I have a surplus at WR. Johnson and Nelson are my starters, leaving my flex between Sammy Watkins and Odell Beckham. Both look like future stars. Non-keeper league though. My question is.....would you trade either Watkins or Beckham for a RB? Would you trade Johnson for a stud RB? I have Luck at QB, but at RB I only have Ellington in stone. Low end RB1/high end RB2. But after that I only have Lamar Miller, who is hurt and only played 11 snaps Sunday with a game Thursday this week. And Ben Tate who is part of a 3-way RB committee and I don't trust to start. So, I'd like to upgrade my #2 RB for the playoff run. Thoughts?

Maybe I'm being super-paranoid, but I'm wondering if our sudden love of Russell Martin came about from getting vibes on the big FA pitchers. Martin makes a lot of sense (OBP, better pitch framing, veteran leadership, etc.) for the Cubs, but only in addition to the one big name FA pitcher. I think Martin makes more sense if the Cubs are going after more reclamation guys. Not that a big name pitcher couldn't use his pitch framing, game calling abilities, but I would think Lester/Scherzer would need it less so than the Scott Feldmans of the world.

Rob Rang's mock has them going Shane Ray at 8 (Thompson gone at 7, Collins picked 9). Ray has been amazing this year, but I don't know that he fits. He's smaller than Shea was at DE, much more athletic, but you'd be taking a top 10 pick as a guy you can't put on the field for 3 downs.....unless he can play the Von Miller role at SLB in the base D and DE in nickel.

I hope Carolina doesn't give him the option. He can't throw worth a [expletive], so if he can't run, he's useless. I was on record saying I wanted to pick AJ Green in 2011, suck another year with Clausen, then get Andrew Luck. That team would look pretty damn good right now. Problem is the Colts were pathetic that year (without Peyton) and you would have really had to try hard to be worse than the 2-14 they were in 2011. You'd have RG3 now, MAYBE.

Quinn or Bowles. I like Bowles a lot. Quinn would be interesting. Gase is probably overrated because of Peyton.

LOL [expletive] off Philly three top prospects probably means different things to different people. Whenever I see "3 top prospects", I think 3 guys that are actual prospects with upside. Not necessarily the top 3 in a team's system, or 3 of top 10 or whatever. However, the comment about 2 being ML ready and 1 that isn't far away, makes me think the Phils are definitely trying to get the Cubs and Red Sox attention. Both teams have very good prospects that are going to be in their opening day lineups and talented players a few months to a year away.

This thread can use some positivity. November 1, 1999. Any Bears fan should know this infamous date. The legendary, Walter Payton, passed away on this date. The 1999 were 3-5, attended a memorial at Soldier Field before heading out to their Week 9 road game at the division rival Green Bay Packers. For those that don't know, the 11-7-99 game is known as the "Walter Payton game". The Bears were huge underdogs to the Favre led Packers as per usual. The defense looked to be blowing a lead as the Pack attempted a chipshot game-winning FG as time expired. Long story short, Bryan Robinson broke thru the line and blocked the FG, sending the Bears home with a 14-13 win that many believed was devine intervention from Payton himself. Well, since Payton's death, the Bears are 12-2 (with 1 bye) in Week 9. Included in these wins is the 2nd of back-to-back Mike Brown OT game winners, a win over Peyton Manning, and last year's win which featured Shea McClellin's 3-sack, Rodgers clavicle breaking performance. The only Week 9 loss since 2002 by the Bears were the 7-0 Bears in 2006 losing at Miami (which even living Walter couldn't will an undefeated SB bound Bears team to win in Miami). If you're looking for a more concrete reason the Bears can win this game.....the Bears are actually statistically better than the Packers this year. The numbers are close (7 yards per game each way), but the Bears have a better total offense and defense so far, though have allowed more and scored many fewer points. If things stay the way they have for both teams, I'd expect those numbers to start evening out with the Bears getting a little more luck and the Packers' luck sliding a bit. I don't know what adjustments the Bears made on defense during the bye. But if it's anything like last year....it's not good enough. Hopefully, Tucker will bring some aggressiveness that we haven't seen much of since the Pittsburgh game early last year. The Bears should be about as healthy as they have been all year, despite losing 2 starters the last time they took the field. Briggs and Bostic are back. Hopefully, Briggs takes to criticism like he did in SF and NYJ and plays well. Fuller should be 100% from his hand and hip injuries. Conte's shoulder has presumably actually been attached and brain unbruised for 2 weeks for the first time in a year. But I'd like to see the Bears just say, "screw it" and go all out vs. GB. Gimmick plays, fake punts, onside kicks. I'd also love to see them matchup with their WRs and have Fuller follow around Nelson with Jennings on Cobb all over the field. I'm sure they'll make their share of plays. They're too good. But you gotta not let them get free releases off the line. Disrupt Rodgers' timing because it is impeccable, though it has suffered in the past when he's had time off. Offensively, Marshall has to stop getting punked by the GB DBs. They know the Bears and Cutler well, Marshall can't let guys jump routes on him. He needs to do a better job shielding DBs or simply interfering with them. Should be able to run a ton, but I'd like to see the Bears take some shots early to Jeffery deep and then run with an early lead. Bears 31- Packers 28, Bears lead the entire game, Packers make it interesting late. Jared Allen comes to life.

You tend to know what you are talking about so I'm willing to listen. I just don't know what I'm missing on Montero. He WAS really good just a couple years ago, but can he get back to that? Does he even need to to be worth a guy like Wood AND the money he's going to make?

Eh. I'm not giving up Wood for Montero, especially just exchanging salaries. Wood is younger, more affordable, and less likely to suck. I think a team would give the Cubs more for Wood than the Cubs would have to give up for Montero. And yeah, I think it's more like 3/40 vs. 4/60.

Montero is barely younger than Martin and making almost as much money as Martin will likely get, and you'd have to give up something to get him instead of just spending money. I think getting Montero would be under the assumption the DBacks would A) eat a bunch of his salary, B) take minimal return C) take on a similar contract or D) all of the above. But yeah, I'd much rather have Martin for just money than trade anything worthwhile for Montero AND pay him double digit millions for any of his last 3 seasons under his current deal.

How about? DeLaPuente to C. Garza back to his original Bears position of RG. Long to RT. Ola to LG. Change the entire line for 1 guy. I thought it was dumb to begin with. Put DLP in there and let Mills/Ola compete for RT.

And if Masterson doesn't get fixed, you've thrown away a season trying to fix a 3/4 guy for what reason exactly? Yeah, I'm not really intersted in 1-year deals. Shouldn't be trying to fix a guy and sell him off anymore. And the Cubs already have enough guys to "fix". Turner, Doubront, and Straily are still works in progress. And it's not like they need to save a spot for next year for anyone. CJ still hasn't thrown 120 innings. Johnson has had his injuries and control issues too. Black doesn't have huge upside that you have to save a spot for in 2016.

I saw Soriano (and some white guys I assume were on the team, but didn't recognize) at the strip club here in Pittsburgh the night before my wedding in 2007. I know 2 other people that saw him at the same club on 2 other ocassions. Hopefully, he didn't have that same $100 philosophy there.

Yeah, seems to be more blowouts this year than ever before. And it's not like the teams that are up big are stopping. It's the team's losing that mail it in. You'd expect some garbage time points in these scenarios, but it's not really working out that way as far as I can tell.

Sanu. Because F Tate.

The Louisville ones are great.

yes. Geovany Soto like good looks. My man crush from the 80s. http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/files/2013/10/dave-martinez.jpg

Hooray Curtis Enis. The Bears would have drafted Ryan Leaf instead of Manning. No doubt in my mind they would have. Even if the GM from back then says he was going to take Manning, he's lying his ass off.

This is almost Sampson level bad. Btw, I don't think u should get in trouble for weed if it's obvious u smoke it. Robinson clearly looks like a smoker. Williams doesn't physically look very bright and all dumb people smoke weed.

No.

Ugh. My dumb ass played a hunch and went with Allen Robinson. I had a feeling a WR would go off against Cincy (seem to give up a big WR game every week) but it was Hurns who went off. My 2nd choice would have been Mike Evans. 7.5 points to 27.5 points. I also picked Amaro over Rivera. 0 points to 25 points.

He's been throwing lollipops for a few years now and it's been working against a majority of his opponents. Yeah that's how he throws now. 100% of his success is based on timing now. Does look wise today than most days though. Weather seems to affect him more.

The officiating in that final game to ensure that wouldn't happen would be epic.

Yeah, you can't wait and see who's there next year. You know who's available now, have money and a pretty good shot to get at least Lester for no lost draft pick. Even if you don't have enough to compete this year you get as many pieces in place as you can for and BEFORE 2016.

OMG. I feel so terrible for Treadwell. Amazing young player. Reminds me of a faster Alshon Jeffery.