raw

Just posting here to say that I can't believe my school is reigning National Champions. Still gotta pinch myself. Also, back-to-back coming, bitches

While I hate losing a 24 year old player on a cheap rookie deal just on principle.....it's weird to me to be like "oh man, this DL sucked last year and on paper sucks again this year", but then be phased at all by losing the guy who got the most snaps on that terrible DL from last year and is the prettiest DL in an ugly contest this year. Jordan Van Den Berg is killing it in camp. A lot of those snaps Dexter vacates will go to him. In the preseason game, when Dexter got pressure on the QB, if you notice, JVDB is the guy that ate the double team to free him. Allen likes to slant and stunt his DL and Dexter simply doesn't move fast enough for the Bears to do that effectively with him on the field. Also, it seems like Allen has put a TON of emphasis on stopping the run this year. While I know they aren't playing #1 OLs, throughout the depth chart they are stopping the run. Even while getting destroyed on teh scoreboard last week, they only allowed 64 rush yards on 20 carries. Week 1 of preseason, they allowed 108 on 27 carries, but 50 of those yards came on 2 of the last 3 carries of the game when the insurance salesmen were playing. Dexter notoriously isn't great against the run. There's a ton of writing on the wall. And I get it, weakening a weak group seems bad on paper. But is there ever going to be a point this season where we are like "damn, if only we kept Dexter!"?

My opinion is, if you aren't going to sign him long-term after this year (and they certainly should NOT), then get something for him. I know it's not great but Jarrett, Gallimore, Van Den Berg, Street and Lynch (looked good in preseason) isn't that much different than that same group with Dexter and no Lynch. At least without Dexter, you have 5 guys who all fit what Dennis Allen wants. Ideally, you get stronger at DE or DB by trading Dexter. But getting a draft pick (I will assume a 5th, late 4 at best) for him wouldn't be the worst thing either.

Pants and helmet make them work. Just saw the jersey first and was not a fan. Definitely getting Syracuse vibes though.

Caleb said that miss to Loveland was a blown coverage and he saw it right away. It looks like he just rushed it because he didn't want to take a hit.....which is understandable in a fake game he probably didn't want to play. In a real game, he probably stands in there and takes another 1/2 second to hit that throw.

When I'm in charge of the NFL, we will go to 18 game regular seasons with 2 bye weeks per team. And no preseason games. Scrimmages and joint practices will be encouraged and televised the way preseason is. I think it's a good way to boost fan interest as most people don't get to go to training camp practices and have no idea what they actually entail. Also, non-degenerates don't watch preseason games in full, so you'd bring in viewership by knowing that starters will be out there playing/practicing.

Loveland most catches Burden most yards Rome most TDs

I'm partial to Haasan Reddick. Youngest of the group, I'd guess and kind of the anti-Dennis Allen player. But also, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Josh Sweat are potentially on the trade market.

In counting stats, sure. But Loveland was much more efficient, more explosive, and a much better blocker by all metrics.

There were 8 TEs drafted in a 40 picks with the Bears' Roush pick right in the middle of that run. The Rams actually ran the most 12/13 personnel in the league. And McVay is in that Shanahan tree. So is about 1/3 of the playcallers in the league. So that's why you saw a bunch of TEs this year. And the TE position has typically been a position where you don't get great production right away. But with guys like Loveland, Warren and Bowers early production; teams are naturally valuing the position higher. While they may not get that level of players, they aren't going to stop chasing that.

In general, they hit all the positions I thought they would, except Edge. The big issue is the overall big picture. Like you can't just keep saying "we didn't like any of the DL in this class" or "we didn't have any guys we liked fall to us". Well, Poles has shown the willingness to trade up. He traded up for Tyrique Stevenson and this year for Muhammad and Vanderberg. So he definitely has the ability to identify a guy he wants and go get him. I just don't know why he doesn't "go get him" when that guy is in the trenches constantly. Poles has got to show more foresight. If there's even a remote chance you don't come out of Day 2 with DL help, then you HAVE to do more in free agency or on the trade front. I understand people gave up astronomical amounts for Crosby and then Dexter Lawrence, but the lack of a plan B/C is hurting Poles, IMO. And I understand that Dayo/Grady took away a lot of ability to really make a big splash there in free agency, but then you gotta do more to identify and get your guy in the draft. And I will appreciate the fact that the focus early in the draft has been getting and supporting your QB. But you've had a clear weakness since 2022 when Brisker led the team with 4 sacks. Poles has made the effort, but with Sweat, Dayo, Grady, Dexter, Pickens, Ngakoue, Darrell Taylor, whatever, but it's clearly still not good enough. You can't keep missing opportunities to make it good enough. Whether it's more draft capital, better scouting, more aggressive trading, or more wise free agent spending, there's not much of an excuse to have this DL (on paper) at this point in his regime.

I think the Bears ended up with a solid draft, but took a questionable route to get there. Thieneman- full disclosure, I had McNeil-Warren as the better safety, by just a tad. That being said, I am willing to go against my gut and go with the consensus best player on the board at the position of biggest need. Obviously, he's a day 1 starter at safety, so no issues with the pick. Interesting though, Bears could have gone elsewhere here and still had EMW, who went 58. There just wasn't anyone better than Thieneman on the board IMO. Logan Jones- again, I didn't have him as my top C, but clearly the Bears did. Of course, my C1 didn't go til the 5th round (Hecht). I'm willing to get on board with this move. Jones was my C2, so they got consensus top 2 players (by most accounts) at S and C. The next C went off the board at 63, so there may not have been the ability to take him at 69 after the trade down. My only concern is you could have traded down from 57, taken Jones and 60 and maybe gotten a bit more in that trade down? Roush- I know a lot hate this pick, but in hindsight, I get it. TEs were coming off the board like crazy. 5 TEs went off the board before him, 4 of those within a 15 pick span where the Bears had the two 2nds. So, if the Bears truly identified Roush as their guy, and felt they HAD to have him, then this was the right place to pick him. Three more TEs went before the Bears next pick, and he undoubtedly would have been gone by 124 or wherever they picked. Thomas- It was obvious to me the Bears were going to take a really fast WR in this draft. Like TE, WRs came flying off the board at a record pace as well (most pass catchers in top 100 ever). But it's perfectly fair to question the pick and player. The pick, obviously front 4 was a huge need. And this was a real sweet spot for many of the DTs I liked personally. But the Bears didn't apparently. The player, I think if you wanted speedy, gadgety guy, there were guys like Brenan Thompson and Skyler Bell who were either just as fast (Thompson) or plenty fast enough (Bell) who are better at actual WR things. And then there were speedy outside guys like Bryce Lance or Colby Young who can fly and were better players too. Muhammad- no problem with this pick or player. CB getting some 2nd round steam in the last week or so. Got him in the 4th, CB is a depth and long-term need for sure. No issues here. You basically lost your chance to add any real DL help by this point anyway so take the best player out there, which Muhammad had a legit argument to be that. Elliott- again, the DL left wasn't going to move the needle any. Got him in the late 5th and was projected to go in the 4th or so. Depth LB. Only issue is that you just drafted a depth LB in the mid rounds last year with Ruben Hyppollite. Van den berg- I actually love this dude. He is very raw as a player, but he has elite athleticism with a 10 RAS and elite strength (35 reps of 225, dad was Mr Olympia South Africa). That strength just has to be more football functional. Definitely a late pick I can see making the team and outplaying his draft status. Good pick.

Have you considered he's motivated?

The only guy of my "almost certainly " that was left. Didn't expect that. I actually liked McNeil-Warren better, but consensus had Thieneman as a top 15 ish player.

Players who will almost certainly be gone before 25. Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Francis Mauigoa, Sonny Styles, Rueben Bain, Caleb Downs, Spencer Fano, Monroe Freeling, Jordan Tyson, Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Mansoor Delane, Kenyon Sadiq, Vega Ioane, Dillon Thieneman My top options at 25 (mostly in order) 1. Ahkeem Mesidor 2. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 3. Malachi Lawrence 4. Keldric Faulk 5. Max Iheanachor 6. Kayden McDonald 7. Chris Johnson 8. Colton Hood 9. Peter Woods 10. TJ Parker 11. Christen Miller 12. Caleb Lomu 13. Treydan Stukes