raw

Thanks. I was wondering who Marshall was. Didn't bother looking up who went shortly after Hester in that draft.

I wasn't talking about trading for a lot. But may be able to get a 5th or 6th in a draft where the talent drops off after the 4th. He's basically D'Onta Foreman to this year's team. Swift obviously is the #1. He's a better receiver. Johnson's the change of pace as the slower, bigger back. Herbert isn't really a change of pace as he's similar speed to Swift, but slower. He doesn't add anything as a pass blocker. He doesn't play special teams. He's going to end up as a guy that's a gameday inactive or get 3 or fewer touches per game if all the RBs are healthy. He's cheap enough to have some value to teams like Vegas (Getsy), Dallas, or any team that doesn't have a really strong RB2. The Bears have Homer who can play RB3, who IS a pass blocker, plays special teams, and knows the Waldron offense already. They can also start the late RB cycle again a year early if they get one from a Herbert trade.

Yeah, and it's not like they didn't know how many picks they had when they traded for Bates and Allen. And the reason stated for trading those late picks is because this isn't a super deep draft. So, even a trade of 75 may not be in the cards, because there's not much of a point of getting more Day 3 picks in a draft you deem not to be deep. I do think they end up with a 5th pick somehow though. Either they take a LT at 9 and trade Braxton and/or they trade Herbert.

Poles and Flus have been interviewed recently and it really sounds like they are prepared to take a player at 9. Poles mentioned deciding between WR, OL and DE specifically. Also said something about 25 picks over a 3-year span which they have goal of 8 picks per year, and that's right on target for his average over his tenure so far. I'd absolutely prefer to take the pick at 9. I do think 1 of the WRs will be there. At least 2 of the top 3 DEs will be there. And there's about 5 OL that could conceivably go top 15, and at worst, 2 will be gone by 9. Really interested to see what happens with Braxton Jones if they take OT (no interior guys worth a top 10, per usual).

I think McCarthy is kinda getting underrated due to people thinking the same as you. But he has 28 collegiate starts and won a national championship, which is more games than Drake Maye has started. The biggest issue is that he had is his coach only let throw over 20 times in 60% of those games (for example, Maye has a season's worth of attempts, 300+, more than McCarthy). But when he does throw, he's as efficient as they come. I believe he had a 73% conversion rate on 3rd and 7+ this year (1st down or touchdown). This isn't to say he's a stud. Because obviously teams want to see if he can carry a team, which he hasn't really shown. He's the youngest QB in a class with 3 guys that have started for 5 years. Penix needs to run around like crazy at his pro day. Like make 0 throws from the pocket. He was one of the most mobile QBs in college before the ACL tears in both knees. That athleticism is still there somewhere to some extent. Teams just don't want QBs who don't move anymore. But I do think you can get him on a vet laden team and he can be a solid player.

I'd prefer the Bears stick at 9 if the draft board looks like I think it will. 1. Caleb Williams 2. QB- either Washington stays or Minnesota gives them an offer they can't refuse 3. QB/Harrison Jr- Either NE stays and takes a QB or MHJ, or Minnesota gives them an offer they can't refuse 4. QB/Harrison Jr- Either Arizona stays and takes MHJ or Minnesota........ Three QBs and Harrison or 4 QBs are gone top 4. 5. Key Spot- either LAC stays and takes WR2 or OT1 (Joe Alt) off the board, or Minnesota, you get the point. 6. NYG- the Giants could take a QB, but they did sign Drew Lock to go with Danny Dimes. They for sure won't take QB5. This could be a WR. Their WR corps is pretty terrible. 7. TEN takes OL. They have Ridley, Hopkins and former 1st rounder, Treylon Burks. They have the worst OTs in the league. If Alt is here, they run to the podium. If Alt is gone, they take an OL with the last name starting with "F": Fuaga, Fautanu, or Fashanu 8. ATL has London, Mooney and Rondale Moore. They have no Edge talent. They get top edge on the board. Seems to be pretty good intelligence out there that 4 QBs are going to go top 8. Vikings clearly gearing up for a trade up. Denver, Vegas, and the Giants could also move up too. Marvin Harrison and Joe Alt are certainly going top 8 as well. That leaves 1 of Odunze, Nabers or DE1 (Verse, Latu, Turner) on the board at 9. Depending where QB4 and WR2 go, I think WR3 is in play at 9. Whether Poles takes WR3 or not, remains to be seen.

You didn't say that in the post I quoted

You listed 0 red flags

I think those issues are overblown. Fields held onto the ball too much because he wasn't comfortable with or fast enough with what he was seeing. I feel like Williams held onto the ball because he knew if he didn't score 45, his team would lose the game with a horrid defense. Maybe that was an issue Fields developed in 2022 (it wasn't) due to the bad surrounding cast, but it's also one he couldn't overcome. Williams has shown enough throwing in rhythm to make me believe it won't be as bad with him. He also has a MUCH quicker release, so even if he's never any better than Justin at reading/seeing the field, he has the quickness to get that ball where it needs to be than Fields did with his big windup.

Or this. My answer was the long-winded version of this.

Yeah, I think Adam Hoge had a video about that. If Washington or New England had #1, it would have been a pure celebration since the season ended (kinda like Bears fans last year). We knew they were trading for an absolute haul. But this should be even better. An elite QB prospect is on the board and the Bears have never had a prospect this universally revered. Part of it is that most Bears fans do actually really like Fields. The flashes of talent are things almost nobody else has the ability to do. He's handled everything professionally, and was handed a raw deal (changed coaches, tank year). But the other part is that most fans were united on the Fields love as a prospect. He was pretty widely thought of as the 2 or 1B to Trevor Lawrence, so to get him at 11, most Bears fans thought he was a complete steal. There was even the sentiment that "if this one fails, we're truly cursed" with Fields, right or wrongly. So if Fields was highly regarded and he failed, what's going to be different with another highly regarded QB? We hear and say things like, "most talented QB in Bears history", but that's exactly what Fields was. Trubisky was previously the highest pick the modern Bears have used on a QB. And Jay Cutler came to the team already with a 4000 yard season under his belt, pre-prime years. So, the skepticism is probably well deserved from this fan base.

I don't think the trade package says anything about anything. Teams know the Jets were trading Darnold and he got more than this Fields trade. Players don't get traded for their value or based on what the league thinks about them. There are several factors including contract status (either too much money owed or too few years left). Plus, there's doing right by the player, which Poles said he would do, and I think did. Word is the Eagles offered, but Fields wanted Pittsburgh. Better chance to start games over Russell Wilson instead of Jalen Hurts.

I watched a podcast on YouTube and there's someone in the comment saying the trade is fake and another smokescreen. LOL. I also read on Facebook that people are still expecting a trade to Washington or to 5-6 to take another QB. Which, stupid people are on Facebook. But this is the Trump era, where you can just say a proven fact is "fake news" and go on with your life believing a conspiracy theory.

I mean, yeah Keenan Allen is great. He had one of the best seasons of his career last year. 6th in catches despite missing like 4-5 games. But how long can he be that great? The league isn't hurting for great WR talent. The Bears are fine, money wise, but it's still not going to be good to have a 33-34 year old WR taking 20-25Mil of the cap space if he's not on the field or has clearly lost a step, which are clearly possible outcomes in the near future for Allen.

I'm not in favor of paying money to a WR in his age 33 season or beyond. I know Allen is still really good, but he has also missed 11 games in the last 2 years. And as we see this year and saw as recently as 2021, there are literal tons of good young WRs coming into the draft every year.

The Vikings clearly want Maye. About as clearly as Washington wants Caleb. Washington hired Kliff Kingsbury as OC. Vikings have Josh McCown as QB coach. Kingsbury was Caleb's QB coach at USC. McCown was Maye's OC in high school. Washington is not going to get Caleb. They are a prime target to trade up with for the Vikings in the pursuit of Maye (who I don't think the Patriots would pass on at 3).

Not a real quote.

I'm honestly fine if the Bears just make 4 picks. Other than LB and maybe CB and RB, there's not really a position they couldn't add to. But there's also not any positions where they truly need a starting caliber player. They could use another WR, but they already have enough targets to go around between DJ, Allen, Kmet, Swift and Everett. Defensive line is the closest thing to a desperate need (other than QB), and I think 1 of either DE or DT could go a long way. They get a bookend for Sweat, great. Walker moves inside more. They get a good 3-tech, great. Walker plays DE more like he did last year. Depending on how good that 1 player is, he makes everyone else on the DL better. So when you consider QB at 1. You still have a top 10 pick to potentially take a top 2-3 defender in the draft. The 2 later picks can be that 3rd WR and OL depth, and I'd still feel pretty good about the roster.

I don't know that this really says much. It's basically, a pair of 23 year old QBs (one a rookie added to a bad team, one a 2nd year added to a playoff team) with talent around them. The goal of every team should be to have talent around their QB.

Agreed. Not that they couldn't pick Odunze still, as Allen is 32 and on the last year of his deal. And they could still use that downfield threat/X WR that Odunze can provide. But I'm not really a huge fan of this deal. Not sure any of this was on the table (or still can't be), but I would have rather signed Mike Williams for just money, then traded that 4th for Josh Sweat in Philly. Still makes a guy like Nabers a potential pick at 9 (if there) and makes me feel more comfortable with a trade down at 9.

They traded their own 4th and still have the Philly pick.

His best bets are teams that have a starter on his level (non top 20 starters) that he can come in and compete with. But you probably have to throw out Minnesota in the division. I think we could see a team not on the radar taking him as a backup, potential developmental guy (Rams, Seahawks)

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.

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.

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.