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Definitely interesting, but a weird trade that I don't think benefits the Bears enough as much as extra picks would. Like you said, Pittman isn't a true #1 and needs to be paid soon just like Claypool and Mooney. You could pick which 1 or 2 to pay, but then you risk giving up a very high 2nd, and probably another very high pick (in lieu of Pittman) for a 1 year rental. Leonard would not make any sense on the basis of the Bears just traded a LB partly because he wants to be paid the same way Leonard is being paid. Basically would be saying, we like Leonard better than Roquan, which may be true but is terrible value wise.

Only way is going to be a trade. Either as part of a package in a trade down, or by trading a bunch of future picks, which I don't see them doing. I think there will be a decent amount of WRs made available this offseason, but IDK how many are true stars, but I can see any or all of these guys coming available. DeAndre Hopkins- 31 in June, Kyler's money going up, Hollywood's 5th year is 13M and long-term candidate Keenan Allen- 31 in a couple months, Williams got a big deal, Herbert's gonna get a Brinks. Could be cut w/ 25M cap hit and injuries Michael Thomas- 30 this year, cut candidate, but hasn't played in like 3 years Jerry Jeudy- signed 2 WRs long-term and Russ. No 1st rounder, so could get a high pick or 2 from him. Tee Higgins- Chase and Burrow have to be paid top of their positions Brandin Cooks- 29, has been on the trade block for 2 years, issues w/ organization this year, probably not going for a 1 DJ Moore- did just sign a long-term deal and Carolina may not fully rebuild, but did trade McCaffery and have a couple other WRs in house Moore interests me if Carolina would move him as part of a trade up to the top 2 this year. Higgins as well, but IDK that the Bears would trade from 1 or 2 to the late 20s where Cincinnati will likely pick (I would, but I'm a huge Higgins fan). Maybe they'd take a 2024 1st if the Bears can get an extra on a trade down. Jeudy, I don't see working out a trade since Denver has no picks and the Bears aren't going to give them 2 overall for him and they probably won't want a future pick since they need help now and have no picks. The other guys are all too old. They'd be the oldest player on the Bears offense, assuming they move on from Whitehair this offseason. I'm not trading anything for a guy with like 2 more years of high level production.

Sounds like 1.25M According to Kevin Fishbain, the Bears have signed WR Equanimeous St. Brown to a one-year extension that runs through the 2023 season. Ian Rapoport adds the deal is worth $1.25 million in total, which isn't a huge investment. Is it 1.25M guaranteed? NO idea.

Sounds like 1.25M According to Kevin Fishbain, the Bears have signed WR Equanimeous St. Brown to a one-year extension that runs through the 2023 season. Ian Rapoport adds the deal is worth $1.25 million in total, which isn't a huge investment.

Remind me, is he the good blocking receiver? Or am I thinking of Pringle? Both are good blockers. Neither is good at receiving.

I also think the need for a #1 WR (and also the term itself) are overblown. There's some pretty good offenses out there that don't have that elite WR. LA Chargers- 3rd in the league in passing. I think people assume Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are #1 level WRs. But both have been injured a ton this year and Herbert hasn't seemed to miss them. Williams had 1100+ yards last year, but only 1 other year over 1000 yards and that was on 49 catches after a crazy 20+ YPC. Allen is similar to what Allen Robinson was these days. Better separation, but more of a possession guy in the slot than a true alpha WR that's going to win on the outside. SF 49ers- 13th in passing, despite 25th in attempts and 3 different QBs. They have zero 1000 yard receivers thru 16 weeks, And I know Deebo has been hurt but he was 3rd on the team in YPG before he got hurt, he wasn't hitting 1000 either. And many consider him a 1 based on last year, which is his only season over 802 yards. Jacksonville- 10th in passing. Obviously, Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones are not #1s. Can argue that Mooney and Claypool would each be the best WR on this team. But they have near elite level OL play and obviously also a 2nd year QB. Kirk is barely over 1000 yards this year, but they spread the ball around to 3 WRs, a TE, RB and a bunch of depth and gadget players. Probably what the Bears need to model their passing game strategy to if they can't get an elite WR. Now that's only 3 of the top 13 passing offenses, but the Jets and Saints are also top 1/2 of the league without #1s (great OLs coincidentally as well). And literally every team is ahead of the Bears when Baltimore, Atlanta, Tennessee, NY Giants and Houston probably have a more pathetic depth chart than the Bears had when Mooney and Claypool were healthy.

So, I do disagree with the bolded part. I think OL help would work wonders. The OL was a little bit better in 2021 and for the most part we weren't talking about Mooney not being able to get open. The Bears just played Robinson, who has never been a great separator and a bunch of tiny guys who took a while to get open when teams were physical with them. I think 2023 Claypool will be better than 2021 Robinson at getting open. And Mooney with his speed, will get open if you give Fields time, as he has in the past. I just think the OL he put together isn't to the level where you're good with almost no help to the weapons. If he was adding elite level play at C, LG and RT, then Claypool, Mooney, Rice is probably fine. But on paper that is a middle of the road OL, at best and still a bottom 1/3 group of weapons. Less about time, it may also be the ability to run 3-4 receiver routes more often. The Bears OL+TE+RB+FB I think often gave "enough" time which is partially why ESPNs Pass Rush win rate was being fooled all season. It's the right route tree combo with the right time that has to hit. This is mostly a theory, but I think a reasonable one and that I may dig in with the PFF data later. But hopefully Fields will be on the Jalen Hurts progression. That may be largely possible even without a AJ Brown type add. Yep. That throw to Velus vs Buffalo. The deep ball to Pettis vs Washington. The deep one to St. Brown against Jaire. The Mooney 1 hander highlight, all those throws were 2 man routes (a couple had checkdowns leak out late). But those were all max protect plays. The Bears had to commit extra blockers to be able to throw deep, which is Fields' strength. So yeah, having the ability to protect while giving him more than 2 or 3 options would go a long way.

Obviously, the first pick would be awesome just for the trade down haul they could get. But part of me wants them to get the first pick for all the Bears fans who stupidly attacked Louis Riddick and others on ESPN for even suggesting that the Bears would be the worst team in the league. Not that the #2 pick makes them any more right about everything, but I did argue on Twitter that while I didn't expect the Bears to be #1 pick bad, it certainly wasn't something to attack people for thinking. They clearly had one of the 3 least talented rosters in the league and an extremely tough schedule.

It's OK. Hit both lines hard with 6 new players on each. Probably overkill on OL, but wouldn't complain. The offensive weapons are largely unchanged. Doesn't have Velus on the roster, which he certainly will be. But he adds 3 rookies, the highly picked one from a non Power 5 (I also disagree with his assessment of Rice, not a prototype #1, I see more of a 2 or big slot) and two more on Day 3, who are unlikely to ever amount to much. The RBs are the same. The TE depth chart replaces a journeyman backup (Griffin) with a 7th round pick. That's putting all the eggs in the improved OL basket, and other than Seumalo, who has had a long injury history, those moves are otherwise middling. I think my least favorite thing about it is effectively counting on a 2nd round rookie WR to be your WR1. All the line improvement in the world isn't going to fix the passing offense if none of the WRs can get open or make catches. This is also why I'm in huge favor of either trading some draft capital for a real WR1 (like Adams from the Raiders), or snag any WR1 that ends up a cap casualty on another overburdened roster, since the FA crop is seriously weak (Julio Jones might be the best option and he's not a great option). So, I do disagree with the bolded part. I think OL help would work wonders. The OL was a little bit better in 2021 and for the most part we weren't talking about Mooney not being able to get open. The Bears just played Robinson, who has never been a great separator and a bunch of tiny guys who took a while to get open when teams were physical with them. I think 2023 Claypool will be better than 2021 Robinson at getting open. And Mooney with his speed, will get open if you give Fields time, as he has in the past. I just think the OL he put together isn't to the level where you're good with almost no help to the weapons. If he was adding elite level play at C, LG and RT, then Claypool, Mooney, Rice is probably fine. But on paper that is a middle of the road OL, at best and still a bottom 1/3 group of weapons.

Good points. Didn't think about that angle. Thought the Ravens were already out on the division.

Texans and the Colts should be a fun game with both teams potentially trying to lose. In the 7 games Jeff Saturday has coached, the Colts are -79 in point differential. And that includes a 5-point win, a 1 point loss, and a 3 point loss in OT where they blew the biggest lead in NFL history. If you take out those 1st 2 games of his tenure, and the fluky 1st half against the Vikings they've been outscored 175-52 in 4 1/2 games. It sounds like Nick Foles is hurt as well, so it may be Sam Ehlinger at QB for them. The Texans don't have much incentive to win either, but at least they have a 2nd top 12 pick coming and can move around wherever they want if they need to.

It's OK. Hit both lines hard with 6 new players on each. Probably overkill on OL, but wouldn't complain. The offensive weapons are largely unchanged. Doesn't have Velus on the roster, which he certainly will be. But he adds 3 rookies, the highly picked one from a non Power 5 (I also disagree with his assessment of Rice, not a prototype #1, I see more of a 2 or big slot) and two more on Day 3, who are unlikely to ever amount to much. The RBs are the same. The TE depth chart replaces a journeyman backup (Griffin) with a 7th round pick. That's putting all the eggs in the improved OL basket, and other than Seumalo, who has had a long injury history, those moves are otherwise middling.

Cincinnati would have needed KC to lose for HFA. I say play AFC Championship at neutral site if it's any 2 of the top 3 seeds playing in it. Play it in Indianapolis. Nice central location. Both teams split revenue

The interesting thing here is there are Super Bowl implications with this game. I'd estimate about 90% of NFL games don't matter in the grand scheme of who wins a title or not, if the NFL had to cancel 1 every couple years and have an unbalanced situation. But this game was between 2 of the top 3 teams in the AFC....the conference that will be the favorite to win a championship. And this game was going a long way to determining who wins home field advantage. If Buffalo won, HFA was there's. If they lost, goes to KC. If KC loses, potentially to Cincinnati after that. If not played, KC would win HFA based on a 1/2 game difference. HFA can legit be the difference between who makes the Superbowl or not. Obviously, in comparison to a player's life, HFA doesn't matter at all. And I'm sure Buffalo would take going on the road to KC if it meant Hamlin was OK. But there will be a lot for the NFL to discuss. If you're Buffalo, at this point does it even make sense, setting aside all of the actually important stuff, to screw up your schedule for the next few weeks for...a coin flip shot at best? Every one of those players on both teams woke up today significantly more drained than they would after a normal game, going through the whole process of a game again (and two, potentially three short weeks) to potentially avoid playing a first round game just might not seem worth it. And then I would think it would be even less important for Cincinnati, but haven't gamed out of those scenarios. Again, setting aside all of the actually important stuff Yeah that's a good point. The only likely way to get this game in would be to move everything back a week and give their potential 1st round opponents by weeks either now or right before the playoffs. I don't think it is worth it to have to play 2 games to everyone else's 1, just to have a potential extra home game in Buffalo, though I'm sure folding table manufacturers would be distraught.

When I played sports, including football, I never once considered the possibility of a catastrophic injury. I could comprehend the possibility for a broken bone or other orthopedic injury, but nothing beyond that was ever on my mind. Looking back at it now, and especially as a parent/coach, sports look more like a minefield of possible serious outcomes. Even baseball, which never concerned me one bit while playing, has the ever-present risk of one line drive or errant pitch changing someone's life forever. Going back a while, but I remember Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis essentially dropping dead on the court, so I got the idea in my head at a relatively young age that it could happen, but you know how it is when you're young, death is still and abstract and you don't really feel it. To that point, I was pitching once ages ago (as a teenager) and had a vicious comeback liner actually take the hat off my head without hitting me directly, and I am definitely more disturbed by it now than I was then. An inch or two different, or a nanosecond slower on my reflexes, and who knows. I think of stories of people/kids getting felled by commotio cordis, and it's scary. We think of young athletes at the pinnacle of physical fitness as being impervious to stuff like this, but at the end of the day we're just a complex mess of meat and electricity, and there can be a wide array of underlying flaws and weaknesses that we aren't and will likely never be aware of, and may just need the right trigger. But you can't really dwell on it or it'll paralyze you. I think it's important to realize, commotio cordis is pretty rare. It takes the perfect storm of a bunch of different things happening at once. A hard hit, to a direct spot in the chest, at the exact time between heartbeats. The heart beats, rests and then beats again all within fractions of a second. But it's crazy, I played football in MS for 2 years, HS for 4, and 1 year in college and I never missed a practice. No broken bones, no head injuries. And it wasn't just me toughing out things. I legit never got injured. So, I wasn't really worried at all. I am a little more worried about my son, which is why when he wanted to play youth football at 6, I got into coaching because I wanted to be there and make sure he was doing things properly and being as safe as possible. I didn't want to trust anyone else to "protect" my son. He broke his wrist in football this year and I was like, "oh well, it happens". Sure didn't want him to be in pain, but bones heal even if sometimes incorrectly. Head injuries can have long term effects, but they don't typically kill you on the spot. I feel like I am more worried about a fastball to the face while he's at bat, or a line drive to the face when he's pitching (really hate him pitching). I am more worried about an elbow to the face in basketball and breaking an orbital bone and messing up his vision, or now his teeth now since he got braces right before Christmas. I'm guessing because I played football. I come from a huge football family. Nobody has had anything happened that has ended their career or threatened their life. And I have heard stories of people being really messed up from a baseball to the head. Of course, there are football players that get paralyzed, but I supposed I rationalize that by saying, "oh it's because he put his head down and hit with the crown". But that's probably stupid of me to dismiss.

Yea I have a feeling Buffalo and Cincy just have a 16 game schedule. I certainly don't think Buffalo is going to have that be top of mind, and it likely doesn't affect Cincy in the standings anyways. It's honestly hard to imagine what the Buffalo players will have to do to even be ready for week 18. Due to the trauma, anything will probably be a rush job and mentally unhealthy for those players. The interesting thing here is there are Super Bowl implications with this game. I'd estimate about 90% of NFL games don't matter in the grand scheme of who wins a title or not, if the NFL had to cancel 1 every couple years and have an unbalanced situation. But this game was between 2 of the top 3 teams in the AFC....the conference that will be the favorite to win a championship. And this game was going a long way to determining who wins home field advantage. If Buffalo won, HFA was there's. If they lost, goes to KC. If KC loses, potentially to Cincinnati after that. If not played, KC would win HFA based on a 1/2 game difference. HFA can legit be the difference between who makes the Superbowl or not. Obviously, in comparison to a player's life, HFA doesn't matter at all. And I'm sure Buffalo would take going on the road to KC if it meant Hamlin was OK. But there will be a lot for the NFL to discuss.

It is not, and honestly, I don't know that it would matter. Chest plate is pretty well protected by properly fitting shoulder pads. But when you're talking about that level of force and another hard surface, such as shoulder pads or a helmet of another player, there's not a whole lot that can be done. Just a freak accident, honestly.

Yea, even given the extreme lack of investment in this team, that's... Really bad. Poles got what he wanted. Maybe not what he wanted, but certainly reaped what he sowed.

The defensive backs coach is leaving for a college job after next week's game. Of course, the defensive backfield has been the most promising portion of this team outside of Fields. A lot of young players back there who have developed in the last few weeks (throw out the Detroit game). I was wondering the same though. I'm guessing a couple guys will take a fall. IDK if it will be presented as a firing, but I'd imagine a couple guys will want to leave and others will be replaced.

This really hits close to home, literally. Damar is a Pittsburgh kid. And by all accounts, a really good dude. I know when something happens, you only hear the good of the person, but in his case, it seems pretty genuine. His charity to provide school supplies and toys to children in need was apparently started before he became a pro. That Go Fund Me he started had a goal of $2500 and it's now over $3Mil in donations. Did 300K in like 10 minutes after it was posted on social media. He went to Pittsburgh powerhouse, Central Catholic HS. Most famous alumnus is the legendary Dan Marino. Also Marc Bulger and Stefan Wisnewski. But he was recruited pretty much everywhere, but he chose Pitt to make sure his family could see him play and so that the community would have a local kid to be proud of. That video of him hugging his mom before the game, really shook me. Like had no idea how much their lives were potentially going to change in the next hour or so. But I'm glad she was there and able to be with him instead of watching it on TV and getting excruciating info second hand. Not to make it about anything but Damar at this point, but last year (to the day actually) my nephew suffered a really bad ankle dislocation and it was rough to see his leg not pointing in the right direction on TV. My brother (his dad) watched it on TV before catching a flight to Tennessee right away. And that was just an ankle. Not a life or death situation. But with nephews that play (1 at the same level) and a son that is early on in his football career, it makes you think a lot if you want them to even play the sport.

Also pointing out, I survived taking Kyle Pitts late 3rd round. I really did well rounds 4-7 where I grabbed Amon Ra, Jacobs and Lamar Jackson and Aiyuk. Jackson was turned into Tee Higgins after my 11th round pick, Justin Fields became an elite player and made him expendable. Higgins turned into an elite option (when not leaving in the 1st quarter with hamstring injuries) when Chase went down. Rhamondre Stevenson in the 9th was a great pick too. I started 1-3 then 2-4, then 3-5 before winning my last 9 en route to the championship.

The QB rushing record would be nice to have. But I know Justin doesn't give a horsefeathers about that. He's running out of preservation instead of design most of the time. But it would be one positive to take away from this disaster of a season.

I'm not so worried about the Claypool trade itself. On the surface, it was a good idea. They figured out Fields was the guy, and they added him a weapon to help him develop this year who was also controlled thru next year. He's a WR, who in theory, fits to Fields strengths as a guy that wants to throw the ball down the field. I'm fine with the trade itself considering what else was out there and who else was going to get him if the Bears weren't. The issue is that he put himself in the position to need to make the trade due completely ignoring the WR position early in the draft. Everyone wanted Pickens. He's a similar big, downfield WR. He's also a great blocker, which this team has prioritized at WR. And then they go and trade for a guy that became expendable because of Pickens. And basically, Poles' approach to last offseason will have him chasing the same damn things he needed when he took over the job. This is the same thing that doomed Pace and many other Bears regimes.

I can't believe this is the team they put on the field with Justin Fields. I know there were trades and a bunch of injuries to solid players, but this organization is really potentially gonna horsefeathers up another QB, aren't they?

Devante Adams' diving highlight reel catch, followed by a Jacobs TD 2 plays later (after a DPI) officially gave me a championship win! Been in the league about 16 years, 1st championship in 12 years after 3 second or third place finishes in the last 6. My opponent had Jalen Hurts all season, but with him out, he added Minshew and started him over Daniel Jones who outscored Minshew like 38 to 16. He also had both Lions RBs on his bench who out up over 22 points each.