WrigleyField 22

Bears are apparently courting Golladay and I don't know what to make of it. I've seen some speculate they could then pull Arobs tag, which would be the most incompetent series of events Pace ever did.

Buffalo seems like a good fit for Trubisky. Wonder how much he's getting.

Not seeing Fuller as big time loss, he's on the downside of his career. Fuller would be a very big loss if the Bears actually think they can make the playoffs. Without him, they would have to sign someone close to equal, which would cost at least $10M. Finding a way to stay under the cap with him, let him walk in FA next year gets you likely a 4th rd comp pick in 23 draft. This is part of the problem with Pace - he signs players to contracts that they never finish. They get cut before the end of the deal and forfeit any comp picks. He has been fortunate with Hicks, Arob, and Trevathan's first contract and a few stop gap guys like Prince and the DL/SS carousel. He can't pull it off on offense, though. Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, renewing Massie was a mistake - should have let him walk, there are many more - not even getting into Robert Quinn. Serenity now! Well they are at 3 comp picks the past 2 years. I'm not sure that's a valid complaint. Comp pick value is typically driven by young players on their first big contract, not established players getting a second bit deal. Obviously it can, but it's typically a lesser driver. As to Massie, unfortunately the option year loophole was pulled out from under teams. It appears they actually had that in mind and I'm not sure they could have known that rule would change.

I don't think that's the plan. I think they'd like to keep Arob for one... As for Fuller/Hicks, who knows. Hicks is easier to just part with, IMO. But I'm sure a trade is a consideration for either. Personally I wouldn't rush to trade either. They have some more cap to move around if they need to. They could still play void year games with Dalton- there should be options for cap management rather than cutting those gusy now. If come June 1 they're still concerned with the future cap liabilities and there's no trade market for Hicks or Fuller, you June 1 cut them (really you don't need the June 1 aspect, but its immaterial - more about exhausting their possible trade market).

I've never heard of him. PFF does not like him.

I've watched this like 12 times already.

Statistically better, as in, statistically indistinguishable.

Uncomfortable like the stomach ache I had when I ate too much baked mostaccoli this weekend. I knew what I was doing and what the result was going to be. But it tasted good at the time. In this scenario Mack/Arob is the baked mostaccoli (not Dalton). Occassionally regimes turnover without any uncomfortableness. Meyer has a clean slate year 1 for the Jags to do whatever he wants, for instance. But yea I have zero fret about the cap games. Even if they end up full Saints like 5 years from now, they're probably at a 2 year cap cleanse max. That's basically the max that a cap cleanse that can exist. And Loomis might also just keep on deferring it like it's the national debt. Until he dies at least and then his successor might just pick right back up.

It's not a terrible idea to significantly reduce your cap allotment intended for a 30 year old corner. Can they at least trade him, even if it's not a lot? For the little bit of cap allocation remaining in 2021, he can at least turn into a 2023 comp pick.

Might be a bit rash and an overreaction but, its obvious Pace is terrible, nothing good or productive is going to come of this Dalton signing. By the way what are the reasons to believe these guys can figure out the problems? Pace cleaned up a disastrous roster and made it pretty good. For a team with terrible QB play, they've won a lot of games. I do not think it is obvious he is terrible. I think he's obviously competent with some major shortcomings. But as I mentioned before, the guy doesn't hesitate to move on from mistakes. He made a huge mistake with Mitch, and is now in the process of attempting to find the right draft pick QB with the help of people who actually know about the position (something he didn't have/utilize when selecting Mitch). Dalton is a misuse of assets, which is probably Pace's worst trait but it sure feels like QB is this year's kicker/TE position where he brings in multiple guys to try and find the right guy. It is fairly obvious that the depth chart in 2021 isn't going to be Foles/Dalton/Bray. They are going to take some sort of shot in the draft if they are not able to convince Seattle or Houston to make a move before then. Hell, it could come down to the last second to see if whatever player Seattle or Houston wants is available to them at whatever draft pick the Bears are able to offer this year. It's still possible they do something like trade Foles to Philly where he's still a legend in the process of stockpiling picks to move up in the draft. The QB rooms isn't done being addressed. It sucks right now, but there's almost certainly more to come. I agree it's a misuse, but also think most fans/bloggers are overstating it right now. They're at the point where Pace either does well enough around the margins that he lasts long enough for cap growth to save his skin or his replacement has a uncomfortable but not unmanageable cap cleanse as they rebuild the roster anyways. A lot of its funny money and deferring the cap is generally good, within reason. The Bears are going more Saints-like than I'd prefer, but there is also kind of a point where you hit a threshold that it doesn't make sense to then ease up on funky cap deferrals when you're already all-in. Pedal to the metal. Shooters gotta shoot.

Yea that was my plan. But as long as that isn't the plan, I don't want them just rolling Nick Foles out there, either.

With the way some of these rumors were swirling, that's actually less than I thought they offered. I'm guessing it would be rookie contract guys as the two starters? So two of the group: Smith, Johnson, Nichols, Daniels, Mooney? (maybe Kmet)

If you like Dalton now, why didn't you go get him last year? He signed to be a backup to Prescott, where there was less likely of a chance of winning the job as opposed to Trubisky. They spent a draft pick to get Foles. I just don't understand the logic. The carousel continues. Well they obviously didn't want to wait out the market for Dalton last year. He was still a Bengal until after the draft. I did think at the time they didn't need to pull the trigger on Foles when they did. But anyways I think you have to be careful about making direct comparisons between the market in each year.

horsefeathers it up in the sense of paying top much or picking the wrong guy? Or both? Picking the right guy. In the sense that most QB picks fail, yes. I the sense that I think Pace is like predetermined to pick bad QBs, nah.

Say Pace manages to trade up, maybe, even to a place where Wilson or Fields might be available, do we really expect him not to horsefeathers it up again? horsefeathers it up in the sense of paying top much or picking the wrong guy? Or both?

Those all seem light, trade charts be damned. I think you can probably count in dialing up the trade chart with a 10-20% premium in this market. Perhaps more for the Bears because teams are gonna know.

Another overpay IMO and no indication yet that this is just the market for guys like him. But in principal I like the player as a RG/RT hedge against the draft options.

Its not a real win, but it's definitely a Bears Win ®.

10-13M is starter asset? Did the clocks role back to 2008 last Sunday?

horsefeathers it. Bring back Trubisky, AND draft a QB and make this summer the kicker competition all over again. Now you get it.

how does this make you feel better? Dalton can earn up to $13m Because it doesn't appear there's gonna be reasonably cheap alternatives (like Taylor) and going into late April with only Foles with a team apparently trying to compete seems super dumb.

I think it's a sign Russ deal is dead, perhaps because the Bears decided they had to horsefeathers or get off the pot and move to plan D. But if next week it magically reappeared, they could find a way. 40M QB room be damned.

Already feeling better. The QB market just sucks. They should have conceded on 2021 long ago, but...

Also for 10M I much prefer Fitzpatrick. I thought that was high when I saw that deal, but I clearly underestimated the QB market.

Okay I can officially say it. BOOOOO (but also not that surprised, that's my mildly annoyed boo)