WrigleyField 22

I guess the only other consideration is that cancelation wasn't a given. It's possible that NFL was really pushing to squeeze in that game which would have been bad for both CIN and BUF no matter what

In exchange for having to do a silly coin toss I guess CIN then gets benefit of a possible neutral site AFC champ game, but I think they should have also gotten the benefit of a coin toss in a possible KC division matchup. I think any three of those things would have been mutually exclusive results as well. Not sure if teams were negotiating for this outcome or it was all league internal debates only... Maybe we'll get the full story one day. It was tweeted it passed, would love to see the vote breakdown.

Do you have that handy? If that's true that a policy already exists (which makes sense it would since they probably gamed this with covid), just go with it. It is *basically* what they are doing, except for the unnecessary permutations around home field. Yea so really what CIN loses is they have to go through with a coin toss* they shouldn't have to. So yea the coin toss part is my least favorite part of this for sure. But the Bengal fans I'm arguing with on Twitter seem more mad about divisional and possible bye seeding which they wouldn't get anyways. * only if they lose to Baltimore. If they win that part is moot.

Least dumb of all the scenarios that got thrown out. Mixon posted the league rules around game cancellations, saying those should simply be followed here. It's a cancelled game and there's a game cancellation policy. Horrible situation surrounding the cancellation but I'm not sure why the existing policy isn't used. Do you have that handy? If that's true that a policy already exists (which makes sense it would since they probably gamed this with covid), just go with it.

Hi raw, I can't pay you, but I'll put the Bears in the Super Bowl next season.

So dumb Least dumb of all the scenarios that got thrown out.

Giants WR corps. and the others? Stop moving the goal posts! How many do you want?

name 1 Giants WR corps.

There were definitely changes to play calling, though to be fair, the play calling during the hot stretch basically ran Fields into the ground, culminating in his injury. So they need to figure out how to do more non-Fields things. There's definitely still legit questions about Getsy. The run game has been schemed wonderfully, but the pass game weakness isn't all personnel. Coaching needs to improve there. Personnel needs improvement. And Fields needs to clean stuff up. All of those are fair statements, but I think Fields is the least of those problems. Put another way Theres OLines as bad, if not worse than the Bears Theres WR corps as bad, if not worse than the Bears There's teams with scheme questions There's teams with young QBs I'm not sure any team matches the combined issues of the Bears. And Fields biggest crime is probably being young and inaccurate in the short game. They can aid him in the former short term and I hope the latter is fixable.

Yea, for sure. The most likely outcome may still be a solidly top 15 guy, but who might fluctuate between frustratingly outside of top 10 QBs to occassionally pushing for MVP recognition. Definitely can't crown him as a perennial AP QB, but that ceiling does exist. Just a very far away from seriously talking about that ceiling as a reality. And frankly still a question if this horsefeathers show of an offense and season hampered his chances at the ceiling. But he showed enough that anyone watching the games should believe he has the talent. The tough part is actually growing that and getting more consistent and covering the holes.

Interesting hypothetical, since it's not from the Bears fan side. I think this is ultimately shooting a little low for the Bears (Pittman is good but prob not a true #1, and Leonard would bring a high floor with him, but you're kind of overpaying for certainty over upside) As a reference, Colts themselves went from 3 to 6 in 2018 and got 37, 49, and a 2019 2nd. So you have to basically say Pittman and Leonard are together worth 2 high second plus a bit more (5->1 should cost more than 6->3) Sub in DeBuckner for Leonard and look to add another mod round pick, and I think you're closer (if the goal is to get players instead of picks).

Denver does have a late first fwiw. From SF by way of Miami (Trey Lance and Bradley Chubb trades) Hopkins is the most intersting of the guys who might be attainable for less than a haul (something less than a 2nd). Higgins probably thr only one who I might go a first for, but they'd need to trade down first then use one of the extra picks for him.

Without getting to pedantic or creating mutually exclusive options, I'll take the Ja'Marr Chase side of the debate over the Penei Sewell side. I would take the unavailable superstar receiver as wellWell yea, basically what I said before, yea. Like no one should ever have a serious convo about parting with a high value pick for a OL in the way that we'll probably have that convo about a WR if they don't draft one. Which isn't also to day they could very well spend 50M on the OL this offseason, but it would be spread out across 3-4 non stars.

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?

It’s a 5 man group that takes at least 7 to get through a season, so it’s in constant need of refreshment. But with an emerging qb I’d prefer better protection early in the career if I have a choice. Without getting to pedantic or creating mutually exclusive options, I'll take the Ja'Marr Chase side of the debate over the Penei Sewell side.

It’s a 5 man group that takes at least 7 to get through a season, so it’s in constant need of refreshment. But with an emerging qb I’d prefer better protection early in the career if I have a choice. Without getting to pedantic or creating mutually exclusive options, I'll take the Ja'Marr Chase side of the debate over the Penei Sewell side.

Yea we have elite run blocking WR. Woo Interesting to see if there's any serious guarantee on this ESB extension.

Comments like that are of course reminiscent of this meme: I think the line improvement being easier is definitely true given all the factors for/against Bears going into 2023. But certainly I wouldn't say it's generally, the "easiest" way over getting a playmaker. Nor is it necessarily the more sustainable team-building way.

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. 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.

Colts beat Texans

Not nearly enough big money signings.

Link? https://es.pn/3fN70AU Huh. Wish it showed individual game odds. But they probably have Bears too low or Texans too high. For example 54% chance Houston wins and a 90% chance Bears lose? That seems way out of line of any other prediction I've seen. 60% / 80%? Theres no number that would make sense. They can't be nearly a coin flip odds at #1.

Link?

Final Elo-based outlook on the Bears draft finish. And I added a Vegas based prediction as well: