WrigleyField 22

I'm currently tied for 1st (technically in 2nd) with Brady and Cousins at QB in a league filled with Bears fans. So pissed at myself for not picking up Fields when he was available (and picked up for $2) on waivers like 3-4 weeks ago. Fields is somehow available in my league where I'm in first place. I had half of mind to add him last week, but I have Hurts and really was just wanting to maximize other roster spots and not waste a bench spot on a 2nd QB. Gotta try, but there's like zero chance I get the waiver claim since I'll be last. But maybe theres a 0.0001% chance lol

I'm currently tied for 1st (technically in 2nd) with Brady and Cousins at QB in a league filled with Bears fans. So pissed at myself for not picking up Fields when he was available (and picked up for $2) on waivers like 3-4 weeks ago. Fields is somehow available in my league where I'm in first place. I had half of mind to add him last week, but I have Hurts ans really just wanting to maximize other roster spots and not carry a 2nd QB. But hell, I'm going for it now. If I jinx him, sorry. Since it's a mid-weekend claim,

Also I think the Blind side emphasis is kind of dated, so I'm not overly concerned with LT being a "weak link" if they hit all the other areas strong. Though i don't see why you couldn't put Jones at RT either if your FA OT was more experienced on the left side.

2 in FA and if the draft board falls where you can grab that 3rd upgrade in Rd 1 or 2, go for it, but I don't think they need to force it. Jones with a full offseason program could see a big jump. He was always a big time project and he's frankly held his own for a guy I didn't expect to see turf all year. Even for being a 5th rounder, he was no in anyway supposed to be a high floor, ready to play guy and he already exceeded that expectation.

the offense almost doesnt need to be upgraded at this point. maybe accented, better interior OL perhaps, more time developing Fields/Mooney/Claypool/Kmet I think that's a little extreme. The OLine needs multiple pieces this offseason. We need more than 2 NFL caliber WRs. We lost the game yesterday because of the defense but you saw at the end where the offense falls short. Getsy did a great job calling a nice mix of plays, but most of them were short quick passes designed to get people space to gain yards. There were some deep shots but not many 15+ yard passes to the middle of the field. Fields Y/A yesterday was the 2nd worst in his career (4.4, only the Cleveland disaster last year was lower). It works and I have no issues with it, but when you get to the end of the game and you are still doing that, it says to me that Getsy doesn't trust the offensive line to hold up on any plays that take time to develop. When we did go down the field more, you saw the failure of guys like Brown. Sub out Brown with a competent 3rd WR and the drive probably continues and the Bears get in position for a FG or TD. I think the short game was also driven a lot by Miami D scheme. But yea, once you take out all the FA I'm still at 2 OL, WR 3, and RB2 as the major shopping list on O. And that's with not a lot of depth in backup roles either. And then 5 new additions needed on D, probably all in the front 7, though CB could make a case still. Then BVA in the draft (will still have plenty of room to add high quality prospects everywhere with the 3 day 1-2 picks, then day 3 is just more depth)

Meatball time: Need to stay at worst tied with GB on wins the rest of the way so they don't tie or pass the all time win total. And I wanna beat them like 40-15 in a game Rodgers is still the QB. Want to beat Jets so Fields collects another 2021 QB name to his W collection. Want to beat Eagles and Bills cuz it'd be big dick swinging moments. Can't get embarrassed by the horsefeathering Lions x2, and at this point have to put the lame ass Kirk Cousins and Vikes in their place. They're acting too smarmy. Gotta cheer to beat the Falcons in the Ryan P v Ryan P battle. Sorry, I'm rooting for for wins the rest of the way. .... For draft pick purposes, root for NO over Baltimore tonight. Would keep NOs pick (set to go to Philly) behind the Bears and would boost their second round pick.

Also need GB to win a few games. I hate to say it but the December game against them will definitely be a must lose game for the Bears. The Packers look like absolute trash, their schedule is tough too Oh no, what if the "Packers take the all time wins mark from the Bears" storyline everyone was prepping for week 2 just gets pushed to December.

Dammit, I sat Patterson. I just tried a semi-consolidation trade last week because my RB room was so deep, and CPatt looks like he's gonna put me in the same spot again. My fully healthy, non bye RB/WR room for 2 RB, 1 Flex, and 2 WR: Chubb, Henry, Taylor, Patterson, Olave, Deebo, Diggs Lol- yes, cry me a river, and no its not a 4 person league. Its auction+keeper, so I was always top-heavy to start the year, but I just flipped Walker and Stevenson who were small $ finds (and thus really good keeper value) for Deebo and Chubb. My TE still sucks (Pitts) and I'm streaming Ds. There is the perfect trade partner in my league who has Kelce and Bills D and is a bottom 3 team, but has no idea how to value keepers and doesn't seem to want to make a trade. So I haven't been able to consolidate my RB/WR talent fully.

Big-ish here would still be only a #3 WR, but that's still like a $7M+ price tag in the current WR market: Julio Jones, Zay Jones, Cedric Wilson, DJ Chark, Russell Gage, Valdez Scantling, and Juju Smith Schuster (with incentives) all got 6-10M AAV this past offseason, and most of those guys I think would be described as "#3s" If Mooney and Claypool are gonna be $30m (which frankly could be light), is Poles gonna also throw 10M at a Lazard and have a $40M WR room with no true number 1?

It is a good trap game if they make it that long. Right before they play division rival and playoff contender Dallas.

It will be a massive failure by Poles and co. if they don't add 1-2 more above replacement level WR's this offseason. It won't be easy. There's just stone cold nothing on the FA market. That's why we paid through the nose for Claypool. I mean there definitely will be capable, above replacement WR in FA. The question is if Poles sees a big-ish FA signing with Mooney and Claypool set for FA in 2024. Does he see three big-ish money WR or are they relegated to draft picks and lotto tickets now that he did the Claypool move.

I know the popular thing is to compare every early QB struggles to Allen, but the Hurts track Y1-2-3 is totally doable, and that doesn't have to be a ceiling (as Fields is naturally more talented than Hurts in most ways I'd say).

But this is where I remind you draft positioning improved so you feel better again.

Give coaches exactly one PI challenge. That’s it. Use it wisely. Nah, I hate all coach challenges tbh. Make them all booth review and they have to be done quick, XFL style.

Maybe there needs to be a third type of passing interference penalty. You have holds and then PI which cover a pretty big swath of tick tack minor grabs, incidental contact, and push offs, and then a guy just getting mugged. Make all the ticky-tack ones a 10 yard spot fouls and only the most egregious a 15 yard spot foul that is purely booth reviewable, but not open to coaches challenge. Shouldnt slow down the game much if any then. I propose the new 10 yard penalty retain the name pass interference and the 15 yard penalty be termed pass mugging. Edit- or just get rid of all the ticky tack one altogether honestly.

100% this is me too.

Full stop, that's the worst no call PI I've ever seen. And the one earlier on Jackson was so ticky tack. Anyways, thanks for the draft positioning help, refs. Fields is an unbelievable talent, and he hasn't even put together all the passing components yet. But if he keeps running the ball he's buying himself all the time he needs to continue to develop as a passer. They seemed to throw a lot of quick stuff today and may have been one of Fields better days doing so.

Since this is now the Patterson sit start thread: 1 RB and 1 Flex Patterson v LAC Deon Jackson v NE Joshua Palmer v ATL Rondale Moore v SEA Curtis Samuel v MIN Kenyan Drake v NO

I'm using that extra hour on leaf pickup. Win win

Little Dolphins primer for Sunday

Bears social media is corny as hell. Sometimes it works. This one weird though.

Did I post this here yet?

Yall thinking too small. Those 9 needs I listed are all FA needs, and the top 6 will all be large deals. Allocate like 60-70M AAV for the top 6 spots and then another 10-12 for the next 3. Another dozen minimum or near minimum salary depth resignings and signings after that. Even at that level you'll need at least 2 extensions (Mooney, JJ, Claypool?) to be at the point you'll reach your cash minimum. And they could go bigger accross the board there. But that gets them to their "top 53" pre draft with no absolutely glaring holes. After those 9 primary needs, the draft will supplement or double up those. Only your first rounder is gonna be expected to definitely be a day 1 starter and there will still be plenty of bumpable spots at premium positions.

For external FA it's sometime in mid March. Resigned guys can happen before that. So most good FA are scooped up well before draft, but you'll usually see some older vets hanging around to make a decision on a good contender situation and teams have also started to want to push back signings for comp pick reasons once it gets to a certain point past the initial signing period.

Can't remember if I posted here or not, but I think Fournette/Conner low end and Mixon/Jones high end are a reasonable guess for what Montgomery might demand on the market. It is a strong FA class so I lean towrards him falling on the lower end, but I'd be surprised to see him drop below there. And as long as the guarantees were reasonable I think you can make the case to keep Montgomery at that level investment. So that would be like 21/22 over 3. Mixon/Jones were like 48/4, but are both basically year to year deals with relatively small guarantees. If someone wants to go 4/50 with strong guarantees, then another decent RB should be available at the lower end of the FA market.