jason

Thanks. I was going to post this. Dude had pressure roughly 50% of drop backs. League average is 35%. No wonder his accuracy isn't perfect. No wonder he holds onto the ball sometimes. Side note: I would argue some of the stats are skewed because Fields is able to run and evade the pressure. Trade the #1. Stockpile picks. Build around the team leader.

Short answer: More high picks means better odds of more positions being filled with potentially better players. Long answer: Grabbing a QB at #1 means less day 1-2 picks, less future draft capital, and gambling three years of the franchise on a 50/50 roll of the dice who has numerous red flags and is not the unanimous best QB of the draft class, while filling other positions with known lesser quantities (it’s pure salary cap math at that point). Additionally it means trashing a QB who, while he may not be on track for the HOF at this point, is solid, electrifying at times, and appears to be a clubhouse leader with near universal support, despite the glaringly obvious team issues hindering his potential progression (coaching carousel, bad OL, bad offensive weapons until DJ).

The ferocious debate on this kills me. There are people from every level - former GMs and personnel people all the way down to garden variety fans - who have differing opinions on Williams. Highly respected people thought Fields was a can’t miss prospect. Well, his detractors now say that was a mistake while simultaneously believing in the same “experts” who are already putting Williams in the HOF. The fact is, however, that ANY AND EVERY college QB transitioning to the NFL is an unknown. Meanwhile, Fields supporters aren’t going off of unknowns. We have seen his glimpses. The arm strength. The spectacular play ability. The incredible running addition. The obvious rapport and leadership with teammates. And we have also literally seen him play behind a subpar OL, with multiple train wreck coaches at varying positions, and a single WR who opponents fear. Given all the red flags, and complete unknown, the smart play is to go with what we know and build a team, not take another risk and keep a team full of holes.

I’d argue the proof is questionable. Multiple people have broken down and shown where he has serious flaws reading defenses and holding the ball forever. But since he played in the weak ass PAC-Whatever, every team pretty much gets 30 points by default. And that doesn’t even touch on the topic of why he has huge stats against bad teams, but his production drops when he plays decent-good teams. Arm talent? Sure, elite. Big plays? Yep. Game play question marks? Also yes.

I would do research before asking stupid questions about circumventing the CBA and having ownership in a team. I’d also advise my son to take part in medical, and participate in the combine. I also would have told him to skip the nail polish and Cam Newton outfits. To me those are all red flags. You can dismiss them at your discretion, but where there is smoke there is fire. He and his camp are doing almost everything wrong when it comes to the extracurriculars, and that should be concerning to the Bears, because either he actually is a huge risk, or his camp is attempting to throw the Bears off the scent. Either way, it’s an issue.

This dude's idiot father not only doesn't want to hire an actual NFLPA agent, but he's also asking completely idiotic questions about foregoing NFLPA collective bargaining rookie salary structure, and yet again about team equity. Dude is going to be a combination of Jamarcus Russell and the the Ball Brothers moron father. The Bears absolutely can't take the risk that his father convinces his son to hold out, or to take it even further, basically holding the Bears entire franchise at ransom. TRADE THE PICK. https://www.outkick.com/sports/caleb-williams-agent-nfl-draft-status https://theathletic.com/5301341/2024/02/28/caleb-williams-quarterback-nfl-draft-ownership/?source=user_shared_article

I’m not a fan of using a 1st on Bowers while the Bears have Kmet, but even I would be OK with how this plays out. Offense with the first four picks is the exact strategy the Bears should have in order to maximize Fields and focus on offense.

The fact that I look at some of these and think of how many trades you had to make them come true, and I STILL think it’s believable, is exactly why trading down makes sense. Load up, double down on positions of need, draft insurance picks.

I tell people this all the time and nobody ever recalls how bad the OL has been. The problem is with PFF stats it can be incredibly misleading. Four linemen doing well on each play still results in pressure. Play 1-LT fails Play 2-LG fails Play 3-C fails Play 4-RG fails Play 5-RT fails That results on four linemen grading out at 80%, but a QB who faces 100% pressure rate. Especially last year, that’s how it felt watching Fields.

FYI-Don’t let any of that fool you. I’ve reffed 4 different “pro” women’s leagues, with teams stretching the entire southeast, and they’re all virtually the same. The level of play is atrocious. The athleticism is nearly nonexistent. It’s like a bad high school varsity team strictly because of the player size. I could give you dozens of examples, but it’s definitely not as legit as playing in high level varsity, let alone NCAA. A few examples: 1. A team traveled 10+ hours and forgot their pads in the “other truck.” 2. A team quit mid-3rd Qtr with injuries piling up and because one player said “we got jobs tomorrow.” 3. Team owner was also coach and RB. In other words, she footed the bill. In little league this is called “Daddy Ball.” 4. Nearly every player for one team, including “skill” positions, had a visible beer gut, or post pregnancy weight lingering. 5. I told two coaches at half of one game that if they wanted the game to continue with refs, they’d relay to their entire team that we are tired of hearing they’re uninformed complaining. They were absolutely clueless about the rules and never shut up. I could go on and on. I can’t speak about the time with the Commanders, but all women’s pro league resume building is like listing your HS job at Burger King when applying for a professional job in your 40s.

May the best Xavier win. LOL There would be some serious camp competition with that many new bodies. I could see a roster turnover like never seen before.

Concur.

Concur. I just don’t know how people actually watched the games last year and come to a different conclusion. Ruined Cutler. Ruined Trubisky. Ruining Fields. When will this franchise prioritize the OL in order to protect the franchise’s number one asset?

I won’t reply individually to each point, but it really comes down to percentages and finances in my mind. A QB at #1 means guaranteed holes elsewhere and a 50/50 coin flip success rate. It also means financially burdening the franchise with one player in such a way that virtually guarantees flaws elsewhere. It reminds me of going to the arcade with my kids. They spend all their money on those huge games. Sometimes those games are awesome, with great game length, amazing graphics, etc. And other times they die in very short order. Meanwhile I’m playing twice as long for a third of the money because I’m playing the classics and having a blast. If they pick the right game, their experience is fun. IF. In general, however, my strategy provides more consistent success.

See above. Although…PFF 🙄 As for the WRs, it’s their opinion, but also difficult to argue with that.

I’ll add this for supporting evidence. Fields had a bottom 5 receiving corp, and was pressured more than nearly every other QB in the league. Can’t properly evaluate any QB in that situation. https://x.com/clayharbs82/status/1758697342184607896?s=46&t=TmVeSz5NqQC-GsJTz-8YiQ

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Certainly possible. But picking yet another first round QB and surrounding him with an incomplete roster and poorly run organization just means they swung at the same pitch the exact same way three times in a row and struck out without even attempting another approach. I’d rather they at least try something different and build a complete team. Loading up on a first round QB almost guarantees the multiple glaring holes don’t all get filled.

Because there is hope. There is always hope. Hope that they learn from past mistakes and try a new approach.

You hold Fields because he’s still under rookie contract and you try to fix the team around him. If they improve the OL like you suggest, then Fields will look better and the Bears will make an immediate ascension.

I love Waddle, but that’s nonsense. We’ve seen countless teams make players look better than when they get to another team, whether that be offensive weapons, offensive scheme, coaching, or other. Look no further than Cutler: well over 4K, traded to Chicago, gets destroyed in year one, never the same again.

Didn’t know that!! Not surprising. It’s the same thing every Bears QB since Cutler has had to deal with. When will this franchise ever learn?

If Poles picks a QB, Williams to be exact, with the #1, that rookie will flounder with a below average OL, a below average RB, and a poor offensive scheme. DJ will want to leave. Kmet will want to leave. Williams will show himself to be an eccentric prima donna. The rookie QB will then be a bust. And Poles will be fired for following the previous Bears’ flaws of hitching a wagon to yet another horse that’s walking into a minefield. Clear the minefield first.

Exactly. I hate that we haven’t learned as a franchise yet. First Trubisky, now Fields, and yet some still want to go all in on a single guy for the third time. It baffles the mind. Why? So a new guy can come in and fail? The Super Bowl is won by teams. Not individuals. Great teams make superstars. Mahomes goes from good to great because he has a very solid OL, an incredible offensive mind running the show, one of the best TEs in NFL history as a weapon, and a solid WR corp. The Bears need to focus on becoming a team, and right now they have a long way to go offensively.