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Love it!!! So fired up

Now we have some fun with our upcoming opponent..and a decent breakdown of just a few plays.

So you want Quenton Nelson to protect your QB and help your run game? Here’s the antidote and this is from a game on 18 October. Credit to the Football Scout because he’s not just showing the highlight plays he reviews many plays that never hit the stat sheet.

I almost wonder if that was part of his plan. We expected him to make a splash in FA and draft last offseason. He signed a bunch of average DTs that better fit the scheme but left pundits scratching as to why no edge or stud DT. It worked out pretty good. He did push for Buckner but landed Simmons, who is a bigger prize once he seen the team is looking good to contend. The backfield with Bryant, Thienemen, Gordon, and Bush at LB will be something else. DA will be able to elevate his scheme to BJ level.

For the last two years I’ve wanted the Bears to trade for Simmons, among others. Last year he got into his contract year and it was going to be expensive as in two 1st Rd picks and then we’d have to sign him to a huge contract. Poles says I have a plan…. we’ll let Tenn pay him the big bonus then swoop in during middle of their bad season and give them two 1st Rd picks for Simmons. They’ll be happy to have them needing to rebuild and we’ll get our man for our playoff run without paying the bonus money, and have cap flexibility in future years on his contract if we need it. George Halas smiles from above.

I remember when we added Peppers and thought wow that was expensive. Then after he played a few games for us and I watched film I realized how much he controlled his side of the field. Literally. It made everyone else’s job on defense easier Then we traded for Mack and it was expensive too. I watched the film and realized how much he controlled his side of the field. The only problem with the Mack trade is that we didn’t have the offense we thought we had. This time we know we have the QB and the rest of the offense. Simmons can absolutely control his part of the field. This is a DT who commands a double team and can still win the play. Plus you can’t really double him briefly and then go up to block a LB as we like to do. So that right there means a free LB on every running play. Then there is pass rush because you have to double him t there too. That opens a gap in the interior for a blitz. Effectively where we used to need to rush 6 to get a free gap we can now get that with 5. Which puts one more player into coverage.

Love this move by Poles. It's definitely an overpay, but a smart overpay. I will never fault a GM for being aggressive for the right guy. It's one thing when you overpay for Chase Claypool, but Simmons has been the best defensive tackle in the NFL for the last two years. He is a complete game changer. He's basically first or top 3 in virtually every advanced category for his position, and keep in mind, he did all this playing for the Titans, who never have leads. Imagine how much better with an offense that can score? He's also on a very nice cost controlled contract for the next 3 years. I think there's a team option that perfectly lines up with Caleb's contract extension kicking in, so there's not a huge financial burden. Hats off to Poles. I'm beyond excited. No reason to stop now, though. If they could go out and get Khalil Mack and/or another corner, that would be the icing on the cake. LFG!

and some secondary connections, Poles trades for Sweat, teammates with Simmons at MSU. Poles also worked with TEN GM in KC. Full circle. Also, if they didn't trade Dexter, I don't think they make this trade.

Mack, Simmons, Jarrett, Sweat as your starting front-4 would be wild.

Rumors spreading like a wild fire about Chargers and Bears close to making a Mack trade. Sounds like its between the Bears and 49ers and the pricea 4th or 5th

I wonder who loses their roster spot due to the addition of Simmons. Might need to free up a little cap too create flexibility DE Jeremiah Kromah cut, they also signed Josh Butler CB to practice squad

He wore 96 at MSU, but van den Berg has that. 99 would be cool. 98+1.

This will have a ripple effect across the entire defense. It is getting a more disruptive All Pro level Akiem Hicks, cost controlled for 4 years.

Cool. I appreciate those side stories. Question now is, who will wear 98?

The butterfly affect..

What I love about this is Grady had been playing more snaps than he should at his age. Also, Simmons will free him up by taking all of the double teams. This could be a multiplying effect for our front four.

Not trying to cope about the picks because thats all they are but the Bears already have two extra 1st rounders from the last 3 draft classes, Odunze was the extra pick in 2024 and Burden is ultimately an extra one from 2025, so those picks are already on the roster.

Simmons has experienced a 10-46 record over his last 56 games. In only two of those games did his offense score 30 or more points. In 37 of those games, his offense scored fewer than 20. 2022 was his last playoff game, had 3 sacks, 3 TFL, and 8 tackles, and the Titans lost 19-16.

Dayo was looking good on 3rd downs, Booker is stepping up. Gordon and Thieneman are blitzing to confuse qbs. I cannot wait until Bryant gets back to move Lewis back to depth rotation. Some one needs to poke JJ with a stick to see if hes alive. The Bears have capitalized on Caleb Williams rookie contract.

Bears now with the #1 and #18 DTs in PRWR. Grady is also #2 in Run Stop Win Rate.

DT pass rush win rate rankingsRank Name Team Wins Plays PRWR DT% 1 Jeffery Simmons TEN 33 124 27% 84% 2 Maason Smith ATL 25 95 26% 85% 3 Brandon Dorlus ATL 22 84 26% 78% 4 Alim McNeill DET 37 146 25% 84% 5 DJ Reader NYG 16 71 23% 73% 6 Zach Allen DEN 26 134 19% 80% 7 Walter Nolen III AZ 15 81 19% 73% 8 Braden Fiske LAR 14 76 18% 78% 9 Osa Odighizuwa SF 22 120 18% 79% 10 Byron Murphy II SEA 19 108 18% 78% 11 Jonathan Allen CIN 17 97 18% 76% 12 Milton Williams NE 18 103 17% 79% 13 Calijah Kancey TB 15 86 17% 74% 14 Arik Armstead JAX 18 104 17% 81% 15 Dexter Lawrence II CIN 19 110 17% 88% 16 Moro Ojomo PHI 16 94 17% 80% 17 Leonard Williams SEA 16 95 17% 85% 18 Grady Jarrett CHI 19 116 16% 71% 19 Vita Vea TB 15 94 16% 81% 20 Calais Campbell BAL 15 96 16% 83%

I think Sweat will also be motivated after hearing coach Johnson say Hardy played well over the last two games and deserves more opportunities. Basically the Bears never missed Sweat, so he needs to ball out. With the addition of Simmons, who is owed 27 mil next season, the Bears can cut Sweat with no dead money. That seems like a.no brainer, imo.

Secondary effect? Simmons played two years with Sweat as MSU. Maybe that will motivate Sweat a little bit?

We would have QB Andy Dalton and Eberflus while living with 4 win seasons. I really think Kevin Warren told Poles to go get Ben Johnson. I do not think that happens if Poles had to go to the McCaskeys

I can't even imagine where the Bears would be right now, if not for that play.