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If I'm a GM, we are poised to make a playoff run with our current roster. We have a top 10 offense, I will find ways to tweak the team to make the defense better. I'm not mortgaging the the future for one player. I don't get the dismantle a team with 12 or more wins mentality. Cut Edmunds but you have to resign DJackon and will resign Byard.( Leader of the defense) . I would resign Duhshon Wright (won't be cheap) and try to trade JJ. Terrell Smith and Gordon will be back. Trading weapons and one of our best OLs in years for a pass rusher doesn't make sense to me. Fortunately Poles and BJ will figure it out. .

I hate to lose picks but as late as we should be drafting and one pick would go to a DE prospect anyway, then we lose one 1st and DJ for a Crosby or Garrett. Crosby has more years left, Garrett is a goat right now. Choose your poison.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to have Crosby or Garrett but I don't think they will lose the first round picks for the future. If they get rid of DJ and Kmet, I'm not going to whine about , I trust they know what their doing. I just don't think they are bringing in a free agent that cost the draft picks. There are several free agents available. I'll post them here later.

I see your point. I think, based on nothing, that Poles is going to be very active on the DL. I remember last year saying we would put 4 new faces on the OL, and there was some kind of fight about it being only two, and Tevin would stay and all sorts of stuff, and Poles has shown that he isnt afriad to really move things around, so Im looking forward to what he does. Gonna be fun for sure.

Not much experience but I played one year in college and after I got hurt, I wanted to play. Smarter people controlled the room. Mongo did you ever play hurt? Let them play, give Rome limited snaps. Limited snaps for the old folks. Do what ever it takes, not to lose.

It's notable because Poles is using some cap this year to add more for next. He has his team working on adjustments to help maximize moves he knows are needed.

thanks, I dunno if the over the cap numbers i was using included that or not. I really only put the three OL on the list because youd gain $10M trading them, not because i think we should. I just listed everyone with significant savings.

Jonah Jackson's contract was converted today. They moved 2.5 million to bonus which frees up some.

Herm Edward's said they are football players, let them play. If you want to give a player a week off start with the older vets. Does Thuney need a week off? He is about the only one we might be able to spare but I think he would go no matter what.

I just checked out the Bears Cap, and there are more names that come up that get you more than $10M in cap savings if you can trade them. These will be pre June 1st trades, so Im taking the lesser of the numbers. We can trade lots of people from our Defense if we replace them with good players, here's the cap space. Montez Sweat trade........... $16.9M Tremaine Edmunds trade.....$15M Jaylon Johnson trade ..........$7M Dayo Odeyingbo trade..........$11.5M Grady Jarrett trade...............$11M If you could trade all five, you'd have opened $62.4M in cap space, and you could replace the D line and more in free agency. Plus you'd end up with a bunch of draft picks to move up in the first round with. Some of them you can just cut if there is no interest, again pre June 1st numbers, so the lower ones Montez Sweat cut........... $6.9M. Tremaine Edmunds cut.....$15M <------------- same as trade Jaylon Johnson cut ..........$7M <------------- same as trade Dayo Odeyingbo cut........-$1.5M (no savings) Grady Jarrett cut..............-$2M (no savings) You can cut Edmunds and Sweat, and have $21.9M to spend on Sweats replacement And of course the trades on offense that make financial sense are: DJ Moore trade....................$16.5M Jackson, Thuney and Dalman each get about $10M in space with a trade, but you'd have to be sure about Newman or something Cole Kmet trade...................$8.4M I think from all these data points, you can say: Edmunds is gone one way or another Jaylon Johnson, DJ Moore are also probably on the trading block we would be thrilled to find a trade partner for, but probably wont be able to: Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo You can start to see the different opportunities there are for Poles, and how he could move assets around to build up the defense. https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/chicago-bears

Sacks are important, but pressures are the key and the Bears are last there. I also want a front 4 that helps stop the run. As much as Dayo is criticized, he was good against the run and is missed. DJ might be the hardest to move, but the most deserving for his pay. Luther Burden has emerged and looks like the next Amon St-Brown. Odunze would be at 1000 yds if not-for the injury. Where does DJ fit and does he want to stay knowing he is 3rd or 4th going forward? I'd love to keep the squad intact but if they can make his cap a DT or DE that produces then we would be better. They really can't afford to pay him to be a 3rd target as insurance for injuries.

I agree and will say it's about coaching. Look at the fest going on at Michigan since harbaugh left. The Indiana Coach came from the Alabama tree and now there winning.

If you add selective free agents and rely on the draft it will extend our good years. If you have good drafts the next two years it continues the cycle. To get those trades, probably will be 2 firsts and a player. If it's just players go for it, it's the draft picks that bother me. Almost every contract on the books has outs in 27. I think Poles redoes contracts and end Edmunds to get the money needed for next year to add someone just doubt if it's Garrett or Crosby. We all know if the team wants one of those two, he will find away without weaking our team. IMO

I think a big difference is in college these teams with byes have had multiple weeks off vs just a one week bye. Big difference between fresh and prepared and prepared but rusty.

Yeah, I think if hes ready to go, Odunze should get some snaps this week. In the past, we have put recovering players on a limited snap count, and that makes sense here too. Football is in large part about momentum, so resting your starters isnt always the advantage it seems to be. My only point here is that there is a middle ground. You can play a guy some, but not all of the snaps. And if we get up more than 2 scores in the 4th qtr, then sure, Bagent can come in.

Go Hoosiers!

Happy New Year, gang! A little additional food for thought. I’ll admit I haven’t kept up with college football as closely this year as I have in the past, and I honestly forgot just how much the season has changed with the expanded playoffs. While watching the final ticks of the Texas Tech–Oregon game, a graphic popped up noting that all but one of the teams with a first-round bye ended up losing their first playoff game (Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas Tech). Makes you wonder if having the bye is really the advantage it’s supposed to be. And I’ll add—how strange is it to see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, and Alabama not in the national championship picture… while Indiana is sitting at #1? Absolutely mind-boggling.

I agree entirely.

I think Poles and Johnson want this too - they are aiming at sustainable roster turnover. Eventually that will mostly come from the draft. But with Caleb on his rookie deal, now is the time to make a run, and acquiring a free agent pass rusher is a good idea. In fact, its a necessity. We've seen what it takes to win without a pass rush - last minute heroics that have been exciting to watch, but we need to be able to pressure opposing QBs. This offense is gonna cook with or without DJ Moore, but the defense is awful without a pass rush.

BJ said all that matters is winning. He's not taking his foot off the gas.

100%. Momentum going into the playoffs is important.

Something interesting I discovered the other day: If the Packers lose their final game to MIN, they'll be going into the playoffs on a 4 game losing streak. The last team to win a playoff game on a 4 or more game losing streak to end the regular season was the 1986 NY Jets. Just some food for thought.

The Commanders are on their 3rd string QB and probably resting guys, too. It's totally conceivable Philly will win that game even if most of their starters don't play. The only way he should pull the starters is if the Bears are winning by 3 or more scores in the 4th quarter and have the game in hand. Ben mentioned in the other day, you want to go into the playoffs on a high note, not on a 2 game losing streak.

The question I have is, has the plan changed for this week's game? When BJ insisted we had plenty to play for (#2 seed and home field advantage), it was assumed we would need to win our game against Detroit this weekend to secure it. The news is that Philadelphia will rest its starters against Washington. If BJ sees Philly losing, will he start pulling his starters as the game progresses? If he does, we may not win, but a Philly loss will still secure the #2 seed for the Bears. Personally, I'm greedy. I want the 12th win. To go from 5-12 to 12-5 would be awesome. Plus, revenge against Detroit would sweeten the deal.

The window is just opening. I'd rather it stay open for a decade.