Pixote

Gee Whiz, it seems you are looking for a reason to not like the guy. I see nothing wrong with Poles' behavior. If the player doesn't produce he'll be cut or traded. If a player refuses to sign for a reasonable offer, he can leave. I don't think Poles showing his "love" for the players will affect his decision making. More importantly, I have no doubt in my mind that no matter how many "hugs" they receive from Poles, they know he will fulfill his obligations to the team first when push comes to shove.

I pray he stays. I do not want to start over again. This staff has shown they can develop young players. Poles is trying to build us a sustainable super bowl quality team by filling the roster with talented young men through the draft. Yes, both our HC & OC have had some issues, but this is the first year for both in their position. The strength of the locker room culture and the development of our players is of the utmost importance if we are going to climb out of this enormous sinkhole that has had Bear Fans frustrated for decades. My guess, the week following the last game an announcement will be made. ?

I watched ESPN today, with a panel discussing NFL topics. Two things took me by surprise. It was the first time I had ever heard so much praise for Justin Fields. I couldn't believe what I was hearing after everyone including their mommas were constantly dissing him for three years. One analyst (Marcus Spears) said that if for some reason the Bears traded him to a team that was a "good fit," Fields has the tools to be a super star. (We need to address the OL again and get some more targets for him instead of trading him for a 2nd or 3rd round pick! He can be the next "Bears" Super Star ? ) Second, they showed some stats on Philadelphia. God, their defense sucks! They are at the bottom of the league. Many categories they were bottom 3. They actually ranked the second worse team generating pressure on the QB, only achieving pressure 16%. That led me to look at the stats for Carter, the "generational" can't miss player we passed on. The dude only has 6 sacks and 18 solo tackles. LOL. Shows you how the term generational when describing a draft prospect can be misleading.

I just read an article on bearswire.usatoday.com where executives were asked what the Bears would receive for the #1 pick in this years draft. The consensus was it would be huge, greater than last year's trade. Sounds like a good opening bid. LOL

Can anyone tell me if a player with a past history of an ACL injury, who is fully recovered from same, is a higher risk to reinjure that knee in the future than his teammate who has no injury history? I know there has been a poster who has amazing info on the medical related questions. I always wondered if he was a professional trainer or in the medical services field. LOL I like Penix a lot but do worry about his previous ACL injury.

You do an amazing job providing us with great statistical analysis. I am sure it is a very time consuming project, one which I greatly appreciate. Now we need to make sure Poles gets a copy so he doesn't make a mistake and give up on Fields. ? After seeing these stats, I am more convinced than I was before that trading the #1 pick to build the roster around Fields would be the best route to go. Thanks again for these brilliant contributions to our forum!

If I took any QB at #1 it would be Daniels. However, I am sure Poles is going to get some mighty interesting offers for the #1 pick. There are so many teams, far more than I can remember of recent, that are in desperate need of a QB. I suspect the competition will be to the Bears' favor.

Excellent post, I agree 100%

The thought of Bagent taking over as starting QB is intriguing. I don't think any of us took this guy seriously when he was on the bench. Sure, he had fantastic stats in college, but not against top caliber opponents. BUT, the dude BALLS! For as little time as he had to acclimate himself to the NFL, he did a fantastic job. With a year being tutored, and with the experience he gained in his brief stint as a starter, what can we expect to see the next time he steps on the field? You never know. I am not saying he is the franchise QB of the future, but he might just well be a damn good QB that can win games with a good supporting cast.

All of your proposed trades seem spot on, under past history. However, I honestly feel that if Poles puts this #1 pick (crossing my fingers) up for bids, with the current market for a possible franchise QB, a team will overbid and give us a bounty in exchange, beyond the reasonable scenarios you listed. On a side note, with the investment they have in AR, do you think NYJ would trade up for a top QB prospect?

I think the #4 in his draft was obtained in a trade down

I am in the "Keep Fields" camp, but with the side that we draft a QB to develop behind him, "Just in case". For that reason, I love your draft with one change. Like most, I figure Williams, Maye, and MHJ will be the first three off the board. Not sure which order, but still... That would leave Daniels at 4, who I feel might be the best QB in the draft. So I would go with him at #4.

For those, like myself, who would prefer to keep Fields and draft a QB later in the first or possibly second round, allowing Poles to finish filling the holes in our roster and gaining future draft picks, there is an article by Greg Gabriel, a former scout, on why the Bears drafting a QB in 2024 with the 1st pick would be a mistake. A Scout’s Take: History shows drafting the first Quarterback is a huge risk

Everyone seems to be convinced Flus and Fields will be leaving after the season is over. I'm not convinced. I would not be surprised if both are here next year. I will wait and see. I trust Poles to make the best decision.

There are only three men I would consider hiring to replace Flus. Jim Harbaugh - I read that Michigan offered him a huge contract worth 12M but it had a clause that he would not seek a HC spot in the NFL for the year 2024. Would he sign with us and pass up 12M? If Michigan wins the National Title and the Bears offer him bit $$$, I think he would. Todd Monken - The best clone of Fields is Lamar Jackson. We can see what Jackson has done with Monken as his OC. Watching the Ravens, led by LJ and a damn good defense, blast San Francisco last night, I wonder what Fields would look like with a system designed for him by Monken and a host of blue chip players added to the roster by trading the #1 pick? Brian Johnson - almost forgot this man. OC of Philadelphia, designed the system Hurts is running, would be an awesome addition. They say you need a good QB to succeed. But you also need to give him an OC who knows how to utilize his talents as well a team with a roster strong enough on both sides of the ball to succeed. I think keeping Fields, drafting a QB prospect mid first to mid second rd, adding Harbaugh, Monken or Johnson as HC (or keeping Flus as HC and finding a good substitute for the OC position), and then allowing Poles to hit the jackpot by trading the #1 pick is the best route to go. Just MHO.

I just read somewhere that he has never missed a game since being drafted. This is one tough dude. Hell, he injured his knee on the long reception in the first quarter and continued to play, refusing to leave leave knowing DJ also injured his ankle. I have to say he is a true Bear of a man.

Nothing? We have a young team, They need to know how to win. Gain that swagger our team has not had for ages. This win will pay dividends in the future. NE probably just helped solidify the #1 pick for the Bears. Bears win! NE Loses! ENJOY!!!!!

I thought for sure NE was tanking it in the fourth quarter. Belichick sure didn't seem happy, LOL

No, now we need to allow Santos the chance to win games for us instead of dumb ass moves which turns the ball over to our opponents without putting points on the board.

Congratulations on getting clearance from your doctor on your neck injury. I obviously know from experience how difficult it is to rehab from an injury involving one's spine. Just in time for the holiday season, and lots of fine football to enjoy.

I hate "I told you so" responses, but, LOL, I argued last off season that we needed to replace our punter. No one agreed with me, saying we were solid with Gill.

And pray we are not saying the exact same thing a year after introducing a new HC.

I found an article on WindyCityGridiron.com: Chicago Bears 10 Positions of Need in 2024, non QB edition It lists 10 positions of need, not including QB in the argument. These all have been discussed on the forum by our posters, but it is a nice breakdown with reasons behind the selections. Good arguments were made for each position listed. If Poles could fill all of these with quality starters, we will be a playoff team. (Assuming we have the Coaching Staff to maximize the roster's ability.) 10. Back-up Safety 9. Interior Offensive Line Depth 8. Back-up Tight End 7. Wide Receiver 3 6. Punt Returner 5. Safety 4. Edge 3. Center 2. Wide Receiver 2 1. 3-Tech Defensive Tackle

I just read this in an article on bearswire.usatoday.com. I knew we had blown leads in three games that we should have won, but what I didn't realize is that it ties an NFL record. The writer is of an opinion that this alone, despite the vast improvement of the defense, justifies his replacement.

There is also an option to put a forum member on your ignore list. You or PHX could always use it so you wouldn't need to interact. Personally, I would hope you guys would bury the hatchets and we can return to enjoy dreaming of the awesome future the Bears are going to have.