BearFan PHX

I understand the point you're making. I'm saying as we go forward, I think Johnson will make the good decisions and Poles will follow. We are already hearing that Poles wanted to trade picks away for players at the trade deadline and Johnson told him not to. So I think there's good evidence that Johnson is running the show. Of course Poles and his scouts provide all the detailed info, film and investigations that Poles and Johnson will rely on to make those decisions, so it's not like Poles will be twiddling his thumbs. But when it comes to talent evaluation, I think Johnson will have the last word, and right now at least I am more comfortable with that than letting Poles have it. And yes, that includes the picks we made this year, to at least some extent. I really like Loveland as a player, but i still think taking a TE with the #10 pick overall is a strange choice. We still have no pass rush. I also understand taking Burden at #39, but we should have taken Aireontae Ersery at #41, instead of trading down for Trapilo and Turner in my view too. Is Turner going to be worth the trade down from Ersery to Trapilo? But i think Johnson will be much better going forward now that he understands the roster better, having coached all these players this year. And maybe Johnson didnt mind taking Loveland high because he felt he needed to get Caleb going into the system. If they are aggressive about stocking the defense this offseason, then that's all gonna work out. So hopefully that clears up some of what might have looked like having it both ways, with a little more detail? I think Poles is a good team player, not much of a leader type, and is a hard worker who will do a good job setting the table, but Johnson will make the right strategic decisions after that. I mean, Poles has been here a while, and pass rush has been a consistent problem, who has he drafted on the pass rushing edge?

Its a mixed bag with Poles, and while he did draft Caleb, anyone would have done that with the first pick. And anyone would have signed Johnson too - he was the belle of the ball last year. (yes i know at the time i thought Vrabel was the guy, but I also didnt really know anything about Johnson's demeanor, but you can assume every GM did know those things) I also think that starting with last year's draft, Ben Johnson is really the guy calling the shots on personnel. Now that might be a reason to keep Poles, because he is letting Johnson make the decisions, but it's not necessarily a reason to praise him?

right. you can see him doing all the little things. This is what they mean by feeding him with a fire hose. Theyve got him working on all these things - it's a lot, especially for a guy that never got coached this way before, and is still working on his footwork - starting with switching his forward foot from the snap. But hes putting so much of it together. When the game slows down a little for him, he's gonna be a killer.

Here's a chart of Caleb's numbers in his first two seasons playing vs. some greats and their first two seasons on the field. What I like, is that his stats are right there, and we can see by eye that he isn't anywhere near his full potential. You can see that a couple guys had monster years (like Mahomes and Marino) and then followed it up with a 2nd year more like Caleb's, and you can see that Rodgers benefitted from maturing ont he bench! Mostly you can see that Caleb needs to get his completion percentage up in the 65% range, but he is pretty careful with the ball, his INTs are very low, and none of this includes his rushing yards and ability to escape the pass rush.

I agree with all of this. I dont want to spend a first round pick on a LT, even though Id love to have that player. We need a pass rush so bad. I honestly wouldnt mind if the first three picks all go to defense. And of course there is free agency and all that too. Imagine if we could put two studs on the D line. That, plus the continued development of the offense would make us a real contender next year. Course you have to draft, sign the right guys. They have to be absolute beasts.

agree with all of that, and I still think we might add another LT, but it wont be in the first round I agree. We need to stock that defensive line more than anything else.

Amen!

Theo, right now, is a mediocre pass blocker, and that's better than we've had there in many years. He's also pretty good in the running game, and he's young and probably still ascending. I still think we may look at that position in the offseason too, but Im not mad at Benedet, and I wouldnt presume to put a ceiling on what he could become either at this point. so, we are lucky to have him, but he's not good enough yet. Fair?

I read this line in an article, and i thought it summed it all up really well - the good and the real room for improvement, and what it means. "Chicago ranks 3rd in total yards and 7th in points scored through nine games. The have the #2 rushing attack in the league, and Caleb Williams already boasts four 4th quarter comebacks. Most agree the offense isn't even playing with great rhythm yet, which is alarming for future opponents." We're already here statistically, and by the eye test there is a LOT better we could do. Imagine where we are headed...

There was an article a few weeks back that we should trade Caleb too. LOL Clickbait has changed the nature of sports reporting, and narratives take on a life of their own, and often bear no resemblance to the actual facts on the ground LOL The good news is the final score is still the final score, and if we can control that, then they will write new stories about how we are supermen and cant fail. They will also be total BS, but theyll be more fun to read LOL

I think the biggest change for Edmunds is that he isnt playing MLB this year, but WLB and of course Dennis Allen instead of Eberpoo

agree with both of you

Yeah, we arent that good yet. Upcoming teams are going to challenge, and probably expose us, especially without a pass rush. But Caleb will get good reps against real defenses, and if he can keep pace, that will carry over to next year to build on.

We are very lucky to have Caleb, and he is gonna lead us to that Super Bowl we all want so much. I cant say when, but when this is all working, we will be contenders every year, just like a real football team.

at 6-3 we definitely control our own future. and you're right the Minnesota and San Francisco are winnable games, and important ones in terms of making the playoffs. But of course without a pass rush we arent going far into the playoffs either this year. I will love to see this team fight to get into the playoffs, and I'm looking forward to how they look against the really tougher teams, even if we lose. If we give them a game and show we can stand with them that will be a tremendous step forward we can build on next year. But if/when we taste the playoffs, I don't expect we will stay alive very long. I'm not saying this to be a downer, quite the opposite, I'm just saying that my expectations can be met for this season if Caleb develops and we learn that we are actually a team. A lot of that is already happening, and with this season to build on next year, I expect the window to be open, and to stop looking for moral victories and actually start kicking some ass. Especially with some kind of fix for the defensive line. If we could get excellent DL play next year, this team will be truly dangerous.