BearFan PHX

and no one held out for a better contract LOL Everything I wanted from Vrabel I'm seeing with Bj and DA. And there is a lot that Vrabel cant do that these guys can too. Cant wait to see it on grass.

So I guess today the first string offense didnt line up correctly, Johnson told them to do it again and it still wasnt right so he sent all the starters off the field. We havent had someone like this in a long time. So great to see. I was worried Johnson wouldnt be enough of a hardass back when i wanted Mike Vrabel. Now I wouldnt trade Johnson for Vrabel for ANYTHING. So glad to see accountability. Finally.

for sure. I think we still need a top notch Edge player, but no roster is ever perfect or complete. We will probably draft that guy next year.

And not helping opponents know where to hit you during the season As much as we want more info as fans, I like that the team doesn't officially give out info they don't have to. I'm wondering if we will see Dexter and/or Turner play some DE. I wonder if Amagadje will end up depth at OG, or play there in a couple years. I wonder if Burden will play some HB, and jet sweep slot guy like Coradelle Patterson I wonder if Kyler Gordon might play some safety and the Bears have kept a pretty good lid on all those speculations, each of which I've read in various articles. Not saying any or all of them are true, but the Bears sure didnt confirm or deny any of that, so I agree they are being informationally disciplined.

something to do with his leg apparently?

Thats the page I use too - set the drop down menu on the right side to "Trade Post June 1st" to really see the costs.

I dont want to get rid of DJ Moore. He's very important to us this year. Im looking down the road a bit. By next year, if Burden and Odunze are what we think they will become, then Moore's cap hit starts to look big. Also, if you know you're going to move on from him in 2028, or even 2027, then you might want to get decent trade value for him in 2026 or 2027. Its got nothing to do with how good players are, its just when they start getting near to 30, and they have trade value, and eat up a lot of cap space, and already have replacements on the roster, the question arises naturally. I think we are so used to how the Bears have done things that we are surprised when trade value becomes possible for a player who is still good. If you look at how the Patriots managed their cap under Belichick in the Brady era, you see them trade a lot of really good 28 and 29 year old players a year before their next big contract comes. That's how we got Akiem Hicks, for example. So it's not personal with DJ Moore for me. It's just an obvious question based on the numbers - and similarly for Cole Kmet. When you do it right, it's like a college basketball team. If you have any Junior or Senior players who are balling out, you know they are gone to the NBA next year, and that gawky Freshman is going to be your next star, so you have to recruit and develop players to keep that cycle going. We have a great staff now, and if we keep trading older players and/or trading down in the draft, and do well with player evaluations, then we should always have lots of new young talent in the pipeline that you can coach up and get on the field under rookie contracts. I think that's the natural rhythm of success in the NFL? And now Poles has gotten ahead of the pitch count, and is drafting replacements for players 2 years for now. That's how you do it!

This is such great news. I personally am not a Braxton believer, but i don't want to hear the narrative that he didnt get a chance, and the more competition, the better. If Trapilo and Amagadje play really well and Jones beats them out anyway, then fantastic. Let the best man win. The more competition the better. I personally think Trapilo will win the job, but I havent really seen Amagadje in any kind of fair way, so let's see who is who under live fire.

just cap-wise, we can trade Dj Moore anytime if it is a post june 1st trade, and save at least $20M on the cap, that goes up to $25M next year year. Kmet will get us $10M any time. So you dont need to wait in terms of the cap. Roster-wise is a different story.

oh he definitely has a quick release, and he reads defenses really well

I thought Chark was older. Interesting. Anyway, in a couple of years they will be over 30. If Burden develops like he is expected to, then he plays the same position and style as Moore. So when I talk about trading DJ Moore, I mean, next year or the year after, Moore will still have a lot in the tank, which is why someone would trade for him. But it doesnt make sense to leave $30M in cap space on your roster if you have a young stud who can be used the same way. This is forward thinking. Ultimately everyone on the team will be replaced, and then everyone on of those people will be replaced etc etc - its the nature of the NFL. You cant afford a team full of second and third contract guys, you always have to be replacing them with younger guys on rookie deals. Especially when your QB gets past their rookie deal. So its interesting to see Burden, Loveland and young CBs right now. Braxton Jones wont get to his second deal here for instance. None of this is happening right away, but you can see Poles settling in to a longer term plan, and making moves a year away now. Our biggest needs right now are: LT someone has to really step up and TAKE the job. Hope Trapilo is that guy, if Amagadje beats him, then so much the better. HB we still dont have a real stud, but i expect Roschon Johnson to be better this year in the Powerback role of HB2 like Montgomery was. EDGE we need more in pass rush, this may be our biggest weakness. And Poles is already fixing coming needs at WR and CB so players will be in rhythm when they step up to start. All this assuming Odunze takes a step forward this year, which I expect he will.

I feel like the most likelihood here is that when we looked at trading out of #1, JJ would have been the pick. I dont think they ever would have taken JJ over Caleb with the first pick. But its not hard to imagine that the Bears liked JJ better than Jayden Daniels or Bo Nix. I would have agreed with that, if Caleb didnt exist for example. But Caleb has a MUCH MUCH higher ceiling than JJ of course.

I think Chark would be WR5 on this team. But he knows the system, and can help tutor Burden - i think that's his main role. Burden is a lot like DJ Moore, who is getting older. From a 2 year perspective, Burden is likely Moore's replacement. If at some point a killer trade comes along that makes it hard to say no, and it involves trading Moore away, and Burden isnt quite ready, then Chark is an option for WR2. Obviously Chark wont be an option in 2 years, so his value, if we even sign him, would be to teach Burden, and to be a short term replacement if someone goes down with an injury, or if a trade comes along. I think DJ Moore will not get another contract on this team, and that means he is trade bait in the final year of his deal. In fact, his deal is structured so that we can trade him ANY year, and while it costs us $4M against the cap that year, it clears up $20M this year, or $25M next year. I think the writing is on the wall for Moore for next year. As soon as Burden is ready, Moore is trade bait. And if the right offer comes along, Chark lets you take it with less risk. One really good thing you can say about Poles is that he has us in a position now where we are mostly drafting for future need, rather than to fill immediate holes. pass rushing DE notwithstanding. That's next years #1 pick or free agent acquisition.

Yeah, I dont think its a done deal, or anything like that. but it might be creating depth and in case they run their mouths again? Like insurance? Or it might just be insurance against players who will want big contracts next year. Moore is 28, and you can see Burden taking over his role in the next year or two. Chark would help teach Burden Johnson's system. JJ is going to want big money the year after this one. It's smart.

of course, and there were no other names - it was Caleb 100% the whole time. But this isnt the first time Ive heard that JJ was #2 on our list last year. And it makes sense. He is a lot like Tyson Bagent - a REALLY good QB without the monster arm. Sort of the opposite of Justin Fields. Int he end you need all those things to succeed, but its an interesting experiment to see which incomplete skill set fits in the NFL better.

So I guess DJ Chark visited the Bears, and there is some interest in signing him. Chark is over 30, and he has had great seasons and not so great ones. One big advantage is that he has played in Ben Johnson's system before. I dont expect anything fast or soon, but it makes me wonder if DJ Moore might be in trouble int he next couple of years. It's interesting that the three players who mouthed off this year have all been addressed with depth. Cole Kmet and then Coltson Loveland DJ Moore and then Luther Burden, and possible Chark as a stop gap measure while Burden (who is a lot like Moore) comes up to speed Jaylon Johnson sitting out right now while our depth at CB gets snaps Im not saying all these guys are going to be gone in two years, but we are smart to be ready for that. At the very least we are buidling depth behind these guys in case we need to move them for contract reasons etc.

we were always taking Caleb, but I wouldnt be surprised at all if we had JJ as our #2 ranked QB. I did. Nix is really good too, but his age had him at #3 for me.

hey congrats!

I dont think he has approached the Bears asking for a new contract. I just think he's making comments, and like you said, he's not a big offseason guy, so i think the Bears don't mind sitting him for several reasons, and it's just good practice to get your other CBs reps if you think 2025 might be JJs last year for example. Or as a proactive move to give guys experience in case of injuries.

Thats good! I'm just saying there are a lot of people out there that just read the regular sportswriters and share those opinions. If they are smart enough not to be sold on Poles, so much the better. But when we swim against the current on narratives, only one person here gets upset. Most in this board (including you) I find are reasonable, hopeful, but reality based. Anyway, I was saying other people must read the same stuff Stinger reads and feel the same as him. I was trying to be generous. If Poles fans are rarer, then he is even more out on a limb - I was just trying to be hospitable?

Yeah and he made that comment the other day. In spring of 2024, he got his new deal, I think he was the top CB paid at that point? If not certainly in the top few. Now he's saying in an interview that a lot of CBs got paid more and it might be time to renegotiate. After one year? I dunno if that has anything to do with it, but i am thinking the bears want to get their other CBs some reps. And while Im not predicting it, and JJ is a good player, i wont be shocked if he gets traded. probably not, but its not impossible. You dont chest up to the new coaches their first year. If you look at how his contract is written, we cant do it this year, but next year and any year after we can trade him and it costs us basically $5M against the cap to do it with $16M of increased cap space - or we can keep him for $21M a year against the cap if hell play for that.

I dont think people are idiots because you post them, I listen to what they say, and they are almost always part of that echo chamber narrative stuff that just around and around. Most sportswriters are idiots, or at least they are more interested in clicks than good analysis. Caleb isnt tough because he cried or paints his nails Fields just needs another chance Ryan Bates will get healthy and be a great center for us Kelvin Banks wont go in the top 20 etc etc That's what these podcasters do - very little actual analysis, and even less with film, just repeating the same stories everyone is saying for clicks. They arent analysts, theyre sportswriters and worse, and theyre almost always wrong. I get better info here on this board than I get from those sources. And when we disagree with them, you tell us that we arent famous like they are so we couldnt know. And then youre surprised when people push back on that? And not just surprised but all riled up and looking for a fight. Thats why I ask if you have a drinking problem. Because you act like someone in a bar looking for a fight, and defending some ridiculous idea that wouldnt even make sense int he morning when they are sober. But i dunno, maybe thats just how you think. I have no idea. But this latest idea - that i get my ideas from TTNL, because i say you gotta watch tape because stats and narratives dont capture the truth of things in context, and their name says "the tape never lies" so I must be a brainwashed accolyte lol Thats a real stretch - the tape IS what matters, and I like TTNL because they usually see things the same way I do - not the other way around. Anyway, like I said, if your point is to unmask me as inauthentic and not someone who thinks for themselves, youre going to fail. Ive always thought for myself, and often I find myself alone with some idea because I saw it too early, and later other people catch up, but before they do, they say Im nuts. So thats not a follower. What i like about this board, is when I see things early, there are others here who see it too. I dont find that on any other discussion boards. Your style is widely shared on most discussion boards. Poles is an amazing GM, etc. There are TONS of people who agree with you - and given the narratives and everything, probably the vast majority of people agree with you. Cool. But I see what I see, and its not because any podcast told me to LOL I do agree I watch most of my Bears film on TTNL because i like the analysis and they do a good job with it - occasionally answering questions I have about blocking assignments and stuff like that. But that's very different than getting my ideas from them, and when i disagree, I dont feel disloyal or anything weird like that?

I agree with this - its really only good during the season for post game analysis and tape analysis and also leading up to the draft for player analysis. The rest is noise I agree. See and this is where youre completely nuts. I dont get my opinions from anywhere by my own mind. You actually spent money to try to prove to the rest of the board here that Im a phony that repeats what he hears on podcasts? Do you hear yourself? Everything you keep trying to pin on me is actually what youre doing. And the fact that you even want to pin something on me is sick. I respond to what you say on here. When you say dumb stuff i call it out. because this is a discussion board, and so i discuss what people say, and your takes are often really really out there. But youre trying to score a win against me. So all the narcissist and ego stuff you say, its you, dude, not me. Youre not going to find some way to prove that Im inauthentic, because im not. Im just a Bears fan who cares about the team, and follows it closely. And like a lot of members here Ive been watching football for a long time, so we kind of know how things go. When trades happen, when they dont, when youre hanging on to a player too long etc. When you say stupid stuff, thats on you. And its a lot. I think you might be happier on a super fan site where people get in a circle and pleasure thdemsevles to how this year we will win the superbowl - again. Here, I generally find smart guys who know what theyre talking about, and we talk about the good and the bad of the team, where we are realistically heading, wht changes should be made - smart Bears talk. The rest of this is some kind of mental illness on your part. Just let it go, and talk about the Bears. Youre not going to unmask me as a fraud because Im not one. Im just a guy who knows something about football, so the more you try, the more you will fail and indict yourself for that nasty stuff.

It never a problem in the abstract, but when you have a salary cap, you might want to allocate dollars to another area, like, say pass rush.

LOL you dont know me, but youre exhibiting the traits of an asshole. Also it seems like you might be drunk a lot? Any comment on that?