BearFan PHX

OK, first one to sign since the roadblock happened today. DT Alfred Collins, who was taken 43rd (2nd round pick #10) signed a four year $10.3M deal with $9M of it guaranteed. I think the players are going to mostly win this one. 9/10.3 is 87% guaranteed. And its not THAT much cap money. Bears shouldnt get cute here. let 2 or 3 more sign, get a sense of whats going on and then match it. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/49ers-break-the-seal-on-second-round-signees-as-alfred-collins-contract-may-pave-way-for-others-to-sign/

i with you. of the 30 unsigned 3rd rounders, 3 of them are ours, or 10%. What a massive pain in the ass.

Oh man Im sorry then! I really thought you thought that!

yes! football needs this or it's a joke. 100% I want teams to think "oh crap we have the Bears this week, that's gonna be a physical game" Accountability, aggression, desire and an expectation of greatness have been lacking for decades, and this staff looks very different.

That's because despite the PFF insane ratings, Braxton is not that good. And last year the league showed us that they know he cant stand up to a bull rush. And they picked key downs to use that move on him. And now hes been out of action, out of the weight room, and nursing an injured ankle. I dont see how anyone expects him to play, and especially be ready to be tested int he strength game, when he was lacking before the injury? We spend all this money on the interior of the line, a first round pick at RT, a 2nd round and a 3rd round pick sitting in the wings (Amagadje and Trapilo) at LT not to mention receiving weapons, and a $14M a year head coach to put Caleb Williams in position to grow, and then have Braxton Jones at LT? It just doesnt go with the rest of the aggressive team overhaul. It would be such a glaring difference in quality to the rest of the roster. I mean, not only is Braxton Jones not in the top ten LTs in the league, he's not even the 2nd best OT on his own team. Trapilo who hasnt played an NFL down yet is probably a better choice. Darnell Wright is a better LT. Maybe even Amagadje? Braxton could be 3rd or even 4th! Braxton has given more than ever could have been expected from him. On bad teams, he played LT and only cost a 5th round pick. That's great. It really is. But it's time. And Poles sees this coming too, even last year with Amagadje, and this year with Trapilo. This bruised tomato is a bargain, we can make a nice sauce with it. Cool. But if you want to get Michelin stars, and win a Superbowl, youve got to offer more than just value as a player - youve got to do your part to dominate your opponent, and i dont think anyone thinks Braxton Jones can do that. Trapilo is huge, he moves well, I need to see it under fire at NFL speed and strength, but he has potential to be a difference maker, Jones could never say that.

Poles has been very good at several things. (in no order) 1) Having the guts to do the teardown, trade Roquan etc. It's not like there was any real risk to it, but he had to know wed suck for a couple years. 2) Trading out of the #1 pick in 2023. He couldnt have been sure that we'd end up with Caleb, but there are at least four QBs from last years draft that are better than Young. Sure he could have seen the crystal ball on Stroud, but then again with all the picks he got, and to still end up with a shot at several good QBs - it was the right move. 3) Cutting Justin Fields loose. For me that was a no brainer, but there were a LOT of people saying the other way, so he had the balls to do it. 4) Hiring BEn Johnson and his staff - lots of great names in there, lots of youth, experience, players - looks really good. 5) Being cap disciplined. I know he knows what to do from his KC days, and he has stayed on with the plan. He's made some poor talent evaluations too, and keeping Eberflus was... well yeah. But in terms of knowing the plan and sticking to it he's been really good. Now comes the tough part - player evaluations. No one is perfect, but he needs to start hitting a bunch of home runs in a row. Let's see how this draft shakes out.

no doubt, adam is awesome with his contributions - love all those stats. seriously, I think this board is the best place for Bears content. it beast the hell out of ESPN and all those types. I learn more here.

I think Courtney Cronin is smart and gets it. Shes one of the best in my opinion. When she's on some of these other podcasts, like with Pat the Designer, she has to play along, but I feel like sometimes shes thinking "what the hell am I doing here?" I haven't watched much of this yet, and I get why the exercise is good - it promotes conversation - but Im not really into top 10 lists anyway. I feel like the whole team is connected, and weakest links are the problem? So maybe a top 5 positions on the Bears that we are worried about list would be my style LOL For me that'd be: 1) Pass Rush 2) LT 3) HB 4) Safeties, especially depth 5) WR3 But most important would be a mix of biggest concerns and necessary leaders So off the top of my head, and I havent seen Courtney's list at all, so maybe I am in line with it, and maybe not I dunno: Most Important Bears 1) Caleb Williams - I know you agree - we cant go any further than he can take us. And this is a critical year for him. 2) Ben Johnson - he has to set the entire culture for the team, he is also super important 3) Dennis Allen - he has to get the defense in shape 4) The OL - I mean all of them. 5) WR1 - Rome should step up and claim the title, but if not, then DJ has to be it, but we need a guy easily over 1,000 yards 6) The DL - you cant beat good teams without a pass rush 7) The secondary - they have been great, but they are obviously very important 8- RB1 9) Colston Loveland - he will be a huge part of the team, and he can make himself important by balling out, if he has a slow start the team can still survive that, so he's less important now, but if he is a stud, he becomes very important 10) LBers - Tremaine Edmunds can step up (like I said about Loveland) or he can become irrelevant, but TJ Edwards is important!

amen

I like to hope we still would have skipped QJ. That said, Im not sure Burden isnt a head case too. He gives me Claypool vibes. I hope Ben Johnson and Antwan Randle El can get him right.

hes just a pounder anyway. I think RJ can do everything QJ can.

they are fools. OR theyre smart and looking for clicks not the truth? either way it's as trashy as the national enquirer. same with PFF. but i dont care - the games are won and lost on the field, and Im so sick of winning the offseason. I used to love the hype, but it has gotten me sick so many times, I just cant anymore. I have no patience for it, whether its pro Bears or anti Bears. I want us to dominate - THAT will be fun.

Another perfect example of how the bloggers and talking heads are full of crap. ESPN is supposed to be a flagship - like a major source. It's BS season, and all the hype is crap. Even if a team turns out to have a great year, what they say about them now has nothing to do with it. The click farmers throw this gruel out there and the fan boys just lap it up. But the reality is coming, and I think the Bears stand a good chance of being great, not in articles, but on the field. But it doesn't happen because of praise, it happens because of hunger, and dedication. hours of hard work and wanting it more than the other guy. In this sense, praise works against your team.

Im actually not criticizing the number of them. Thats fine. I just think a lot of them are so dumb. Not because of you. In fact, i think it's the other way around. I think they are dumb first, then you see them, and then if you restate what they say, it sounds dumb - because theyre dumb. Guys like Swifty, Pat the Designer, Kurt Warner, etc I just dont get it. The things they say are all narrative driven - all little soundbytey things. I think maybe they arent dumb. Maybe their job is to get eyeballs, so rather than doing good analysis they do whatever fits a story best. Like the idiots who focused on Calebs fingernails instead of his mechanics. Theres a whole world of sports entertainment out there, and a lot of it is absolute trash. Same with the takes on Twitter, etc that repeat those narratives. It's like a BS echo chamber. But this thread is a fine place to post them, even if i keep disagreeing with them. I *DO* appreciate you not positing the story that PFF says we have the #4 OL in the league. That is like a perfect storm of douchiness. First off, PFF is notoriously weird with OL ratings. Secondly, how can we be #4 if we dont even know who our LT is? They have Braxton starting. And Im not even saying that we cant be the #1 OL in the league! On paper we look good. Course we looked good on paper last year too, and it was a disaster. Not saying i expect the same this year tho - this years paper is quite a bit better than last years. But Im just so sick of winning the offseason. Also, we'd better get those 2nd rounders signed. I know the problem is league wide, but we need to get that done.

We can. And I agree, we gotta see it on the field. My guess is Marshawn Lynch wasnt a model citizen, but Id sure like him at his height on our team. If Judkins was a chiorboy and didnt dominate on the field, no one would care that he was a good guy, so youre right - it's what you do on the field that matters - assuming what you do off it doesnt stop you from being on it. It's just after years of flowery media and all the suffering we've done, i want a team that can actually play and not just win the offseason. That's why I hate the youtube videos that get down to UDFA players and how they could be all pro players LOL We are strong in areas, and i still have some concerns and i think we have holes. So I want to deal with all of that honestly, in hopes of fixing it. Previous coaches and GMs have held on to players too long, and I dont want anything to screw this up. Now its not like i think what you or I say affects what the Bears do - like Kmet's future for example. You and i have no actual affect on it. But we talk about it, and so we are playing GM in a way when we do, so i dont want to coddle anyone. i dont want any rosy headlines. i wanna grind and push people around on the field. ANd if someone is soft, I want them to be replaced with someone who isnt. Like you Im sure, Im sick to death of feeling like a clown in front of Green Bay fans. I know I would push back so why wont my team? Well hopefully now they do. And I want Johnson kicking their asses until they get tough - I want teams to know when they have played a game against us.

Your point was that I was egotistical, that i think Im all that. My point was that anyone could see it, and so I dont think Im all that. And then you posted monkeys. Awesome.

Ok well you did a good job of trying to sound tough, but the difference is everything I said was true, and everything you said was just nonsense. Im not angry you did that, but i do think youre a fool. A few points: Dr Phils dad was a college head coach, and dad's brother was an NFL head coach, so I think they do know how to watch tape. I'm not sure why you're attacking them? I dont always agree with them? I just watch it. You can too. My non egotistical point remains: ANYONE can see what im talking about on the tape. if it took special extra amazing people to see it, then it wouldnt be so weird that you dont. But no, I'm not awesome. It's not hard to see. Unless youre brainwashed by click makers and influencers. My point is Im like a lot of people on this board, Ive been watching football long enough to know what im talking about. It's not rocket science. I'm not extra special. You're just missing it. You think its possible the entire NFC Pro Bowl team will just be the Bears. You just gotta believe... And last, the reason why my posts are long is that I try to prove what Im saying, or give examples, so the point is clear. Its easy to say soundbytes quickly, thats why youre enamored with these hype bloggers, but real ideas are nuanced and might need a few more words to say.

for sure. we dont need that kind of stuff on our team! I wasnt as big a fan of the Ohio State HBs as some were. I guess Henderson is OK, but my guys were Jeanty (along with the entire world!), Kaleb Johnson and Cam Sketebo I also didnt have Hampton as high as he went. I trust Harbaugh, and Hampton does run tough, but he is lacking in vision. I thought KJ was every bit as tough, and had better vision and acceleration. My only drawback on KJ was that his OL was opening massive holes for him, so he will have to prove it again on this level.

Ah, I didnt see this part. So yeah, I totally disagree with you 100%, and I think time will show it. But you're not flooding the site with endless videos about it either. Im not frustrated with you in the least, even if i do think you're wrong about Caleb. Also, I dont question that you OR Stinger want whats best for the team - we all do. I also agree that Caleb has to perform, although he wasnt as bad last year as people say he was - especially given the chaos around him. I think Caleb has a higher ceiling than Daniels does. But that's my opinion. By the numbers, Daniels had a very good year. i think it was in part the scheme and the league is going to adjust, but I cant ridicule anyone that says they like him. BUT Justin Fields on the other hand is 100% a bust. That's already in the books. If you dont see it yet, you will after this year. But in all this, I dont disrespect you for disagreeing. The deluge of hopium from one other poster is all that gets that response from me. Protecting the team like a mother protects a young child is not football to me. It just provokes a reaction in me. It's so wrong. Youre not doing that, so you wont get that kind of response from me for what youre saying?

Oh man, I couldnt agree more. I predict he will be great, but I totally agree, we have to see it on the field. I've been saying that about the whole team the entire time. Now whether taking Caleb at #1 was the right move - it was. Just like going all on with 4 Kings is the right move. Doesnt mean you're sure to win, but it's the right bet to make. As far as humility is concerned, I think you're misreading me. i don't think I'm all that. i think Stinger is a homer and falls in love with every player, and the rosy rah rah stuff has just worn very thin with me. I'm ready to take this team seriously, and I am thrilled that Ben Johnson seems to be too. No more room for weak nonsense. That lack of accountability brought us many issues last year, from DJ Moore to Tyreek Stevenson. And I am still a fan of those players, but the culture of permissiveness and unaccountable positivity almost imploded this team last year. But please do not misunderstand my role in this: in no way do I think that I could be even remotely qualified to be an assistant coach on a mediocre college team. I dont have a crystal ball or any kind of special insight. What frustrates me is when the emperor is absolutely stark naked and people are discussing his fine clothes. That isn't about my arrogance. Anyone can just look and see he's naked - Im not special. But the people posting articles and podcasts that make wild claims about his clothes are ridiculous - in the sense that they are worthy of ridicule. Thats not me being awesome, it's them being dumb.

because you are SO sure of yourself and everything you think is total homer-dom. You blew the easiest analysis in Bears history three times. Anti Caleb, Pro Justin, Pro Eberflus. You, and "lots of people" and the trash podcasts you follow should stop acting like you know ANYTHING and actually learn to watch the players. It's all right there for anyone to see. I'm not the greatest analyst or anything but I know garbage when I see it! So should you! Tell me again why Dayo is gonna suddenly be a sack machine LOL Im with Ben Johnson - I want accountability. I want the good stuff to be praised and the bad stuff to be corrected, or traded or cut. I dont have any loyalty to the players, mine is to the team, if they are kicking ass I LOVE them, if not then lets get someone who will. You always want to hang on to the trash and "golly gee just one more season Im sure theyre gonna be great" UGH Its so difficult to even read that.

First of all, there isnt a WAY I view things. I think Caleb is going to be great. i think Johnson is going to be great. This idea that I tend to negative is just your reaction to my not joining you on the homer train. Secondly, I was talking about trading Kmet WAY before the draft. He is not a bad TE, but he isnt worth the $ we pay him. He isnt a great receiver despite the percentage stats that you use. If a WR is almost never open, but catches 4 out of the 5 balls the QB throws him he has an 80% catch rate! Wow! And only 4 catches and 30 yards for the season. Stats like that are deceptive. Watch him run. Watch him cut at the top of a route - he cant shake anyone loose. See, I dont get infatuated by the deceptive stats like you do. I watch the tape. I see a guy who runs like Frankenstein, and is never open unless its a void in a zone, or on a broken play. But if you want a stat here's one - Kmet has played FIVE seasons in the NFL, and has a career total of 258 catches. That's IT! And you're paying him $11.6M a year?! Poles is NUTS. He extends him, and then takes a TE in the first round. Johnson knows Kmet is not the guy. Now it seems his role is as an inline blocker. Hes not very good at that at all either, and paying him $11.6M a year tells me that he is on the bubble. I have also said that if he improves, then we could keep him. I've said that i predict he will have at least until the trade deadline to show he is worth more. He will get his chance with Johnson to learn and grow. But he is definitely on the bubble. None of that has changed since January for me. Drafting Loveland just went right along with what I already thought. At $5M a year, Id keep Kmet. I think that's about what he's worth. I'd take a 3rd rounder for him in a heartbeat.

The defense is a bigger unknown I think. I do share you feelings about Allen, and we definitely have a top secondary, but im worried about the pass rush. Now I do like our tackles, and people say Allens gets his pressure more from them than most DCs, so it could well prove me wrong. If DTs are penetrating, and DEs are holding the edges while LBers and Safeties create havoc, then we could be really tough, but without a really great DE, I feel like we are missing a key ingredient. That just could be because i am used to different schemes I admit. I want Allen to show me and i will become a convert if it works. But i think the Offense is almost more steady than the defense possibly for that reason. I really need to see it in pads. Then this will all get much clearer. like who is Trapilo? Is he a huge 6' 8" stud ready to lock down the LT, or is he a rookie who cant get low enough? Rather than guessing or making predictions, I just want to see it in NFL action.

as soon as I saw Calebs film, like right away, I knew he was special - it took a while to trust that he could be consistent, and he still hasnt been in the NFL. But I think Ben johnson is the guy to get that right - I hope so, we'll see. My point was just the idea that if someone is already on the team, I think they get extra credit points from you, and I still think Poles is "eh" but I understand that if Poles is the GM like Declan Doyle is the OC, then we might be OK anyway. But if for example, Poles suddenly went missing and we promoted Ian Cunningham, i think he'd be better. I still cant forgive keeping Eberflus, and some of the other bad moves he's made too. It tells me he is mediocre, which means some good too - but he's not a top GM that gives you an edge in winning as I see it right now. But now is not the time to rock the boat. I understand rolling with Poles- but I dont understand why they extended him now instead of waiting thru this year first. He had 2 years left on his deal, and I dunno what we gained here - but to be fair Im not sure we lost much either.

Yes we should see a difference immediately, in spurts and flashes, but it may take 4 or 6 weeks until the consistency is reliable?