BearFan PHX

they are just used to us being terrible doormats. And who could blame them? Kinda how we think about the Browns. Winning changes everything.

100% this is why you could see progress even when the stats didnt necessarily show it. This past week it looked like everything is slowing down for him.

I dont think the actual June 1 transactions have to occur after June first anymore. i think it's just a designation now that allows you to spread the cap effect over two years instead of one, but you can do it at any time. i think there is a limited number of players you can do it for, but the actual date doesnt matter anymore. So for example you could use a June 1 designation to spread the cap effect over two years, but still get under the March number. I could be wrong about this, but i think this is the deal now?

for sure. There is no rookie you can get after pick 20 that is ready to hit the field terrorizing NFL O Linemen on day one. Even if all our picks go to the DL, we still need a free agent or two. Jaylon Johnson and our first rounder for Garrett? Probably need to add something more to it too. And we would have to trade Edmunds as well somewhere to make room for Garretts contract.

both probably.

And no one was ever scared of Dayo. We need a difference maker, or several on the D line. It's the glaring need for this team. Imagine us doing all the things we do AND having a pass rush. Then we'd be serious contenders who would be favorited in most games.

I take you to mean that you agree thats our biggest need, but if there is a run on D linemen, and the available players are very substandard for the pick, and some other amazing player is there, we might not pick the D lineman. It's a fair point, with TE instead of OT as one example last year, and Burden as another. Another answer might be to trade down in that scenario. Also, every year the team fills holes with free agents before the draft. Some are starter level some are semi starter level, but you never want to go into the draft with hard needs for the reason you just said. And if that free agent is someone significant, it makes the need to get a starter ready player less, and you can find guys to develop. But one way or another, we are not just gonna shift some bodies around on the D line and go with the same faces as some might say. I believe this is the thing standing between us and a Superbowl (unless we just do it this year anyway LOL) we NEED a pass rush, and you know Johnson knows it too. Theyre gonna do something major, they kind of have to, and if that in turn may cause them to trade players Like Jaylon Johnson, Tremaine Edmunds and/or DJ Moore, that might have to happen. It's not that those players are terrible, not at all, its just we have to get some dollars and picks on that D line because they guys we have now are just not anywhere near good enough. not for where the rest of this team is headed.

They are all playoff games now.

Right, and that isnt to say there arent a bunch of Bears players that absolutely deserve it either!

me too.

I hate to rain on everyone's parade, because a lot of the Bears players are very deserving, but when you see McCloud on the list too, it feels like maybe someone has used technology to cast a lot of votes for Bears players?

McCloud is NOT a Pro Bowler for sure! lol

He hasnt been in enough to qualify for this thread, but Jadae Walker is a sleeper too for the future - assuming he is understanding the playbook - I have read some rumors that he isnt, but I have no actual information about that.

Wed be locked in, but still playing for home field advantage, so I think we will play starters?

for sure, we need all of it, DT and DE. our D line is invisible. Dexter probably moves to 1T? We need a really active 3T and a stud DE too. It's incredible we've won all these games without them. It's kind of cool knowing exactly what we need. Usually the problems have been systematic, this offseason, it's all about D line. Makes it obvious. Of course there will be turnover at other positions too. But we can bet that first pick is going to the D line. And hopefully some unexpected major free agent move and accompanying suddenly found cap space?

Good analysis, I agree.

I think our D line was terrible, and it was, and it has been and will be all year, but I think we played pretty well in other phases?

I didnt mind the early penalties, I felt like we were serving notice that we were going to be more physical. And to be fair, int hat first Packer drive, where we gave them a tone of yards, we also knocked the ball out twice, got a hit on the QB and got a tipped ball that could have been an INT. Early penalties like that dont bother me - I like the tone setting, but false starts and stuff are dumb. Of course after the first bit, you dont want to keep seeing those penalties, but the early ones when we were all amped up? I kind of loved them. Let em know theyre in for a real fight.

THe way i see it, I feel like youre talking more about the offense. For example, if Caleb makes a good fast read, and delivers a catchable ball that's dropped, and we end up having to punt, thats the offense needing more consistency, but i give Caleb a + score for that play? Now Im not saying Caleb is perfect, but if you watch the best QBs, they arent either. The last couple weeks especially it feels like the game is slowing down for Caleb and he is playing in rhythm, and to me, that means he is becoming elite. Doesnt mean he cant still work on things, of course he has to, but I see him executing the offense correctly, calmly, in time, and now with accuracy (which is new to see) so i think he took that next step last night.

Even if you ignore the heroics at the end. Watch the drive where we eventually snapped the ball over Monangais head - Caleb was spectacular on that drive. The whole game he played with poise and rhythm. Of course there are plays where he has to throw the ball away, where the defense wins. There is no QB that doesnt have that. But Caleb has superstar written all over him, and I think he got to a new level last night.

and he is talented as hell, and the lightbulb is coming on for him as a pocket passer, just like we hoped. He wont need these heroics much longer. He's about to be a top QB. I think this was his breakout game. If you watch each play, he was magnificent. The offense sputtered, but Caleb was GREAT. Oh and here are his recent records: 1) #1 lowest interceptions for a QB in their first 1,000 passes of all time (since the merger) 2) Second highest career TD to INT ratio of all time. Rodgers is #1, Caleb #2, Mahomes and Brady are in the top 5 too. 3) Ties Payton Manning for most 4th Qtr comebacks (20) under age 25 And he is still improving - the signs are there. He is on the path to being a top QB for a long time. And I believe he took a huge step tonight. Much calmer, better accuracy, timing was fantastic, good reads, and a total winner at the end. Due to our D line being terrible we didnt have the ball much on offense, but that long early drive when we fumbled the trick play at the end? Go watch Caleb cook he was on fire, and so calm - it looked easy. And the end of the game too. A real winner and difference maker. If you could trade Caleb for ANY QB in the league to roll with for the next 5 years - cap aside, just straight up - who would you take? Id stay with Caleb. Thats who he is. The signs were there from the start, and its all coming together now as Ben Johnson teaches him how to actually play the position.

100%

its incredible and theres so much room for improvement too! And if we had a pass rush, wed have more possessions too

usually that's the kind of thing Rodgers did to us. Caleb is getting there. Im telling you guys - CW is for REAL.

We have a hell of a team here. Caleb is becoming elite right in front of us, right on schedule. And we are doing all of this without a shred of a D line. Imagine how scary we will be with an actual pass rush. We need to do whatever it takes, trade whoever is necessary; JJ, Moore whoever to get one. Draft them too. You add a pass rush to this train and we are real killers.