BearFan PHX

For sure, I think there IS something amazing going on, and i think it starts with Ben Johnson. He's been drafting differently than a lot of us (myself included) have been able to predict, but he's added true talent to the team in early and late rounds both. The future sure looks bright.

this is it. and I even get it. how can someone truly keep their finger on the pulse of like 80 teams in pro sports? narratives and shortcuts stand in for insight. But if you watch a team closely, and especially if you watch tape of the game after the game is over from the end zone angle, when you can rewind and watch again on certain plays, then you can start to say you know a team. If all i do is watch the game, Im watching the ball, the score etc, it's hard to focus on on what just a WR who didnt get the ball is doing, or what pulled a safety away from a spot etc. So i understand why the media machine is the way it is, but I dont understand believing it. So many of the Chicago blogsters and sportswriters are narrative guys. I truly wonder if they even watch the Bears game more than just the once while it was live?

I think that was what we were thinking a month ago as you said, so not earlier than expected. I hate stuff like that, especially when I am so thirsty about the LT anyway. I'd LOVE to hear something about Trapilo! Wannstedt had good things to say about Wills today, and he WAS a top ten first round pick with great college tape, but he flamed out in Cleveland before he even got injured. Hes interesting for sure, because hes raw, hungry, talented, and Roushar (and Armstead) are working with him. So cool. But I'll believe it when I see it because his last few weeks of NFL snaps in Cleveland 2 years ago were very ugly. I still think one way or another it's not gonna be Braxton, because I know who that guy is. And it's just not good enough.

right. hell I'd even take it more seriously if he added a line about WHY he thinks that! Like a "sources say" I mean that could still be a lie, but without even that the other media people echoing it "Breer reported that" it's just nonsense.

This is a perfect example of media narratives. And dont get me wrong, if you read my comments about the LT situation, more than anyone here, I want Trapillo back! But one guy (Breer) says one line buried in an article about something else, and everyone goes nuts. If he had any new info, that would have been included because it would bring clicks and eyeballs. Instead, my GUESS is that he was commenting on the picture from last month of his working out without a knee brace on. And he was working on upper body in the picture. So now this one comment blows up into a narrative, repeated by other writers, and then by people on this board. And there is literally NO new information. This is why repeating media narratives is so dumb. There's nothing there. Nothing happened. The subject is one we are all dying for information about, so any comment becomes something to talk about, when there is literally nothing there.

I dont mean arguing like fighting, I mean youre making a case. a logical argument.

I know he isnt but based on last years performance I still think he is the floor. I agree that isnt the common wisdom right now, just my opinion. Its possible that we would have to move Thuney to LT. We do have options are OG. Again, not predicting it, but i know its one of the doomsday scenarios?

I hope so. I tend to think Benedet is the floor. I dont trust Braxton or Wills until I see it with my own eyes. I can understand the logic that we will get the best out of guys because of Roushar and the coaching, but i dont really know what the best of Braxton or Wills is? Or Amagadje? Obviously I havent had private views of these guys during the offseason, so our staff knows more than we do, but I still think we have a hole at OT, and that Benedet is the floor. Maybe Wills will revitalize and shock me - it's possible - but i have no real reason to bet on that? So I think it's Benedet or even Decker. Id love to be wrong about this.

but youre assuming one of them will be better than average? I could take 5o people with crutches, race them, and the fastest one still isnt going to win any track and field events? Youre kinda arguing that if you have more guys, and a good eye that creates a good player, and Im just saying that doesnt make any sense to me.

I dont understand this logic at all. You can only play one of them at a time, they dont add together into one super player.

yep

I dunno if having a lot of options at LT is necessarily a good thing? I mean it's better than having no options of course, but dont you want one player to just take the job by outplaying everyone else? If you have 3 similar LTs, it probably means you have no LT? Looking forward to seeing them with pads on hitting people!

In just fast brush strokes, building on what Adam said: Montez Sweat $21M Joe Thuney $16.5M Jaylon Johnson $16M Dayo Odeyingbo $15M Grady Jarrett $13.5M TJ Edwards $8.5M Cole Kmet $8.5M Kyler Gordon $13M that's about $112M right there. Of course Im not expecting us to cut Thuney next year, and others may argue for players like Sweat or Kmet to stay. So Im not suggesting every one of those guys are gone next year. But for example, if one of our depth OGs starts to play well, we might look at starting him, because Thuney isnt going to play forever. For example. I think what we can take from that is that we have a lot of cap flexibility. Especially on the D Line. We are also one of the only teams to have NO void year contracts, so there is flexibility there, if you use it wisely. All in all, next year I think we will see an overhaul of the defensive line, and across the entire defense too. Looking at you JJ. We are in great shape.

We have (had) $100M in cap space next year, and we will need to revamp the D line with that. $29M goes to Wright, Caleb will probably get around $60M sometime during the year next year or in the next offseason. Replacing JJ, Kmet, Kyler Gordon will all open up another $20M or $30M so I think we are good for a minute. We're also one of the only NFL teams with no void year contracts, so we have all that playroom too if or when necessary? I do think we might have to make a tough choice between Odunze and Burden in the next few years, but we seem to have an eye for WRs and DBs so im sure the pipeline will be full. I think Ryan Poles is mediocre in a lot of ways, but one of his biggest strengths has been to be disciplined about the cap, so i doubt we will get into cap hell, and with Ben Johnson's eye for talent in the draft and free agency, I think we will be able to keep a bunch of fresh new faces coming up that will turn out to be good players with not too many busts. All in all, i think we are in a great position for the next few years, even with Caleb getting paid. And hopefully, he takes a page from his idol and mentor Tom Brady, and leaves about $10M a year on the table off of the most extreme contracts he could get, so he can afford someone to catch the balls he throws. Darnell Wright is a great player, and on his way to being a monster. Our coaching staff is excellent developing players. Damn its a good time to be a Bears fan.

Just saw this - it's great. It's all the plays in the last minutes of 4th quarter comebacks last year, and it's only 16 minutes long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5nJS1wri2k

weve seen 2nd year offenses before that didnt perform like this. Even when we had Marshall, Jeffries and Benett, we didnt hear that the offense was out in front of the defense out of the gate in camp in year 2? Im with AZ54, this is different and notable.

Caleb Williams is exactly who we thought he was, and Ben Johnson isn't letting him off the hook! The guy is a future Hall of Famer, his dominance is starting to show, even now. EDIT: Maybe I should say his dominance has always shown, and now his consistency is catching up to it? GREAT time to be a Bears fan.

yes!!

yuck!

yeah I know its a longshot. Im not predicting anything, even if he does get traded there are many suitors apparently, Im just saying, it would be great to have him if we could because he is a beast. There is certainly no clear connection between Vae and the Bears anywhere Ive seen, just football talk, and thats me here too LOL

its a little steep given his age, but someone will probably pat it because he is such a game changer. Also, maybe we can trade a player to lessen the cost. I'd trade anyone on the DL except for Booker or Sweat, and Id trade Kyler Gordon if possible. I dont know what kind of money he wants for his new contract, that would probably be the deciding factor for me if he was available to us. Spotrac says $31.5M /year - hes probably worth that. Id love to see him on our team, i think adding him would make us instant Super Bowl contenders. We might already be that now, but with Vae, we'd finally have that pass rush (and run stopping!) that we've been lacking. I guess it comes down to what kind of player you think he will be in 3 years. If you think he will stay at his level of production, then it's worth doing, if you think he will drop off, then not. And that decision is above my pay grade. I can see what a disruptor he is now on film, but I dont have an opinion on how long he will maintain that level of play.

well the others are off the books next year, and Vae is a true stud? Hes probably the best DT in the league?

I know its a longshot, but Vita Vae would elevate this defense immediately. Maybe we can trade Kyler Gordon for him :)

yeah, like i said its rumors not reports. I surely dont KNOW anything. But capwise we cant afford to cut him right now, but we could absolutely trade him. If we sued etc, we might be able to recover some money from the player (unlikely) but to get cap relief, I dunno if thats possible.

Theres plenty of room for growth without being great, i agree. We were AWFUL last year on defense. I hope this year we will me mediocre. If we get to 16th ranked, that could be enough. But after next year's draft and free agency i think it's a whole new ballgame on the defensive front.