BearFan PHX

right, she wanted Banks like I did. And I have to admit at the time, I did not consider Trapilo at all at LT, so it looked like a really bad move to let the LTs including Ersery go by. But time might well prove that Poles was right about that and I was wrong - right now tha'ts what I personally currently believe.

A freakin MEN

I agree, but it doesnt mean her sources were unreliable. She reported that there was a lot of interest and activity around the Bears and Jeanty. The fact that the price was too high and the deal didnt happen doesnt disprove any of that?

absolutely possible. in that case shed still be telling the truth, that insiders told her this. The idea that she made it up herself for clicks is what I'm pushing back on. That doesnt sound like her. But the simplest answer is probably right: of COURSE the Bears went asking about the price for Jeanty. Who wouldnt? Doing due diligence, maybe even a little more. And obviously the deal didnt happen. After Cleveland and the Jaguars did a trade for a non quarterback and the price was a 2nd round pick, a 4th round pick AND a next years number one to go from 2 to 5, it was clear the price to move from 10 to 6 would be steep. So it all seems pretty obvious and likely to me what happened. I do think the Bears would have liked Jeanty if they could afford the trade, but not if it was a first next year and a 2nd this year?

Im not ready to call it a pattern yet I guess. When we get to where there are more substantial issues to ask about, if she keeps doing this, then I have to agree with you that maybe someone is writing her questions or making her do this?

that sucks. I hope its sooner, but that isnt good at all.

and what do you base that it was never in play on? I dont get it. She says she has league sources that were telling her the Bears were serious about Jeanty, but the deal just never got made because they couldnt find middle ground on the price. How can you disprove that? And why would you want to?

OK, I went back and found it. Apparently when a college player comes out their junior year, the website she uses for stats calls the players last year their senior year. so there were stats for his sophomore year, and then his "senior" year and she was confused about that. Its understandable - i dont think it's a knock on her, it was just a mistake based on her not fully understanding why there was a gap from Sophomore to Senior on the stat website. In explaining this she said she wasnt sure what the gap was about, and mentioned covid as an example of these things being weird in stat books. And I remembered that, but she never said it was covid, that was just my poor memory. Anyway, here it is if anyone cares. Watch from 40 minutes in to hear the story.

but her reporting was just that it was likely, or heating up - and that could still be true even if it didnt end up happening! I still believe she was reporting facts - that we were interested - that talks happened.

she never guaranteed that both sides would make the trade - she said there was strong interest and they were talking. And i am sure that we did talk to them, but it sounds like the price was too high. But thats not a narrative. A narrative is when you conclude some total outcome, like that a player will be good or bad based on one detail. It's a story more than a fact that gets passed around again and again until people start making conclusions from it. "Bears will fail because Caleb paints his nails" is a good example of a narrative. "Bears wont take ______ because his arms are too short" is another example of a narrative. That the Bears were sniffing around Jeanty isnt a narrative, if shes hearing that from league sources. If instead she said "Bears are sniffing around Jeanty so they wont take Henderson" THAT would be a narrative.

The question to burden was about her misreading the year code. It got messed up due to covid or something, and she saw 2 years, but didnt realize he wasnt a sophomore. She owned that one, and while it was dumb, it makes sense what confused her. As for those personal type questions, often reporters are looking for quotes. They might want to write about Grady's leadership for example, and so she asks who he sits next to, maybe hoping to hear about a young player he is mentoring? When things are more visible, we will see if she gets back to the tough questions. For a while there she was the only one really asking them.

And the thing is Trapilo is less athletic when you measure him, but if you watch his tape, he is very fluid, and rarely gets caught reaching. He's pretty polished from what Ive see on him at RT. hes not stiff, and he moves laterally well.

this is right. some little thing gets reported and then it becomes all anyone talks about and then the analysis where they predict the entire career of someone based on this little tidbit. And the funny thing is the tidbit is random, there are thousands of them but only a few get reported. Its all narrative and no analysis. As for Courtney Cronin, I have always liked her and she does seem to ask the tough questions. I havent noticed her falling into that category, but then again I dont watch her on Pat the Designer, and that is a highly narrative driven show, so maybe shes fitting in I dunno. Im not saying youre wrong about CC I just havent seen it (yet?) - I hope she returns to form if shes off, because she is (was?) one of the better ones.

that all makes sense, but i also think that BJ is committed to being a heavy play action team, and leaning on the running game - and that means Caleb has to learn to be productive under center?

No worries - hopefully you saw my later apology, because it is more than one interception, and i didnt know that yet! I hate hearing bad stuff too - hopefully Johnson will get them all right. I have optimism for it, and even expectations, but like you, Ive been burned too many times, and I want to see it on the field against real opponents.

so just to revisit this I hadnt seen reports from today, so its more than one interception, my apologies. Im not ready to worry yet. I'm gonna give this a little time before I start to judge it. But you (and all of us) are right that until we see it good on the field, everything else is just talk.

exactly! I dont think media WANTS to lie, they just dont know and they have to get clicks and eyeballs. And reporters are not analysts. And so they end up repeating the same one liners over and over. "arms too short" or "paints his fingernails" or whatever.

amazing - thanks for this. The media is a whore.

because he threw an interception? Last year, with no coaching or OL he only threw 6, in a season that was the 5th best for yards in Bears history. I think that to judge Caleb good or bad right now is premature?

I agree with all of this. I think Caleb will be all in. I cant predict anything, maybe Johnson will be a flop, but from right here and right now it sure looks like this is a great staff. And Caleb seems hungry and focused to me. Even before the draft, some of the things he says sound like he is really dialed in. Statistically, he was pretty good last season. His 3,500 yards was the fifth best season for a bears QB ever. 20 TDs is pretty good, and 6 INTs is stellar. And this is as a rookie with nothing around him. Now he was also sacked like hell. He needs to grow int he system and timing and rhythm. He couldnt ask for a better OL, WR group or head coach to teach him. It sure looks like the table is set. I hope it's what it looks like. Put it this way: I never believe anything until I see it, but I am not concerned about Caleb at all.

Love to hear this from Johnson. He's going to completely change the approach week to week to exploit matchups and style differences. Some years the Patriots were Randy Moss for an 80 year TD, some years they were a grind it out possession team. And week to week the Patriot defensive front could change, youd show up expecting to play a 3-4 team and they come out in a 4 man front etc. Great.

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.