ASHKUM BEAR

He has got recognition from BJ, I can root for that. Always a fan for the underdogs. He has the athleticism and it takes time to get the body which looks like he nailed. My guy right now is Tremaine Edmunds. Moving him to Will gives him more flexibility and DA likes to be creative. I see him being a big moment sack man. Edmunds has enough size 6'5 250, to line up at edge too. I see them moving him there from time to time with Hippolite and Edward's able to cover nickle/dime.

We are in the quiet period of Bears talk since most beat writers are taking vacations while coaches and players are doing the same before camp. It is a good time to make your predictions on players who surprise or emerge in this new DA scheme. Let your imagination out and lets hear who your player is and some reasons why.

If Keenan Allen was not here, this may not even be be in discussion. Allen was Caleb's safety blanket. 121 targets and 70 receptions. If his #1 read wasnt open, then all eyes went his direction. DJ with 140 targets and 98 receptions Those target/reception percentages will improve with a better oline and Caleb being more settled. Kmet has shown he can produce with less and will rebound if the QB has time, which I believe will happen.

The nice thing if this system works, it is easier to get those DEs than the Abdul Carters. Not saying teams dont value bigger DEs, but the more explosive quick guys usually get picked earlier. I wouldn't be shocked if they draft another LB with speed next year to eventually replace the Edwards/Edmunds in the next year or two.

I think DA wants the DEs to set and contain the edges because the havoc will come from DTs, LBs, and DBs and the QB will try to run. We have seen Sweat do well getting to the QB and holding the edge. Dayo, might surprise and be similiar. They will get their Sacks as the QB tries to roll or run away from the inside pressure. Thats just my speculation.

I dont see how he was played for Kaleb. They traded their 2nd,3rd, and 7th for 2 seconds and a 4th to get guys they targeted (Trapilo/Turner). They felt those two were more important than a RB, at least after He derson was gone. As for Cam, I don't see him becoming much in the NFL, he seemed reckless and he was gone before our 4th round pick. They could have moved up if they felt that was the only option. At this point, they put Hyppolite into theor target. Cams nfl.com report: Skattebo earned a lot of admirers for his heroic effort last season for the Sun Devils, especially in a magical stretch run that saw him run, catch, punt and throw his way all over the field. Skattebo is a contact magnet and might not have a long career, but boy, he's a do-it-all fan favorite who can upgrade that backfield. -- Eric Edholm

2026 draft is supposed to be richer at RB than 2025. So we didn't get the elite guy this year. Monangai is special and could be really good for us, but 4.6 speed isn't going to blow past many defenders. We could get that elite RB in 2026 and maybe why Poles didn't feel the need to use capital to move up for a guy they liked.

I understand wanting to see it from the young guys first. The Bears cannot trade Jones anyways until he is healthy. So he is here until he passes the physical. If Trapilo looks good in camp, Poles will have a hard decision. They could keep Braxton and let him walk after the season. They will get some compensation. 3rd round if he starts and plays well, less if he sits. They could also trade him before the deadline and get a pick to bring in more talent that can help the Bears keep their cap lower in the future. Trapilo was the most pass protection ready OT available in the draft according to pundits. Johnson said good run blocking is a bonus for LTs, he wants LTs to be able to pass block well. This to me is all directed at Braxtons skill set. It all comes down to TC and preseason.

My thought is can the Bears afford him? Not tomorrow without mortgaging your future. I think their decision was made in the offseason when they spent cap on Thuney, Dahlman, and Jackson and then drafting Trapilo. Ben Johnson wants his starting 5 set by week 3 in training camp. Braxton will be lucky to play. No one hates Braxton, but some times you need to say good bye to good players and if you can get value out of it, even better. Kiran will be the swing OT which helps him develop and the Bears get a 4th for 2026.

Pass on Cam, I think he will fade out quick. Wasn't a fan of him in in the draft. Kaleb will do well in Pitt and wished he was around round 3. RJs best shot is this year, hampered by Flus/Waldo and injuries last year. Ben likes a power guy like Monty and he might get reps as FB too. I think he splits carries w Swift while the rookie gets a series here and there before seeing his time.

Best case scenario is we trade him for a 4th or more. He has to perform well to get a 3rd comp pick if we keep him all year. I think Poles bet against that being over the cap now for 2026

He will shine, but asking a 7th round rookie to be a #1 or 2 early on is a lot to expect. Im sure they will give him one series each half to break him in.

The closer we get to TC, the more it looks like Braxtons chances get smaller. This was why a few of us were hammering for a high pick LT. He is coming off a bad leg injury, his contract is up after the season, and he was susceptible to stopping a bull rush which disrupted the QB. I was happy Poles said early in the offseason there would be competition brought in.

Ben Johnson likes what he has seen from Roschon. Roschon has yet to establish himself on the Bears as a stud, but if any coach can do it, it would be Johnson and Beinemy. Roschon did decent getting those sort yards needed, more so his rookie year but the team fell apart last year and he had concussion issue's.

Miss having #54, one of my all-time favorites. Wish they brought home a trophy, but they started getting cute in the draft. My opinion on that was Lovie took control, which he might not have, and the team got old.

I just dug into it to see who he had and numbers. His average DE weight for his career was 268. Ill have to check average height (6'4"). He seems to get great production from a LB too. I think it might be why he'd like to move Edmund to Will. He moves a little better than Edward's. Hypolite might end up being a hit with his speed too. If we can stay healthy, this might be one of the best defenses in the league. If they can force punts, caleb has more opportunities to rack up numbers. On paper it seems legit, Caleb being the biggest factor.

I think we are over estimating the DE need for Dennis Allen's defenses. The most sacks a DE has had for his defense is 8.5. He had Cam Jordan 2022 and Carl Granderson 2023 rack up 8.5. Id bet if we polled how many sacks Montez Sweat gets, everyone picks more than 8.5. I think it will have to be collective with the Dline to provide pressure and get to the QB. They brought in Jarrett who i can see being a comeback player of the year and Dayo who's improved year to year. If Booker doesn't take a step, a higher talent will probably be a priority in next draft to develop.

Correct, and this is why I say it will expand further down the draft board each year. You cannot hate on the player for trying to guarantee his income since the threshold was broken. The Bears have contracts drawn for multiple instances. They have time to let the dominoes fall. If you want to be mad, yell at Seattle since they are next in the order.

This will be a continuing issue as I see it spreading into the 3rd round next year. I dont have a problem with it until our players start missing training camp.

For sure. The language of contracts is changing, especially the fully guarantee part. I expect next year 3rd round picks to hold out for that. We will soon find out how far down into the 2nd round that goes.

We were all like wtf, but this dude is going to be a monster. He has the right attitude to climb to the top. All the additions made this year make me much more excited to see what else this staff can find to insure they take the North and never give it back.

How about the reports of Clevelands first pick, DT Mason Graham, showing up out of shape to camp. Glad we dodged that one too.

Trapilo is currently taking the spot and he will continue early in training camp since Braxton will be limited. Braxton has a lot of uphill work to do just to get to where he was before injury, let alone show he improved where he struggled. If Trapilo struggles when they start hitting, then I can see them going back to Braxton. The odds for Braxton are slim, hope he overcomes them, but my money is on the rookie being developed on the field so there are no questions if he can or not come offseason.

I think the Bears will give Trapilo every opportunity to start if he is equal or close to Braxtons performance. The faster they get Trapilo into the lineup the more he can learn and develop and the better off the Bears will be. The best case is if a team needs a LT before the trade deadline and makes an offer with a 2nd or a 3rd. Then again, depth is important if Kiran cannot elevate his game.

What happened to Kmet from 2023 to 2024? Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze took his targets. Caleb and the Bears may have been better off giving Kmet more opportunities with his catch rate. If Odunze can convert half of those misses into catches, he'd be a 1000 plus player. 2023 DJ Moore 136 96 1364 Cole Kmet 90 77 719 Darnell Mooney 61 31 414 2024 DJ Moore 140 98 966 Keenan Allen 121 70 744 Rome Odunze 101 54 734 Cole Kmet 55 47 474