dawhizz

My current (semi-realistic) wish list: 9 - Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State 53 - Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State 61 - Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin 64 - Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami 103 - Byron Young, DT, Alabama 133 - Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State 136 - Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State 148 - Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State 218 - Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA 258 - Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan

The only thing making me pause on taking an OT at 9 is Braxton Jones. You don’t (usually) take a RT with a top ten pick. So if you think Braxton is the guy at LT, do you still draft an OT at that spot? Do you play your 9 pick at LT and move Braxton? Do you draft the OT anyway knowing he can be a great RT and also a back up plan in case Braxton doesn’t work out? Or just go a different direction at 9 and get a straight RT later? Lots to think about . . .

Don’t underestimate the value of having the first pick in the fourth round either. It’s the first pick of day three. You have a great shot at someone who’s fallen through the cracks and usually get a lot of calls from other teams for the pick.

Really interested in how people see the Bears’ CBs shaking out. Obviously help is needed but what kind of help kind of depends on how you see the current roster: Jaylon Johnson - His contract is up next year. Is he a #1 despite his lack of takeaways? Do you extend him this off-season? Kyler Gordon - He has a rough start last season but got better and definitely flashed. Is he an outside CB or do you leave him in the slot? If he’s a slot guy who is your #2? Kindle Vildor - Do you trust him? Seems like one of those guys who has done well relative to where he was drafted but you can’t really count on. Worth keeping absent better options but I’d like to have better options Josh Blackwell - They added him and got rid of Duke Shelley only for Shelley to then play well and Blackwell to kind of fail to distinguish himself. Another guy I don’t really trust currently though maybe he can be the nickel if Gordon is your #2. Harrison Hand/Jaylon Jones/Michael Ojemudia/Greg Stroman - Jaylon Jones seemed to get the most opportunities out of this group but I think I actually like Stroman the best - he made some decent plays at the end of the year and I’d like to see them give him more of a chance. Anyone want to stump for someone else from this group? So, where do we go now? I thought a guy like Rock Ya-Sin, who played for Eberflus for the Colts and is still available I think would make some sense but the Bears have added nothing at CB in FA, so I guess they are counting in the draft and whatever shakes out after? Seems very unlikely the Bears go CB at 9 but seems like using one of 53, 61, or 64 on a CB would make sense given this group and maybe a late round pick too. Any guys people like at those spots? Do you go for more of an outside guy or a nickel (or maybe one of each)? This draft is kind of weird in that the bigger prototype outside corners don’t have many interceptions, and they guys they do are shorter and/or lighter (like Emmanuel Forbes, who had great tape but is like 6’1” 166). I’m kind of warming to Tyrique Stevenson out of Miami.

I’m convinced Paris Johnson is the guy at #9. Sounds like he looked great in drills at the Ohio State pro day today. Athletic so he fits the scheme. Can definitely be an OT and can be a backup plan at LT if Braxton falters in year two (or Paris just looks better). Has the connection with Fields. Sounds like a great culture guy for a team that’s been preaching that -started a charitable organization, is a team leader, father played in the NFL and is a coach, good student, etc. If he fails there were really no red flags that would have predicted it. I wouldn’t be shocked if they double dipped on Ohio State o-line and tried for Luke Wypler in the 2nd/3rd.

I would be shocked if it’s Gonzalez over Witherspoon. Gonzalez is more of the athletic freak, like Kyler was coming out.

Interesting article on Poles’ thought process with the trade that I think is relevant here. In particular the fact that (1) It sounds like Poles has a “top seven” tier in its draft, and (2) based on everything he says about value, i don’t think he’s going to reach based on need in the draft if he has a higher ranked player on his board. https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/03/20/ryan-poles-never-told-justin-fields-he-was-the-starting-qb

Except that Poles obviously prioritizes scheme fit and not all of those players are going to be a fit, which dramatically decreases that list of “seventy good players”. So if you get to a point where you have a position of need and limited options who fit, maybe you move up.

One idea I had is to package one of our seconds trading down in the first but up in the second. For instance #9 + #61 to NYJ for #13 + #43 (maybe to get Rodgers JSN?) or something similar. Same total number of picks, but you move down a few spots but should still be in position to get a quality OT/CB/Edge, but also move up in the second where you should be able to get a better player at those same positions or even make a trade up easier if someone is falling.

Ideally Poles would have added someone you could play at RT, but since he hasn’t I guess I have to go there at #9, even though I’m not really in love with this OT class. Of course, the other way I could go is that, if Poles didn’t prioritize RT in FA, why would he prioritize it in the draft? So, with that in mind, I’ll take the guys I want, which is Witherspoon at 9 (because there is zero depth behind Johnson/Gordon and you need three good CBs) and then some combination of C (Wypler/Schmitz/Avila/Tippman), OT (Freeland/Duncan) and edge (Tuipolatu/Hall/Foskey).

Keaton Mitchell from East Carolina is another guy who might fit the bill.

I have to say I feel the same way. The trade of #1 was great, but free agency has been very suspect IMO. He had the most cap space in the league, has spent about half of it, and has upgraded 1 (maybe 1 1/2) units on the worst team in the league almost a week into free agency is not great. LB is unquestionably better. Offensive line is better but still missing a competent starting C or RT. He’s made additions to QB and RB but I can’t say either of those units are markedly better than they were. You bring in a DE who played 40% of snaps last year and did well, but so did Muhammad the year before he hit here, so is the D-line noticeably better now? I guess there’s still time and money, but most of the big fish are gone and fear do the Bears really have to show for it?

Looks the Bears moved quickly and signed Travis Homer. He’s more of a 3rd down/ST guy so I guess they are giving Herbert the starting job. Homer’s also supposed to be a great pass protector, which given how our O-line is shaking out is gonna be needed.

I try to sign Mattison from the Vikings, do a little in division RB switch of our own (or even Jamaal Williams for a real switcheroo).

I'm trying to come around to this signing. And I'll throw a bunch of caveats in - I like the player plenty, Poles could still sign a decent OT, etc. But if you are going to allocate money in what is kind of a defining year for your QB, I don't know why you are doing it for an ILB but not a RT. You obviously want to see what Fields can do with weapons, which you have addressed but if he's still running for his life because you've got a rookie at RT, that doesn't help your evaluation process. You can upgrade all you want on the line, but its only as good as your worst player. If your defense is still bad, but you got Fields weapons and protection and you know what you have with him, that's still a successful season and you can go into the next draft/offseason knowing what you have to fix. If your defense is keeping you in games, but you still don't know what Fields is yet because line play is still bad, that's a problem. Plus, there's still lots of work to be done on the DL. So if Edmunds and Edwards have great tackle totals next year, but it's because our DL play is still bad and they are making plays 5-10 yards downfield (like Sanborn this year), don't expect me to be super impressed. Not to mention the fact that it borderline locks the Bears into needing to spend their first pick this year on an OT, because you can't really plan on an OT being available at the end of the 2nd round who can play RT right away. I never like to be a team in that position. Maybe you can find a way to trade down in the first and trade up in the second to give yourself two shots at a RT solution, but again you can't really count on that. I really hope it works out, and the Bears have the time (and the $$$) to fix it, I'm just kinda skeptical at this point.

I feel like the mice at this point would be throw as much money as you can stand at McGary to shore up RT, and then nab two veteran DTs who can start or rotate in - there are a ton still left I would feel just fine with.

Feels like the Bears plan is pretty clear, IMO. Like Dylan said, you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. I’d be shocked if we don’t hear the following additions from the Bears in the first 24 hours or so of the legal tampering period: - 1 starting-caliber RT out of McGlinchy, Taylor, and McGary - 1 starting-caliber 3T out of Dre’Mont Jones, David Onyemata, or Zach Allen (or possibly Poona Ford or maybe they even bring back Ogunjobi). - Yannick Ngakoue or comparable edge (Ebukam, Okoronkwo) - Okereke at LB. - A starting caliber G/C. Maybe they go after a CB too down the line, but I think those are the priorities. They’ll probably also commit to a RB plan, whether it’s bringing back Monty, pivoting to someone like Mattison, or standing pat to see how things shake out.

I don’t know if it makes sense, but #9 looks like a sweet spot for the top CBs, Witherspoon and Gonzalez, and I do kind of like the idea of locking in a talented, young secondary by adding one of them to Johnson, Gordon, Brisker, and Jackson.

Honestly, at this point I think one of the best indicators of where Fields is really at would be sitting him against the Jets and seeing what Siemien does with the same offense and personnel. I see a lot of fans talking about how he has no protection and how no one’s open and any criticism of him as a passer is ridiculous. Which means Siemien would get absolutely buried facing the Jets (admittedly a really good defense who has given a lot of even good QBs trouble). However, if he magically starts funding open receivers, maybe that says something too.

How can you trust Fields? On the Bears last four drives before the muffed punt return by Jones, Fields completed a total of one pass for 2 yards.

Fields just ain’t it, man. These are unacceptable statistical performances. I don’t care what the scheme is or your surrounding cast is. No other #1 QB in the league would put up these numbers. Everyone acted like the Bears personnel decisions set up Fields to fail, but I see plenty of plays with decent protection and open options and just misses. He’s started nearly a season’s worth of games and has four total games over 200 yards passing and none over 300.

It's pretty interesting to me that the Bears apparently did not blitz at all yesterday, they they still got some decent pressure and two sacks. Plus, we come away with a win and Green Bay hasn't seen any of our regular season blitz packages going into the game next week. Something to watch . . .

Bears claimed WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette off waivers from the Vikings and put Harry on IR.