AZ54

We have a ton of gaps to fill this offseason. The calmer measured approach to improving multiple positions makes a lot of sense IMO vs going after 1 or 2 big names and then filling rest with Tier 3 FAs or rookies.

If I hadn’t seen so many highlights of college DEs running right around Campbell I’d be more optimistic about him at OT. There wasn’t a video I was just checking out most of the top 50 DE prospects. I always try to take into context who are they rushing against? Incredibly small sample size but it’s all I’m going to get. Nothing gets easier in the NFL. That and some QB named Daniel’s helped him avoid a sack on a few of those plays.

Everyone is banging the table for us to sign one or two former 4/5th Rd picks to fix our interior. I certainly don't mind being wrong but I'll stand by my opinion that Kiran has a higher LT ceiling versus either Banks and especially Campbell. He also has a lower floor. However, Kiran at least deserves a full offseason of strength and conditioning, plus this year we should try to give him some practice reps before we put him on the field in a real game. Then we can start to see what we have on our hands. The LT you want, and I want, is Josh Simmons. I'm just sitting back waiting on his medical report at the combine. My plan would be to put him at LG. I'll have a decent backup on board to start the season so he can work his way in as he recovers. A quick search shows that almost every team after pick 10 (at least their fans) is watching him, starting at 11. I'll be surprised if we don't meet with Simmons in the last week prior to the draft to get one last assessment on his recovery. Then again I'm sure every interested team will be thinking the same. https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/49ers-select-ohio-state-ot-josh-simmons-in-latest-mock-draft-01jfz9nmg3ra https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/potential-chicago-bears-2025-nfl-draft-target-dubbed-high-risk-high-reward-prospect

Kiran is a better LT prospect than any on that list. LT is far from our greatest need even with the occasional bull rush issues. There is no elite LT prospect in this draft except for Simmons who is injured. Fix the IOL and watch Caleb shine.

I think they go hard early at the top options. Shelton isn't a week 1 FA other teams will want to sign. Keep him on speed dial but see if we can get the bigger fish first. Nobody has convinced me yet that Dalman is the bigger fish but he's definitely the bigger contract. He's also still young and can improve so that's where we like to spend our big FA money. I still like the 2 for 1 and would prefer Dalman/Zeitler combo versus say Trey Smith/Shelton. Draft a rookie to fill LG, then get your 2-3 vet backups to mix in with Kiran, Murray, Theo Benedet, and Stromberg and let 'em all compete.

I saw someone point out that this could be a move that benefits both team and player. We have Terrell Smith who is a little stickier in man coverage than Stevenson, but less good at tackling around the LOS. Given the new defensive scheme is going to rely on man on the outside more often and our lack of depth at safety this could be a win win. I could see Stevenson playing the role Brisker has played for us and doing it well.

Sorry to hear that. My mother suffered from debilitating arthritis. The second link, far infrared, helped my mother walk around the house again but it was just temporary relief. The first link I didn't find until just before she passed but that research is now accelerating. I'm not a doctor but with the internet there's a lot of research papers around the world to read. I've never looked into it but I'm sure you can find plenty on the proposed stem cell therapy so you know what questions to ask. 4 years ago doctors told my wife her disease was incurable, two weeks ago he asked her what she was doing that was healing her body. Best wishes. DM me if you want more info. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37085956/#:~:text=Ivermectin treatment also showed a,the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9091720/

From Nov: https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-bears/the-ryan-bates-situation-was-reportedly-way-worse-than-believed/

Bates = arthritis = adios

Zero chance I'm trading Kmet with all the other blocking issues we have. Average NFL salary is ~$5mil/yr (based on $270m/53). He's making $10? This is not a big contract to worry about until we have his replacement in the fold. Let's try using him first and go fix the positions that are big problems.

Gerald Everett absolutely should be missing paychecks just like he was missing blocks.

I don't think so either. I'm just enjoying watching teams way overpay at the position.

WR madness...After losing AJ Brown, and then later his job, it's no surprise Vrabel will want to pay for Higgins. https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/02/teams-picking-in-top-five-may-look-to-trade-back

I don't know where to put this and I don't want to start a new thread.... but nobody wants to stay in the top 5 this year. I have no clue who would possibly want to trade up into the top 5 either. Trade value is going down fast. However once you get to around 10 you get into the value stream. It'll be interesting see how the top 10 plays out this year. https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/02/teams-picking-in-top-five-may-look-to-trade-back

Let's see what have you missed? Jason is on year 20 of asking the Bears to fix the Oline. We think we have a QB but won't know until item 1 is completed. Oh, and we have one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL and none of us have a clue what that's going to look like on Sundays because we haven't seen that for decades. But, there is some suspicion that they are listening to Jason.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/02/chiefs-expecting-rg-trey-smith-to-depart-in-free-agency Chiefs staring into the Oline abyss.

I also prefer the two for the price of one approach.

Trey Smith had a bad holding penalty but other than that Jalen Carter did very little in that game. I'm not sure what that says about either player. Stalemate? I do know that if I have to choose a QB to be under pressure I like more of what I've seen from Caleb than what Mahomes did tonight. To your point, any QB can be humbled and get his eyes down when under constant pressure. Mahomes had some time to take the short throws just not as much as he wanted to work the intermediate routes. Kudos to Vic Fangio!

The Oline gem that nobody is talking about is Josh Simmons. I'll be watching carefully in the run up to the draft to see if he's healthy but for Oline he's my main target in a trade down. Without the injury he'd easily be the first Oline player drafted. In my GM fantasy world he'd start out as OG with potential to move outside and replace Braxton Jones next year. FWIW... as I watched highlights of numerous 1st and 2nd Rd DE prospects last night I realized a lot of them had a clips of running right around Will Campbell. It just cemented my opinion that Campbell does not belong at OT in the NFL.

I hadn't watched any highlights on him yet. He's not a tremendously fluid athlete and I don't like how he tries to get off blocks by bending, twisting, turning around. That really calls into question his upper body strength and he'll be on his butt a lot in the NFL if doesn't clean that up. He easily gets pushed over the top of the QB on a lot of his "highlight" plays so he struggles to dip and cut back in toward the QB. I think OTs who can get a hand on him first will win the battle consistently. Looks more like the 3rd/4th DE in your rotation than starter material. James Pearce seems like the opposite... a .quick lightweight pass rusher who will likely shine in the underwear drills. He reminds me of Leonard Floyd. Like Floyd he'll need years to develop his body for the NFL. I like Nic Scourton. He's got more of a Khalil Mack style to his game, strong man, quick, and hustles. He's not going to be the fastest pass rusher and I'm not sure he has the ideal length you'd like to see. Regardless I like players who love to mix it up in the trenches and he was built for that. He's a quicker more agile version of DeMarcus Walker who could also slide inside on some 3rd and long situations.

Me too.

Saw an article talking about how the Cowboys really want the best RB in the draft... Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty is not going top 10 and Dallas sits at 12. If I'm the Bears I'd be hyping up Jeanty as the perfect piece for Johnson's offense. I realize we don't get much in dropping 2 spots but that's just the first trade down I'm hoping to get. Their proposal: 10/242 for 12/76. That's more than 100pts in our favor on the old trade value chart and I'd do that in a heartbeat. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/draft/a-bears-trade-that-would-give-the-cowboys-exactly-what-they-want-and-shake-up-the-the-nfl-draft

1) Over the years I've just come to learn how often one man's trash is another man's treasure turns out to be false. They were let go or allowed to leave for a reason. See Nate Davis as the latest example. 2). I also think FAs tend to dip down in performance their first year on a new team. That's not always true... see DJ Moore. Moving to a new place, living in an apartment or temp location, maybe with a family in tow, new scheme, new teammates, etc. it's natural. However, that does not make me against FA or trades for players.... it just makes me more cautious and, to the point you're making, I'd say less optimistic that the new guy is "game changing" better. In Jenkins case I have to weigh the chance he improves with better coaching, as can any FA, against his potential ceiling vs. the FAs ceiling. Either way we go I still want to build our future IOL via the next 2 drafts.

I’m ok with Coleman Shelton for another year and drafting his replacement. The other FA centers are not significantly better, if at all, so put our money in a place where we will get much more improvement for our $$$. I’m also not opposed to bringing back Jenkins on a short term deal if it’s reasonable. While drafting his replacement too. I believe better coaching can help him avoid his occasional missteps. I get the injury concern but that’s what keeps him away from the big money. You can swap in any second tier FA LG too, just stick to the budget and draft the future.

Sad day. What an incredible life she had. Through it all she was always a class act and treated people with respect.