AZ54

Just like last year I'd like a trade back from 10 even to as low as 20. I doubt anyone is that desperate to move up so that won't likely happen. There is still very good Dline and Oline talent for the trenches from 20-70. RB is supposedly very deep as well and netting an extra 3rd Rd pick enables us to grab a good one to mix in with Swift. Maybe someone will take Ian Cunningham off our hands and give us a 3rd Rd comp pick.

Agreed

For all the issues we dealt with knowing we finally have a good QB is just a nice feeling. Really Caleb should have had at least 3, maybe 4 come back wins (I've got a mental block on most of this season) if Flus had coached the defense properly. That's pretty good and for me watching him win the game that way was just an awesome way for him to begin the offseason.

To be fair neither does our Dline.

I'm with you. Shelton has met expectations as our C and can be our starter next year. Jenkins has done enough to stay if the contract is middle of the road... a 2 yr deal seems reasonable for both sides. Draft two Oline players early to add competition and sign one more in FA to be a starter at RG. Then get an OC who can make our QB throw the ball on time.

Josh Simmons?

I don’t think Campbell is an NFL OT. Love him at OG. He’d be my target with a slight trade back.

Thomas Brown is in way over his head as an OC. It was very obvious in that Seattle game and he kept calling little WR screens as if that was somehow going to beat the pressure issues. By the 2nd quarter the defense figured out all they had to do was play downhill.

Cut the players that are getting us a higher draft pick? Absolutely not.

Ah I see you were laying out his qualifications to be a bears coach.

The same guy who didn’t give the football to Marshawn Lynch at the goal line in the Super Bowl to win the game?

I watched this last night. His line drive pass into the gap deep down the right sideline is just rare talent. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone do that. Beyond that moment, his composure behind the line on numerous plays was amazing.

I have no idea what happened to him. Missing easy wide open passes in this last game was really surprising to me.

It appears we are locked in at 10 or better. I don’t have a clue why they say that. Regardless I’m just here for the quarterback play …which is something I’ve never said about a bears game. “Following Week 16 action, the Bears currently hold three picks in the top 41 in the 2025 NFL draft, according to Tankathon. And with just two weeks left, Chicago cannot pick worse than 10th overall in the draft, which is great news for landing a top prospect to shore up the roster.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/2025-nfl-draft-order-bears-can-pick-no-worse-than-this-spot/ar-AA1wqWTw

Merry Christmas to all, and to all.. a good draft.

I hear that and I wouldn't be against drafting an elite LT with our first pick but there is the talent to consider when defining strategy. Of course you could say this should make us more conducive to a trade down if it's available. Or grab the DT but the only one I really like (so far) is Mason Graham. There is a lot more in the article but I'm not a paid subscriber. Even without that, if you hit the link you can get more details on the OTs but Thorn doesn't seem to have any of them as true blue chip talents. I still feel like if you have a chance to get a true blue chip player, unless you already have one at that position, then you take them. https://trenchwarfare.substack.com/p/2025-offensive-line-class-overview "The 2025 O-Line class was initially perceived as much worse than last year’s. That’s still largely a factual statement, but it’s worth noting that last year’s class was historically loaded, especially at tackle and center. Seven tackles were drafted in round one alone (the most in 12+ years) and nine total linemen went in the first round, tying the 2022 and 2013 classes for the most since at least 2012. Last year’s class saw 25 total linemen drafted in the first three rounds alone, which is another high over that more than a decade long time span. This upcoming class is emphatically less talented than 2024, but there are still several projected year one starters. Most of this starting talent is concentrated at guard. There are only a few true guards that I see as early starters right now (Alabama’s Tyler Booker, Georgia’s Tate Ratledge), but the ceiling of the guard class as a whole is raised thanks to many of the best tackle prospects having a viable and familiar pathway into the well-stocked ‘very good college tackle-to-pro guard’ pipeline (LSU’s Will Campbell, Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., West Virginia’s Wyatt Milum, Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea and more). This isn’t to say that the tackle class is completely void of round one talent because that isn’t true either. All of the prior names could feasibly get a crack at a tackle spot, even if their ceilings are higher inside. My top-graded true tackles all could hear their names called in round one (Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., Missouri’s Armand Membou). Skepticism starts to creep in when examining the projected center class. I only have three players with a grade inside the first three rounds and none in round one. This is a little easier to stomach given the depth of last year’s center class (six rookie centers are currently starting for teams, and five have 10 or more starts)."

We watch 17 games of the Bears and then do film study afterward. I doubt anyone puts that scrutiny on other teams players. I see a few things: 1st: Sometimes these millionaires get complacent and don't put in the work until they get cut. I can think of two where that was clear IMO: Leno and Gould. 2nd: Fit. If you have a limited LT like Leno (just using an example) but a solid RT opposite him it is easier to help the LT during plays. This is coaching but also GMs and how they build a roster. You can't get Pro Bowl players everywhere. 3rd: Coaching scheme. Fit what you're doing to the talent you've got. Of course that can only go so far you still need some elite players to have a good team. 4th: Position coaching for technique to fit with what they play caller wants to do.

You mean the refs won't call holding on the Packers?

Never said I wasn't going to fix the Oline. In my fantasy GM world I'll have $90mil to spend this offseason and I'm not bringing back Keenan Allen. I've seen Jeanty just blow through so many tackles where plays weren't blocked up perfectly. When the blocking is good you are going to get some big chunk plays. Plus he can catch out of the backfield...he's that guy you'd take in any 1:1 situation and a perfect safety valve for Caleb. I can still draft a good DE and DT prospect in Rd 2 and a Center in Rd 3. I can fix IOL in FA. That does leave concern at LT but Braxton is actually a good run blocker, Jeanty and an OC making better use of play action will help reduce the edge pressure.

That's really the challenge with PFF's mock site: Their player rankings are usually way off. Nonetheless I'll run a hundred mocks there anyway because it gives me names in rounds and from there I do my research on the players. I am seriously considering taking Ashton Jeanty with our first pick. I'm old and I've seen hundreds if not thousands of NFL RBs. This kid is just different. I've seen enough over the years from Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, to the modern era with Saquon Barkley (who was the last RB that was "different") and what they did for their teams. If Mason Graham drops he's my guy and I like the LTs. Nothing will benefit Caleb more than a good running game.

I go about 20 years between Superbowls (85 then 2006) so I figure we're just a couple years out. How we get there I have no clue but I also know we aren't that far off now that we have Caleb.

I'd be ok with that. Sit back, watch for a bit because I think it will help him clear his mind. He's been roughed up plenty in recent games just list him as having an injury because he's definitely bruised up. That knee took a shot too a week ago. The only downside might be if Bagent goes out there and wins a game. I don't think he'd forgive the team for that.

Bummer I always liked him and hate to see that. From his time at Iowa State to the Bears and then Detroit he never quit on a play regardless of score or the teams record.

If they were going to fire Poles they should have done that already. There is nothing more you will learn in your evaluation of him in these last 5 games. Ownership being clueless as they are so it wouldn't surprise me to see them make a late decision on Poles and fire him. If they want a new GM they should have already begun that search so it's wrapped up by the end of the season and the new GM can focus on hiring the coaches and then the draft. Scores being what they are lead to narratives but what I saw was a Bears team that is much closer to the Vikings talent than the score or records indicate. Again coaching decisions and poor execution (Kramer lack of reporting) took us away from a winnable game. I'm ok with it at this point what would going 3-3 over the last part of the season do for us except move us further down the draft board? Since I was flipping over the Falcons/Raiders game at times I can say the Bears put a lot better product on the field than either of those two teams. I was expecting to just get run over down the middle all game long. For sure there were some bad run defense plays but it also stiffened up at times and kept us in the game. The DT Ford they picked up from GB at 6'5" 335lbs looked stout in the run game and made some good plays for us. I'm not going to assign him anything more than the fact he deserves more snaps in the next game so we can see what he's got. Amegadjie looks like he has potential but needs work. That's a tough start on the road against a challenging defense. Caleb really needs an OC who will get in his face and make him work to the timing of the play. He trended in that direction mid-year and now he's trending back the other way.

He had his rough spots especially in pass pro with speed off the edge but he also had some really good plays especially in the running game. I'm looking forward to see him in a couple more games if not to finish the season as the starter. I think I saw enough to believe his floor is at least equivalent to what we get with Braxton Jones. After that game he should have confidence he belongs in the NFL and a couple more games will hopefully show upside.