Alaskan Grizzly

Some more Caleb Williams social media data to chew on. I shared the link to this post as I can’t seem to share it directly as I used to. Good thread to read. Of note, both Maye and Daniels also skipped their bowl games but have already declared. MHJ declared on Thursday. Oh, and Williams doesn’t have an “NFLPA” approved agent yet which they say is “unconventional”. https://x.com/kalynkahler/status/1745856372707918010?s=46&t=KrpJmhSTc4DI1sACtjisOQ

Same. My concerns about how Williams withers against more solid competition is concerning. And with regards to character, before the national championship game the other night Penix was regarded a ‘high round’ talent. But after his performance many are saying his stock is tumbling. What did Williams do in his final game with USC in their bowl game? He sat out. And his backup scored 6 TDs. Now convince me again how Williams is a “can’t miss”? Oh and I might add, I’d take Penix over Williams any given day just soley based on his gritty play that night.

Question. How do these metrics compare to players like Mahomes or Jackson? What do you think are the contributing factors if they are dramatically diffferent? Second question: If Fields were to swap spots with either Mahomes or Jackson, how do you think the metrics would look in either scenario then?

So everyone remember about a year ago when we were all excited about going into the draft with finally having a 1st round pick again and that ‘all the talk’ (eventually) had us getting Jalen Carter? Who knew at that time we’d end up doing what we’d do? I personally feel that the hype leading up to the draft for either Williams or Maye is similar to what occurred last year. How it all plays out is all speculative but I can say I’m confident enough in Poles’ ability to say that I’m excited for April 25th to get here. And I usually don’t get all that excited for drafts.

Yeah I did see that. I was watching Flus during that and noticed he was sweating profusely during that time and Poles was cool as a cucumber. He's good.

He was the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton award…but yeah. Speaking of leadership, saw in that presser yesterday Poles and Flus went out of their way to herald Marcedes Lewis on his leadership. They said he was especially helpful in the locker room which I imagine was quite interesting early on. Hope to see him back next year. He blocks great and didn’t drop any passes thrown to him.

Good to “see” you again. I get it. But maybe a sip of Lagavulin will take the edge off? ?

Agreed, when it comes to character we got the better of the two.

That is until your QB gets injured because he doesn’t have enough quality linemen in front of him. ??‍♂️

Social media is an buzz about a quote Flus made about Fields (in the clip below). He essentially said ‘…and he will continue to grow…as we grow this football team.’ This was in response to Poles saying just before that he'd have a hard time envisioning how he’d react to a hypothetical trade that “blew his mind”. https://x.com/adamrank/status/1745224267820835320?s=46&t=KrpJmhSTc4DI1sACtjisOQ

Not really clear but did Carroll retire or get fired? If he retired then wouldn’t he be next in line for a potential HC job there in SEA? If fired then yes it seems like a good fit. Some credit him for the revival of Geno Smith. And say his system is similar to what is currently in place in Chicago. Many cited he likes to use the screen a lot and avoids the short middle of the field. ?

Likes: cheap contract extension for Justin, WR Rice (via draft) and initially wasn’t a fan of the QB from Tenn. But once he explained the ‘system QB development’ concept it made sense. Bagent doesn’t quite match that. Really likes: 3 1sts and 2(?) 2nds in 2025. If he pulls that off, he’s a wizard. Dislikes: none really.

Solid reply. ?

What was his response?

He’s talking collegiate OC of Wash.

Where’s the old Mad who used to be the “eternal optimist”?

You don’t say?

The one thing we are certain on is that Poles/Warren agreed Getsy was a big problem with the offense not just Fields. Poles’ first two drafts has had more overall success in getting productive contributors for the defense than he has for the offense. And in just volume (numbers) he got more in last year’s draft. Probably safe to assume this years’ will focus on offense. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/draft-picks-reflect-successful-trend-by-ryan-poles

This is an intriguing time indeed. A coaching staff that was fully assembled at the beginning of the 2023 season is now missing its two primary contributors, OC and DC and the HC still remains. With regards to Bienemy. Do you think he did enough in Washington to prove his competence as an OC (let along HC) elsewhere? I know the plan for him was to leave KC to move out from the shadow of Reid and potentially become his own HC candidate. Now with the ouster of Rivera, Bienenmy will have his chance. From the little reading I did on the matter the Commanders started with a "mess" of an offense pre-Bienimey to ranking #27 overall at the end of this season. Too me that's not too an awful big leap.

To nearly everything you said I agree with. Especially with the note about Trubisky and his lack of experience. That's one of the key reasons I'm down on Maye (let alone he's from NC and wears the #10). And like I said my reasoning for someone who is 'over-seasoned' is purely a more "me" issue than it is based on any tried rhyme or reason. Especially if you figure in both of these guys had to play through the COVID years. The idea about drafting a future QB and letting them stew for a bit sits really square with me too. Especially since it allows Fields more time to prove himself (with what will now be a new OC). As you said it has worked for GB and KC (with Mahomes) with some level of success. Poles is more familiar with how that worked while in KC I'm sure. And again I agree on Nix being a better overall QB candidate. He seems to have some pedigree (having been successful in the SEC) and also setting records while in the PAC12. Great thing about him is that I don't think he'll demand a day one draft pick (as you said before) regardless of how many of those we may have come day one of this year's draft.

Or any college coach that wants to make a leap into the NFL who isn’t already an HC at that level. A little more riskier but still a possibility . And this as a topic of conspiracy, not based on any current rumor or any potential fact but a ‘what-if’ if you will. Was reading up on the Harbaugh family recently and was reminded how much a football family the Harbaugh’s are. Forgot that dad Jack was himself a successful HC and won a national championship at the D2 level and is currently the asst HC for Michigan (probably more ‘pro tempore’ than anything) and of course John himself a SB winner at the NFL level. Then there’s Jay Harbaugh, son of Jim who is currently Michigan’s ST coordinator (and one time interim HC this last season when dad was serving one of his suspensions). “What if” a deal is in place with Jim that he has said how about my son come to Chicago as a coach on your staff? Put him in it OC (or something else to get his feet wet and not be “obvious”) to see how he does? Jim tells the Bears if next year your guys’ record still sucks come back to me and I’ll rethink about joining you. In the meantime I’m gonna enjoy this new contract Michigan offered me and the new status I’ve gotten here at Michigan a little bit longer. Just a wild conspiracy thought to ponder because ‘why not’?

Was reminded of a short sideline report from the game the other night where Tracey Wolfsen was heard saying something to the effect of ‘Kevin Warren sees this current situation similar to his time with the Rams’ when Dick Vermeil was the coach. And that things ‘didn’t come together until year three’. Looked it up (thanks Wikipedia) and lo and behold while with the Rams from ‘97-‘99 Vermiel went 5-11 in year one, 4-12 in year two (he regressed in year two) and won the Super Bowl in year three. But before you say ‘yeah but he hired Mike Martz and stumbled on Kurt Warner during that third year’… Going back to 1976-1982 Vermiel entered an eerily similar situation with the Eagles as did Poles and Flus with the Bears. ‘Due to trades made by the Eagles in previous seasons, Vermiel did not have a 1st round pick until 1979’. And those first two years he compiled a record of 4-10 and 5-9 before making the playoffs in 1978 (the first time for them in 18 years). Warren appears to refer to Vermiel quite often and I would guess views him as a form of mentor. And another nugget of intrigue comes in the form of a presser quote offered when he was hired as the Bears President. “You’ve got to recognize when you build a house you build the basement first,” Warren said. “So when you drive by a house and you don’t see any progress above land, that doesn’t mean that building is not going on.”

Something just hit me as funny. (Ironically and maybe literally.) I have concerns of the Bears becoming the new Browns. The Browns who "since 1999 have had 38 different starting QBs". Of those 5 were their own 1st round picks and a handful others that were 2nd and third rounders of their own. Then if you add in the all the money they dumped into another former 1st rounder in Deshaun Watson for this season to 'make things right' only for it once again, prove faulty. Who knew going to the street to find a guy sitting on his couch in Joe Flacco would make the Browns an actual playoff team?

This, minutes ago from Halas Hall:

Yeah I saw this information some time back. And what's funny about it is I think Michigan had an original offer on the table for one (?) year and $12-15 million but pulled it when he got suspended the second time this year.