jason

Agree on all, but I think including Cohen more is a good idea, and his absence in the offensive game plan highlights Nagy’s inadequacies.

I think Fields starts by the Tampa Bay game. Not only do I think the Bears will start slow, but I think it'll be a good story/reason with Fields (i.e. youth of the league) going against Brady (i.e. soon-to-retire GOAT).

To be fair, there is a chance Justin Fields sees very minimal time on the field this year. Dalton is no scrub. He's arguably the best QB the Bears have every had on roster. Similar career stats to Cutler, but without as many interceptions. If he does well, and performs similar to his Cincy years, there will be no reason to rush Fields.

Compelling breakdown, but here's how I see it: Sunday, Sept. 12 at Los Angeles Rams, 7:20 p.m. - Primetime and the Rams are good. Loss Sunday, Sept. 19 VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS, Noon - They will improve, but not that much. Win Sunday, Sept. 26 at Cleveland Browns, Noon - This team has swag. Loss Sunday, Oct. 3 VS. DETROIT LIONS, Noon - Always close games. Split series this year. Win. Sunday, Oct. 10 at Las Vegas Raiders, 3:05 p.m.* - Random game. Win. Sunday, Oct. 17 VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS, Noon* - They own the Bears. Loss. Sunday, Oct. 24 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3:25 p.m.* - Brady avenges his brainfart from last year. Field probably starts by now. Loss. Sunday, Oct. 31 VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, Noon* - This is a trap game IMO. Anyway. Win. Monday, Nov. 8 at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7:15 p.m. - Primetime, perpetually good team. Loss. Sunday, Nov. 21 VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS, Noon* - Tough team. Loss. Thursday, Nov. 25 at Detroit Lions (Thanksgiving), 11:30 a.m. Always close games. Split series this year. Primetime. Loss. Sunday, Dec. 5 VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS, Noon* - At this point it's win or go home. Just to make it interesting. Win. Sunday, Dec. 12 at Green Bay Packers, 7:20 p.m.* - They own the Bears. Likely the nail in the playoff coffin. Loss. Monday, Dec. 20 VS. MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 7:15 p.m. - Hey, 17 games and 8 losses? Time to get moving. Win. Sunday, Dec. 26 at Seattle Seahawks, 3:05 p.m.* - The C-Hox have a playoff lock, the Bears players look up Pyrrhic victories during their dance party. Win. Sunday, Jan. 2 VS. NEW YORK GIANTS, Noon* - This is so obvious. Just like a Greek tragedy. Win. Sunday, Jan. 9 at Minnesota Vikings, Noon* - Finish on a 4-game streak for false-confidence, but lose a playoff tie-breaker. Win. Long story short, 9-8, out of the playoffs, false confidence, worse draft position because of the end of the season, but all anyone will talk about, in classic Chicago fashion, is "JUST WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR." So, 7.5 wins is slightly underrated.

I'd rather see the next Covert, Bortz, Hilgenberg, Thayer, Van Horne combo.

You misunderstand. I, too, want them to earn it and win. Which is kind of what I'm saying about the primetime games. I don't want the to get those games by default, because they usually suck in those games. I want the NFL to be forced to include the Bears because the Bears are so obviously worthy.

I never complained about that. The Bears usually get embarrassed on MNF, and most televised games vs the packers end in heartbreak. I'd rather not see the team on national television until it's late in the season and flex scheduling forces the Bears into a highlight game because of their record.

This is the best thing on Twitter I've seen in a while.

You can be a Bears fan with a diverse vocabulary. What I love about Fields, even though I'm not sold on the pick, is that he had sustained dominance at the top levels of NCAA football. Period. His performance over and over doesn't lie. If he can translate that to the NFL, he'll be really good for the Bears...provided Pace/Nagy continue to make OL a priority.

"Ranked" - If those rankings are from PFF, they're as reliable as the guards at Jeffery Epstein's cell. Leno at his best was never better than average. They can crunch all sorts of made up stats all they want, but the bare naked eye says he sucked most of the time, and was average some of the time. He should have been cut before his new deal even happened, and the new deal was a massive mistake. Thanks goodness the team (i.e. Pace and Nagy) finally caught on.

If that were to happen, I’d have to go to the doctor for priapism. Like I said before, the first five priorities for this team should be OL to protect the prize asset.

ugh. RB camp body. For anyone who cares about BPA at all, it’s unfathomable Dylan Moses hasn’t been selected yet.

Whop Philyor, WR, Indiana

I’m here. Just pondering. I like the Fields pick. Don’t love it though. Just not sold on any QB from OSU, and not sold on trading up, and not sold on it being the right course for the team. I kinda love the Jenkins pick. Nasty mauler. But I’m under the belief the Bears need another OT AND an OG. Just because the team cobbled together a few decent weeks doesn’t mean those dudes are solid. The Bears absolute priority, no, their top five priorities right now, should be protecting Fields at all costs. It’s time to rip the “defense wins championships”-bandaid off and embrace the new NFL. If Fields is as good as billed, he can use average receivers and maker them good/great. Focus should still be OL.

Agree. I love the pick, but Pace has zero patience. He loves who he loves and goes all in like a beginning poker player. If he had been picking studs all this time and his analysis had been top notch, then it’d be hard to argue. He has been average at best, however, and doesn’t have the credentials to constantly limit the draft pool. Always trading up is a horrible strategy.

Simple. Level of competition, respective teams, and respective coaches. Trey Lance played around NDST and Mac Jones played at Bama. Both dominated, but doing so at Bama is MUCH harder. Also, the teams they went to matter. The Pats are in a much better position to help Jones along, both because their team is good, and because their coach is one of the best ever. Last but not least, development of NFL caliber skills is something Jones already has, where Lance got picked on excitement factor mostly.

I think Jones will easily have a better career.

As usual, I'm serious about this. The Bears would be better off just going with Alabama and/or SEC players instead of trying to outsmart everyone. First step: Trade back, and pick up an extra pick. To make this easy, let's say the Bears get another 2nd and that's it. 1st - Christian Barmore (DT) Alabama - Too good to pass up, sets up multiple possibilities, insurance for Goldman as well 2nd - Alex Leatherwood (OT/OG) Alabama - Starts immediately. 2nd - Kellen Mond (QB) Texas A&M - QB of the future. 3rd - Dylan Moses (LB) Alabama - I don't care about the injury; he's a monster. 5th - LaBryan Ray (DE) Alabama - I think he could be a beast as 3-4 DE 6th - Ernest Jones (ILB) South Carolina - Underrated. Always around the ball. 6th - Warren Jackson (WR) Colorado State - LOL. I couldn't find enough Alabama and SEC guys who drop and sorta fit. 6th - Brian Robinson (RB) Alabama - Better than people think. Gives me Jordan Howard vibes. 6th - Thomas Fletcher (LS) Alabama - Long-snapper for fun.

1st - Trade up for Trey Lance, QB, NDST - This would be a horrible move. Reeks of Trubisky. Will set the franchise back and cost too much. It would also mean a wasted first round pick on a clipboard holder, or $10M wasted on Andy Dalton. 2nd - Landon Dickerson, IOL, Bama - Normally I love OL and specifically Alabama OL, but this would piss me off because it's interior and not OT, and it's a guy with extensive injury history. 3rd - Mid-Rd Safety Reach w/ OT available - Two or three solid OTs are there, one of which probably should have been a second rounder. Pace reaches for a Obi Melifonwu-type who has the measurables but minimal statistics to back it up. 5th - Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina - Small RB? Check. Bad team? Check. Trubisky nightmares? Check. Complete redundancy? Exactly the kind of guy Pace likes. 6th - ANY freaking Tight End - Kmet and Graham should be getting 99.9% of all offensive snaps, and when Graham is gone Kmet should get a huge boost in usage. Third string TEs are for emergencies. 6th - Bryan Mills, CB, North Carolina Central - Random small school pick destined to fail. 6th - Josh Imatorbhebhe (WR/TE) Illinois - Tweener pick for hometown excitement who doesn't jibe with the overall roster. 6th - Random throwaway OT - Yet another one of those "See! We picked an offensive tackle!"-picks that shows a lack of care about the OL, because for some reason the coaches all think they can take 350lbs of raw cookie dough and turn that guy into a starting RT in the NFL, but never hold that same kind of logic to other positions. What's your nightmare draft?

Edited for Shaheenish clarity.

Bingo. No trading up.

I’m not sure I would want Fields if he slipped either. I just can’t get over the Luckeye QB streak. They just suck once they get to the NFL. Add in the epilelpsy thing, and consider me suitably concerned. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/justin-fields-ohio-state-qbs-nfl-draft-history/hu5wl7fz7k8s17n9f3w5ioero

Hate

I’m actually intrigued by the double QB approach. Kind of genius to be honest. Protect Dalton for a year with two monsters, and then roll the dice twice on rookie QBs. Put pressure on them to prove their worth.

At least you stick to your guns. I remember you saying the same about Trubisky, being high on him, and being happy about the trade. I also remember loathing it, thinking it was a horrible idea to trade up, give up picks, all for a guy who barely played in a weak conference, all while the overall team needed multiple positions strengthened. If you get what you want, I hope the end of the story isn't the same.