Stinger226

Has Dalman not retired, this looks a lot different. Not only the second but they gave up a 5 th for Bradbury. So in sure with the value of a center with a young QB, they double downed at center. They had no idea who would be available but grabbed the best center that could be all pro. IMO. People keep saying they didn't address their most important need, I disagree. They needed a starting S, they had some assets at DE plus 2 starters. Whether it's enough, we'll find out.

You are right, its more complex than getting one good draft pick. They need to add to the roster with cheap rookie contracts from players than contribute. A move up would have cost them two draft picks ( Elliott and Muhammad) in this case. Those are both potential starters if not next year , the next. I think every draftee plus 3 or 4 UDFA stick and are on the 53 man next year. These last two drafts are very important to sustain winning once Caleb gets 55 mil a year. We have 22 players on the roster from last year. Many are secondary(not guaranteed a spot) but could be future backups. As much as we have concerns about our pass rush, we will be getting injured players back that will contribute and an offense that will take the next step with Caleb and BJ. If we are in the top 3 offenses in the league , we only need a average D to compete. The strong Ds are in the AFC, Denver, Houston and NE. Seattle is the best but otherwise who else scares you? Every year is different but the best teams with defense are Seahawks-NE-Eagles-and Vikings if you consider them a threat.

The second round was the spot they still had the chance to grab a few edge players. When the run started at 35 they would had to move up 15 spots that would have cost them their 89 and something else. There was Zion Young, Derrick Moore and then later Jacas. Someone asked Poles and he said Zion Young was to expensive to move up. I think they thought they could still take Jacas when NF moved of which was to late to do anything. Took Jones, someone they valued and get two picks out of the 60 trade, Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas. They looked to take volume players to the edge. Some fans are complaining that they traded for Bradbury and then took Jones. They didnt know they could get Jones so they doubled down. In a few years we will see a pro bowl Center and a high powered offense that includes Roush and Thomas. I understand their choices.

I dont mind an older center prospect because of the value he gives to Caleb. With the NIL money, we are going to continue to see older players drafted. He has 4 years of starting experience and was there for 2 years with Linderbaum. Jones was a DT and Tyler recommended Logan to the coach.

I think they could add an edge rusher but not one that has a big cap charge. 6-8 mil? Who could they get for that on a one year deal?

Poles mentioned trading up in the second for a DE and mentioned Zion Young that was going to cost to much . I think targeting specific edge rushers that fit what you want to do is difficult so they stick to their board and grab someone that can help in another area. I think they would have drafted Jacas but NE moved up. They read the board right because he would have been there. They didnt get him and took Jones which I think would have been the pick at 60. People complain to move up at any cost to get a need but then you dont fill other needs. Players like Howell, Thomas and Josephs didnt fit which thy wanted. Fans and pundits say draft anyways. Every pick had its purpose. The biggest complaint was taking Roush and Zavion Thomas. Those were BJ wants. I think maybe with other teams they might have been a luxury pick but with BJ they are weapons . I trust BJ. This is just another opinion but he overwhelming liked the draft.

Another point that BJ brought up on a press conference was that the new coaches needed to acclimate themselves to what BJ and DA wanted to do. That in the second year they will be able to execute the offense and defense better. Not any different from a player learning the system. Here is a podcast, I watch a lot of them , that explains the consensus and team boards. If you dont want to watch the whole podcast, the post by Bucky Brooks is at 5:00 minutes. He makes some good points.

From everything I have looked at, it appears to me Squirrel White, Jayden Loving and Caden Bennett have a chance to make the 53 man roster. Several others could land on the practice squad. This is area that Poles has had some success.

Here is the players they brought in for the defense this offseason. At DT: Gallimore/FA-Street/FA-Lynch/FA-Van Der Berg/draft/ Loving/UDFA At DE: O At LB: Bush/FA-Elliott/draft-Sanborn/FA-D Jackson/FA At CB: Mahammad/draft-Jalyon Jones/FA-KC Eziomume/UDFA At S: Bryant/FA-Cam Lewis/FA-Hicks/FA-Theineman/draft-Skyler Thomas/UDFA The DE didnt get any bodies. I expect them to bring in a FA. If Booker played the full season(8 games) he could have reached 10 sacks. He had 4.5 sacks but had two taken away for roughing penalties. I think 9 more games could have gotten him 3.5 sacks. Dayo was injured and expect him to contribute . He is the perfect fit for DAs defense. We still need to see production but they wont be cutting him. Turner was hurt and has an upside. They will expect him to take a step. He has a non stop motor, nasty attitude and traits. Not any different than what they might expect from a rookie. Street has played DE besides DT. If I remember correctly our defense played well against the Rams in the last game. With all the new bodies and players coming back they will get better. Throw in they now have scheme fit players at every spot for DA. That should improve the over all defense.

I have no idea if any of these players are any good but It appears you are addressing the same areas we needed in our 2027. That's the thing that is up in the air, where our needs will develop.

I just listened to a scout with OurLads scouting website talk about Squirrel White and said he will be a huge surprise to the fanbase. Like AZ said, he has speed that isnt reflected in his listed 20s time.

Recover has a lot to do with will and determination. He appears to have all of those intangibles. Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and MCL in a knee on Dec 24 and came back the next year to rush for 2097 yards and played in the first game. Medicine these days are more advanced than 2012. Everything does not follow the 12 month recover plan.

I see what you saw but the bears arent ignoring him by there draft dictated. Poles has hits and misses but as long as he is on the roster , Im all in on having hope. Also DA was in on drafting Turner and bringing in Dayo, they are both scheme fits for what he wants. I heard Wannsted on the radio this morning and he said that this defense will be better overall because they brought in more players overall. More speed in all spots on the defense.

Agree with that, they can be both and not just one or the other. It worked out last year when we lead that same category.

Like you said, he looks like Billings that can move. One year in the pros as they build his body , he could become a rotational starter. The 3 DTs they brought in Gallimore-Street-Lynch, depending on how they play will determine what rookies make the 53. Every where James Lynch has been praised. He was never a big snap guy so he doesnt have big stats but his last year in college he had 41 Ts-14.5 TFL-13.5 Ss- 5 PDs-3 FFs. Those are insane numbers for a DT. I dont know if he wasnt in the right scheme but he may surprise fans. When Billings came here, he was a low grade signing but produced for two years and fell off last year.

The eventual trading or cutting of Kmet will come next yr . Some people complain about the Roush pick but he is his replacement. They will restructure a few more players to get with what money they need to get by.

I liked DJ Moore a lot but with Rome and Burden now on the roster and expected to take the next step that is just the progression of football. They have Walker that everyone liked and brought in Raymond. Now they drafted Thomas. BJ wanted more speed and they got it, I take that as a positive and cant wait to see BJ used these weapons. Roush will take Smythes place that had 25% of the snaps. Roush adds to the run game with his blocking, the main reason he was drafted. Everyone is ignoring Dayo and Turner making a contribution this year. I think they will bring in another DE (Cam Jordan) would be a good pickup. They expect a better pass rush threw growth( Jarrett healthy, Booker) along with injured players being back. Add in Van Der Berg and a DE vet and they have upgraded last years DL. IMO We are all use to being the defensive minded Chicago Bears but we are now the BJ offense team and they are trying to have an adequate defense. Im okay with that.

They added speed and took the BPA according to their board. Although I am disappointed because they didnt get Jacas, they played the board right. NE moved up two spots in front of them to get Jacas or they would have drafted him at 57 and then took Jones at 60. It just didnt work out. The big outlier here was when Dalman all of a sudden retired. They scrambled to get the best vet at a reasonable price and then took the best center in the draft. BJ values the center position to work with Caleb and that's how they addressed it. We dont know how they valued the edge players left (Dennis-Sutton) went at 120 but they drafted Roush-Thomas. We will have to see how that works out. They clearly were targeting Van Der Berg later in the draft to pass up the DT position. They value Dayo and Turner more than the pundits and fans. They know medicals that we dont . Those two will be in the DE room that replaces any later round draft picks. I think they hit on Mummamd/CB and Elliott/LB but time will tell. Van Der Berg may not contribute right away but looks like a high ceiling on being very good. 10.0 RAS score is insane. The best DT score since they started using that metric. Reviewing Scouting Takes on Bears Picks I'm going through some scouting reports, and I just wanted to share the theme about almost every single one of these players. I'm mostly looking at the intangibles. To my mind, right or wrong, Ben Johnson feels he understands what it takes for a player with non-traditional measurements to succeed - a "what would I do without football?" lifer, and someone who is tough and competitive. Does that toughness and intelligence push smaller guys like Thieneman, Thomas, and Muhammed, and short-armed players like Jones, Roush, and Van den Berg to excel? We'll have to see, but to me, that's the clear theme here: smart guys who live and breathe football, are tough, and work their asses off. Agree with it or not, but my read on this is that Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles believe that: a) if a guy is a really good athlete, b) and he lives and breathes football, c) and he's smart and a leader, they will be able to coach that player into a good football player. Dillon Thieneman, S, No. 25 He's a scheme fit and a decent pick here Fast as hell Logan Jones, C, No. 57 Refits his hands quickly and efficiently for recoveries in pass pro (will protect Caleb Williams) Finished career going 17 straight games without a penalty (tell me Johnson wasn't pissed about the penalties last year) Rugged demeanor and hates coming off the field (Johnson's type of player) High-intangibles kid (NFL scout: “Pushes himself to the max. … I wish all our guys loved the grind like he does.”) (Bears' culture) Great athlete (won 100m dash in 6th and 7th grade in city track meets) Sam Roush, TE, No. 69 Strains in his blocking and plays with competitive edge Described as “down-to-earth, all-ball” player who willingly overachieves One of just six combine prospects (out of 319) who competed in every drill No stranger to special teams (529 career snaps) Zavion Thomas, WR, No. 89 Beloved in LSU program for his “positive energy” and “grinding attitude” Fast as hell Malik Muhammed, CB, No. 124 Hates to come off the field (Muhammad after missing one game in 2025: “I feel like I let my team down.”) Fast, great athlete Keyshaun Elliot, LB, No. 166 Extra coach on the field — communicates all calls to his teammates Described as an “A-plus kid” with “grown-man maturity” by coaching staff Sophomore team captain at New Mexico State; voted to the team’s Pat Tillman Leadership Council both of his seasons at Arizona State Already a professional in terms of his work ethic and study habits (NFL scout: “He wears out the coaches — in the best way possible.”) Fast, good athlete Jordan van den Berg, DT, No. 213 His motor is relentless, and his coaches said he was one of the team’s best leaders because of the example he set. He also brings outstanding personal and football character (he used his NIL money to become a small-busine

I dont care where they got there players (pick value) as long as they are good players. Most people use the big boards pundits put out to judge player value. After the actual draft you can see a lot of evaluations were off. A good example is the safety EMW. Some had him in the first round or early second. Almost every team passed him up a couple of times before he was taken. Taking Logan Jones that high was not in any drafts so does that mean we went to high, or they were to low? Logan Jones is a Tyler Linderbaum clone and Tyler was picked by the Ravens at pick 25. If Logan is that good, late second is right where he should have been taken.

Last years draft was a great success and still can pay more dividends with Frazier and Hyppolite. Until it proves differently this class looks like it added to the roster.