DABEARSDABOMB

Even if Kurt is wrong - for my own sanity I’ll take this as a positive. I also go back to - this is the first real game tape for Caleb with BJ. Preseason helps but it’s vanilla D - training camp helps - but d starts to know the plays. This is first real game action with Ben and against a Flores unit that is usually quite good. Let’s see how they build from here…I am expecting to be 1-3 heading into the bye but hopefully somehow we are pleasantly surprised….

The missed field goal also gave Vikings real good field position.

There was also the phantom hands to the face/facemask on the Bears which clearly wasn’t.

This - I still think Poles has been very weak as a talent evaluator. Drafts are still pretty meh and his real hits are Ben Johnson (hopefully this ages well) and the Panthers trade. They look like they drafted a potential starting RT in Trapillo (but they invested a top 10 pick in Wright (who doesn’t look like a top 10 pick - and they opted for him over Jalen Carter). Turner was hurt in camp so I’m hoping this is more they think he needs a bit more time - I sure hope he is flashing though cause they need to hit on a few. Burden looked explosive in preseason so at least for now I’m going to say that pick, while not the position I wanted, at first glance looks like a potential starter.

Want to give Moore credit - for all the talk last year, dude got annihilated and was back out two plays later.

Honestly - If not for the Bears blowing it we probably would be more glass half full than empty on Caleb in his first game. We saw some of his struggles but he also had some nice plays - reality is he is far more raw then we all expected and was poorly coached and also fairly well prepped and open to coaching in his first year (blame is just as much on him as previous regime). With that said - he has to accept responsibility for what he did and really bring in the work and accept being coached hard and work even harder. He has the physical gifts - but does he really want it. Let’s see how he and the team respond - but man - they likely are looking at Raider game as the next winnable game…they needed this one.

This, special teams, bad challenge (loss of timeout was killer) and Caleb missing on some key opportunities was the difference…but the first three items were by far the difference…those don’t happen and we are probably giving talking about a solid first game for Caleb….Ben is going to be pissed, including at himself. Why they didn’t kick it out of bounds was idiotic too. No reason this should have went the way it did at the end either.

100 percent and I believe Keenum got really rave reviews for his work with Stroud as a backup too. Some back ups aren’t right fit some are. I think Bagent works hard but as a back up he also wants to be the dude given where he is at in his career - keenum just wants to be close to the game and if he’s put in and gets a shot be there to serve as the bridge guy and maybe win a game in sake the qb has to go down.

Regarding Caleb - I said it a couple months back - there are plenty of red flags on him just as there were on the coaching staff. He has to learn from what he did wrong and I legitimately think he bought into his hype too much and did not take it as serious as he should of and also had a bit of an entitled attitude and perspective and that played out and there were enough rumblings of that. He got his ass kicked last year - in many ways. Now I hated that he spent any time wasting it on the quotes that drove the Flus hit piece earlier in the offseason cause it still shows a total lack of maturity. With that said - I think the whole culture has changed and hopefully he had the rude awakening needed and is now all systems go with a staff that is going to really push and some added vet presence in the qb room to help. We won’t know in first 4 weeks - but as season goes on, theexpectation has to be we are seeing some above average and at times high end play from that position.

One thing to point out - but Mahomes burned the Bears multiple times over on plays where he ran around holding the ball forever and than making something special happen. Like Caleb - there will be moments for him to do that - but he also has to take the easy and let the game come with him, because when he does that - the defense won’t be able to cheat as much and a lot more big things will happen. Hopefully the Bears can develop an effective running game this year cause that would go a long ways - especially knowing how adept BJ is at calling and designing the play action passing game.

Makes no sense for him to be this high with what we have seen - doesn’t mean his future isn’t bright though - but he has a lot on his list of things to really develop and to start stacking together.

That is kind of my point - don’t spend cap space and draft capital to acquire on non QBs…it doesn’t make sense and quite frankly when those non QBs come due - be very smart about when in their careers you extend vs parlay into trade that gives you more draft capital and keeps the time young and able to surround your qb (especially when they get paid) with as much talent as possible.

Generally speaking - I agree with this take. Giving up high end draft picks and cap space is not a good strategy - unless it is so solely put you over the top or get a qb. And even the solely to put you on the top is something I struggle with. As much as Cowboys got ripped - while I think they should have found a team where the first round picks would be better - I didn’t mind the trade. If I were them I would move Dak for some picks too and actually jump start a rebuild. In general, I think teams could benefit a bit more in NFL from trading guys at max value vs holding on too late and than leveraging cap space for those difference makers and than using it for more late round picks for good players with just a bit left (as they tend to be under valued in terms of draft capital). It is like DJ Moore - if I could get 2 2nd rounders and cap space for him I probably do it - same with Jaylon. Having that allows you to continue to bring in young, ascending talent while giving you cap space to retain your own and buy guys that fill your void.

Both of you said that excellently. I don’t think it was wrong move for Green Bay - love has shown he is a good qb - great, maybe not - but in right situation they can do pretty good. For Bears this would be wrong move - you got to know you got a good qb first and until than invest the pieces that help enable that.

I would think 2 1sts and Dexter is a much stronger offer than what they got. Bears 1st rounders would like be viewed as more valuable than Packers and Dexter is an emerging player who is much cheaper relative to the player Packers have up who has a pretty high / expensive contract and is trending to wrong side of his prime.

2-0-1. I just saw highlights since it wasn’t on in my area but look forward to watching later this weekend once I can see the NFL network recording. Sounds like a slow start by Caleb and some lessons to learn - but they also got some points. Two weeks now to get ready for week 1 and hopefully some more film to reinforce good things but just as much allow the staff to reinforce the things Caleb and team need to keep working on!

I think a lot of us wanted him at center.

This is a great move and really happy for Bagent and it’s a smart move by Bagent too. He knows Johnson is legit and if at some point he plays and excels - all of a sudden he’s getting traded for to start all while learning and working with a good coaching staff while securing some real earnings over next few years. And for Bears - they basically have locked in a lot of cap flexibility to be spent on other positions over the next 2 years.

You also have to pay him 35M. If he was 3 year younger - yes - but at his age with the Bears where they are at - not interested.

I was driving home today and randomly was thinking the same thing - was nice to see guys legitimately open where every pass doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect. You got to have those tight window throws and ability to throw guys open - but it also helps when you have throws and guys open and various levels because the scheme and talent allow them to get open.

Burden looks like a dude - loved seeing how physical he blocked too!

Caleb was so decisive and accurate that drive. 2nd drive was good too - just a bummer that Rome dropped that pass. Nice game with exception of Smith looking like he suffered a season ending injury. Hoping somehow it isn’t as serious as it looked.

The inverse with that - on the LT side - I think at bet they are seeing mediocre play at this point - and at times the mediocre slides to bad. I think they are also sending a message here - but it is different than the Wright message. They are trying to see who can raise the floor - for a lack of a better term - and also I think trying to push and rebuild Jones to try and find a bar that is at another level than he previously played at while also trying to coach up depth and see how much they can push Trapillo to see where he is…but Jones is the only one of the current 3 with the pure tools you want at LT. But having been hurt - he hasn’t been able to put on the strength they need him to do and that will take time. Its pretty clear he will ultimately be the starter - but I think they are setting a bar to make ish him to put in all the work and than do same thing in between games etc. It’s clear technique is being emphasized heavily too.

Agree - I also think the comments on Wright are to send a message and try to get him to reach elite talent level. He is a good to ok RT and has shown it - but he hasn’t been great despite having the tools. I think he got comfy with the softness in standards from previous regime and than he showed up taking things for granted. It isn’t that he has been bad at camp - it’s that the oline coach thinks he can be great and expects that - and not just some of the time - all of the time. The great ots are great because they play with that high level consistency ALL the time.

I think the biggest worry I have is if Wright ends up being mediocre. Jones was a late pick - Wright was a high pick. Let’s see these tackles step up. I also want to see what sort of dude Trapillo can be on right side - pretty clear he isn’t there yet on left side and the real risk is that might always be the case.