adam

People have to remember Williams, Maye, Daniels, and McCarthy are just kids (Penix is already a grandpa). College kids do stupid shit. They paint F*%K <insert school name here> on their chests in every game. They literally chant "F The Other Team's Name" all the time. I don't recall any alcohol, drug, domestic violence, or leaving the scene of a car accident where there are dead teammates kind of incidents from Williams. He honestly seems like a well-spoken kid and the moment wasn't too big for him, which I found somewhat impressive. My concerns are clearing medical and making sure he can read defenses, can change the play at the LoS, make pre and post snap adjustments AND throw the damn ball over the MoF.

Has anyone seen Carl Williams at the mic? On Podcasts or talk shows? Honestly, I have only read about him. I haven't really been looking but this seems slightly media driven. Williams looked pretty comfortable with all the limelight on him, which is something at that age. There is not much the Williams camp can do as a rookie. In reality, without an agent, the Bears can actually pull some fast ones on him in the contract. All they have to say is, that's the norm. So I don't know how much his dad can really do. The minute he becomes an issue, he starts hurting his son's value. On the other stuff. The Bears need answers. How do his medicals look? Does he have some underlying condition that he does not want to be made public (too much estrogen, one testicle)? My biggest concern is his ability to read defenses, change the play at the LoS, and know his hot reads while having the ability to throw to the MoF. If there are concerns there, then I would be concerned.

I can't really see a universe where Fields plays lame duck QB. Either he is the guy or is not the guy. He is too young to be playing the Alex Smith role. The only scenarios I see is: 1. All in on Justin (trade down, load up on talent and run it back with Justin for 2024 with another get out of jail free card in 2025 draft by gaining an additional 1st rounder for the trade down). 2. All in on Williams (selected #1, Fields traded, load up on offense) 3. All in on other rookie QB (selected #2 or later in the 1st, Fields traded, load up on offense). I don't think they can afford to draft a QB and not use that draft pick (unless it is a 5th rounder or later). Every other pick needs to contribute and improve the roster. A 3rd string QB doesn't do that.

So yes, for that combination, no player has ever had that many rushing yards with 3500 passing yards. However, that is sort of moving the sliders. Cunningham had 3466/942 (in 16 games). Josh Allen had 4,407 passing yards and 763 rushing yards in 2021 (Total: 5,170 yards) and then had 4,283 passing yards and 762 rushing yards (5,045 total) in 2022. For Fields, that would've been 4,400 total in 17 games. Kyler had 3971/819 (4,790) in 16 games in 2020. So if you value the yards evenly, you add them together. At the end of the day, it is 4,400 yards in 17 or 259 total yards a game. Just to put that total into perspective another way, Jordan Love had 4,406 yards this season (4,159 passing, 247 rushing).

Florio thinks that if Fields doesn't get traded soon that the Bears have positioned themselves for Fields to "ask" for a trade. Then if they get less in return, they can point the finger at the lack of leverage. So we will see. I hope it is nothing less than a 2nd rounder in 2024.

I was under the impression that it was the Bears swapping picks and getting a 2nd: Bears get #8, #43 Falcons get #9, Fields So the Bears move up one slot basically assuring they would get one of the top 3 WRs, Bowers, or Alt, assuming 3 QBs go in the top 7. If they were at #9, there is a chance that 3 QBs, top 3 WRs, Bowers and Alt are gone. Then it would more than likely be Edge or DT.

You nailed it, that is the evaluation. I think Fields becomes the fall back plan. They weigh the pros and cons of each scenario, then pick the best one for the org. Also, I don't know if any of you have seen this guy on socials, but he always annouces he is a former NFL scout, blah blah blah. There is a reason he is a FORMER scout. Check out his mock draft from last year, it is ugly: https://firstroundmock.com/2022/04/2022-nfl-draft-ex-jets-scout-releases-new-shocking-first-round-mock-draft/

The Bears need to get a 2nd round pick. If JPJ does go in the first, it feels like the other 2 would be gone before the Bears pick in the 3rd.

No decision made yet, but when Poles says Fields needs to be better in 2-minute situations and Flus says his QB needs to win in 2-minute situations, it feels like they are laying out their plan. Can it change, absolutely, but to me, it feels like they are just waiting for a trade partner for Fields compared to the #1 pick. Here is Poles with Florio and Simms:

Daniels would need to gain like 30 lbs of muscle. He takes hits like Tua. Almost every hit is massive, and it only takes one. The skill is there, he checks the box in most other categories, but the one concern is he was passing to 2x 1st round WRs, which makes things a lot easier. I like Nix, from all the games I have watched, I actually think Nix is QB2. If Williams comes in too short (under 6'1"), then I would actually go with Nix.

It is definitely possible, and would be pretty wild. The way both Poles and Flus talked, it sure felt like Fields is gone for sure. Then if they don't get a good feeling on Williams or Maye, then you almost have to do both. Fields would command significantly less value next year, and it seems really hard for the Bears to come back from their current stance. If I am Fields, I am not feeling good about my standing with the team.

Peter King retiring, this is his last article: Of course, he has one more nugget to put out: I suppose? Then I know nothing, lol. He believes Poles should trade down and get a haul.

Yeah, drafting the highest paid positions seems like the most efficient roster building, because you can get more quality in free agency on other positions while using draft capital on the most expensive ones. So you would be happy with any of those 5 listed + Newton or an Edge at #9?

It really depends on how they view Jones. It feels like a luxury pick if you got OT at #9, but at the same time, if they just paid Kmet, can you justify Bowers (I can) as TE2 in the top 10 with actual massive holes at other positions?

Ok, so you are willing to use #9 on OTs not named Alt and any of the top 3 Edge guys listed? I am tracking on JPJ. I would be willing to take him in the 15-20 range if the Bears traded down to that range and he was still on the board.

The last 5 #9s: Jalen Carter, Charles Cross (OT), Patrick Surtain, CJ Henderson, Ed Oliver.

So I was thinking, regardless if the Bears use #1 on a QB or trade down, they will have at least one pick in the top 10 to draft a non-QB. Knowing that, and with the assumption that 3 QBs will go in the top 10, what group of players must the Bears get at least one player from? For me, it is a group that includes MHJ, Nabers, Odunze, Bowers, or Alt. With 3 QBs, there is a chance that all of them are gone at #9. If that is the case, would you be ok with someone else in this group? Someone like Turner, Verse, or Latu on the Edge? Fashanu? I would rather trade down if none of those 5 are there. Thoughts?

Yeah, the thumb thing is sort of concerning. He should be 100% healed by now. Hopefully it's just on for extra protection against reinjury.

No way, no 2024 2nd rounder, and Bijan is awesome, but swapping him for Herbert is the equivalent to a 3rd round pick. So only a 2025 1st, 2024 3rd, Bijan swap, and a 2026 2nd to move to 8? I know they tried to mimic the Carolina trade, but I would rather do Pitts and a 2024 2nd instead of the 3rd.

It's crazy to see how many picks the Bears can pick up with even 2 trade downs. One trade down nets at least an extra 2nd this year, and pretty much any other trade nets an extra 3rd or 4th. So they can easily end up with 2x 1sts, 2x 2nds, 2x 3rds, and 2x 4ths this year adding 2x 2nds and a 3rd. That would probably net 4-5 starters and 3-4 rotational players, and that would be after Free Agency. Talk about quality starters AND quality depth.

Oh for sure, I am just thinking they would want to have a trade in place either way coming out of the combine. With the larger than expected salary cap, teams that didn't have money for a new QB may now have the additional space to sign a vet FA where Fields may have been the only low cost option with upside. If they are trading the #1 pick, it will also be critical to get a trade down before free agency so the Bears know how many picks they will have to work with. My assumption is if Fields is traded, they will sign at least one top of the market FA at their position, maybe two. A new 4-yr deal would have zero impact beyond the length of a new QBs rookie deal. If they trade #1, I don't think they will go with any really high end guys, or if they do, it's for a max of 2 years.

Yeah, the organization has done him wrong, and multiple leadership groups too, which is really unfortunate. I agree he can do whatever he wants to do, but if his intent was blocking out the noise, there are a lot of ways to go about it that would bring less attention to the situation, not more, especially when he has his personal photographer still posting:

I thought the Fields news about him going overseas on vacation during the combine while unfollowing the Bears kind of interesting. First, if he didn't want to see or hear the noise, all he had to do was mute right? That was the first odd thing. Also, that doesn't stop him from being tagged in conversations, so that whole thing doesn't add up to me. We will see, but where there is smoke, there is usually fire. As he said, we all just want to get this over with so we can move on to other things. However, there are so many 2nd and 3rd order effects that we sort of need to know what is going on with QB so our mock drafts are more accurate! ?

Fant, Espensa, and Samuel make the most sense. Blackmon and Biadasz are just names in positions of need for me.

I am sure the position is more passive in nature. Like, overseeing players doing a drill, tracking reps, keeping them on schedule, etc.