Comparing the Bears roster to the rest of the league by position group, they only have 5 players in the top 10 at their position in terms of AAV, Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Kmet, Odeyingbo (as Edge2), and Gordon (as Slot CB).

Technically, Gordon is the highest-paid Bears player in relation to the rest of the NFL as the 2nd highest paid Slot CB. Odeyingbo is the next as the 3rd highest Edge2, then Thuney at 7, Jackson and Kmet at 8.

Gordon's is the only deal that will be that high for another few years. Odeyingbo will be gone next year, and all the rest will slide out of the top 10 with other players getting new deals. My assumption is Darnell Wright will get added to the top 10 in the next year, but Dexter or Stevenson are not getting extensions, so the next group is Williams and Odunze after that, but that won't be for at least another year or two.

OFFENSE:

QB - 20th

RB - 18th

WR - None in top 32 <insert eyeballs>

TE - T-8th

LT - 26th

LG - 7th

OC - T-15th

RG - 8th

RT - 22nd

DEFENSE:

EDGE - 14th, T-25th (Edge2 - 3rd)

DT - 23rd, 50th (DT2 - 18th)

LB - T-17th, T-17th

CB - 12th, 23rd (Slot CB - 2nd)

S - 13th

Outside of Gordon and Slot CB, the Bears have not committed a significantly higher percentage of cap to one position than the rest of the league. In reality, the roster is pretty well balanced.

Not sure whether this belongs here but, saw a video from last season where Allen was discussing the idea of using Gordon as a Safety. I assume that it didn’t occur last year due in part because they had Brisker and Byard on the roster and Gordon was injured for a spell. However would it be possible with the loss of both starters he might be thinking of trying it this season?

6 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Not sure whether this belongs here but, saw a video from last season where Allen was discussing the idea of using Gordon as a Safety. I assume that it didn’t occur last year due in part because they had Brisker and Byard on the roster and Gordon was injured for a spell. However would it be possible with the loss of both starters he might be thinking of trying it this season?

That is an interesting thought. If they did that, the Safety position would be stacked with salary though with 2 guys both making a lot of money.

I was hoping they would continue to be balanced and have a position group with a bigger contract, rookie deal, and then a mix of other lower level guys. If you look throughout the roster, that at least seems to be the trend.

Wasn't there also talk about Tyrique Stevenson moving to safety? I can't figure Ty out. One minute he sucks, then he kicks ass. I'd love to see him play to his potential (which, IMO, is very high).

The two players I'm anxious to see this year are Turner & Frazer.

I think Turner can be the disruptor we need on the DL.

Frazer (Hope personal issues are resolved) has all the tools to develop into a starting DB.

Last year Wright was a nobody and he played descent. Don't forget Terrell Smith is back and his draft profile suggested playing FS. Cam Lewis is listed as a S on the depth chart on OURLADS website. If we can't draft a rookie starter, we have some options.

3 hours ago, Pixote said:

Wasn't there also talk about Tyrique Stevenson moving to safety?

I heard that too. Mostly speculative but many said he’s too small. Others have said Allen likes “non-traditional Safeties” in that they’re diverse in their abilities. Aggressiveness being a key factor. With Gordon he has that knack but he also has an injury history to be concerned with. Stevenson, as you say, is hard to figure out. Has great flashes but gets distracted (aka beat on coverage) regularly too. I suspect with him it’s more about maturity and maybe this year he’ll figure it out.

3 hours ago, Pixote said:

Wasn't there also talk about Tyrique Stevenson moving to safety?

They have Bryant, Hicks and list Cam Lewis as a S . He isn't the ideal size but they gave him a 2 year deal. He played some safety snaps in Buffalo, they at least can count him as a backup. It clearly shows we are drafting one and where they draft him will tell the story.

From the league meetings, it sounds like Trapilo will be out for the entire season.

3 minutes ago, adam said:

From the league meetings, it sounds like Trapilo will be out for the entire season.

yeah I think you have to assume that. Even if he's cleared, it doesnt mean he'll be ready to play impactfully. So I think you gotta move forward like he's gone.

If we end up with two good LTs next year, you can always trade one.

5 minutes ago, adam said:

From the league meetings, it sounds like Trapilo will be out for the entire season.

They should try and get him some practice reps towards end of the year but plan on it being a full redshirt season. The reps at the end are just to help push him as he heads into the offseason and to help Bears get a perspective of where he is so they can make plans a year from now.

Like you guys said, we can't count on him for the season when making moves. Since this is lying season, doesn't anyone believe they want the rest of the league to think they may take a LT at 25? We very well could be but why would we broadcast that to the rest of the league?

They have 3 options unless anyone thinks Kiran jumps back in the race. Poles always surprises us in drafts but I don't think they are taking a QB, WR, TE, IOL or RB. Everything else is on the table.

On a side note: Ben said Braxton Jones is up to 310 lbs and looks yoked. He's at the facility working his ass off to get stronger. Evidently, he was playing at 290 last year, which is way too light. Look for him to hit camp at around 315. Hopefully, that help with his anchor.

I wonder what happens if Braxton plays well all year. That would be a nice situation to deal with. Maybe he earns a big contract, we could get a comp pick.

The big roster construction question for me is where do they project Shemar Turner playing mostly? If he's a DT, you have a pretty full DT group with Dexter, Turner, Jackson, Gallimore, and Street/Lynch. If they see him more as a DE, maybe you have room to add a DT. The complication there is the fact that they brought in Kayden McDonald for a 30 visit. He's not the typical Dennis Allen type DT, but we know it's a real visit because McDonald posted it on Instragram. It doesn't make sense to me to waste a 30 visit on a smokescreen, particularly on one that seems so out of character for the scheme, unless there was real interest. That might be an admission by the staff that stopping the run was a problem and would potentially open up the range of possible DT draft picks to more NT types like McDonald, Lee Hunter, Christen Miller ,and other bigger guys who are outside the typical lighter quicker DTs Allen has seemed to prefer in the past.

I think they are just checking out options which says they are planning a DT somewhere in the early draft. I don't think we can read anything extra in it but is a maybe.

1 hour ago, dawhizz said:

The big roster construction question for me is where do they project Shemar Turner playing mostly? If he's a DT, you have a pretty full DT group with Dexter, Turner, Jackson, Gallimore, and Street/Lynch. If they see him more as a DE, maybe you have room to add a DT. The complication there is the fact that they brought in Kayden McDonald for a 30 visit. He's not the typical Dennis Allen type DT, but we know it's a real visit because McDonald posted it on Instragram. It doesn't make sense to me to waste a 30 visit on a smokescreen, particularly on one that seems so out of character for the scheme, unless there was real interest. That might be an admission by the staff that stopping the run was a problem and would potentially open up the range of possible DT draft picks to more NT types like McDonald, Lee Hunter, Christen Miller ,and other bigger guys who are outside the typical lighter quicker DTs Allen has seemed to prefer in the past.

I think they plan to have Turner at 3T, but he did look decent at DE when they were thin and needed him there.

I also seen McDonald post that he is the Bears top priority target...

Caleb was the only pick everyone actual knew we were going to pick. Otherwise Poles is full of surprises.

For what I understand DA likes is versatile players he can move in an out. Ss that can play up and back. Speed at LB to cover side to side.

He likes length, speed and aggressive play. I think Bryant and Bush are those types. Gallimore is that type. Turner fits his mold. I think he had input in bringing in Dayo, Tall DE with long arms that can play in or out.

I think when looking at prospects, we find those traits first at those positions.

At DE Faulk, Parker, Jacas just ran a 4 .69 40 in a workout. Zion Young? Dennis -Sutton is that type.

At DT Woods fits but have heard he has put on 35 lbs since he finished playing games. Don't know if true or what that means.

The NTs doesn't fit his type IMO. Gracen Halton, Zane Durant and Kaleb Proctor does.

At S it's Theinaman, Bud Clark, VJ Payne and Robert Spears -Jennings.

If a mixed review on whether McNeil - Warren is that type. He lacks the long speed but players can make up for that with awareness and short area quickness. A few pundits have compared him to Brisker and we didn't retain him. I'm not sure on McN- Warren.

A prospect that interests me is Treydan Stukes can play CB or both S spots. He has moved up draft boards probably is the second round now.

Some random thoughts on roster going into the draft:

• QB - Seems to be set

• RB - Maybe use one of those 7th round picks on a guy you like, as they had success there with Monongai, but I don't see a great need. Swift and Monongai are pretty good, Roschon Johnson has been injured but is useful if healthy, and there were preseason flashed from both Brittan Brown and Deion Hankins where I'm fine with them on the practice squad for emergencies.

• WR - I see as a bigger potential need/target. You only really have two semi-proven guys in Odunze and Burden, and all it takes is an injury to one of those guys (and both had injuries last year) and you are using Raymond or Walker at WR2. Loveland will get snaps at WR which maybe lessens the need, but a pick in the 2/3 range would not shock me, someone who can potentially work inside and outside like Germie Bernard. Ben likes his toys.

• TE - Loveland and Kmet will get a bunch of snaps and targets. You have Carlson as a blocker. If you like someone late either as a better blocking specialist or as a swiss army knife type (like Dan Villari that they brought in for a visit recently), I would have no problem with that.

• OT - There seems to be a fair amount of 1st round OT smoke with the Bears with names like Kadyn Proctor and Blake Miller being thrown around, but I don't really see it. Maybe if you get extra picks and you want to spend a mid-round pick on a guy with extended college experience at LT to give you another potential option (Kage Casey, Jude Bowry, etc.), but it seems like you have a competition between Jones, Benedet, and Willis set up.

• OG - Don't really see much of a need here. The caveat is if they see Luke Newman as the heir apparent at C - remember the Bears brass were talking about him as a center right after they drafted him, but I think during the season he worked more at G. But McFadden was brought back and did pretty well when asked at the end of the year and Newman looked promising.

• C - Makes a lot of sense to draft the heir apparent at C (unless it's Newman). There's like, literally ten centers that are bunched up in the middle rounds in this unusually deep center draft that I would have no problem with the Bears taking, so whoever and whenever they decide to address that is fine with me as long as it gets done.

• DT - Do the Bears have elite guys here? Probably not. But I don't quite get this as a big need. You got rid of your biggest underachiever from last year (Billings). Dexter was pretty good and is back. You brought in three new DTs who figure to make the roster and get snaps (Gallimore, Street, Lynch). Then you have Shemar Turner hopefully healthy and I think he makes more sense in the mix at DT than DE. Maybe if there is a 3T you love the value on you take him, but this is more of a NT draft and that doesn't seem to be the type of DT that appeals to Dennis Allen (I truly don't know what to make of the recent visit by Kayden McDonald but it's notable I guess that maybe they are looking beyond those historical trends).

• DE - You need some new blood. Ideally in the 1st or 2nd because after that you might as well just play Austin Booker more. Dayo is probably back and can't possibly be worse (right?) and maybe Shemar gets some snaps here.

• LB - I think I'm good here. Edwards and Bush will start with a nickel or D'Marco Jackson most of the time and Sanborn, Hyppolite, and a (hopefully) healthy Sewell are decent depth. Maybe there's a speedy guy they love like Kyle Louis but I would not make it a priority in the draft myself.

• CB - #2 CB is the biggest Bears need not enough people are talking about. You have guys to play nickel (Gordon, Lewis, Blackburn) but on the outside Stevenson is coming off a down year and Smith and Frazier are big question marks after they missed most of last year. It's a deep CB draft (and good draft for the bigger press corners DA seems to favor) but historically you can't plan on getting a starting caliber CB as a rookie much past the first round or two. I think guys like Colton Hood, Chris Johnson, Brandon Cisse, and Treydan Stukes are real 1/2 round possibilities.

• S - The other glaring need as the Bears don't seem to have a starting caliber safety on the roster next to Bryant. But this is a deep safety draft and you can historically draft a potential first year starter into the 3rd and maybe even 4th round. I can see Poles not buying into the value of a first round safety unless maybe Thieneman is there (I don't think he will be) so we might be looking at guys like Kilgore, Clark, Ramsey, Wheatley in the 2-4 round range. But seems to me you have to get someone who can at least potentially if not probably start as a rookie.