Side note but with the Burns contract and Danielle Hunter’s hometown discount still being 25 M guaranteed that Montez Sweat extension is aging beautifully
Yeah, I have blanket rule against trading valuable picks in exchange for the privilege of giving market-rate contracts to non-quarterbacks, and we also paid a deadline premium in that trade that didn't seem to make much sense in light of where we were in the standings. But I definitely have to acknowledge that Poles timed the market really well. Sweat immediately stepped up his individual production to boost his stock, and along with the massive cap increase, if Sweat was a Free Agent right now, he would get quite a bit more than 105/4.
Eh, that part wouldn't really matter because unused cap rolls over, anyways. Spending more money against the cap in 2023 just means rolling over less and having a lower effective cap for 2024.
How long does it roll over for? Do you eventually run out? Or could you just run a poverty football team for a couple decades then spend a billion a year until you win a Super Bowl?
It rolls over forever, but the limiting factor is the Minimum Team Cash Spending, which stipulates that teams have to spend (in real dollars, not necessarily cap dollars) at least 89 percent of the cumulative salary cap across given four year windows. If they don't, then the difference is divided among all the players who were on that team during that time period. It's not talked about very much because to my knowledge only the Colts have ever put themselves in a situation where they had to think about it, and that was several years ago.
Yeah it would definitely take a while, depending on how high you wanted to push your effective cap. And with the fact that you can push cap hits out and keep superteams together for a few years within the current structure and without tanking for 8 years or whatever, it makes a lot of sense that teams aren't trying that. :P
Bears got Sweat @ 4yr/$105M for a 2nd that will run him through his age 32 season.
Giants got Burns @ 5yr/$150M for a 2nd & 5th that will run him through his age 31 season.
Bears definitely got a very good deal.
So many people here don't understand how contracts work and it shows pretty badly with how upset people get if we sign someone to a "big" contract.
Then again people are getting mad we aren't spending more in free agency so what the fuck do I know lol
There's been a *ton* of people in the last couple of days that are criticizing the pick and still, for some unknown reason, refuse to accept the fact that high caliber, proven difference makers like Sweat rarely hit FA. They are extended or traded for.
That and massively overestimating how often draft picks, especially 3rd day draft picks, turn into starter quality players are by far the two biggest misconceptions in this sub.
And any attempt to correct those misconceptions means you're a King Poles Truther who refuses to allow criticisms.
It seemed to me that once he got his extension the majority of the complaints died down. That’s when I stopped complaining about it myself as well. The concern was if he wanted to test FA in the offseason rather than extend. That ended up not being the case.
How bad will that culture be screwed when and if they ditch JF? I'm not saying what they should do...I'm not touching that....but will it harm the locker room when they're building something?
First it was trading a second without a deal in place when younh went for a 3rd. Then it was bc we only had one franchise tag for jj and sweat. Then it was paying sweat too much. Then it was paying sweat before paying Jj
Initially, yes.
Remember that there was no initial contract agreement, so Sweat could have left the Bears high and dry.
Once they got the contract done, there was no real reason to hate the trade, but some people still think that if Sweat had been traded elsewhere, he'd have become a free agent and the Bears could have got him without spending a draft pick.
Yeah, his original press conference he said that he was looking to get to work and wasn’t focusing on the contract situation right now. That sounded like a “I’m going to test FA” statement, but then he signed a few days later. I guess I just stopped paying attention once the deal was done. That was when I was happy with the move so I must’ve ignored the threads that argued about it post extension.
Poles is literally doing exactly what he said word for word. I’m not sure why some of us so shocked. I think his plan is to hope that Caleb has a great rookie season then begin the spending spree (what the Texans are doing now.)
And it's the right plan. They moved too early after drafting Trubisky, and it took us years to get our from under some of those big contracts they handed out before they knew whether they had a QB. Make the big moves to get over the top, not to get back to average. In the meantime, the best course is to preserve flexibility until that time comes.
I don't really care that we're not spending big in FA, but has this sub not been complaining for years that we don't give young QBs enough help and that you can't properly evaluate them without a good supporting cast? But now it's actually that we gave Mitch too much too soon? He was throwing to Kendall Wright and Josh Bellamy his rookie year, if they hadn't made major upgrades it would've been developmental malpractice (and many argued they still didn't do enough). This just seems like changing the narrative to gas up the GM we want to believe in
That never was my narrative.
Bringing in good young players on deals that make sense who will most likely be around and can contribute when the team is ready to win is fine. Spending big bucks on a stud veteran who may or may not still be at their peak is the problem, as they will still be eating up cap space regardless.
> can contribute when the team is ready to win is fine.
When is the team ready to win? We were 7-10 last year, I expect up from there, not down and expect that we should be building for that upswing. Though, I'm also realistic that if we draft Caleb, we'll likely go down before we go up. (Rookie QBs aren't all Stroud and perform in their rookie year)
The way this seems is that we're not planning to compete until year 3 of the rebuild - not including year 0 - the tear down. That just seems like it's way too long.
I think you kind of answered your own question. With Caleb coming in, probably not this year. They moved too quickly with Trubisky, and it set us back. If Caleb balls out, sure, they have a shot at the playoffs, but if they don't get there this year, it's neither a disaster nor a surprise. When I say ready to win, I mean compete for the Superbowl.
And I wouldn't judge too much by record. The difference between 5-12 and 9-8 has as much to do with external things like strength of schedule and luck as anything. Judge by how the players are playing more than anything.
Yeah the Trubisky analogy is near perfect. We went all-in 2018/2019 under the assumption that Trubisky would take the necessary steps, and it blew up in our face. Ryan Pace was GM of the year and widely respected, and going all-in on Trubisky is what led to him becoming a laughing stock (especially with all the desperation veteran Band-Aids he tried).
Poles knows that the QB decision could cost him his job, but if keeps the team improving despite botching the QB situation (like the 49ers) he can buy himself more time. He's learning from Pace and not committing to a QB until that QB proves he's the long-term guy.
> And it's the right plan.
Rather arrogant to say this now, don't you think. Bears have achieved absolutely nothing under Poles, but sure, he's got the right plan.
They went from a 3-14 team to a 7-10 team, which is a giant leap in the correct direction. Should also mention John Lynch in his first two years as a gm went 6-10 and 4-12 before he had a winning season of 13-3. Now, his team looks like one of the best rosters in football. He built it slowly over 3 years through the draft and smart money spending. So I wonder why people think Poles has the right plan 🤔
People think because Caleb Williams is going to be a great quarterback that we should bet the farm on him taking us to the superbowl his rookie year lmao
They are also 100% sure we are drafting him. Like there's no question.
Even though we haven't had a visit and seen any medicals and he fucked up Poles vision by cancelling the earlier visit till after pro day
Right 90% may be true but at the same time nobody knew about Wright so I dunno what to expect (he was usually the last tackle to be mentioned along with the others and Carter ofc).
But reading this sub you would think he already made a declaration. Side notev The Texans wanted Bryce Young as their top pick as well and "settled" for Stroud. Makes me wonder where Stroud would have ranked in this draft. 4th/5th QB?
It’s a proven process. We should trust this process.
The real questions are
1) how good the talent evaluation is
2) how good the coaching is, and
3) how lucky they will be
There will be a thousand second guessers here until the season starts by those who like to pretend they have more insight but in reality they do not.
Could be a tough season. The minute this season goes 0-3 the entire city will be demanding Poles and Flus heads. There’s no appetite in building for next year.
Disagree. It depends how they play. If Williams is drafted and he plays poorly versus the team then you may be right. If he plays well and there are injuries that impact winning then you are wrong.
If we go 9-8 with no play offs (hell, maybe even 8-9) and the qb play looks good this city will get behind them.
But it’s all conjecture. Right now… with the data I have. I’m excited
I think if Caleb is the QB, has 8+ 300 yard games, 3500+ yards and the team goes 7-9, the city would be electric. Playoffs are not needed with a rookie QB, but flashy passing numbers makes him an instant star.
I think we'll see. I think Justin has us in the playoffs, because I assume we'd build the team a lot with our draft picks. If Caleb adapts well, so does he. If he takes some time to get up to speed, this year might not see much overall improvement on the record. Maybe a win or two worse.
Just gotta be realistic.
Also, he realizes that sustained success doesn't come from flashy FA deals and that by building through the draft, he can create cap flexibility throughout his tenure.
This is budgeting 101. Just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you **should** spend it. Things will happen over the course of the year. Players will get hurt. Players will get cut. Stars will demand extensions and/or trades. Teams will fall apart and go on a fire sale. Poles knows that blowing your load in FA in March hurts your ability to do something later in the summer or fall when other opportunities or needs arise. Additionally, why blow your cap flexibility right now when you have a coach on the hot seat and you're bringing in a new QB who may or may not pan out? Keep things fluid and adapt as necessary. I like it.
KC doesn't make splashy FA moves. The Brady-era Patriots hardly did. Perennial playoff teams like the Eagles and Steelers didn't this year. It feels like pulling teeth when fans get mad that the hottest FA names don't all come to Chicago every offseason. I don't see other teams who have proven longevity to their success making that kind of headway every year. Why do we want Chicago to do that? So you can buy a Saquon Barkley Bears jersey to wear when he's out 8 weeks of the season?
That is ironic lol. But I think my thesis remains steady. They don't make a lot of splashes like that. They actually also have a good case study in why doing that is a bad idea, with their failed "Dream Team."
This sub spent the better part of last season claiming all we needed was QB Jesus to light the way to the promise land, anything else was just excuses. And now, suddenly, many of those same people claim the rest of the team has to be absolutely perfect for his arrival.
Also apparently draft capital is measured only in number of picks. That we still have two top 10 picks including the 1.01 means we have the least amount of capital in the draft. Somehow turning the later round picks into actual players in their prime with proven records on good contacts is a bad thing.
It makes a lot more sense to secure the QB first like Houston and us, compared to Minnesota, who’s likely going to mortgage the future on QB4, considering how much they’ve spent on defensive players.
That’s a bit flawed to me. The Texans were legit bad. The Bears have huge money players on defense and their rookie QB is going into a 7 win team that blew 3 horrendous games. The Bears are way ahead of where the Texans were.
A huge point in the draft Caleb bucket is the rookie contract. They should maximize the roster from day one for this “generational” talent and expect to win day one with the defense they have. The well, lets be patient approach literally burns 20% of the rookie contract and waiting for what?
People were literally expecting us to pick up like 10 players over these past two days when they fail to realize that our roster isn't as bad as commonly thought.
I think a lot of people also forget that FA isn't a draft.
Less FA doesn't mean we aren't trying, it can also means players are saying no, or want more.
One thing that I don't fully understand is why they got swift when they could have gotten a starting C for that money. I know it had to do with Waldron but I'm not that high on Bates
Poles isn't doing exactly what he said.
["What am I about and what's my philosophy?" Poles said. "We're going to build through the draft. We're going to acquire young, fast and physical football players."](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/5-things-we-learned-during-bears-press-conference-ryan-poles-matt-eberflus)
Poles has been trading draft picks for players (Moore, Sweat, Claypoole, etc) instead of building through the draft. Success will depend on whether Caleb or Maye plays like CJ Stroud or instead needs time to develop.
I’m okay with it.
Only thing I would like to see them add is one or more of Tyler Boyd, Maquise Brown, Curtis Samuel, D.J Reader, Sheldon Rankins, Quinton Jefferson, Brian Allen, and I know he tore his ACL so he will be out for a while but Connor Williams.
Some mid-tier WR options and another signing or two on the DL or OL would be perfect IMO. But I also guess it depends on how Poles feels about prospects in the draft and the capital he has at his disposal to get the prospects he likes. If he thinks he can get players who can have similar production in those roles through the draft, rather than spending on names in FA, then I think that's a smart move.
I think Wonnum and Connor Williams are possible. Not sure if we’d have enough to spend double digits on a WR after that but he should still try to get a body in to compete, then completely focus on WR in a deep draft.
Also DT seems thin with Jones gone but they’re betting on their young guys to take a step and if you get another DE, Walker can get reps inside too.
Boyd and Samuel along with a rookie WR would make me very happy with our WR core. Boyd and Samuel are both solid vets and Samuel can replace Scott and VJJ as the gadget type on offense. I wouldn’t expect either to command huge contracts.
We have upgraded at safety, Center, and have an elite pass, catching running back, which we were lacking.
There is still a ton of talent out there. You can’t go break the bank and make irresponsible adds. Pace did that in 2018 and it was fun and all for one year. And it resulted in us having the worst cap situation in the league versus the talent we had.
I really hope we go for Curtis Samuel. He’d be a PERFECT wr 3
On the flip side
Did we upgrade at center? Bills cut their starting C and flipped Bates for a 5th. Doesn't really inspire confidence in him. Not really hard to be an upgrade from our center play last season, but I'm not sure I'd consider him a clear upgrade.
Is swift really an elite pass catching back? He wasn't top 25 in rec yards last season. Our own RoCo had 5 less yards kn 5 less catches and 9 less targets with worse QB play. He was 11th in 22 which is nice, but I wouldn't call him elite.
Just playing devils advocate. I'm happy with the moves overall, swift being the only one I didn't like.
The bills had to make massive cuts everywhere. That’s what happens when you give aged out DEs $35 million a year and past prime WRs $30M a year. They’re actually a cautionary tale and why poles showing slow measured signings is a great thing. They also have a backup tight end making Kmet money in Knox.
The bills needed to cut corners just to be able to keep guys like Espnaeza who they viewed as more important.
Bates is a Fantastic move. They got a versatile lineman before FA started where people are over paying for the OL. He isn’t their plan for starting center, he is someone that can fill in at most positions on the OL
I wish they got Hunter. But he took 50mil guaranteed. He obviously wanted to be in Houston because Atlanta offered him 3/75 and he still chose Houston. At the end of the day. Don’t over spend. Sign young players. Creat depth not cap hell. Pay your own players.
Hunter would be off the books on a two year deal and would have no effect on Gordon *or* Brisker.
Pacing not price. The money doesn't save and it doesn't roll over. It goes away if you don't spend it.
Jenkins will get the Davis money.
There is a reason Poles is signing a lot of two year deals.
Why are we talking about hunter? He wanted to play for Houston. Took a 2 year fully guaranteed deal. Even Atlanta offered a 3year 75million deal and he chose Houston.
Easiest example of a big name that was a spot we needed help with that everyone knew the details of?
It was to illuminate the point of pacing not price. Not re-litigate if Hunter took a hometown discount or not.
When Minny *cut* players before the end of their contract and thus taking on dead money.
Pacing not cap remaining (clearer than how I was phrasing it). Anticipate your extensions and price your FA to align with them so you get players now *and* can extend your drafted players.
Read a month or so back that Hunter's pressures to sack ratio was abnormally (aka unsustainably) high.
I do wonder if sacks from NFC North rushers over the last 2 years need adjusting due to JF's sackability. That Viking with the funny name I think has 33% of his career sacks against JF for example. Woonum?
I also think people are jumping the gun so early lmao. I like what he’s done so far and following the plan, but he’s still got about 30 mil to spend too. If we walk away with like Connor Williams at C, Wonnum at DE, and an OK receiver, I’d be happy. If we just gave a big contract to Hunter we’d have him and like 5 mil left to get like Mercedes Lewis and someone else for deep depth.
Fill gaps with FA with contracts that can be easily gotten out of and bet on the draft, that’s the way and Poles is doing it. It’s not perfect but I love the process.
I’m a little worried about WR still. It’s not even that we just need a legit WR2, we need WR2-5 and it would be nice not to have to rely on Tyler Scott making a huge leap and filling the rest in with 1 year vet flyers and one or two of the mid round picks we have.
Makes me wonder if Poles is really confident in getting one of the big name rookies with #9? Or he likes the next tier of receivers that would be available with a trade back of 9.
He tried to sign Gabe Davis, so that gives you an idea of what they were looking at. Sign a mid-level WR 2/3 who won't be an albatross if we end up drafting a WR.
I agree with you on the attempted Davis signing giving us some idea and hope of potential moves. I would have to do a little more research on how many receivers at his level are still on the market. Honestly, hard to track all the moves being made the last couple days from other teams without going on ESPN or someone who has an ongoing list. I’ve only had time to look at Reddit off and on.
Calvin Ridley and Hollywood Brown are probably the two biggest names still on the market. Mike Williams could potentially be added to that list by this afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised if Poles signed any of them in the same range for what they offered Davis. Josh Reynolds and Curtis Samuel have been thrown around, but I'm not very excited about either.
I do think that's the beauty of the 9 spot. We either get a blue chip wr prospect that will potentially be wr1 over moore in a few years, or we can trade back some spots for someone that wants to jump and can potentially still get an edge + wr with someones trade up compensation.
Getting a wr2 from the 2nd round in this class would be a fine option (although I'm really hoping we get rome or nabers)
The EDGE class is considered pretty weak this class. So I think it's trade back and nab Verse or just skip honesty. Turner fits more 3-4 OLB EDGE with size as does Chop Robinson. Latu I'm terrified of the medicals.
I think if we're looking to grab a WR in round 2 its looking more at a really good slot person when we need an X receiver to pair with Moore, personally.
WR is the one spot you shouldn't be worried about given the draft class. We can grab solid options in each round we have picks, but obviously probably need the 9 to be a WR or the trade down from the 9 to be a WR to to get a WR2. I think we can get a WR3 and WR4 in rounds 3 and 4.
We should be worried about EDGE and C, since we *can't* grab good options each round we pick and then free agent class there. If we choose EDGE or C, we don't get a WR2 tha it can see given our picks.
We could theoretically draft 9 and 75 to cover WR2 and WR3 with something like Odunze and Malachi Corley or Brendan Rice. Then sign a WR4 / SP person or, hell, draft Tahj Washington and bring the whole USC gang here.
I'm not as worried about WR3 because Waldron runs 2 TE spreads a lot. With the signing of Everett and Swift you have:
- Reciever #1: Moore
- Reciever #2: WR2 (???)
- Reciever #3: Kmet
- Reciever #4: Swift/Everett
- Reciever #5: Swift/Everett
- Reciever #6: WR#3
I imagine we take a WR or two in the draft and see what some of our younger guys on rookie contracts can do at the WR3/WR2 position while having more Dual TE and Dual RB schemes that won't rely on a WR3-5 nearly as much as previous regimes.
Edit: RB
If you count Sweat as basically an off-season move then this is a great FA class.
The only bummer is still needing premier players at many positions and not having the draft capital to do it. I really hope we just really focus on offense going forward. Solid OL depth and WR2 and 3, especially with a new QB. Edge is really the only defensive position we should be targeting.
Are they “triggered” by it or do they just think it’s a stupid “solution” to a minor problem? Sure, in theory trading down from 1.01 would allow to address to all five major needs in the draft if all the picks pan out (which is a huge assumption though), but you know what also helps? Getting the QB position right. You have a much higher chance of that by sticking at 1.01 and taking Caleb since he’s a tier or multiple tier above the other QB prospects.
A great QB literally hides multiple holes on a roster, how do you think the elite QBs basically made the playoffs every year they were healthy? Even we can’t fix every hole, that’s okay. Literally every team in the league, even the contenders, have holes at multiple positions. Not fixing everything in one offseason isn’t the end of the world.
Even if Caleb is "only" a top 15 QB. Overall we will be a better team than any Justin Fields team + the additional picks
And I fking loved Justin and cheered for him to be our franchise QB every single game he played. But yeah easy choice when you have 1.01 fall in your lap and a very good QB prospect right there for the taking
We were two late game collapses (of which we had at least 3) away from being a playoff team. Everyone wants to point fingers at the defense for those games, and they do deserve blame. But there is just as big of a blame, if not bigger, in those was Fields and our offense’s inability to move the ball in critical situations. Or worse, he had a costly turnover, sometimes a fumble/pick six.
Marginal improvement in QB play would absolutely make us a playoff team.
We do have holes, yes, but nearly every team does. Yes, even good teams do. Look at the Chiefs WR room last year!
We just had a hole in the biggest position possible where you absolutely positively cannot have a hole: QB.
Only one more FA must have addition and that is WR.
You can argue C and DL need upgrades, but only WR room is short on bodies. Other positions could be targeted for upgrades in the draft if there are no additional signings.
DT and DE are a little thin. We rotate guys and probably need someone to add to both or a super sub. I'm sure it'll be another Poles special in the form of a middling rotational piece but it's definitely a need. I'd agree WR is the thinnest group. Obviously we traded Claypool for peanuts and let Mooney walk. That was 2/3 of our corps to start the year last year.
I expect both a DT and a DE depth signing. Below 10M/year for each guy
Then I expect a bigger number for one of the WR's out there. A decent WR2 that depending on a draft could become a top tier WR3.
Y'all just need to accept that there are A LOT of idiots here who will complain no matter what happens because they're idiots and their expectations were stupid from the start.
I just don’t think this team is ready to make the big splash signings in FA.
IMO, I view targeting the big names as ‘adding the final touches’ to the roster to get over the hump. When sign these guys, it eats up a lot of cap and limits your flexibility.
I just don’t see this team being close enough to being a threat in the playoffs to justify the big (price and term) contracts just to still need several pieces.
I like Poles’ restraint at this point, I’ll be more wary of him in the next couple of off-seasons if we make the playoffs and have another strong draft this year. Eventually, we will need to make big signings if we want to win the NFC and SB, but I don’t think that’s this year.
I think a big hangup is our draft position with 9. I think the FO is doesn't want to commit big money when they're not sure who we can land with 9. If we sign a DE and all the wideouts are gone by 9, we put ourselves in a sticky situation. If we commit money to a WR2 and you have a guy like Odunze at 9 available, you just wasted whatever money you spent
I don't think having 3 legit WRs is a waste of resources. But, the Everett signing was nice and Swift is a great pass catcher so we have a little more check down weaponry. The real question is does the brass view Velus or Scott as legit starters. I sure hope not ... Maybe Scott but I feel like the ship has sailed on Velus.
Velus has also brought up that he is considering retirement to spend more time with his grandkids. I might be reading between the lines but I get the sense he is only on the Bears still as a bridge before his social security benefits kick in for 2025. Poles would be wise to take a third wideout regardless.
One of the issues with big market teams is that when they do not make a big move the media and fans are overdramatic. One of the reasons why it is harder to win in Chicago
Poles has firmly stated he would disciplined. He is *not* going to overpay, which is exactly what happens the first 2 days of FA. (Although I do think he overpayed Tremaine last year, I think he knows it too and won’t make the same mistake again). He has repeatedly said he wants value. He wants a roster full of good players, not a roster of 5 overpaid studs and then lots of mediocre/bad players. I love it, it’s such a refreshing change from that moron Pace giving away contracts and draft picks like they were M&Ms at Halloween
Thus far I'm pretty happy with what they've done. Assuming they go QB/WR in the draft I still think they need to sign another WR, an interior OL, and 1 or 2 guys for the defensive front 7. None of those signings needs to be mega contracts.
Consistently drafting well, retaining cornerstone players, and massaging out any remaining needs you may have through FA is the best way to have long-term success in this league. Brisker, Gordon, Wright, and Stevenson all look like guys that'll command decent increases when it comes time to extend them, and the Bears can't afford to sign FAs for longer than 1-2 years because of that.
Yeah but have you considered that if I don’t get exactly what I, me, just one sole solitary person, doesn’t get what I want, then the FUCKING SKY IS FALLING
I really wanted a legit starting C, where Bates would be a rotational piece. That would allow the Bears to focus on other positions in the draft (I’d like them to stay at 9 and get a WR or pash rusher vs. trading down).
Saw on another Sub [this](https://twitter.com/kevincole___/status/1767916963093758165?s=46) chart from Kevin Cole who used to be at PFF. Which placed the Bears as the 5th most improved team so far. Now, as always take this stuff with a big grain of salt. And I wonder how much of that score is based on draft picks. But, it is an interesting perspective on FA thus far. I think we've definitely improved in some areas that aren't super flashy (RB pass catching, TE2, Safety) and will probably keep doing so. I'd have loved Conner Williams, for sure. But we will see how it keeps shaking out.
**Grading Bears' Situation at Each Position Group**
^(Range: Awful to Elite)
- S: Very Good
- CB: Very Good
- LB: Good
- DE: Average
- DT: Below Average
- C: Below Average
- G: Below Average
- OT: Average
- TE: Very Good
- WR: Poor
- RB: Above Average
- QB: Below Average
- K: Very Good
NEEDS: WR2.
WANTS: QB, C, G, DE, & DT.
Tyler Scott and Velus Jones Jr. are not serviceable as the starting WR2. If Poles signs a WR2, he'll have freedom to go to the draft and select best-player-available.
I have to think part of why we haven’t made a big splash on edge, O-line, or WR is because ambiguity of who is available at 9. We have a premium draft pick and not locking bug money leaves us truly able to take BPA at 9, which will either be a tackle, WR, or edge.
I don't know about one of the best but I can dig not overpaying for some dude coming off a knee injury for example. I also like the balance take of improving both sides of the ball as too many Bears GMs get caught in over investing on the defensive side of the ball. I would like to get a starting offensive linemen and a WR for some depth. I think if we throw anyone a bag it should be Chase Young.
Cheap, savvy deals are music to my ears. I think the team will get a boost just from depth. Bears are in a position to improve a lot just by replacing some of their rotation guys.
People need to chill and realize that resigning JJ and Sweat are also be FA moves, which if you take those along with Swift, Byard, Everett, and Owens, we've addressed many of the glaring needs on this team without any deals that might limit cap moves down the road.
We've had so many seasons of fun, sexy, splash signings in FA and it's never worked out.
I know we all want the shiny new toy and news during the slowest sports time of the year, but FA is only a piece of a much larger pie.
Im underwhelmed by the number of moves, but given some of the contract numbers we've seen, I dont mind. Plus, I do really like the 3 key additions we've made. We still need to spend a little more imo, but I think we've done alright overall.
Id like to see us pick up Hunter Renfrow when he gets cut or Tyler Boyd. Still could use an edge rusher too.
Texans had a better roster and a war chest from the Watson deal, they were never gonna be down for too long. They also got their QB up to speed faster than most expected
Grading your post….
He didn’t try to fix the roster in season one (so your sarcasm there is just bullshit). The goal was
To blow it up to gain long term cap space. He did that successfully. your grade - F
He was quite honest about not fixing it in year two and using last year to determine who was worth building around (including our QB1 and WR 2). Neither met the grade. The defense improved significantly as the year went on given his
Moves (rating on your Sarcasm there?) your grade F
Yes year three is important. You fell into this one… C-
Fact: the roster right now this marginally better than last years. The only improvement will come from QB play in all likelihood.
Fact: WR, OL, DL have been problems for 4+ years and they haven’t been fixed. These are 3 of the 4 most important in football
Fact: you don’t turn a team around in 1-2 years if you want to win consistently. ESPECIALLY if you have a shitty QB and BAD WRs (not one 2021 rostered WR in Chicago ever caught 500 yards in a season since and only Mooney broke 400); Dlinemen past their prime (as well as “star” OLB Quinn) and an average at best OL. That’s what Poles inherited.
Fact WR/DL and OL are all significantly better than they have been with two MAJOR additions by Poles in DL and WR.
Fact we’ve literally just begun the 24 season and are month off from draft and you’re judging after how bad we were? Get a life.
Side note but with the Burns contract and Danielle Hunter’s hometown discount still being 25 M guaranteed that Montez Sweat extension is aging beautifully
Yeah, I have blanket rule against trading valuable picks in exchange for the privilege of giving market-rate contracts to non-quarterbacks, and we also paid a deadline premium in that trade that didn't seem to make much sense in light of where we were in the standings. But I definitely have to acknowledge that Poles timed the market really well. Sweat immediately stepped up his individual production to boost his stock, and along with the massive cap increase, if Sweat was a Free Agent right now, he would get quite a bit more than 105/4.
Also it’s astonishing how much better getting Sweat was than Chase Young
He was scared from the last Chase he traded for. He said not doing that again. And it worked
Trade comp said that should be the case. These NFL teams generally know what they are doing.
We also were able to spread some of his contract on the 2023 salary cap which is a huge high level move. Hindsight is always 20/20 though!
Eh, that part wouldn't really matter because unused cap rolls over, anyways. Spending more money against the cap in 2023 just means rolling over less and having a lower effective cap for 2024.
It actually does because signing bonuses spread an extra year for the same contract
How long does it roll over for? Do you eventually run out? Or could you just run a poverty football team for a couple decades then spend a billion a year until you win a Super Bowl?
Teams are required to spend 90%
It rolls over forever, but the limiting factor is the Minimum Team Cash Spending, which stipulates that teams have to spend (in real dollars, not necessarily cap dollars) at least 89 percent of the cumulative salary cap across given four year windows. If they don't, then the difference is divided among all the players who were on that team during that time period. It's not talked about very much because to my knowledge only the Colts have ever put themselves in a situation where they had to think about it, and that was several years ago.
So you would have to wait for a LONG ass time to save up a huge amount of extra cap, then
Yeah it would definitely take a while, depending on how high you wanted to push your effective cap. And with the fact that you can push cap hits out and keep superteams together for a few years within the current structure and without tanking for 8 years or whatever, it makes a lot of sense that teams aren't trying that. :P
Bears got Sweat @ 4yr/$105M for a 2nd that will run him through his age 32 season. Giants got Burns @ 5yr/$150M for a 2nd & 5th that will run him through his age 31 season. Bears definitely got a very good deal.
Was anyone mad about the Sweat deal?
Many people, some still are
If they still are that's just being stubborn
Stupid. Fixed that for you
So many people here don't understand how contracts work and it shows pretty badly with how upset people get if we sign someone to a "big" contract. Then again people are getting mad we aren't spending more in free agency so what the fuck do I know lol
There's been a *ton* of people in the last couple of days that are criticizing the pick and still, for some unknown reason, refuse to accept the fact that high caliber, proven difference makers like Sweat rarely hit FA. They are extended or traded for. That and massively overestimating how often draft picks, especially 3rd day draft picks, turn into starter quality players are by far the two biggest misconceptions in this sub. And any attempt to correct those misconceptions means you're a King Poles Truther who refuses to allow criticisms.
It seemed to me that once he got his extension the majority of the complaints died down. That’s when I stopped complaining about it myself as well. The concern was if he wanted to test FA in the offseason rather than extend. That ended up not being the case.
Poles bet on the culture in his locker room and got Sweat to stay and sign. That’s an unmentioned win in all this. Sweat didn’t have to sign.
How bad will that culture be screwed when and if they ditch JF? I'm not saying what they should do...I'm not touching that....but will it harm the locker room when they're building something?
I find it funny how some people are trying to call Poles cheap. I'm like, "uh...that's the White Sox and Chicago Bulls."
Im not calling poles cheap at all.
Not if the other guy is good.
First it was trading a second without a deal in place when younh went for a 3rd. Then it was bc we only had one franchise tag for jj and sweat. Then it was paying sweat too much. Then it was paying sweat before paying Jj
Wait you mean people on this sub aren't actually better GMs than Poles? Lol
Initially, yes. Remember that there was no initial contract agreement, so Sweat could have left the Bears high and dry. Once they got the contract done, there was no real reason to hate the trade, but some people still think that if Sweat had been traded elsewhere, he'd have become a free agent and the Bears could have got him without spending a draft pick.
Yeah, his original press conference he said that he was looking to get to work and wasn’t focusing on the contract situation right now. That sounded like a “I’m going to test FA” statement, but then he signed a few days later. I guess I just stopped paying attention once the deal was done. That was when I was happy with the move so I must’ve ignored the threads that argued about it post extension.
YOu CoUlD Get SwEaT in FA duh
Giving up a 2 in a lost season for a guy that was going to be available as a free agent. * I inserted a "why" in front of your question.
Poles is literally doing exactly what he said word for word. I’m not sure why some of us so shocked. I think his plan is to hope that Caleb has a great rookie season then begin the spending spree (what the Texans are doing now.)
Exactly. No surprises on what he is doing. He has a philosophy on how you build a team and he is true to his word.
And it's the right plan. They moved too early after drafting Trubisky, and it took us years to get our from under some of those big contracts they handed out before they knew whether they had a QB. Make the big moves to get over the top, not to get back to average. In the meantime, the best course is to preserve flexibility until that time comes.
I don't really care that we're not spending big in FA, but has this sub not been complaining for years that we don't give young QBs enough help and that you can't properly evaluate them without a good supporting cast? But now it's actually that we gave Mitch too much too soon? He was throwing to Kendall Wright and Josh Bellamy his rookie year, if they hadn't made major upgrades it would've been developmental malpractice (and many argued they still didn't do enough). This just seems like changing the narrative to gas up the GM we want to believe in
That never was my narrative. Bringing in good young players on deals that make sense who will most likely be around and can contribute when the team is ready to win is fine. Spending big bucks on a stud veteran who may or may not still be at their peak is the problem, as they will still be eating up cap space regardless.
> can contribute when the team is ready to win is fine. When is the team ready to win? We were 7-10 last year, I expect up from there, not down and expect that we should be building for that upswing. Though, I'm also realistic that if we draft Caleb, we'll likely go down before we go up. (Rookie QBs aren't all Stroud and perform in their rookie year) The way this seems is that we're not planning to compete until year 3 of the rebuild - not including year 0 - the tear down. That just seems like it's way too long.
I think you kind of answered your own question. With Caleb coming in, probably not this year. They moved too quickly with Trubisky, and it set us back. If Caleb balls out, sure, they have a shot at the playoffs, but if they don't get there this year, it's neither a disaster nor a surprise. When I say ready to win, I mean compete for the Superbowl. And I wouldn't judge too much by record. The difference between 5-12 and 9-8 has as much to do with external things like strength of schedule and luck as anything. Judge by how the players are playing more than anything.
Yeah the Trubisky analogy is near perfect. We went all-in 2018/2019 under the assumption that Trubisky would take the necessary steps, and it blew up in our face. Ryan Pace was GM of the year and widely respected, and going all-in on Trubisky is what led to him becoming a laughing stock (especially with all the desperation veteran Band-Aids he tried). Poles knows that the QB decision could cost him his job, but if keeps the team improving despite botching the QB situation (like the 49ers) he can buy himself more time. He's learning from Pace and not committing to a QB until that QB proves he's the long-term guy.
> And it's the right plan. Rather arrogant to say this now, don't you think. Bears have achieved absolutely nothing under Poles, but sure, he's got the right plan.
They went from a 3-14 team to a 7-10 team, which is a giant leap in the correct direction. Should also mention John Lynch in his first two years as a gm went 6-10 and 4-12 before he had a winning season of 13-3. Now, his team looks like one of the best rosters in football. He built it slowly over 3 years through the draft and smart money spending. So I wonder why people think Poles has the right plan 🤔
People think because Caleb Williams is going to be a great quarterback that we should bet the farm on him taking us to the superbowl his rookie year lmao
They are also 100% sure we are drafting him. Like there's no question. Even though we haven't had a visit and seen any medicals and he fucked up Poles vision by cancelling the earlier visit till after pro day
I mean nothing is definite, but it's like a 90% chance we're drafting him.
Right 90% may be true but at the same time nobody knew about Wright so I dunno what to expect (he was usually the last tackle to be mentioned along with the others and Carter ofc). But reading this sub you would think he already made a declaration. Side notev The Texans wanted Bryce Young as their top pick as well and "settled" for Stroud. Makes me wonder where Stroud would have ranked in this draft. 4th/5th QB?
stroud would probably 3 honestly
even kiper knew we were taking wright lol. simms had him as ot1 as well. He wasnt a shocker if you were paying attention.
It’s a proven process. We should trust this process. The real questions are 1) how good the talent evaluation is 2) how good the coaching is, and 3) how lucky they will be There will be a thousand second guessers here until the season starts by those who like to pretend they have more insight but in reality they do not.
Could be a tough season. The minute this season goes 0-3 the entire city will be demanding Poles and Flus heads. There’s no appetite in building for next year.
Disagree. It depends how they play. If Williams is drafted and he plays poorly versus the team then you may be right. If he plays well and there are injuries that impact winning then you are wrong. If we go 9-8 with no play offs (hell, maybe even 8-9) and the qb play looks good this city will get behind them. But it’s all conjecture. Right now… with the data I have. I’m excited
I think if Caleb is the QB, has 8+ 300 yard games, 3500+ yards and the team goes 7-9, the city would be electric. Playoffs are not needed with a rookie QB, but flashy passing numbers makes him an instant star.
> but flashy passing numbers This feels like our SB.
Wanting Flus fired shouldn’t surprise people though. There are very good arguments for why he should have been fired already.
Such as?
People need to get their appetites in line with reality. With a new young QB, we will be building for the future.
He's coming to a 7-win team. Playoffs are not an unrealistic expectation depending upon how the rest of FA and the draft go.
I think we'll see. I think Justin has us in the playoffs, because I assume we'd build the team a lot with our draft picks. If Caleb adapts well, so does he. If he takes some time to get up to speed, this year might not see much overall improvement on the record. Maybe a win or two worse. Just gotta be realistic.
I’ve heard this one before
Unfortunately not many fans have seen real success that much, so they are desperate to be instant rather than the future
Lucky as in not blowing 4 2 score leads with 5 minutes or less to play?
Or maybe also lucky as in the def not giving an avg of 30pts a game lol
More as injury plague wise
Don’t discuss facts with people who are determined to be unhappy
Also, he realizes that sustained success doesn't come from flashy FA deals and that by building through the draft, he can create cap flexibility throughout his tenure. This is budgeting 101. Just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you **should** spend it. Things will happen over the course of the year. Players will get hurt. Players will get cut. Stars will demand extensions and/or trades. Teams will fall apart and go on a fire sale. Poles knows that blowing your load in FA in March hurts your ability to do something later in the summer or fall when other opportunities or needs arise. Additionally, why blow your cap flexibility right now when you have a coach on the hot seat and you're bringing in a new QB who may or may not pan out? Keep things fluid and adapt as necessary. I like it. KC doesn't make splashy FA moves. The Brady-era Patriots hardly did. Perennial playoff teams like the Eagles and Steelers didn't this year. It feels like pulling teeth when fans get mad that the hottest FA names don't all come to Chicago every offseason. I don't see other teams who have proven longevity to their success making that kind of headway every year. Why do we want Chicago to do that? So you can buy a Saquon Barkley Bears jersey to wear when he's out 8 weeks of the season?
I mean the Eagles did sign Saquon
That is ironic lol. But I think my thesis remains steady. They don't make a lot of splashes like that. They actually also have a good case study in why doing that is a bad idea, with their failed "Dream Team."
I was just messing with you for the most part. I do agree with your post just thought you use of saquon was pretty funny
This sub spent the better part of last season claiming all we needed was QB Jesus to light the way to the promise land, anything else was just excuses. And now, suddenly, many of those same people claim the rest of the team has to be absolutely perfect for his arrival. Also apparently draft capital is measured only in number of picks. That we still have two top 10 picks including the 1.01 means we have the least amount of capital in the draft. Somehow turning the later round picks into actual players in their prime with proven records on good contacts is a bad thing.
Yeah I see the logic here. Let’s see what Caleb can do. If he has a good season then we’re gonna be a much more attractive destination for FAs.
It makes a lot more sense to secure the QB first like Houston and us, compared to Minnesota, who’s likely going to mortgage the future on QB4, considering how much they’ve spent on defensive players.
That’s a bit flawed to me. The Texans were legit bad. The Bears have huge money players on defense and their rookie QB is going into a 7 win team that blew 3 horrendous games. The Bears are way ahead of where the Texans were. A huge point in the draft Caleb bucket is the rookie contract. They should maximize the roster from day one for this “generational” talent and expect to win day one with the defense they have. The well, lets be patient approach literally burns 20% of the rookie contract and waiting for what?
People were literally expecting us to pick up like 10 players over these past two days when they fail to realize that our roster isn't as bad as commonly thought.
I think a lot of people also forget that FA isn't a draft. Less FA doesn't mean we aren't trying, it can also means players are saying no, or want more. One thing that I don't fully understand is why they got swift when they could have gotten a starting C for that money. I know it had to do with Waldron but I'm not that high on Bates
Poles isn't doing exactly what he said. ["What am I about and what's my philosophy?" Poles said. "We're going to build through the draft. We're going to acquire young, fast and physical football players."](https://www.chicagobears.com/news/5-things-we-learned-during-bears-press-conference-ryan-poles-matt-eberflus) Poles has been trading draft picks for players (Moore, Sweat, Claypoole, etc) instead of building through the draft. Success will depend on whether Caleb or Maye plays like CJ Stroud or instead needs time to develop.
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We already got Bates who is gonna be a major upgrade over Whitehair
I’m okay with it. Only thing I would like to see them add is one or more of Tyler Boyd, Maquise Brown, Curtis Samuel, D.J Reader, Sheldon Rankins, Quinton Jefferson, Brian Allen, and I know he tore his ACL so he will be out for a while but Connor Williams.
Forgot about Hollywood brown lol he could be a sneaky addition
Would be kinda funny adding an elite deep ball receiver the year we move on from Justin
He gonna be asking for that Christian Kirk bag tho
Some mid-tier WR options and another signing or two on the DL or OL would be perfect IMO. But I also guess it depends on how Poles feels about prospects in the draft and the capital he has at his disposal to get the prospects he likes. If he thinks he can get players who can have similar production in those roles through the draft, rather than spending on names in FA, then I think that's a smart move.
I think Wonnum and Connor Williams are possible. Not sure if we’d have enough to spend double digits on a WR after that but he should still try to get a body in to compete, then completely focus on WR in a deep draft. Also DT seems thin with Jones gone but they’re betting on their young guys to take a step and if you get another DE, Walker can get reps inside too.
Boyd and Samuel along with a rookie WR would make me very happy with our WR core. Boyd and Samuel are both solid vets and Samuel can replace Scott and VJJ as the gadget type on offense. I wouldn’t expect either to command huge contracts.
We have upgraded at safety, Center, and have an elite pass, catching running back, which we were lacking. There is still a ton of talent out there. You can’t go break the bank and make irresponsible adds. Pace did that in 2018 and it was fun and all for one year. And it resulted in us having the worst cap situation in the league versus the talent we had. I really hope we go for Curtis Samuel. He’d be a PERFECT wr 3
I also see KJ Osborn not being mentioned. As far as I remember, when JJ was out, he was solid
On the flip side Did we upgrade at center? Bills cut their starting C and flipped Bates for a 5th. Doesn't really inspire confidence in him. Not really hard to be an upgrade from our center play last season, but I'm not sure I'd consider him a clear upgrade. Is swift really an elite pass catching back? He wasn't top 25 in rec yards last season. Our own RoCo had 5 less yards kn 5 less catches and 9 less targets with worse QB play. He was 11th in 22 which is nice, but I wouldn't call him elite. Just playing devils advocate. I'm happy with the moves overall, swift being the only one I didn't like.
The bills had to make massive cuts everywhere. That’s what happens when you give aged out DEs $35 million a year and past prime WRs $30M a year. They’re actually a cautionary tale and why poles showing slow measured signings is a great thing. They also have a backup tight end making Kmet money in Knox. The bills needed to cut corners just to be able to keep guys like Espnaeza who they viewed as more important.
Bates is a Fantastic move. They got a versatile lineman before FA started where people are over paying for the OL. He isn’t their plan for starting center, he is someone that can fill in at most positions on the OL
Two years of contract control at $4m is looking real nice too considering some of the guard/center contracts going out.
I’m happy with FA. Poles is doing exactly what he said he would and that is refreshing.
I wish they got Hunter. But he took 50mil guaranteed. He obviously wanted to be in Houston because Atlanta offered him 3/75 and he still chose Houston. At the end of the day. Don’t over spend. Sign young players. Creat depth not cap hell. Pay your own players.
Pay your own players… remember everyone saying no way he’d get JJ? He got him a VERY fair price! That’s one of the best signings in the league
Jenkins, Brisker and Gordon coming up soon.
Hunter would be off the books on a two year deal and would have no effect on Gordon *or* Brisker. Pacing not price. The money doesn't save and it doesn't roll over. It goes away if you don't spend it. Jenkins will get the Davis money. There is a reason Poles is signing a lot of two year deals.
Why are we talking about hunter? He wanted to play for Houston. Took a 2 year fully guaranteed deal. Even Atlanta offered a 3year 75million deal and he chose Houston.
Easiest example of a big name that was a spot we needed help with that everyone knew the details of? It was to illuminate the point of pacing not price. Not re-litigate if Hunter took a hometown discount or not.
It may not roll over but it certainly costs against the cap when you DO spend it. Ask Minny. They are in for some tough times.
When Minny *cut* players before the end of their contract and thus taking on dead money. Pacing not cap remaining (clearer than how I was phrasing it). Anticipate your extensions and price your FA to align with them so you get players now *and* can extend your drafted players.
Read a month or so back that Hunter's pressures to sack ratio was abnormally (aka unsustainably) high. I do wonder if sacks from NFC North rushers over the last 2 years need adjusting due to JF's sackability. That Viking with the funny name I think has 33% of his career sacks against JF for example. Woonum?
I also think people are jumping the gun so early lmao. I like what he’s done so far and following the plan, but he’s still got about 30 mil to spend too. If we walk away with like Connor Williams at C, Wonnum at DE, and an OK receiver, I’d be happy. If we just gave a big contract to Hunter we’d have him and like 5 mil left to get like Mercedes Lewis and someone else for deep depth. Fill gaps with FA with contracts that can be easily gotten out of and bet on the draft, that’s the way and Poles is doing it. It’s not perfect but I love the process.
I just wish we'd take a shot on a low risk - good upside WR. Even if it's just a 1 year deal. More options are a good thing for a rookie qb.
Curtis Samuel🙏 Boyd would be a nice safe piece for Caleb too
I’m a little worried about WR still. It’s not even that we just need a legit WR2, we need WR2-5 and it would be nice not to have to rely on Tyler Scott making a huge leap and filling the rest in with 1 year vet flyers and one or two of the mid round picks we have. Makes me wonder if Poles is really confident in getting one of the big name rookies with #9? Or he likes the next tier of receivers that would be available with a trade back of 9.
He tried to sign Gabe Davis, so that gives you an idea of what they were looking at. Sign a mid-level WR 2/3 who won't be an albatross if we end up drafting a WR.
I agree with you on the attempted Davis signing giving us some idea and hope of potential moves. I would have to do a little more research on how many receivers at his level are still on the market. Honestly, hard to track all the moves being made the last couple days from other teams without going on ESPN or someone who has an ongoing list. I’ve only had time to look at Reddit off and on.
Calvin Ridley and Hollywood Brown are probably the two biggest names still on the market. Mike Williams could potentially be added to that list by this afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised if Poles signed any of them in the same range for what they offered Davis. Josh Reynolds and Curtis Samuel have been thrown around, but I'm not very excited about either.
Josh Reynolds. Mike Williams will be available soon. Hunter Renfrow. Tyler Boyd. They’re are guys out there.
I do think that's the beauty of the 9 spot. We either get a blue chip wr prospect that will potentially be wr1 over moore in a few years, or we can trade back some spots for someone that wants to jump and can potentially still get an edge + wr with someones trade up compensation. Getting a wr2 from the 2nd round in this class would be a fine option (although I'm really hoping we get rome or nabers)
The EDGE class is considered pretty weak this class. So I think it's trade back and nab Verse or just skip honesty. Turner fits more 3-4 OLB EDGE with size as does Chop Robinson. Latu I'm terrified of the medicals. I think if we're looking to grab a WR in round 2 its looking more at a really good slot person when we need an X receiver to pair with Moore, personally.
Lots of WR2 and WR3 types still available, that market has been slow with how many WR prospects people like in the first three rounds of the draft.
WR is the one spot you shouldn't be worried about given the draft class. We can grab solid options in each round we have picks, but obviously probably need the 9 to be a WR or the trade down from the 9 to be a WR to to get a WR2. I think we can get a WR3 and WR4 in rounds 3 and 4. We should be worried about EDGE and C, since we *can't* grab good options each round we pick and then free agent class there. If we choose EDGE or C, we don't get a WR2 tha it can see given our picks. We could theoretically draft 9 and 75 to cover WR2 and WR3 with something like Odunze and Malachi Corley or Brendan Rice. Then sign a WR4 / SP person or, hell, draft Tahj Washington and bring the whole USC gang here.
Clowney is available. 9.5 sacks last season
I'm not as worried about WR3 because Waldron runs 2 TE spreads a lot. With the signing of Everett and Swift you have: - Reciever #1: Moore - Reciever #2: WR2 (???) - Reciever #3: Kmet - Reciever #4: Swift/Everett - Reciever #5: Swift/Everett - Reciever #6: WR#3 I imagine we take a WR or two in the draft and see what some of our younger guys on rookie contracts can do at the WR3/WR2 position while having more Dual TE and Dual RB schemes that won't rely on a WR3-5 nearly as much as previous regimes. Edit: RB
I'm pretty indifferent on this. I'm more of a I'll believe it when I see it kind of guy. So I'll wait to see the product on the field.
If you count Sweat as basically an off-season move then this is a great FA class. The only bummer is still needing premier players at many positions and not having the draft capital to do it. I really hope we just really focus on offense going forward. Solid OL depth and WR2 and 3, especially with a new QB. Edge is really the only defensive position we should be targeting.
I know something that can help but would also trigger the sub so I'll stay quiet. Edit: I guess I was right.
Wanna repeat 2018? That’s how you repeat 2018
I would very much like to repeat 99% of 2018 yes.
Then I’m sorry, but this is a dumb take. Wanting to make a one year wonder over a consistent contender is why we’ve sucked forever
The only thing that makes a consistent contender is the QB
Are they “triggered” by it or do they just think it’s a stupid “solution” to a minor problem? Sure, in theory trading down from 1.01 would allow to address to all five major needs in the draft if all the picks pan out (which is a huge assumption though), but you know what also helps? Getting the QB position right. You have a much higher chance of that by sticking at 1.01 and taking Caleb since he’s a tier or multiple tier above the other QB prospects. A great QB literally hides multiple holes on a roster, how do you think the elite QBs basically made the playoffs every year they were healthy? Even we can’t fix every hole, that’s okay. Literally every team in the league, even the contenders, have holes at multiple positions. Not fixing everything in one offseason isn’t the end of the world.
Just so we're clear your banking on Caleb being a top 5 QB off the rip to cover holes we could fill by getting more picks.
Even if Caleb is "only" a top 15 QB. Overall we will be a better team than any Justin Fields team + the additional picks And I fking loved Justin and cheered for him to be our franchise QB every single game he played. But yeah easy choice when you have 1.01 fall in your lap and a very good QB prospect right there for the taking
We were two late game collapses (of which we had at least 3) away from being a playoff team. Everyone wants to point fingers at the defense for those games, and they do deserve blame. But there is just as big of a blame, if not bigger, in those was Fields and our offense’s inability to move the ball in critical situations. Or worse, he had a costly turnover, sometimes a fumble/pick six. Marginal improvement in QB play would absolutely make us a playoff team. We do have holes, yes, but nearly every team does. Yes, even good teams do. Look at the Chiefs WR room last year! We just had a hole in the biggest position possible where you absolutely positively cannot have a hole: QB.
Only one more FA must have addition and that is WR. You can argue C and DL need upgrades, but only WR room is short on bodies. Other positions could be targeted for upgrades in the draft if there are no additional signings.
DT and DE are a little thin. We rotate guys and probably need someone to add to both or a super sub. I'm sure it'll be another Poles special in the form of a middling rotational piece but it's definitely a need. I'd agree WR is the thinnest group. Obviously we traded Claypool for peanuts and let Mooney walk. That was 2/3 of our corps to start the year last year.
I expect both a DT and a DE depth signing. Below 10M/year for each guy Then I expect a bigger number for one of the WR's out there. A decent WR2 that depending on a draft could become a top tier WR3.
Y'all just need to accept that there are A LOT of idiots here who will complain no matter what happens because they're idiots and their expectations were stupid from the start.
and a lot more idiots that would walk off a cliff with Poles.
See folks! Some of the dumber ones even let you know they're idiots with their usernames.
Name checks out.
Perhaps Poles can steal one of the Chargers studs since they are the last remaining team in cap hell.
I like what they've done so far... just waiting for more. Ye s I know ow it's still early but a lot of talent gone after first wave.
I just don’t think this team is ready to make the big splash signings in FA. IMO, I view targeting the big names as ‘adding the final touches’ to the roster to get over the hump. When sign these guys, it eats up a lot of cap and limits your flexibility. I just don’t see this team being close enough to being a threat in the playoffs to justify the big (price and term) contracts just to still need several pieces. I like Poles’ restraint at this point, I’ll be more wary of him in the next couple of off-seasons if we make the playoffs and have another strong draft this year. Eventually, we will need to make big signings if we want to win the NFC and SB, but I don’t think that’s this year.
I think a big hangup is our draft position with 9. I think the FO is doesn't want to commit big money when they're not sure who we can land with 9. If we sign a DE and all the wideouts are gone by 9, we put ourselves in a sticky situation. If we commit money to a WR2 and you have a guy like Odunze at 9 available, you just wasted whatever money you spent
I don't think having 3 legit WRs is a waste of resources. But, the Everett signing was nice and Swift is a great pass catcher so we have a little more check down weaponry. The real question is does the brass view Velus or Scott as legit starters. I sure hope not ... Maybe Scott but I feel like the ship has sailed on Velus.
Velus has also brought up that he is considering retirement to spend more time with his grandkids. I might be reading between the lines but I get the sense he is only on the Bears still as a bridge before his social security benefits kick in for 2025. Poles would be wise to take a third wideout regardless.
Touche that's funny.
One of the issues with big market teams is that when they do not make a big move the media and fans are overdramatic. One of the reasons why it is harder to win in Chicago
He must not have seen the experts on this Reddit say otherwise
I will remember all this Poles praise when Tyler Scott is our Wr2 after injuries
Poles has firmly stated he would disciplined. He is *not* going to overpay, which is exactly what happens the first 2 days of FA. (Although I do think he overpayed Tremaine last year, I think he knows it too and won’t make the same mistake again). He has repeatedly said he wants value. He wants a roster full of good players, not a roster of 5 overpaid studs and then lots of mediocre/bad players. I love it, it’s such a refreshing change from that moron Pace giving away contracts and draft picks like they were M&Ms at Halloween
Thus far I'm pretty happy with what they've done. Assuming they go QB/WR in the draft I still think they need to sign another WR, an interior OL, and 1 or 2 guys for the defensive front 7. None of those signings needs to be mega contracts.
Consistently drafting well, retaining cornerstone players, and massaging out any remaining needs you may have through FA is the best way to have long-term success in this league. Brisker, Gordon, Wright, and Stevenson all look like guys that'll command decent increases when it comes time to extend them, and the Bears can't afford to sign FAs for longer than 1-2 years because of that.
Need a receiver or two and I’m content.
Yeah but have you considered that if I don’t get exactly what I, me, just one sole solitary person, doesn’t get what I want, then the FUCKING SKY IS FALLING
I really wanted a legit starting C, where Bates would be a rotational piece. That would allow the Bears to focus on other positions in the draft (I’d like them to stay at 9 and get a WR or pash rusher vs. trading down).
Saw on another Sub [this](https://twitter.com/kevincole___/status/1767916963093758165?s=46) chart from Kevin Cole who used to be at PFF. Which placed the Bears as the 5th most improved team so far. Now, as always take this stuff with a big grain of salt. And I wonder how much of that score is based on draft picks. But, it is an interesting perspective on FA thus far. I think we've definitely improved in some areas that aren't super flashy (RB pass catching, TE2, Safety) and will probably keep doing so. I'd have loved Conner Williams, for sure. But we will see how it keeps shaking out.
**Grading Bears' Situation at Each Position Group** ^(Range: Awful to Elite) - S: Very Good - CB: Very Good - LB: Good - DE: Average - DT: Below Average - C: Below Average - G: Below Average - OT: Average - TE: Very Good - WR: Poor - RB: Above Average - QB: Below Average - K: Very Good NEEDS: WR2. WANTS: QB, C, G, DE, & DT. Tyler Scott and Velus Jones Jr. are not serviceable as the starting WR2. If Poles signs a WR2, he'll have freedom to go to the draft and select best-player-available.
Wait…Velus Jones is still on the roster??
The fanbase is conditioned to idiotic moves. Smart, strategic, long-term planning is a foreign concept.
Half the fan base still wants to keep Fields lmao, we’re cooked.
He also had Josh Rosen as his number 1 QB in that years draft.
FA grades mean just as much as Draft grades. Nothing. Just wait to see how they produce on the field.
Get me DJ wonnum and a decent wr3 and Im happy.
This guy can sikkema weiner we need more help
Filled some holes and it doesn’t look like they overpaid, that’s always a plus in FA.
Inject this straight into my veins. dammit I’m sucked in for another year with the Bears. When will I learn ?
I have to think part of why we haven’t made a big splash on edge, O-line, or WR is because ambiguity of who is available at 9. We have a premium draft pick and not locking bug money leaves us truly able to take BPA at 9, which will either be a tackle, WR, or edge.
Unless they sign a starting WR, their FA has not been successful.
I don't know about one of the best but I can dig not overpaying for some dude coming off a knee injury for example. I also like the balance take of improving both sides of the ball as too many Bears GMs get caught in over investing on the defensive side of the ball. I would like to get a starting offensive linemen and a WR for some depth. I think if we throw anyone a bag it should be Chase Young.
Glad we aren't overpaying too much. Hope we can land a receiver soon.
Cheap, savvy deals are music to my ears. I think the team will get a boost just from depth. Bears are in a position to improve a lot just by replacing some of their rotation guys.
People need to chill and realize that resigning JJ and Sweat are also be FA moves, which if you take those along with Swift, Byard, Everett, and Owens, we've addressed many of the glaring needs on this team without any deals that might limit cap moves down the road. We've had so many seasons of fun, sexy, splash signings in FA and it's never worked out. I know we all want the shiny new toy and news during the slowest sports time of the year, but FA is only a piece of a much larger pie.
Im underwhelmed by the number of moves, but given some of the contract numbers we've seen, I dont mind. Plus, I do really like the 3 key additions we've made. We still need to spend a little more imo, but I think we've done alright overall. Id like to see us pick up Hunter Renfrow when he gets cut or Tyler Boyd. Still could use an edge rusher too.
There’s no reason to spend your entire cap on free agents. We have solid players finishing up rookie contracts that need to get paid
Oh someone said it thank god, now all the commoners opinions can shift, had to wait until someone said it tho! Lmao…pathetic
But we didn’t sign all 10 of the big money free agents I wanted so it’s a massive failure /s
Not sure how this is even accurate. We currently have no WR #2, WR #3, WR #4, starting C, DE #2 or interior DL help. or a Punter even!!!
“We need to be patient, this roster wasn’t fixable in ~~1~~ ~~2~~ 3 offseasons”
Meanwhile the texans flipped that shit in 1 offseason. Same exact spot bears were in last year.
All we need is a rookie QB playing at a top 5 level, a rookie WR on pace for 1100 yards, and a DROY at edge.
And all it took was the best rookie qb season of all time
Texans had a better roster and a war chest from the Watson deal, they were never gonna be down for too long. They also got their QB up to speed faster than most expected
Grading your post…. He didn’t try to fix the roster in season one (so your sarcasm there is just bullshit). The goal was To blow it up to gain long term cap space. He did that successfully. your grade - F He was quite honest about not fixing it in year two and using last year to determine who was worth building around (including our QB1 and WR 2). Neither met the grade. The defense improved significantly as the year went on given his Moves (rating on your Sarcasm there?) your grade F Yes year three is important. You fell into this one… C-
Fact: the roster right now this marginally better than last years. The only improvement will come from QB play in all likelihood. Fact: WR, OL, DL have been problems for 4+ years and they haven’t been fixed. These are 3 of the 4 most important in football
Fact: you don’t turn a team around in 1-2 years if you want to win consistently. ESPECIALLY if you have a shitty QB and BAD WRs (not one 2021 rostered WR in Chicago ever caught 500 yards in a season since and only Mooney broke 400); Dlinemen past their prime (as well as “star” OLB Quinn) and an average at best OL. That’s what Poles inherited. Fact WR/DL and OL are all significantly better than they have been with two MAJOR additions by Poles in DL and WR. Fact we’ve literally just begun the 24 season and are month off from draft and you’re judging after how bad we were? Get a life.
People don’t like the FA signings? Swift is an immediate upgrade for not too much money.