**OFFICAIL** Bears 2024 Regular Season News & Schleisse - FTO Preferred - No ALTS! Derailing Is Discouraged!

remydat

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From Peter King this morning:

“The prevailing wisdom: Chicago got enough for the pick, assuming D.J. Moore can be the primo receiver Justin Fields desperately needs. Carolina paid through the nose, and recent draft history is littered with lousy tradeups into the top five for quarterbacks who didn’t pan out (Robert Griffin III, Carson Wentz, Mitchell Trubisky, Sam Darnold). “If Carolina doesn’t pick the right quarterback, the trade’s a disaster,” said former NFL wheeler-dealer Jimmy Johnson.
Thoughts:

This deal was not getting done without D.J. Moore in it. The Bears had a bottom-five group of wideouts in 2022, even after trading for Chase Claypool in midseason. Darnell Mooney, Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown, as a group, weren’t going to give Fields his best chance to emerge as a quarterback and developing Fields is priority one for the ’23 Bears. The free-agency wideout crop is a D-minus, and unless Poles wanted to use his only pick in the top-50 on a receiver, Moore (or a number one receiver like him) was vital. Certainly Carolina didn’t want to deal one of its best five players, in his prime; in the span of six months, the Panthers have dealt their two best offensive players, Christian McCaffrey and Moore. But if they wanted to be sure of having their choice of quarterbacks come April 27, Moore had to be sacrificed.”

More from King:

“Where is Chicago left? My column last weekfocused heavily on the Bears, and now that the deal’s been done, Poles faces a few truths. He knows he needs to bulk up on the offensive line; he has the cap room (a league-high $69.9-million in effective cap space, per overthecap.com) to afford one of the top three tackles in free-agency—Orlando Brown, Mike McGlinchey or Kaleb McGary. Re the draft: Being at nine takes him out of the ballgame for the best pass-rusher, Will Anderson of Alabama, and likely puts number two edge player Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech out of range. But the top offensive-line prospect, Peter Skoronski of Northwestern, could be there at nine. Poles could be smartest spending on one tackle in free agency, and one defensive linemen—Dre’Mont Jones or the pricey Javon Hargrave, or perhaps Frank Clark to beef up the pass-rush.

It’s amazing how different the Bears could look come training camp. Imagine Fields throwing to D.J. Moore outside or in the slot, with Brown protecting his blind side, and Skoronski plugged in either at guard or tackle as a day-one starter. Imagine Jones and Clark buttressing a needy defensive line. That’s all fantasy football, of course, but Poles has the cap room and draft picks (9, 53, 61, 64 overall) to make some plug-and-play decisions between now and May 1.”
Last quote from Peter King on the trade:

“1. I think the one tributary about the Carolina trade that should make Bears fans feel good this morning is this: The Panthers had previously turned down at least one offer of a first-round pick plus some lesser trade chip for D.J. Moore. So when you try to figure out the relative value of Moore in the deal, think of it as probably equal to a mid-first-round pick—because in a down year for receivers in the draft and certainly in free agency, a wideout in the range of 15th- to 20th– best in the league with three manageable years left on his contract entering his age-26 year has great value.

2. I think that means—or at least Chicago can argue—the deal to move down eight spots from the top of the draft is the equivalent of the ninth and 61st picks this year, two more first-round picks and a second-round pick three ones and two twos. And that’s a load. Now the pressure’s on Ryan Poles to turn those pieces into a competitive football team.”
@nc0gnet0
 

Nelly

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I just don't get the "we need someone to compete with Braxton Jones" narrative, yet somehow Whitehair and his bloated contract and Teven Jenkins and his injury history go largely unquestioned. Brax played a whole lot better than anyone could have ever hoped for going into the season, playing every fucking snap and being good at just about everything except for handling the bullrush. He's got a full offseason to work on that one thing to be a largely complete and good player yet so many people are like "the O line sucks so we need to replace everyone!"
 

rawdawg

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Were the Bears the best in the league running with RBs?

Or did they finish #1 in rushing yards because the QB had > 1,000, which is not something we want to repeat.

We do NOT need an injured OL who was once a good run blocker. Nor do we need to try to be a running team in 2023.

We need pass protection.
They led the league in rushing before Fields really started putting up big rushing numbers. A lot of that was volume because they ran the ball more than anyone, but the rest of the top 5 (Baltimore, Atlanta, Philly, and NYG) also had running QBs. Khalil Herbert led the league in yards per carry, I believe. The Bears were a really good running team by any measurement.

And what injury does McGlinchey have? He played 97% of the snaps in 2022. The Bears want to be a running team, whether you like it or not. And McGlinchey can pass block. Have you actually watched him play or you just going by SF messageboards and PFF grades? He's better than what the Bears have had at RT in the last 10 years.
 

sevvy

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I just don't get the "we need someone to compete with Braxton Jones" narrative, yet somehow Whitehair and his bloated contract and Teven Jenkins and his injury history go largely unquestioned. Brax played a whole lot better than anyone could have ever hoped for going into the season, playing every fucking snap and being good at just about everything except for handling the bullrush. He's got a full offseason to work on that one thing to be a largely complete and good player yet so many people are like "the O line sucks so we need to replace everyone!"
He played reasonably well. He still got walked back into Fields way too much. If we replace him as the starting LT, that means we got better. And having a swing tackle that you drafted in the 5th round is solid value.

He's good enough. But hopefully we're working towards "good enough" not being good enough. Lol.
 

playthrough2001

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He played reasonably well. He still got walked back into Fields way too much. If we replace him as the starting LT, that means we got better. And having a swing tackle that you drafted in the 5th round is solid value.

He's good enough. But hopefully we're working towards "good enough" not being good enough. Lol.
Sevvy,

Your point is well taken, but Jones does have the length, frame and athleticism to improve considerably. Most of us know he was susceptible to the bull rush and needs to get better with his ability to anchor.

This deficiency is correctable with hard work in the weight room and focusing on the coaching points I’m sure Morgan has given him.

Durability is an elite trait in the NFL too.

I’m all for competition, but I’d really enjoy watching Jones develop into a top tier LT.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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I just don't get the "we need someone to compete with Braxton Jones" narrative, yet somehow Whitehair and his bloated contract and Teven Jenkins and his injury history go largely unquestioned. Brax played a whole lot better than anyone could have ever hoped for going into the season, playing every fucking snap and being good at just about everything except for handling the bullrush. He's got a full offseason to work on that one thing to be a largely complete and good player yet so many people are like "the O line sucks so we need to replace everyone!"

Who's not questioning those things?

Wait for Poles to wrap up free agency and the draft before saying they go unquestioned, because its Poles who makes those decisions - not uneducated hack reporters.

For me, I DO want someone to compete with Whitehair, I DO want someone else at left tackle, and I FOR SURE DO want a better center.

Jenkins only gets a reprieve because replacing all 5 on a line is hard and he was still the best lineman by FAR out there, even with the injury history.

There's a lot for Poles to do, and we're only at the very very beginning of the build up phase....
 

sevvy

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Sevvy,

Your point is well taken, but Jones does have the length, frame and athleticism to improve considerably. Most of us know he was susceptible to the bull rush and needs to get better with his ability to anchor.

This deficiency is correctable with hard work in the weight room and focusing on the coaching points I’m sure Morgan has given him.

Durability is an elite trait in the NFL too.

I’m all for competition, but I’d really enjoy watching Jones develop into a top tier LT.
I wouldn't hate Jones starting at LT. I wouldn't hate him being replaced for a year or two while he continues to get better either.

We obviously have more glaring holes. I don't think it's Poles' priority, but we'll see.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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Sevvy,

Your point is well taken, but Jones does have the length, frame and athleticism to improve considerably. Most of us know he was susceptible to the bull rush and needs to get better with his ability to anchor.

This deficiency is correctable with hard work in the weight room and focusing on the coaching points I’m sure Morgan has given him.

Durability is an elite trait in the NFL too.

I’m all for competition, but I’d really enjoy watching Jones develop into a top tier LT.

Agreed on all points, but the issue is guys like Jones can sometimes need full NFL offseasons in the weight room to get to that point.

I would rather actually bring in a vet to man the left side and let Jones develop behind the scenes.
 

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