I've read a lot of articles on the subject and it's hard to come away with a concrete theory. Jeremy Maclin had his first 1000 yard season bouncing back after an ACL tear. John Ross had a monster year coming back from an ACL injury....albeit in college. My biggest fear is always the risk to re-injure.
Wow. A lot to digest on a busy day in the NFL. Bears with a couple significant offensive moves (note: all receiving options for Trubisky, save for the kicker). WAY overpaid for Burton. I'm going to have to go back and watch film of the guy from this past year. I wonder how much input Nagy and the offensive staff have. I think that, if Pace is going to miss on FA's as he has done, I'd rather he keep it small. Obviously we're assuming Glennon is as bad a swing as Pace is going to take, but Burton... That's a lot of money to live up to. On the surface, at least, it looks like a real reach, based on what he's being paid. I anticipate Taylor Gabriel will play a 4th receiver / gadget player role, and I expect him to be paid that way. If he's a guy that comes onto the field to create mismatches, utilize open space, and make the defense second-guess a playcall, then I'm all about it. I trust Nagy and this offensive staff's vision. I just expect Gabriel to be paid accordingly... I'd also like to see him take some return duties from Cohen, so the young'n doesn't get battered around too much. Robinson is clearly being overpaid, by a mile. Unfortunately, that's the position Pace has put this team in (though he's not alone, in the NFL). And there's no doubt you can question his production, being that he only had one standout year. But, when I watch him, I see why he had a standout year. My hope is that he can play at full health, and with that same ability that he did in 2015. If so, while we'll all be a little sour that he's being overpaid, if he can be a threatening #1 WR, across from a Cam Meredith that you hope much of the same for, then I think we'll all get over the money. Catch 80+ balls, be an every-down chain-moving threat, and provide a legitimate, fighting, go-to option for the young QB. I feel a lot better about our outside receivers, provided they're healthy, and look like their former selves. Our inside spots look pretty gross, with some amalgamation of Kevin White, Josh Bellamy, Taylor Gabriel, and Tarik Cohen. I trust Nagy to be creative, but that's not a great group to work with. I think someone else said it: what the hell does Bellamy have on the front office? Bets on other FA additions, or draft picks being added to the pool?
I want to believe I do, but with the Bears things tend to get worse before they get better. BWW is right aside from Maclin and Ross because that's all I could find. I don't see much success in the Bears near future at that position. I just see a stable of one legged receivers underachieving. I just hope they prove me wrong.
3 years, 27 million. 18 mil guaranteed. Eh. After seeing what Malcolm Butler and Trumaine Johnson just got, I think Pace said "nope" and stayed with a bargain. I think CB is being looked at as a higher draft round need right now. I'm kind of alarmed no linemen on either side of the ball or edge rushers signed. Need a tackle, 5-tech or even a hybrid guy who can also play NT because Goldman--although a stud when on the field, has trouble staying on the field. And multiple edge rushers still a need.
I didn't watch too much last year, just kept track of the games on apps. Was our edge rushing that bad? Wasn't that supposed to be an area of strength in the last off-season? Was this under-performance or injury? Or both?
Terrible deal. Absolutely awful. Prince produced exactly 0 INT's last year. He had 7 PD's. The Bears paid him $1million for every pass he defended last year. He has 1 fucking pick in the last 3 seasons! Him coming back should only have happened if a pay cut was involved. I find it unfathomable that based on last year Pace is actually increasing his pay to $9mil a year. 18mil guaranteed, mind blowing. Getting nearly double the guaranteed money that Breeland got, a guy who's ceiling is miles higher than Prince's, mind blown for the 2nd time. It had to happen though. Was only a matter of time before Pace blew one, I'm surprised he lasted this long tbh. But there is no doubt, Pace cannot evaluate the CB position for shit and his ability to structure deals seems to swing in the most extreme ways. Pray this guy doesn't select a CB at #8. Prince escaped a lot of the spotlight last season cos Fuller was the most targeted CB in the league. After 22 PD's and an opposing QBR of around 70, I highly doubt Offense's target Fuller in the same way next season. No they're coming after you Prince, and your gonna get burned. Where was the bargain???? You realise Fuller is gonna see that and take Pace to the cleaners now.
Edge rusher is a position of need. Willie Young was solid but hurt. Floyd got hurt bel friendly fire of Kyle Fuller trying to tackle someone with his head, like an idiot. Sam Acho, McKnee, and Bumarr were painfully uninspiring. Isaiah Irving, an I drafted rookie got hurt the first game he played in. Leonard Floyd is the only edge on the roster, everybody else got cut. The bears carried 4 in years past. It’s a need. And bears add Chase Daniel to back up Trubisky. End of the butt fumble?
When Floyd went down, the pass rush took a big hit, and so did the overall D as a knock-on. They've released McKnee, released Young, I think they've released Bumarr. There's only 1 pass rusher on the team right now, Pace needs to find at least 2 more. At 5-tech, Unrein would make a great backup/rotational guy, but the starter spot could def be upgraded. We have almost no depth at MLB now Jones has gone to Detroit. Pace needs to be very careful, if he takes his eye off the ball personnel wise that D will regress next season. Its been noticeable in his first 3 offseasons that Pace favours the Offensive side of the ball. But I kinda expected that part of Fangio coming back must've been some kind of agreement that the D would start getting more resources put into it. On the admittedly early evidence, this doesn't seem to be happening. I'd love to know 3 things about Prince; If and how hard Fangio lobbied for him to return. And what his interest was from other teams. Cos I didn't hear anything about other teams wanting to sign Prince.
Fuller was/is going to get paid no matter what. Transition tagging him was smart. Pace can match any deal or let him go if someone paid him an absurd amount. It’s a bargain to me. Pace didn’t shell out 15+ million for Johnson or Butler. He made 7 mil last year and was going to get a raise. 9 mil per for 2 years isn’t unreasonable, pace, in my estimation this year or next a cb will be taken high. Think about this; Patrick Peterson makes less per year than what butler and Johnson got. 14 per year. I think Pace is being smart with fuller. It’s nice to keep him, but is he worth more than arguably the best dB in the league right now? No. He isn’t. In a ‘wait and see’ game, take the deal so if you lose fuller you don’t need 2 starting cbs.
I doubt it will be this year because edge rusher should be now #1 priority because of the gaping hole he created.
Why was he going to get a raise? You say that like it was a forgone conclusion, I'm afraid that's not true. Genuine question; what was Prince's market? How many teams were banging on his door? I didn't see any so-called "insiders" talking about Prince having interest from other teams. After a quick look around, I found one article by a Colts website about prince saying he doesn't get beat deep but besides that, meh. And one on a Giants website, where the conclusion was he would be ok under their particular circumstances, where they could get him on another 1year deal and for less than the 7mil he got last season. The guy had no market! ANd as we all know by now, a player is worth his market says he's worth. Prince is an average at best corner, one who is without a pick in 2 YEARS. And it was a strong FA CB class in which he was being lost in the shuffle. He's being overpaid by about $3-4million. $9mil guaranteed. For each of the next 2 years. For a guy who doesn't get you off the field on passing downs, and gives you nothing in run support. And there were a LOT of better options out there. Insane.
Amukamara was a really good resigning. Lost in the mostly good year Fuller had is the fact opposing QBs rarely tried to pick on Amukamara because he was really solid in coverage. Keeping continuity in the secondary is big, IMO. Sam Acho was also resigned....that was necessary due to the lack of bodies they have at linebacker right now. And Acho is an excellent back up player. Chase Daniel gives the Bears a good upgrade at backup QB.
Prince held the negotiation advantage on the bears. He and the other starting cb were free agents and the bears need 2. He wasn’t going to take “what he’s worth.” He’s going to make as much as he can get. Sure, Pace overpaid; but he’s not crippling this team for 2 years financially. And Prince, without the ideal stats, is a decent cb2 amid the flaws you pointed out. The bears could have done a lot worse, and have one starting quality cb. If Pace would have lost him and Fuller, would you be ready for the Marcus Cooper show? Neither would I. His replacement gets drafted next month or 13 months from now.
Prince's opposing QBR was actually well below Fuller's last season. He wasn't really solid in coverage and that wasn't why he wasn't targeted. He wasn't targeted cos teams wanted to go after Fuller, based no doubt on 2016 & late 2015. Later on last season teams still went at Fuller, likely cos they weren't buying how good he had become. Teams were wrong. None of that has anything to do with Prince, who was far less of a threat to take the ball away from teams attacking him, and allowed a higher QBR than Fuller when teams did throw at him. People didn;'t see Prince much and think that means he must've been good. But it more highlights the mistakes Offenses made in their gameplanning for our pass Defense than his actual level of play. Fair point. I'd add that he does tend to keep the play in front of him and didn't get beat deep a ton. That's all ive got. Its no way enough for top 16-20 in the league money at his position imo. I don't believe Fuller was going anywhere regardless, so let's not turn this into a 2 spot discussion. Its a 1 spot discussion in terms of our starters. Cooper should be gone already, that's just more bad CB eval by the GM. But anyway, seeing how our top2 CB's will be back next season, I hope your ready for the no INT's show. I remember the chief complaint around here being lack of turnovers last season. Don't see how this helps that.
That's a solid signing. I remember wanting him years back when he was leaving KC. The contract is a bit confusing though.
