FINALLY, draft week is here! Mostly interested in what the Bears fanbase thinks about this but anyone feel free to chip in. More detail the better, but if you dont follow CFB enough to know names then naming a position is good also. What do you think happens?
Assuming the bears take Caleb, commies take Maye, and Pats Daniels or a trade down for Daniels, then I expect the Vikes to come in with their two 1sts to move up for QB4…I just don’t know if that’s with Arizona or the Bolts. My absolute fear is that Harbaugh, after giving such glowing remarks about Keenan Allen, how he wanted to keep him, his leadership and his love of the game, all that—does the same with Herbert and they deal him. Then Minnesota and their 2 1sts look scarier, and the bolts take their QB. Arizona takes a WR, the Giants need a QB, a CB1, and a WR (and a RT) so they’re hard to gauge, everybody thinks Joe Alt is a foregone conclusion to the titans, but I don’t think so because the titans have used early draft picks the past 3 years on a LT, RT, and G (Petit-Frere, Radunz, and Skoronski who haven’t been healthy and they look good when they are, and on top of that they just bought Cushenberry to play C). Atlanta probably takes the Edge from Bama, Dallas Turner. I see a short trade down with Vegas or Denver one of which will want QB5, then I see one of Jared Verse, Chop Robinson, maybe Byron Murphy for 3T or an OL we’re not expecting/hearing much about like Tyleise Fauga or Troy Fautanu.
I'm guessing they trade down. They've only got four picks in the draft, with a third and fourth rounder besides their first round picks. If it were me, I'd trade back a handful of picks and grab another major contributor on the OL - you can never have enough - but I don't know that that's what Poles' moves have indicated he's going to do.
The trade down makes so much sense they're bound to not do it. Given the Defensive HC and the way they've talked about the pass rush(funny, i didnt hear them talking about it so urgently pre-FA) i think they're nailed on to take a DE with their second pick, its just a question of what slot they pick him at. All of the top 4 rated DEs have made top 30 visits to the Bears. Also this being the Bears, i find it helpful to imagine what move(within realistic realms) would frustrate/piss me off the most. Reaching for a DE at #9 they could take 6-8 slots later would definitely qualify. Assuming Turner goes to Atlanta i have the Bears pick being Jared Verse at #9. Bonus prediction: Poles finds a way to spunk a needless pick on a CB or RB as well. Shouldn't be possible given they only have 2 picks after the 1st round, but if there's a way Poles will find it.
Great minds LOL. Read chatter this past weekend on Twitter from a beat guy I used to find credible (Biggs) that the bears are shopping Larry Borom and Khalil Herbert for late picks. Naturally, I laughed and thought Borom was a straight bum, nobody wants him, before the humor escaped my lungs, I cringed and uttered under my breath ‘watch this clown find a way to take another RB for no fucking reason.’ I’ll say this for corner, they don’t need one. But there’s a couple late rounders who can be the next Sherrick McMannis or DHC type ST/plug and play depth I like.
I'm with Ev this would be so Bears Poles has either Turner if he should fall or PatG's Bum Slayer Verse locked in even if one of the top three WRs are there because he can find more appropriate underwhelming turds at that position later if he chooses like he did with Scott and Jones.
Prediction: Poles will do something dumb like trade up or take a position of not-need. Hope: Poles trades down twice and gets some 2nd and 3rd rounders that he then uses on the DL and OL.
Trading down from #9 to the teens and taking an interior OL or someone on the DL just feels like the best way to build the roster. Add to the trenches and add picks that allow you to take more swings later. I'm not sure if that opportunity is going to work out - you're dealing with 31 other teams and their wants, too - but that's how I'd like to see it go. Get a premier player on the OL or DL. That's where you win games. We've talked about DE, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them go DT early. Gervon showed potential, but that's a position where you need someone to get upfield fast and disrupt the pocket. A guy like Newton out of Illinois might be that in the late-teens / twenties. Just a thought.
If that happens it just seems like Troy Fautanu would be the guy that fits his mold and targets. Projected to be a guard, he could be the Swiss Army knife anywhere along that line.
I know that the media has fallen in love with the idea of pairing Williams with a top receiver at the #9 spot. Now, put aside how I feel about the macro level - that you build teams through the trenches first, and it's easier to find a WR in the draft than it is a difference-maker up front on either side of the ball - let's look at it on the practical level. Caleb Williams' biggest hurdle is going to be his adjustment to the NFL - everything from the responsibilities of the QB room, to implementing a new offensive system both in verbiage and in action, learning how NFL defenses operate versus that of the PAC 12, etc. It's the biggest transition in the game, and the thing that separates the worthy QB's from the unworthy ones. Without a doubt, this is the transition that will determine whether he's "the guy", and it's one that this franchise has consistently failed to support their QB's through. So, how does pairing Caleb Williams with a rookie WR help? Sure, that WR might be immensely talented, but he's also going to be learning all these things at the same time as Caleb is. DJ Moore and Keenan Allen are veteran, talented receivers. Kmet is a veteran TE that, while not explosive, is reliable between the hashes and as a blocker. That's what he needs. He also needs an offensive line to block for him, and a defense that can keep him from having to score 50 points a game. Everyone talks about how his "hero ball" play last year was largely due to needing to score every drive. Welp, don't fucking make him do that here! Help him succeed at the thing that Justin never did, which is knowing how to take what the defense gives you, move the chains, and punt the ball instead of taking a huge sack or turnover. Whether you draft someone on the OL or DL, both players will be helping keep the pressure off of him. A rookie WR just means that he needs to distribute the ball to that guy, as well. Draft a WR later, if you must. Draft one in the first round next year, if that's really what the team needs. But for fuck's sake, don't do it this year. Please. I get it - the top 3 guys are talented, and it seems like Chicago is going to be in position to grab one without giving up capital. Cool! But that's not what this team actually needs most right now, as far as I can tell. It may not end up being the *wrong* pick, but I highly doubt that it's going to be the *best* one. That's where I'm at, this week. We'll see how it goes.
Its just so hilariously dumb. Who's gonna trade for Khalil Herbert, they never gave him the football!!! The guy has never had even 750yards rushing in a 17game season! Thats not to say he isn't a good back, he is a good back. To me he's totally a guy who could have a 1,000yard season. But he's not gonna have that when you have 3 backs in the room all bleeding caries off each other. You dont wanna pay Monty, fine. I mean, F you, but fine. So make Herbert your lead back, get a good guy to spell him and if you dont want to pay him a year out then at least then you might have something to point to as a trade chip. The guy averaged 11carries a game last season. He averaged 10 the year before. How are you gonna create a market at a traditionally undervalued position doing that? I dont know what Poles' plan has been at RB. I dont think there's ever been one. But if there ever was re Herbert Poles has basically sabotaged himself. Borom is a turd, not much more needs to be said. Except this: I very rarely waste my time on CCS but i remember checking it out a few years ago and laughing my ass off at how much those mouth breathers were trying to convince themselves the Bears had just drafted "the guy" at LT. What a clown car that place is. Turns out Borom was drafted in the 5th round not cos he was a future stud, but because he was a 5th round talent and like most taken there he didnt amount to anything. Who TF knew.
I could see a team trading for Herbert. He has value as a kick returner, especially with the new rules. And because he hasn't had a ton of carries he still has a ton of gas in the tank despite some injuries. The problem is he sits lower on the depth chart now and teams know that so they probably only offer a 7th.
I'm conflicted at #9. There is going to be a top notch receiving candidate on the board. There could be a really good tackle on the board. There is sure to be a pass rusher. But I would also love to trade back and pick up a couple more picks. It almost feels like you can't screw this up. Which definitely means we will.
I'm going to take it a step further. Be a true field marshall. Know where your guys are, know their assignments, know the WRs/TEs/RBs routes, know the line shifts, know which OL is going to be left in the 1 on 1 and time your play so that if/when he gets beat--you have a plan and quick. Be a franchise QB, do what Erin used to do this team, find the guy busted over the top or know before the ball is snapped if shit goes south, who are you looking for way down the field because you know what your guys' routes are. We talk about one of the earliest signs that Justin wasn't it, go back to the play he didn't even look when Allen Robinson was busted over the top, wide open, on top of many other plays in subsequent years where he would miss the open guy or not even look that way or just fall back and use his legs. Do something different than what the bears have always done when they've gotten a QB in my entire life. You have 1st crack at pick of QB. Find the guy who isn't another project, don't minimize the important and maximize the unnecessary. They think Braxton Leno is the answer at LT now, that he’s good, and if he were an 1st round pick everybody would like him! Oh, and the bears need to trade up for a WR. I don’t think the description of ‘clown car’ does CCS justice. Perhaps ‘future crater caused by a bomb.’ I’ve been trying to enjoy the bears present stance for a bit. They get Caleb, who’s the guy everybody wants. DC pundits and failure/bust qbs like RGknee are calling for CW to pull an Eli manning and hold out/not join the bears—which is nice to be envied for a change. But you’re correct. Can’t help but think the bears are about to fuck up the easiest 2 inch putt.
I don't follow CFB, so I'm just going off youtube and pundits. If Joe Alt somehow falls to the Bears, take him. If they take Odunze like all the outlets are saying, eh, it feels like a luxury but I'm not overly pissed at getting more weapons for Caleb. Otherwise, as you guys have said, a trade down seems most likely. Hopefully someone gets antsy for a QB and gives us a haul but it seems unlikely. The mouth breathers on reddit aren't much better. The line is "pretty good", Braxton Jones is "plenty good enough" and on and on. The cope those guys have is ridiculous.
No matter what happens tonight this franchise has never put a rookie QB in a better situation than this. At least personnel wise. That plus a defense that improved as the year went on last season creates some optimism.
If I felt we had an average LT and C going into the season I think it would be reasonable to expect this team to get 10 wins and fight for a wild card.
