BearFan PHX

100%, and this is the biggest question of the 2023 Bears season.

Urlacher did more different things at his position, but Lewis had a rare ability to lead and take a game over. I do agree with Ashkum that Urlacher did it in the Cardnals game. But it was the only time i saw that from him. It's a great example of what I'm talking about though, I totally agree Ashkum! But Lewis regularly willed his team to victory. I remember the playoff game against Eddie George and the Titans. George was a monster that year, but all week long Lewis said he was soft and that Lewis would take the ball away from him. Sure enough in the 3rd quarter, George was hit by Lewis, who ripped the ball away from him - didnt strip him, just TOOK it. George might not have crumbled, but Lewis had piled so much meaning on that all during the week, that George had his head in his hands on the sidelines and the Ravens won the game. That goes beyond playing the linebacker position. That's next level winner stuff. That's why if i was building a middle linebacker, and i could give him the physical skillset, Id choose Urlacher as a model (hi Tremaine Edmunds!) BUT if i was building an all time defense of players in their prime thru a draft process, I'd pick Lewis waaaay before Id choose Urlacher.

I think Getsy did a good job with no weapons, no line, and therefore a large part of his playbook unavailable to him. Despite all that, we led the league in rushing. Of course if our numbers look like last year this year, then any and all of them could be fired. But i dont see anything from last year that tells me that is likely at all. I think we will be liking Getsy and Flus a lot this year. I'm actually less sold on Williams. But he had his hands tied behind his back too last year, so let's see what he's got. To answer the question directly - if we get 7 wins I dont think Flus or Getsy is fired. Of course it depends on how they get there. If they lose the locker room, or make stupid mistakes, that might be a reason to be fired, but if they get 7 wins and do a decent job with the team management, I dont think they are in the hot seat at all going into year 3.

Right, but Gordon is listed as starting CB2, and Stevenson is listed as second string CB behind Johnson. In nickel, we all know what's gonna happen, but in base 4-3 defense, who is the corner on the field with Johnson?

Carter is trouble. We will see how he does in Philly with all those safeguards around him - things he just didnt have. i STILL think hes gonna flame out even with all that. But regardless, I also think Wright is gonna be a hall of famer. Its WAAAAY early, but that's my intuition on him.

Urlacher was a physical specimen who could do more different things than most linebackers. He was absolutely amazing. But in terms of taking a team on your back and willing them to victory, it pains me to say it, but Ray Lewis was the better linebacker.

I have a hard time believing that when Sanborn is on the field, Gordon will play the 2nd corner rather than Stevenson. I totally agree with you Grizzly, that in Nickel, Gordon will play the interior nickleback, and Stevenson will be on the outside at CB2. I also think Sewell will push Sanborn for playing time. I think Feeney will get on the field when he knows the calls. Can Whitehair call the protections from the LG until Feeney knows the system? And I see Freeman pushing Herbert for the starting job too, at least until Roschon comes on. The evolution at those positions is gonna be fun. Also gonna be watching Claypool for signs of life.

either way youre in the ballpark. I see this team having somewhere between 7 to 10 wins. Probably 8 or 9.

right, and it's also how a tough running game opens up the screen passing game and play action. If they want to try to shoot the gaps with run blitzes theyre gonna be tired, and were gonna burn them with QB scrambles, screens and end arounds, not to mention throwing the ball downfield to Moore and the rest.

Im with you. I dont want single super bowl visits because a double doink went thru. That's how you go to and lose a Super Bowl. I want to see us dominate. I want people afraid to play us. i want to assume 12 victories at the beginning of the season, and be in the fight with a few other teams for a Super Bowl win in multiple seasons. I think Poles is trying to build something sustainable that could be like that. it wont be this year. But Im with you 100% - I dont want a lucky fumble to give us wins - i want to dominate teams. I had a hit of this in 1985, and i am looking for that next fix. We havent had anything like that since. But I do think we could become a top 5 team across multiple years. I cant wait to watch them build it this year, and then add more ingredients next year, and watch the whole thing build up into a REAL football team. Lets go!

ha me too - well I watched the first 10 minutes. Madden VJ > real life VJ lol

Can I just say? I am SO excited to see this team together on the field at once for 60 minutes.

exactly. He needs to show something he hasnt shown before, or hes not gonna last long.

I think he is definitely on the bubble, and won't be on the team in 2024, if he isnt cut or traded sooner. It's too bad too, because he really is fast. I should add that I will be thrilled to be proven wrong.

I completely agree, and Im sure that's what Poles was thinking too, but I think he might be pretty dumb, and runs the wrong routes etc. I fully agree with you about the role youre thinking of for him, and his speed definitely supports that, but something isnt clicking with the guy. I mean look at how poor his judgement is on punts. Youd think (I think too!) that it cant be THAT hard to feed him like three plays and get him in there for a few snaps, but maybe he just doesnt have that? Anyway we'll see - when hes going the right direction, his speed is definitely there on the field.

I saw a clip of VJ from this years training camp where the coach was telling him that the ball will drift or spin (wasnt clear which) to the right if its a right footed kicker and to the left if its a left footed kicker, and VJ was having trouble remmebering that. After being in the league a year as a returner, he cant remember right = right and left = left? I think maybe he just isnt smart enough to learn an NFL route tree with any precision.

and Tom Brady was a 6th rounder. But VJ is no Devin Hester! Every once in a while someone comes along from late in the draft or UFA and plays his ass off, but they are the exception not the rule. You can pick guys all day from round 1 thru 7 and not find Devin Hester.

no I totally agree. Jones was very much a reach. Im saying Poles was in a predicament - one that he didnt create, and one that i would definitely blame him for if he finds himself there again of his own making. But at the time he needed a WR with speed in order to evaluate Fields, and he didnt have the cap room to do it that way, so he had to reach and take a gamble on Jones. I agree, that gamble was a poor one, and it didnt pay off. Jones will not get a second contract with us for sure. Im just saying I understand why Poles had to do what he did, and it wasnt really his fault. beginning this offseason, he is responsible for his decisions entirely. So getting DJ Moore? A homerun. PJ Walker? Swing and a miss for Poles. But VJ was a product of the situation we were in. And I agree, he is not good at all.

I think Poles wants to draft best player available in general. I also think that last year he needed to evaluate Fields, and that meant getting some speed at WR in a place in the draft where that good player wasnt available. So I dont think it was a matter of smartest guy in the room syndrome as much as being in a tight spot and having a glaring need. Having a need like that going into the draft means youre likely gonna have to reach, and he did. I think as time goes forward, you will see fewer of these kind of picks in the first 4 rounds from Poles.

Yeah its going to be very interesting to see how teams deal with kickoffs.

Oh i totally agree. I even just said that I think Feeney is already better. But where you might keep him around as a backup, with those kind of numbers, hes out the door even faster.

They want to be in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes, they've had enough of that angry dwarf.

Feeney looks pretty good as a zone blocker on tape - he might legitimately supplant Patrick and/or Whitehair on ability alone.

He's also being paid like 13 Million or something this year. i think Whitehair is on his way out of Chicago after this year. At least at those numbers.

Terrell Lewis went unclaimed. He's a pass rusher, but not stout in run support. It's possible we will bring him back to the practice squad.