BearFan PHX

well, for better or worse, this is your team. these are the faces. this is a complete roster, more or less. Im optimistic. It's been a long time since we HAD a complete roster, and I think we may have an all star staff of young coaches. now lets go kick green bays ass.

I don't mean to make too much of the Pace/New Orleans connection, but the last two teams I remember with four outstanding linebackers like this, were the 1992 Saints, and Fangio's San Francisco defense. I need to see it on the field, and there is chemistry and Trublisky's development yet to come, but we have the most upside/potential of any Bears team since 1985.

Well said. I agree, Pace is doing a great job, and his final value will be determined by Trubisky. I don't agree that Trubisky needs to be franchise level starting this Sunday. I think this whole team will grow over the year, especially the offense. I agree that by the middle of this year, things ought to start rolling. So I think they have this season to gel into the team they are going to be. This roster has the possible, as yet unproven, ceiling to be a dominant team. I don't think I could say that about any Bears roster and coaching staff since 1986. They still have to put it together on the field, and it'll take time, and no one can say if they, and in specific Trubisky, will reach their (his) potential. But on paper, Pace looks to have done an incredible job of assembling this roster and staff. I'm very excited to watch it develop on the field. This should be a lot of fun.

agree!

I agree with everything except the contract. Part of this is a new deal from him that they are negotiating now. YOu can bet it will eclipse Donald's deal, and he will be the highest paid defensive player in the league. And almost certainly worth it too.

Lynch would make sense, filling the need at the same position. Amos is another possibility? White is on the list too. What if it was only one first rounder and Floyd? I'm not predicting that, but how would people feel about that?

The Cubs built a winner by pushing several years' value back into one very rich year. We seem to be doing that in reverse. We've added next year's draft to this year. Our draft next year: 1) Khalil Mack (and he's not a rookie! he's a known quantity, and he's ready to play) 2) Anthony Miller we get them for an extra year (now) and we get them with a year's chemistry under their belt next year. The real price to be paid will be 5 years from now, when all these deals are ending or have ended, and we dont have those 2019 rookies in the pipeline waiting to step up. But is that really a risk? Miller will be there, a year early is no big deal. So you gotta make up some depth value either in good drafts of lower picks, or picking up free agents, some time in the next 4 or 5 years. Seem pretty good to me. In the NFL, everyone's got the same cap. In fact, if you had an expansion franchise with NO players on the roster, and simply let them start with a completely empty cap, they'd have a shot at ending up with a pretty decent roster. The teams that are in trouble arent those with bad players, theyre those with bad players who are under long terms deals. Like the team Pace inherited with Cutler. So we've been pretty facile over the past few years, keeping cap room, building, not being too attached. That ended when we signed Trubisky. Pace is choosing players and locking them in. If these are good players, if this is a good roster, then we are in great shape. If not, then we are stuck again. So the real question here is simply: is Khalil Mack a good player? Is Trubisky? Is Roquan Smith? Anthony Miller? Robinson and Gabriel? Hicks? Goldman? What about Fuller and Amukamurah? Ladies and Gents, this is our team now. Go ahead and buy your jerseys because the names aren't going to be changing for a few years. If you like most of those names, then we are in great shape.

+1

I think Pace is doing an excellent job.

yup, he had a good game, and Fitts is looking pretty good too. Plus we haven't even seen Lynch yet. Wims made a case for himself today too. It's good for the team to get a good look at depth against starters before the cuts.

I can see arguments for either decision. I think it's hard to judge from the cheap seats here, we havent seen practice, and dont know the motivations. It is a pretty rare move, but Im sure they have a reason, and in the scheme of things, it probably doesnt matter much either way., I can understand why we are disappointed tho.

i wanna like this too!

on paper, our roster is more complete than it has been in a long time. it may also have more holes than we realize, especially at OL, WR, and every level of the defense. but this is still a new team with a new QB and a new coach, and they looked terrible on all sides of the ball and in all phases of the game. It's early, and there is no need to panic, but this is ground zero of something new, and it sure looked like it.

We need a pass rushing 3-4 DE more than an OLB. WE keep thinking both OLB will be pass rushers, but then you're talking about blitzing every play, rushing 5?

Im as angry at Roquan and his agent as anyone, but no G.M. worth anything would give up on a high first round draft pick before the first preseason game (HOF game doesnt count) just because they are at a contract impasse. Let's have a little longer view!

true. mostly this is an advertisement for CAA to show they fight for players even when contracts are slotted.

doubtful dont get me wrong, Im pissed Smith isnt in camp too, but when he shows up, he'll be the starter pretty quickly.

yup. no team is without holes, and our defensive roster is looking better than it has in a long time. We could still use a good DE, and of course an all pro at almost any position, including OLB. I think next year we will have a complete defensive roster, but Fangio has enough to work with now too.

I just want to remind everyone that all base defenses, 3-4 or 4-3 rush 4 on a base defense. SO if Floyd is usually going to be that 4th guy, the pass rushing of the other outside linebacker is less important. If you're going to blitz, or bring someone unexpected, it could just as easily come from the middle. Im not saying that the other OLB wont rush the passer, he will, but the two OLB positions are not interchangeable, and the one opposite Floyd will do a lot more coverage and run support than pass rushing. And they'll be off the field in Nickle, Dime and 3rd down anyway. The guy opposite Lawrence Taylor was not another Lawrence Taylor.

Youre right but it's even worse. The offset language doesn't affect the guaranteed money they're due to receive under the deal, it affects whether they can double dip if they perform so poorly that they get cut and then sign somewhere else. It's nonsense. It's unlikely, and not necessary. Boo on the agents for inventing something to justify their existence now that the rookie contracts are slotted.

exactly

I hope it isnt too big of a stumbling block, I mean if Roquon Smith is SO bad that we cut him in his rookie deal, and he signs somewhere else, I doubt theyll be paying him much. its a subtle point, and I see both sides but it doesnt seem like a big issue to me.

That seems right, after theyve gotten a good look. You gotta figure we arent the Patriots looking to squeeze one or two more out in a closing window, we are a building team looking for young players who wont be the studs they are going to be for a couple more years. We have time to let players develop if we think they are ascending.

for sure

I think you're right. I really like hm as a player. Always did.