BearFan PHX

I agree, and he may even want OL anyway.

I agree it means nothing. Im saying that you can see how it was "true" that Poles actually did discuss the price of moving up, which generates a Schafter report that isnt a lie, but neither does it signal ANYTHING about what Poles will do! So it's true and worthless all at the same time. Schefter isnt lying, it just doesnt mean anything.

I worry that Jones wont be ready for mini camp with his injury, and while I do give Kiran a pass for last year, he hasnt yet shown anything I can hang my hat on to say "sure he can play LT" We beefed up the rest of the OL, it seems like the job is unfinished if we dont fix this last piece, and protecting Caleb is paramount this year.

i dont think this is Poles leaking information, not if hes serious about it anyway, maybe as a smokescreen. But most of these reports are reporting on rumors going around in NFL circles. If a rumor is going around between GMs, it might leak that the Ravens GM heard a rumor about Chicago for example. It doesnt affect them, but its stil a rumor. But is it true? Who the hell knows. These GMs do call eachother and feel out prices for different moves, and Poles did say the phones have been active, so maybe hes been exploring prices on trading up - not because hes going to, but just to do his due dilligence so he knows the price of all his options. Then several GMs are talking and all say Poles asked about that, and then it "leaks" out - but no one can say this is what he WILL do of course! And that includes Poles himself. If he told the truth about his intentions for the draft to any of us, he might still go another way depending on how the draft falls. For example NO ONE thinks the Bears will take Travis Hunter. But if he fell to 8 or 9 might we consider something? Wed THINK about it for sure. No one is predicting that, including Poles himself, but if it fell that way, he'd think about it.

yeah he said this one was "wild" and I believe it - I think this is the murkiest draft I can remember. Its a fun one for sure.

Yeah, what a horrible thing to happen to a guy who was so powerful. Mongo was a real hero on and then off the field. RIP. And my condolences to his namesake Mongo

I think Banks is a much better player than Jones right now. His floor is already pretty high. If you watch him, he's amazing. He's a pro bowler in the next couple of years for sure i think, and his ceiling is even higher than that. Cant say he will reach it, or injuries or whatever, but there is a decent chance you get a true 14 year player at LT who goes to the HOF at the end of it all. He has the tools for that. ANd he has Roushar to help him grow to fulfill that potential. But he is a starter right now, and your point about contracts is a good one too. Maybe they're thinking they'll ride with Jones this year, and draft a LT next year. Or maybe a draft day trade includes a vet LT from a team looking to draft a new one. That's a wrinkle we havent really talked about, but happens in my DraftBuzz mocks sometimes. Anyway, I think he is a blue chip prospect. But so is Jeanty and some others. You all know I think the disciplined move is to take the LT, but my heart would do flips if we got Jeanty. My brain would be concerned about LT, and my heart would be looking forward to Sundays, having a real Bear HB again.

I frickin' love draft time. This could be true, false, a lie that turns out to happen anyway, who knows. I could feel like we overpaid and we should have taken a LT, and I could feel like we have an electric back in Chicago again! All at once. Love it.

Thank you for saying that. I am really not interested in blame, you or anyone. I just feel like I'm in crazytown sometimes because I see one thing clearly on tape, and keep reading things that don't align with it. it reminds me of the early days of coming to grips with the idea that Justin Fields wasnt going to work out. Or that Caleb Williams would be a bad pick. Or when PFF tells us Charles Leno and Braxton Jones are top 15 OTs in the league. It's insane! And anyway, you've been a pretty constant Banks supporter, so i dont think it was you. But again it doesnt matter who it was, Im not looking to be right, especially at the expense of anyone on this board! I'm just baffled again by how the common wisdom gets so twisted out there in the mediasphere. I think it's reasonable to believe that a guy like Brugler, who has spent so many hours, should be an authority and know something. But when i read what he says, it's completely crazy to me. well we will all know soon enough now!

You know me, I want a LT. Not because I am a huge fan of anyone, but because I think it's the prudent thing to do. But I'm not gonna lie, if we got Jeanty into a Bears uniform, that'd be really exciting.

youre probably right. Im just saying that if the talent is so good, it can transcend the plan. I want to stick to the plan and get a LT. But I was tipping my hat to the idea that if you believe in a player enough, you can break the plan.

The old dad on the bottom of the screen was a successful college head coach, and he was offered OL coach positions in the NFL multiple times. So he understands blocking schemes and technique, and he taught is son, Phil, OL play all growing up. Phil played WR at Hofstra. He wasnt very good. Not fast enough. LOL But when the old guy says something, I definitely listen and look at what hes talking about to see.

thats always the best. my advice is dont just judge the outcome of the rep, but the style, the technique, you wanna see low pads, arching back when absorbing energy, low butt. One thing that could be better for Bansk is that he sometimes tries to initiate contact a little too early int he run game, so he lunges. But I think its better to teach someone patience, than to try to light a fuse under them. I highly recommend that TTNL footage on the Georgia game, Ill link it here again. He goes into detail about what to look for. I know hes abrasive, but he knows what hes talking about and he is like a guide to remind you where to look. ANd hes facing two top draft prospects 1 on 1. Definitely start at 19:00 in to skip the crap.

I should also say that Simmons is the wild card. If we have some info on his injury that's positive, and believe he will be ready, then he might play into this too at 10 or 20(ish)

There are several special players like Jeanty, Golden, maybe some DL that may be worth taking no matter what. They are just that good. I think we should have done something in FA at LT if that's the way we're going, but i cant tell anyone that taking Jeanty or Golden is a bad idea. They are studs. 100% - If we trade UP for Jeanty, we will all cry, but if he turns out to be Walter Payton 2.0 we will all be really glad it happened. I can see it. But I also think LT is a glaring need, and giving Caleb consistent time unmolested for the next 5 years is a really good idea too. Jeanty is a stud, but there are HBs to be had in the 2nd round who are great. I like Kaleb Johnson personally, but Henderson is OK too, and Skatebo is pretty fun to watch. I dont think there will be any starting LTs let by say pick 26 or earlier. 20 to be safe.

you have to swing for the fences when the player is right. Just like we could have gotten a haul instead of Caleb. But we swung for the fences. And i still think we were right to do it - this season and next will show that.

right, but if everything tells you that, then you take the risk. in your way of thinking youd have a team full of decent guys and no superstars, because superstars cost and they arent guaranteed?

Yes. For me if Banks is gone, and Warren is what's left for you for example, I have traded down between 17 and 20 and taken Ersery there. Then I got an extra 2nd round pick, so I get a lot of drafts like: 20 Ersery 39 BPA Nolen or Starks or a DE some kind of help on D 41 BPA WR or TE 48 Kaleb Johnson That extra 2nd round pick gives you those extra BPA guys. My current rules say: 1) You must get a starting LT - and that's hard to do as low as 39. So you kinda gotta snag Ersery around 20 if you dont get one at 10 2) You must get a starting HB - and so thats T Henderson or K Johnson with one of your second rounders if it isnt Jeanty at 10. So mathematically, to comply with both rules... If you dont get Banks, say you take Jeanty, then you almost have to trade up into the first round around 20 to get Ersery in order to satisfy my rules above. If you dont follow them, you risk LT or HB being not good enough depending on how things fall. If you do trade down though, then that gives you TWO best player available picks in the 2nd round. You get your OT, and a RB, and you get 2 more picks to help on D, or add that WR3 or TE2. I like Malakai Starks a lot at Safety. He's a luxury pick this year. If we trade down, Id make him the extra guy at the top of the 2nd. And if you spend the 10th pick, then you lose that extra guy. So it all depends who is there at 10, but if you trade back, then you get an extra guy, but if you stay at 10 and dont pick a LT then you have to spend a 2nd and a 3rd to get back up into the first to take an OT. ***** In the end these are the scenarios that end up with both good OT and HB ***** #1 Trade back for Ersery, you dont get Banks or Jeanty but you get 3 x 2nd rounders one must be HB Ersery, HB & BPA 2 x 2nds, 1 x 3rd OR #2 Stay at 10 and take Banks and you get 2 x 2nd round players one must be HB Banks, HB & BPA 1 x 2nd, 1 x 3rd OR #3 You take Jeanty and you get 1 x 2nd round players for a BPA but you lose the other 2nd and your 3rd to move back into the first for Ersery Jeanty, Ersery & 1 x BPA 2nd so Ersery, HB & BPA 2 x 2nds, 1 x 3rd Banks, HB & BPA 1 x 2nd, 1 x 3rd Jeanty, Ersery, BPA 1 x 2nd I like #2 best because Ersery is a step down, but you can sell me on #3 too because of Jeanty #1 is the haul, but you miss both blue chippers Jeanty and Banks.

I have watched about 5 games against his toughest opponents. I watched the plays multiple times, checked the feet, checked the bend and anchor. Saw the "sack" against Georgia where he kept the pocket clean for 5 seconds, and then got his guy on the ground, and then the QB steps up like 3 seconds late into the picket and the guy on the ground gets his shoe. So PFF gives Banks a sack for that. it's not reality. I'll take 5 seconds of clean protection and then a pancake as a GOOD rep any day. Plus bansk is excellent at handing guys off and reading stunts and stuff. Seriously, you WANT this guy on your team! How am I having flashbacks of trying to convince you that Caleb Williams is a good QB prospect?! If Brugler thinks Banks plays too high, then he isn't worth listening to about anything. i don't care how many gold stars are next to his name, if he says that, then he's an idiot. In order for me to be wrong, Banks would have to have played high in the other games, but not at all in the games i watched. What are the odds of that? And if that's what happened, then Banks knows how to not play high, because he didnt, so it's not a problem. Honestly I think in one of the recent videos you linked he said CAMPBELL plays high and you got it twisted. I watched and he was talking about Campbell. Whatever the reason, Banks doesnt play high, and if someone says he does, then they don't know what they are talking about. It's not subjective. You can watch the film. Find me 5 snaps where he plays high. Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. The King of NFL media says 2+2 = 5, and Im just a common farmer, and Im like "wait, no thats not right" Doubling down on the expert factor just makes my point that experts dont know crap a lot of the time.

How does Kelvin Banks play too high? If you watch the tape he has great pad level. Campbell plays too high. Also, he did very well against top competition. I dont get it. It's like living in crazyland. PFF and Daniel Jeremiah. If thats what they think, then they shouldn't be analysts! Someone show me 5 snaps where Banks plays too high! And please dont get me wrong, this isn't Banks love from me. The reason I like Banks is because hes good. I didnt randomly pick him and then decide to defend him! The only reason I like him in the first place is his tape!

I'm saying if you KNOW you're getting Payton or Donald, you dont worry about the assets it took. Of course no one knows, so its a gamble, but if as a GM youre sure, then you dont let some 2nd or 3rd round picks stop you from trading up to grab the superstar.

well you know me, I want the LT, but if you think Jeanty (or any one player) is gonna be the next Walter Payton or Aaron Donald, its not wrong to trade up to get them. You can have a team full of pretty good players, but those superstars win superbowls and they are not easy to get.

numbers, narratives. watch the tape and see who can play.

True! And the coaching staff too. We now know that Flus was scared of the high character guys he had in the locker room - can you imagine if he had had to deal with Janel Carter during that period of time? But now we have a real team and a real roster and we can take on a few projects like Green and likely be successful.

more knocks on Campbell: He consistently plays too high, making him open to bull rishes at the NFL level He is terrible at hand fighting He gets beat to the inside too often