BearFan PHX

Well said. Route running is a lost art in the modern, fast, out of structure sandlot ball style of football. I think it comes from laziness and lack of discipline in general. When a WR can run a tight route, he can beat anyone, because the shapes work. It's all fine and good to run a 4.39 forty, but theres a fast guy playing CB too, but a smart route will beat him every time. Exactly. One reason for hope is that Odunze is insane at beating press coverage off of the line. His release is twitchy and nasty. So I think he has that quickness youre talking about, at least at the start of the route. He also has insane spacing skills, like Moore, he finds the perfect seams, angles and spacing. In that way Moore reminds me of our former safety Mike Brown who was also a master of spacing and predicting where someone is going to be in 2 seconds. Odunze seems to have those instincts as well. Odunze is like a baby Moore with better speed. If Allen teaches him the finer points of tight routes (and DJ too!) then we are going to be dangerous for years. Or better said: "We are just going to be dangerous for years"

I think Williams will bring out the dog (more) in everyone by setting an example of hyper-competitiveness. I learned so much about Williams' character and personal style yesterday, and I couldn't be happier.

yeah he doesnt feel like that at all. I think the negative narratives on high ranking players were really in play this year by teams hoping to create situations where players slide to them. For example, Williams seems to be nothing like the sullen, selfish player he was painted to be the last couple of months.

VERY interesting - if you listen to the first three minutes of this, Poles says twice that he had his eye on Odunze, and that it took discipline not to TRADE UP for him. He literally mentions trading up for him TWICE. That's very good news that they had him rated that highly, and that the board fell in such a way that they didnt need to trade up for him - it seems like that was a real possibility. Thank you football gods

I'm thrilled with this draft for us. Looking forward to pick 75

that really answers the questions on Turner and Verse. It took until pick 15 to go defense, and the guy with the medical problems went first. Ha! And then a DT.

it sure does. And I am hugging you Pix! New era!

yeah i dont think any of the D lineman are THAT good, when the top pass rusher in the draft is being talked about as available at #9, hes not THAT dominant.

now trade everything you have for Bowers LOL (kidding - kinda)

they will develop that football ESP where a single glance tells them both they have completely changed the route when they see the defense together. This is so great. I want to buy a Poles jersey LOL

Ha! YES! After Caleb was interviewed on stage, as he was walking away he grabbed the mic back and said "Beeeeeaaarrrs" like a tone of voice like "we're baaaa-aaaack" I think Williams' image with all of us, myself included was hurt by him not having a PR agent. But why pay for one when we can get to know him now? H ewas still pick #1 even without professional hype. And he is not the guy i thought he was at all. He seems sunny and positive and excited and confident and I am ALL in.

WIlliams and Odunze! Lets GOOOOOO

I am still stuck between Fashanu and Odunze at #9. I truly dont know which is better - they're both great and each would help a lot. I will be happy of both are available ay #9 and Poles gets his choice.

he holds the ball out away from his body when he's running around. That's probably his worst trait. When I read that he was having "frank" discussions with the Bears on zoom, I assume they were talking about ball security, and taking what the defense gives you and not always big play hunting. I am sure some of that instinct will always remain for him, and all the best QB have it, but it's also very important against NFL defenses to move the chains. Caleb has a lot of film where he does the right things too, so we see evidence that he is capable of reading defenses, making fast reads, getting the ball out fast etc. So the only question is whether he will be coachable, and the interviews and stuff Ive seen from him recently make me think he will do what it takes to win championships, rather than be a Jay Cutler type who just wants to make big wow throws, and doesnt care about winning. I used to tell this joke: "When Jay Cutler was a little boy he dreamed of throwing a last minute Hail Mary pass to win the superbowl, but when Tom Brady was a little boy he dreamed of being up 35 in the 3rd quarter" LOL Caleb definitely has things he needs to work on and correct, it's just a matter of discipline though, because we do see lots of examples of him doing it right on film as well, so there is proof of concept that he has the capability - now it's down to choices; protect the ball, take the open easy first down (most of the time).

he definitely has things to work on. his potential and attitude have me excited, but no QB who doesnt grow from the day they enter the league will do anything. he absolutely has to go through that journey and grow and learn. I believe he will do it, but yeah, he's a rookie right now, a really good prospect, but if he never gets any better than he is today, he will win some games but it will be a disaster. My money is on him to grow, but the fumbling thing is an actual issue. And it's one that can be coached too.

Fields was an incredible open field runner. I compared him to Devin Hester. In 2022, he was a threat to score anytime he touched the ball as a runner. But then in 2023, they told him if he was in the open field, and a defender came up to him, that he should slide. Which is smart, because of injury as you say. But it took away the biggest part of his game. I think another way to say it is that Fields' skill set didn't really translate that well to the QB position, but he is as dynamic an open field runner as anyone, including Hester and Sayers. No one can really argue this. From Nagy to Getsy, while gutting the team to clear the roster and salary cap, in 2021 and 2022 Justin Fields had an impossible job. In 2021 he had no one to throw to, and all along he had too much pressure in his face from defenses. It was an impossible job, and no one could have taken the 2021 Bears to the playoffs. This is all true. The only thing I'd say is that it doesn't prove the Fields would be good without those impediments either, and I saw him enough in clean pockets staring down open receivers and not pulling the trigger to make a judgement. I feel that Justin may have developed better had he not been in such a nightmarish situation, but i also think that fields himself is never going to be a top QB because while he has all the prototypical athletic skills to be an amazing QB, he doesn't seem to be able to read defenses or get through progressions fast and get rid of the ball. Put Bagent's brain in Fields' body, and we'd have traded the #1 pick this year, because that Bagent/Fields creation would be as good as any QB. There were many plays during that period where he did have time, and guys were open and he looked right at them but didn't throw the ball. So I think the bad football was a team effort, and Justin was just as much a part of it as everyone else. But there is no denying his incredible athletic ability, including his arm! And he did have an impossible situation, and he does seem like a good guy too. But still, I saw enough on film, and apparently so did the league to judge him anyway.

fair enough. I would counter that Fields is worse than those other QBs, but given the event that about to unfold, i will leave it be I cant wait for Caleb Williams. I am so excited for our future. We have waited for 40 years, wandering in NFL desert, to be relevant again, and we have never had a QB like Williams in franchise history. We are the only franchise in the league to have never had a 4,000 yard passing season in our history. And we are about to get a guy that could potentially be one of the best ever. We are looking at super bowls, and Packer dominance. A long time coming, and I am SO ready for this next chapter!

Fields is trash, youll figure it out at some point. And dont get me wrong, he (like Mitch Trubisky) seems like a really nice guy. He's not a trash human being, but he is a trash NFL QB. I truly dont understand the love for this guy as a player. He's awful.

it's literally twice as fast as the average! I've been saying for a while that his physical release reminds me a lot of Dan Marino. Imagine building this frankenstein of a quarterback: The release of Marino, the pocket movement of Rodgers, the out of structure playmaking of Mahomes... Lets go!

Nice! This is definitely a watershed moment for our team.

yes, but the GMs in the league share my opinion based on what they did and didnt do to get him. Hes not even a starter anymore.

Fields was never leading any team to 10 wins. This is a whole narrative that's been proven false now. No one wanted him, no one traded much for him, and the team that did get him didnt exercise the 5th year option. The real Fields in the real world is not a good NFL quarterback, and if Caleb leads us to 10 wins, that will be fantastic.

for sure, and you want that special WR that Caleb can build ESP with where just a look tells them both what theyre doing. If the right WR is there at 9, that's a very tempting pick for sure.

not really true tho. the average time to throw is similar, but the standard deviation is VERY different. There are many dozens of examples on film where Williams gets the ball out fast. And other examples where he buys a ton of time before throwing. So his average looks like Fields' but his game film definitely does not. This is one of those times where the stat doesnt really tell the whole story. Williams is nothing like Fields.

and when he goes, we get a 3rd round pick.