BearFan PHX

thanks for the update.

I agree that any more major acquisitions would be in the trenches. We are stocked everywhere else. I think it could come in two ways: 1) an excellent player who fits the long term plan on a 4 year deal 2) an aging vet who can fill in until Booker ascends, and/or we draft another DE - kind of like Keenan Allen for the WRs until Odunze is fully ready. For #1, it would have to be a top notch player. Not sure who would be available to fit that, but Poles has surprised us before. This could happen at the trade deadline, if as you say, we are on our way to the playoffs, having won enough games in September and October. For #2, there are lots of options still around. We could well pick one up cheap before the season starts if Poles thinks they are better than Dom Rob.

I think Poles has shown that hes willing to spend the money for the right players. Is Hendickson the right player? I dunno. But I think Poles knows we need more there, and is still going to make some sort of move. Maybe at the trade deadline if not now.

just like Sweat, there are players who are not currently free agents who might be available in a trade without being openly on some list of available players? For example, the Bengals have a real stud in Trey Hendrickson (17.5 sacks last year) who is disgruntled, wants an extension and has requested a trade. That's one example. And we will be seeing him up close in joint practices soon with the Bengals, and the same for the Bengals seeing Herbert etc. But there may be others that none of us are aware of, just like we all thought it was Chase Young we were looking at, and suddenly it was the DE on the other side that got traded. I am just saying that there is a gaping hole at DE2, and Booker right now may not be enough to fill it?

In time of course the goal is to have a dominant D line - without one it is hard to reliably win superbowls. Im sure no one here disagrees with that. If Booker ascends into a dominant player, and assuming Dexter makes his 2nd year jump, we will have that. But it will probably be a while until Booker is really dominant, and I can see us bringing in someone to be like Keenan Allen to Booker's Odunze - someone to make it happen at a high level until the younger player is ready to challenge, not just as a starter, but as an impact player. I still feel like there is another DE coming. And if we have that AND Booker in the rotation, then we will be a lot closer to that top 5 defense.

Maybe, but we got sweat last year at the trade deadline. Maybe they let Booker have the first half of the season to show what he can do, put in over his head, and then make a move before the trade deadline? Also the DE in Cinci is unhappy, so maybe we are waiting for the price to drop? Or for them to agree that Herbert is a good RB We have 2 x 2nds next year, and we got Sweat for a 2nd, so a trade is out there if the stars align.

he played center in 2022 too

All Im saying is that we dont have anyone special at DE2 (meaning the starting DE opposite Sweat). Maybe Booker will be special, but until he is there is a potential hole there. I would expect someone new to fill it unless they are going to let Booker play into it as a rookie, which they have done with other positions, I agree that a special DE is likely a trade, but there may be a stop gap free agent better than what we have right now in Robinson and Walker.

Ive been thinking about what i just wrote here above ^^. *IF* they think Booker can really be a DE2 by the second half of the season, and given the Bears' past of starting Brisker, Gordon and Stephenson as rookies, is it possible they let Booker be DE2 right away to play into his position? Maybe. I didnt think people did that as easily on the line where experience really matters, but maybe they are gonna throw him into the fire, and then youd be right Stinger.

I think they will definitely keep Booker as a high option. Getting him snaps and helping him be ready to play DE3, and challenge for DE2 eventually. The rest are rotational players, and Martin and Bobinson are battling to be DE2 for now. That screams an opening for another free agent at DE. Whether we get that guy in cuts during camp, or at the trade deadline. Having 2 2025 second rounders makes it even more likely a trade is in the offing. There are also some decent free agents still available too. Older guys, no need to overpay for them now, but one of them may be our DE2 as well if the right long term answer doesnt materialize. One way or another, I think there is going to be another DE on the roster by November 2nd (the day after the trade deadline), if not earlier by opening day.

Bears are re-signing Mecedes Lewis This is a really good move. He is still an excellent run blocker. One step closer to a completed roster...

that sounds right, a good bet, but some of these guys do play more years, and maybe Allen is one of them? We wont know until we get there, so for now at least, what you say seems to be the plan.

Allen may stick around for 2 years, but one way or another, his time is limited, so it will be DJ and Odunze, and whoever else they acquire along the way. Allen is great, but he will age out at some point. The upside is that Allen's game relies more on cuts, angles and body position than raw speed, so he should have more longevity than a pure burner can. But he's still going to be a different receiver three years from now than he is today.

A-men.

so true. no rookie QB is ready to win a superbowl on day one. They all have to learn. So seeing Caleb struggle is right on time. The alternative is having a crap defense, and Caleb cant really learn until hes in games. This is much better. And youre right, the superstition that other Bears teams with other GMs and coaches failures with other quarterbacks predicts anything about this situation immediately disqualifies anyone who is saying that.

exactly! I think this is what Caleb is gonna have to learn too. He's gonna learn just how small the NFL window is, and then how small is too small. It's great that we have defensive backs that can give him those looks in practice too. But I think you're 100% on exactly what the transition to the NFL is most about - speed and windows.

good point. He also went for it at times he shouldnt have, and has made clock management errors too. But the biggest indictment I have about Flus isnt anything he does, but what he doesnt bring to the table. I see him as a good manager. Hes probably very organized and gets all the meetings to happen at the right times, etc etc but at the core of it, I dont believe he brings anything special that gives us any kind of advantage over other coaches in the league. And I know thats hard to find, just like in a QB - it's a big part of winning and theres only a few guys who can really do it. BUt also just like QB, if the guy you have isnt killing it, you try again. Anyway, the decision has been made, and i dont expect him to do anything obvious and stupid enough to get fired, and we have a lot of pieces and can win with him. It's just we will never know or see evidence of what a special coach could have added to the mix.

well the decision is already made, and Flus is our guy. So of course we all want him to be successful. It's just that he blew 3 games last year by being too conservative too early on defense. That's a lot and would get most coaches fired? Maybe with the extra talent on the defensive roster, he will be less likely to go into prevent so early. I hope so. I also hope he learns on the job. I also can understand why Poles might not want to fire the head coach AND move on from Fields in the same year. That makes sense too. Time will tell us all of course.

I agree. i think the downside is that with a medicore coach and so much around him, that he can win, even superbowls, but we lose the opportunity to have a head coach who adds an edge in winning. I also prefer an offensive minded head coach so that your QB isnt having to work with new offenses every couple years if they are successful and coordinators move on. But here we are, and the roster and all the other coaches are stacked full of talent. So if that means we win super bowls and Flus gets coach of the year and all the credit, I can live with that LOL Just remember Nagy won it too.

Yes, I said back then that either Poles is a cold blooded GM, or he might have trouble judging that we need to move on from Fields. I always said that *IF* he kept him, Id think he wanted to be liked by the players. Now we know Poles is all business as you say. I never said I knew it was a problem, i only ever said IF he didnt move off of Fields Id wonder if it was a problem. And cool, Poles is good. I think we all think even better of Poles now too as he has made more excellent moves. I used to like him, now i really like him. As for the hugs, I do think the enthusiasm is more with Cunningham and Warren. I also see a lot of times Flus is standing shifting his weight uncomfortably. He just feels awkward to me. But like i said, there is enough around Flus to win, and if we win a lot, Flus will be the head coach who gets the credit, which is fine with me. I just think we miss an opportunity to bring in someone who can add an edge in winning, but the full script isnt written yet for sure.

Thats totally fair. He will have to make Williams into something special first, that's why i called it an audition, but i agree with everything you've just said too. There were a few hugs, and one at Williams pro day that looked like that too. In all the clips Flus just seems ill at ease, but maybe thats just social stuff and he's dynamite ont he field or when the subject turns to pure football. Im just saying I dont think Poles and Flus are ride or die, but they obviously have a good working relationship, and maybe that's enough. Flus surely has enough around him to make this all work even if he is mediocre, so as long as the formula is working, he's probably got a job.

I'm sure most if not all of you have seen this. Still there is a lot of good and sometimes subtle info here to my eyes. The good news is you get to see it yourself, and don't have to rely on anyone's opinion or second hand telling. The first thing I'd note is that Williams looked nervous in his combine interview. He kept his hands in a praying position, which usually means someone really wants something, and he was comforting himself with his thumb and actually kissed his own hand too. All of this is body language evidence that he really wanted to be here. His draft day exuberance also told that story. You can hear our scouts way back before the combine talking about how everyone loved him, teammates etc. So the narrative that he was an odd duck and unloved by teammates was either a false lead planted by Washington who wanted him (or another team similar) or it could have just been the kind of rumors that fill a vacuum when there is no press agent putting out tidbits to consume. But you can see the Bears were convicted that he was the guy we see him to be today as far back as before the combine. If you watch from about 16:30, you can see the draft room, and I think a few things are noticeable. Poles LOVES Cunningham and Warren. The body language is off the charts. But when he hugs Eberflus, they do it quickly and both look away - every time. Poles may well like Flus as his head coach, but I dont think he would be calling him if he and his wife had a bad fight the way I think he would with Cunningham and Warren. At one point Cunningham says to Poles something like "can you believe it, we got our top 2 players" so they clearly had Rome above anyone else other than Williams. That's great news. It's not spin later in a press conference it's a real comment almost whispered in the heat of the moment. I think this is really great stuff. And I personally wonder if Waldron isn't getting an audition to become our head coach at some point. https://www.chicagobears.com/video/behind-bears-path-to-nfl-draft-1920-football-drive

well thats an old can of worms, but what i saw of Leno was that he routinely picked the wrong guy to block, and doubled up on someone while his guy ran free to the QB. PFF called that a successful block LOL I think when we had him he was absolutely terrible, and should have ranked below 32. I havent seen enough of his play recently to comment on his current ranking though I admit.

LOL and good points all

PFF has always loved Leno. Im not a big fan of their ratings, but i do think Wright is gonna be a stud, and Jones has been solid