dawhizz

Austin Reed has been training with Caleb in the offseason. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2024/4/27/24143222/caleb-williams-fired-up-new-chicago-bears-udfa-austin-reed-will-hewlett-qb-collective-nfl-draft

I’m back in! Great job Poles!

Supposed to not be great at hang time is the main thing that concerns me.

Boo. You shouldn’t be drafting an punter in the fourth round and certainly shouldn’t be spending draft picks on punters two years apart. Considering the Texans traded up right after our pick you have to think some kind of deal with them was available for the Bears too. If this is it, it’s an underwhelming end for me.

Bears don’t have their 7th next year but have their own 6th, plus Miami’s 6th and the conditional 6th from Pittsburgh even if we don’t trade down from 122 I wouldn’t be surprised if one of those picks isn’t used to go get a guy in the late 6th/7th.

My shot in the dark guess is Brennan Jackson, DE from Washington State. Good RAS. A little on the older side but good production and team captain. Very similar to Bralen Trice who they looked at in the third.

Guys who came in for Top 30 visits that are still on the board (since all three picks so far also had top 30 visits): • RB Dylan Laube (New Hampshire) • WR Jha’Quan Jackson (Tulane) • CB Nehemiah Pritchett (Auburn) • EDGE Austin Booker (Kansas) • CB Cam Hart (Notre Dame) • LB Bryce Gallagher (NW) • S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (Texas Tech) I have to believe Flus gets one defensive pick before all’s said and done. Booker is interesting to me because he has the kind of size Poles gravitates to, but his RAS was pretty average.

Based on Poles’ comments a moment ago, it sound like the Bears were debating between the highest guy on their board (Amegadjie) or taking someone further down their board that filled a need in Bralen Trice, and when Trice went to the Falcons a spot before them, that made their decision for them.

Need someone to help in pass rush, IMO.

Has experience at guard so offers some good developmental flexibility

My favorite part of the Rome pick is that you bring in someone who can work inside or outside, so you can really move those three primary WRs around as you see fit. My concern about waiting on WR was that we’d get a “slot only” type guy which would kind of lock you into a certain formation. But now any of the three and work in the slot or outside and try to maximize mismatches based on the defense.

So far, so good . . .

Mine: 1a) Caleb - Obvi 1b) Nabors/Odunze - I think one of them will be there and the Bears will take him. *Small trade down in the 3rd to get a 5th and 6th* 3) Mo Kamara, DE, Colorado State - If all you want is a guy you can put in on passing downs to rush the passer when you move Walker inside, this is probably your best bet. 4) Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor- 3T potential 5) Elijah Jones, CB, Boston College - Not a huge need but the Bears seem to have done a lot of work on mid-round CBs. 6) Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming - Super athletic OT prospect to stash on the practice squad and see if he develops.

1) Bears - Caleb 2) Wash - Maye 3) NE - Daniels 4) Arizona - MHJ 5) Minn - McCarthy 6) NY - Nabors 7) Titans - Alt ? Atlanta - Turner 9) Chicago - Odunze 10) NY - Bowers 11) SD - Latham 12) Denver - Penix 13) Vegas - Arnold 14) NO - Fashanu 15) Indy - Worthy

? https://x.com/tompelissero/status/1782905425689522654?s=46&t=cLrE-3h2uw3rACxhQZYEvg

As I suspected, the investigation is going to go into at least next week and any penalty will not affect this year’s draft.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2024/4/23/24138218/caleb-williams-notre-dame-worst-game-nfl-draft-prospects

The noise about the Bears consideringByron Murphy at 9 feels a lot like the noise this time last year about Darnell Wright.

I can’t imagine the league taking away draft picks this year on the week of the draft.

For perspective, it seems to me that Caleb could very well be a very good starting QB, but not quite a “superstar” and still end the best QB the Bears have ever had. Like, if he’s Dak Prescott that might be all it would take.

I also saw something indicating that they were having preliminary discussions about contract and that was going well. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10117625-report-caleb-williams-bears-had-very-frank-and-positive-talks-amid-contract-buzz

Even with a great Caleb year, you have to remember this is suddenly a tough division - two playoff teams above us plus Minnesota will be getting a rookie QB but gets to throw to Addison and Jefferson which is pretty great.

I could be dissuaded, but as of now, I think Poles' decision tree at #9 looks like this: 1) If one of the top three WRs is there, take him. 2) If there is a good deal to trade down without going below #20 or so, take it. 3) Failing those two, take Jared Verse. He just seems to have the size and versatility (run + pass) that would appeal to the team while still having pass rush upside, and being a pretty safe pick. Plus I think Verse's demeanor (that he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder after starting out at Albany) will appeal to Poles.

Another Caleb breakdown (positive) for this still interested in such things: https://youtu.be/_7tIJM6wKeM?si=TIpQRz0zkifj0Y-f

Interesting report from Tony Pauline that the Bears are focusing on either Rome or Bowers at #9 if they go the pass catcher route. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-insider-notes-2024-nfl-draft-where-brock-bowers-land-ravens-plans-rt