AZ54

We're not that far behind the Vikings. There are some obvious issues with Oline but watching Grasu, Compton, and Sowell deal with the Vikings front is going to make anyone say we need upgrades. Put Sitton and Long back on the field and add someone who can pass protect better at RT and we're competitive with that front. Even with Massie we're far better in the run game than what we saw today from Sowell. Callahan can play better than he did today, at least in the first half. If he turns his head with the receiver he has at least one INT, maybe two. Why the officials can't call all the holding their DBs were doing but found every little thing against us is...well let's just say the NFL officiating is becoming more like the NBA where calls don't match what actually happens. If you don't think they were concerned about winning this game then why would they put Xavier Rhodes back on the field after he was injured? Missing Shaheen and of course Miller really hurt Trubisky with their LBs only worried about who was in the backfield. If Daniel Brown was on the field I never saw him. It felt like a concerted effort was being made to let backup players get more snaps today. I saw a lot of Crevon LeBlanc, Cooper, and early in the game we got a lot of Bullard, RRH, and Jenkins. RRH is going to be a good player for us, he finished with 3 tackles and 1 sack today. Bullard looked good too in spots showing some of that burst to alter plays. Of course on offense everyone playing was backup already except Howard, Simms, Leno, and Whitehair. Trubisky struggled to find any open receivers all game and he had a really bad decision on that pass out of the endzone when he gave up the safety. OTOH he made some outstanding throws into very tight windows (all he had to work with most of the game) with pressure in his face. He's got some good things to build off of heading into the offseason. I'm looking forward to the offseason. Hat tip to the special teams coach for an outstanding PR call that led to our first TD.

Compton wasn't that bad when he was on the field earlier in the year. Sowell started rough but his last game was ok. In a way I'm curious to see how both handle this game as it will give us an idea who to bring back.

I don't think that's happening with Gettleman. He reportedly If they draft a rookie QB I think he wants Eli there for a year or two. That makes sense in a lot of ways because Rosen might be the only QB in the draft who could start this year. Darnold for all his talent would benefit from a year and probably two behind Eli. Same goes for Josh Allen or Baker Mayfield. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/dave-gettlema...ory?id=52060594

That's a lot of money for Adams.

Glennon won't be here. Who are you picking up to be our #2?

After watching film on him I like Davenport a lot. It's a tough choice between him and Connor Williams, who I know you don't like at least not early. I think McGlinchey will fall as we get closer to the draft and since we're more worried about fixing RT than LT he might be there for us in the 2nd Rd. Brian O'Neill is another OT worth watching. He has the athleticism to handle the left side but needs work on his technique. What little I've seen of him he's always grabbing outside the shoulder pads and will get a ton of holding calls in the NFL. He might need a season on the bench. Rankin (I like), Kolton Miller, Jamarco Jones, Orlando Brown, and Tyrell Crosby. IMO there is good depth at OT this draft with around 7-9 prospects getting good press so far. We should be able to grab one in Rd 2.

Fox and Gettleman have been able to talk since Gettleman was not employed in the NFL (no tampering). If Fox is on, or even at the top of, his short list of candidates in NY he already knows about it. Might be why he's been so calm about things the last week or two.

To get those 1yr deals, or even the deals that are effectively 1yr (i.e. Demps), he typically has to overpay players. It drives us crazy but I think he's quite comfortable working in that space knowing he has lots of roster and cap flexibility year after year while he primarily builds through the draft.

I wasn't aware of this... https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/making-...-for-new-coach/ "OLB Willie Young 2018 cap hit: $5.4 million. Dead money: $900,000. The Bears need pass rushers, but Young (torn triceps) will turn 33 in September. He also no longer has a locker at Halas Hall. That’s not a good sign. The Bears have remained a top-10 defense without him."

Freeman didn't make the list because we all forgot about him. He's definitely gone and will save about $3.5mil cap space. Another possible name to consider is Willie Young. I think we should hold onto Willie but I don't know the extent of his injury (torn tricep) and if there will be any lingering performance issues. Free Agency isn't full of starting quality OLB but Pace could elect to rebuild the depth with younger players. Trent Murphy will be available and he's had 9 sacks this year, but just 3.5 and 2.5 his first two seasons. He might fit Pace's preference to target ascending young players who haven't made their name yet. The Redskins have cap space with $53mil in 2018 but they have a rather expensive QB problem to sort out among other position concerns. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/washington-redskins/

It's all about scheme and what they want. Ferrell is not going to cover anyone on a route. He's a bigger McPhee style player, but not as quick or mobile as Chubb IMO. When you watch an entire game it is clear Chubb never eases up. I'm not that high on Ferrell as an early 1st Rd pick for our defense but he can do what McPhee has done for us when healthy. OTOH Carter has highlights where he's covering TEs and RBs downfield, and chasing down players like Kamara. Plus he can still get pressure on the QB as seen on the Notre Dame game film. He will have to follow the same path as Floyd and need a couple years to really come into his own as a pass rusher. I like him far more than the smaller OLB like Landry who I think will end up more of a 3rd down specialist. Right now nobody knows about Carter. We'll see if that holds up after the combine. I'd love to see him fall to us in Rd 2 but I already saw him being taken around #20 in one mock. That's not how I came across his name. I just searched for OLB who were 6'4 or taller and watched some highlights to see if any could move well. If we trade back a bit then pick an OT Williams, grab Carter in Rd 2, and then a WR or CB with the 2nd/3rd Rd pick we received from the trade (Eq St. Brown). That would be an good draft. If you prefer your OLB bigger and manhandling Olinemen then check out Marcus Davenport. I came across his name from Albert Breer who says several NFL execs say he'll be drafted top 15. He moves very well, not as agile as the smaller Carter but better than Ferrell IMO, perhaps better than Chubb. https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/12/27/2018-nfl-...ds-derwin-james "You might have never heard of the guy I had to keep moving up. I mentioned UTSA edge rusher Marcus Davenport—a 6' 7" freak of a receiver-turned-pass rusher—a few weeks back. I didn’t have him in my early November mock. I put him at the end of the first round in the initial list I put together this time around, and then multiple execs told me he’s not getting out of the Top 15. I wound up putting him at 14, behind only Chubb among rushers, and Davenport clearly has a chance to rise higher."

I agree with Glennon, McPhee, Wheaton, Cooper, and Demps. Massie isn't going anywhere. We need his replacement on the roster but there is no need to create a big hole right now. I'd say that if we have two good OTs in training camp and preseason then he'd be a candidate as a late cut. Plus his replacement is likely going to cost more and that takes away from filling in positions we really need to focus on like CB and WR. Sitton is in the same spot as Massie. We need him and his replacement isn't clear. Our Oline is not horrible when it's all together. Sacks will be down next year when Trubisky is more comfortable with the NFL. I feel the same way about Sims although his replacement is already on the roster, we will still be a running team next year and he's a good inline blocker. I think we'll come back with Sims, Shaheen, and Brown, followed by Braunecker. Cooper was not a bad signing IMO. He was insurance at CB with some potential upside and ended up filling the spot I felt he would: Backup CB. That's not worth $4.5mil next year but we'll need to sort out who is staying. I'm already on board saying we should just bring back both Fuller and Amukamara with a Rd 1-3 rookie taking Cooper's spot. We need to bring back Callahan too and find a replacement late in the draft for LeBlanc. We will be spending about $20-25mil to secure the CB spots depending on who we go after: Fuller $10mil, Amukamara or similar $7-8mil, Callahan $2-3mil, rookie $4mil-$1mil depending on round selected.

I'm still searching for OLB prospects thinking we'll be keeping this 3-4 defense under someone, possibly Fangio. Take a look at Lorenzo Carter against Notre Dame and tell me who you see. He doesn't have the sacks stats to go with a top 10 pick but neither did Floyd when we took him. It's hard to assess draft stock right now players like Carter, low production, in sacks not tackles, but high potential. He might be a good candidate if we trade back a few spots.

There would be nothing wrong with keeping Sanchez for another year or even two as our backup QB. Glennon isn't sticking around so we're bringing in someone to be #2 or #3. Might as well keep Sanchez around for some continuity in the QB room and bring in another QB to challenge for #2/3 spot.

More confirmation Pace is running the HC search http://www.thetenyardline.com/2017/12/27/r...ces-to-conduct/ Former GM: “Pace is 100% in charge and he will get the guy he wants. That job is extremely attractive.” Now this job is no longer rumored to be a horrible opportunity some have said it will be. IMO, if a former GM is saying this it's because he's a person with connections around the league and that's what he's hearing, and it's not just his opinion. He also likely knows who is on the list since Phillips had to call around the league the verify availability. That statement hints there is someone already at the top of the list that has mutual interest. Next week will be interesting.

This could be a time to use the transition tag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_tag http://nfltraderumors.co/projected-2017-fr...ise-tag-totals/ However, that opens up the risk of him getting some kind of poison pill deal that we may not like. The transition tag requires at least a 1yr deal worth $12mil with zero guarantees of compensation if the player leaves (i.e. we don't match the long term deal he receives), and the Franchise tag requires $14mil but guarantees us two 1st rd picks if Fuller leaves. For ~$2mil more Pace can guarantee that Fuller or his 1st Rd replacement will be here this season.

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/injury-report.html Not looking good for our Oline. Compton likely returns but Sitton still out, Massie sitting out practice although I expect he'll try to play, and Bradley Sowell.

If we don't overpay Fuller someone else will. Average good CBs get $10mil/yr. Elite CBs are getting $15mil/yr. Any FA we sign will be overpaid, I'd rather stick with the devil we know and reward one of our own.

Rosen is not going to walk away from $30mil.

I don't understand the love for Ricky Wagner as the highest paid RT in the NFL.

A few weeks ago in the depths of our losing streak I said the team needed to make a decision on whether or not to keep Ryan Pace within the next two weeks. I believe that decision has been made and he is staying. Nothing has been made official of course but the signs all point in this direction. With the rumors this week that Ted Phillips was contacting teams inquiring about HC candidates many were up in arms thinking he was taking over (again). It is now apparent that the team is simply following league protocol for inquiries about available coaches and in fact Pace is making the hiring decision. https://sportsmockery.com/2017/12/huge-ques...nally-answered/ (for the record it is the link to Berntstein/CBS inside that article that I trust) Pace signed a 5yr deal when he came on. With ownership satisfied he is the GM they want, and now him being allowed to hire his own HC, they will need to give him a contract extension. No decent HC candidate will want to come here knowing his GM will only be around for perhaps 2 seasons. That could be just be one more single season were the Bears to win just 6 games next year. That type of instability can affect FA signings too. HC candidates will need the confidence to know they'll have a few years to work with Pace to get it turned around. I expect to see a contract extension for Pace announced early this offseason but I'm not sure what they'll do. Maybe a 2yr extension to sync him and the new HC for 4 years?

I added up the points: 1350 value for #9 and with Pitt drafting so late the point value of their picks isn't very high. Next years' draft picks are generally valued as one round lower so that's swapping our first round picks and in exchange two second rd picks plus a 3rd. They really can't get enough value to us this year without using next years' first. Or they give us next 2019 2nd/3rd but two years in a row with very few draft picks is hard on any team. There is a blue print for this deal: KC traded up from #27 to #10 for Mahomes. Giving up 1st Rd picks in 2017/2018 plus a 2017 3rd but Buffalo came up ~140pts shy of the trade chart values. I don't want to come up short on value and I figure anyone that interested in moving into the top 10 from the end of the 1st Rd is coming to the table highly motivated to make the deal. https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/2017-nf...lo-bills-042717

Good analysis. If 4 QBs go ahead us that would mean a top talent at another position is likely to be there when we pick. That may help us trade back. It is still not certain that Darnold enters the draft and all of the QB prospects behind Rosen have a lot more question marks. That won't stop the frenzy but, assuming Rosen is gone, it could mean that the Giants don't draft a QB at #2 as expected. There would be nothing wrong with a new GM giving Eli Manning another year or two before bringing in the new QB talent. It certainly gives the team a better chance to win early than a rookie QB will. The frenzy then takes place between picks 6-10 and so it's still possible we trade back with someone like AZ, Buffalo, and even the Steelers. Let's talk Pitt for a min. If Ben walks away after this season they will have a team all set to compete for in the playoffs minus one piece: QB. They will be drafting late first. If they offer us 2018 #28, #60 2nd, #92 3rd, plus their 2019 1st Rd pick do you take it? I would. I don't think Pitt would try to trade up that far, I'm just curious if fans are willing to trade back that far.

Both Chicago and INdy have young GMs. Pace has more of a track record to date for sure but Toub does know Ballard personally. I think if offers are similar then Toub will look at ownership and how that affects things. Given his long tenure here I think Chicago wins out. He'll also have more time here to get the team up to speed. Of course the Colts have Andrew Luck but it's not a given anymore what that means with his injury and poor record of bad INTs. On the other side he's got a D that is already top 10 and with several key young players in place. What does defense win? In those Lovie years it won a lot. I think it's highly likely he'd work to keep Fangio here if he were given the HC job. For OC I think we'd see someone from the Andy Reid coaching tree, but I have no clue who would be on that list. Despite all their years working together I can't see him pursuing anyone from the Lovie Smith coaching tree for OC.