AZ54

It is interesting to hear Ryan Poles state that they were not in trade talks for Montez and that his name didn't come up as available until just a few hours before the deal was done. That means we were looking to trade for Young, and also that the Bears valued Sweat more than Young and immediately pivoted away from Young. Why at the last minute did the Commanders decide to move Sweat and Young? The only thing I can think of is that they weren't getting a high enough trade value for Young and they really wanted a high 2nd Rd pick. Which I'm going to assume this means they intend to be all-in for a QB this draft. They are already trending toward at top 10 pick. Get rid of your starting DEs only helps keep the tank on track. Getting a high 2nd is ammo to move up to #1 overall. All this could be funny if we end up with #1 overall from Carolina and then trade that to Wash and get our 2nd Rd pick back in exchange.

It'll be interesting if they try to mimic what the Chargers did to confuse Bagent. If they do we'll get to see what kind of a learning curve he's got.

I wouldn't change the Wright pick either just saying DE was a glaring position of need that wasn't addressed. Maybe that gap didn't leave you wanting but it did for me and it has affected several games very negatively this season. DE likely would have been addressed in Rd 2 but edge players went earlier than expected at the back end of Rd 1 and early 2nd so we grabbed a DT in Rd 2 and 3. It was all good for me since that was a huge need too and now we have a good run defense. We were never going to fix all that was wrong with the 2022 team in one offseason. Some gaps, like OC, have been minimized by better play from Patrick than we had from Mustipher last year but it's still a need.

I haven't even seen him play this year and I know Bowers is a more complete TE than Pitts just based off last year's games. He's also a freak of nature with his contact balance, strength, and speed not to mention his great hands.

DE?

Don’t overlook Keon Coleman. MHJr gets all the press but Coleman looked really good in a recent game I watched.

Yes if they are suspended for rules violations. Why, in a thread about coaches behaving poorly, are we recruiting a coach who has history of bad behavior and is currently under investigation?

I don’t think we’ll spend big money there. I’d say we’re more likely to use a 4th rd pick and maybe even give Patrick one more year to compete. If not Patrick I could see another second tier FA just not the top FA center because those guys always get overpaid.

Now that the deal is done, cost is sunk, what do we have for a defensive front? Sweat immediately pushes all DEs down 1 notch. That's a very good thing because Ngakoue is not a starting level player and playing less run down snaps should keep him fresher for his specialty pass rush. I like Walker but he's a limited athlete, more of a good hustle defender. Give him the early downs and Ngakoue the 3rd and longs. Of course Sweat needs to get a break too but those top 3 DEs as our primary rotation should make us more productive than we've seen so far this year. They'll toss in either DomRob or Green and who is active on game day likely depends on special teams. Where I really think this will help is with our interior rush. It appears to me that Dexter is garnering more double teams lately. Perhaps it's better to just say that with no edge threat on a pass rush teams are just using 3 IOL to block our DTs. We certainly don't have anyone good enough to get through that.... yet. Sweat changes that calculus a bit. He's not elite as a pass rusher but if a team has a weakness at OT, or the OT makes a mistake he's more than good enough to take advantage of it. That can either draw some attention from a RB or OG to shade his way a bit, which can free up the interior a bit. As a run defender he's top shelf and will only make our run D even better. I also like the idea of having Sweat, Ngakoue, and Walker inside at 3-tech on 3rd and long.

I think Chase Young is at a minimum just a rental for a hopeful Superbowl run this year and this likely means Purdy isn't their QB of the future. As of now they have just $1.4mil in space next year with almost nobody of note they can cut without a massive dead money hit. Cutting Randy Gregory in 2024 will free up $14mil and so, if they want to find a way, they could squeeze in a backloaded deal in for Young next year. But there'd be no big spending on a QB in the near future. 2025 is tight for them too. With only 36 players under contract in 2025 and just $45mil in cap, tons of big dead money deals, they can't likely add a big deal for Purdy and Young. Bridge QBs like JimmyG get around $30mil/yr so they might get Purdy for that. So swing for the fences on a DE and if it works, fit him in for a good 2-3 years of playoff runs.

We do not have the worst Dline in the NFL. There's no way you can get to top 3 run D without a good Dline. This is after 8 games so at this point it's statistically significant. We do have the worst pass rushing Dline in the NFL, or at least we did. Certainly one helps the other (meaning teams can pass on us so they run less but we're still 19th in rushing attempts against - so middle of the pack. I'll also add that half of those pass D stats have been affected by us missing most of the secondary starters. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/opp.htm#all_rushing

True.

Yeah that makes no sense to me. Mostly because Wash had no reason to trade both players. The fact they got rid of Sweat and still came back to unload Young is suspicious with his injury history. We gave up too much for Sweat, a player who has never had double digit sacks. Then again if he had then we’d have had to give up a first round pick. Chase is the better pass rusher but Sweat is the better DE and the stats back it up. 32 tackles to 15. 10 TFL to 6. 6.5 sacks to 5. Jurors Leah the other way with Young in the lead 9 to 5 but Sweat has 6 knock downs to 3. Plus Young has more snaps. The question is will Young improve his run defense over time?

He’s here to rush the QB but he’s also really good at setting the edge. Go back and watch the Bears game. Complete DE.

I agree he stayed composed for the most part for his first road game. We can see the arm strength limitations but OTOH he has enough arm strength to make it in the NFL. Certainly as a career backup QB. Maybe his ceiling is as a fringe starter like JimmyG? I was most disappointed in the defense and all the missed tackles. Everyone wants to blame coaches but players were in position to make those tackles, and the coaches job is to get them in the right spot. They righted the ship in the 2nd half but it was too late. Losing Brisker, who I think had been playing very good lately, was like losing the glue that held things together. With Brisker taking care of business closer to the LOS we can get by with Hicks on the field. There is no safety depth behind him.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2023/10/teams-calling-vikings-on-danielle-hunter-2 https://www.profootballrumors.com/2023/10/vikings-fear-kirk-cousins-suffered-achilles-injury Hmm.... where to from here for the Vikings and how does this play into the Chase Young sweepstakes?

We’re going to miss Brisker

I forgot to add that there are games to be played tomorrow. If trade talks are really serious teams usually don't want to risk a player getting injured. If talks are luke warm they might reduce snap counts by playing Young less on run downs but leaving him in for obvious passing downs. Wash might hope to increase his value if he gets another sack, or two.

Right now the rumor is the best offer is a 3rd Rd pick. That seems reasonable to me and of course this also depends on what contract we'd have to give him. We have no idea what he'll be asking for but there's zero chance Poles would pull the trigger on that trade without first talking with his agent and settling on broad parameters of a new deal. Pix, for the draft I'm not so sure how the prospects look now but I recall researching the draft at edge a couple months ago and there weren't any can't miss players. Jared Verse is listed as a top 10, maybe top 5, prospect but I just watched an entire game FSU vs. Duke and I didn't even realize he was on the field until my son-in-law (FSU fan) mentioned him. One game does not make or break a player but I'd like to see a top 10 prospect standout in a college game even if the stats aren't big. There are a couple other 1st Rd edge players ranked in the 20s at Draft Network.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/rumor-makes-the-rounds-of-chase-young-to-the-bears

Apparently Mike Florio is reporting trade talks for Young are heating up. I’m looking for links to support that.

Adam must be busy, or still passed out after celebrating a Bears victory, so let's get it rollin'. The Chargers D leaves a lot to be desired. So does their HC Brandon Staley who makes more questionable calls in a game than any HC I can remember. Maybe I only see his bad games. My biggest concern is with Darnell Wright and that bum shoulder. Going against Maxx Crosby with one arm is not good but he's more finesse than strength. Trying to one arm Bosa's or Mack's power won't work one bit. Plus they have all that weakness on tape and a week to prep for it. Our DBs are really playing well. Since starters Gordon and Johnson returned Brisker has returned to his missile seeking ways. The CBs are often locking down receivers well enough to force QBs to hold ball another second. Stevenson still has bad habits of looking at the QB early and getting burned at the inflection point where the receiver cuts or accelerates. If he ever gets his eyes right on the WR first then QB we might have a good one. LBs are playing much better in this scheme. Maybe having CBs who can cover is helping them but I aside from having better players outside them I also think it's time in the system. Dline has improved and our run defense is stout. I saw where Brad Biggs mentioned trading Andrew Billings... that's stupid. Billings has been a stud for us on run downs and he's only making $2.5mil on a 1yr deal. If anything extend him for a year or two cheap. He'll become depth as the rookie DTs grow over the next year or two. Boneheaded trade ideas like this only keep a team in the cellar. Still no pass rush but there is always next year. Oline has been fun to watch lately. I'm not sure I've ever said that about our Oline. Lucas Patrick even looks good at C and I enjoyed his mic'd up video from last week because he brought the energy on the field. These guys need that. Secret Bagent just has to do his thing again and keep it calm and steady. If we win and Bagent plays well I won't be surprised to see Fields get another week of rest so the Bears can see Bagent string together 3 games. Four games of film is the baseline for a defense to know what a QB wants to do, likes to do, and can do, and then scheme against it. Three games gets you pretty close to that. Use the excuse we need Fields healthy for the division games in Wk 11 and 12. Maybe give Fields the Carolina game in Wk 10 to get ready for Detroit. If things aren't going well for Fields later in the season Bagent could get his 4th game in Wk 17.

Nah, I don't follow those things that closely and although Purdy is from my home town he grew up on the southern part of it about 8-10 miles away from where I live.

Never said he wasn't a good coach. Go into the way back machine and find my posts about him as a future Bears HC candidate from his days at Stanford. He's had plenty of ego issues in SF and then again at Mich. Maybe that has abated and he's found his calling... https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-football-wolverines-jim-harbaugh-contract-warde-manuel-big-ten “I love the relationships that I have at Michigan. Coaches, staff, families, administration, President Santa Ono and especially the players and their families,” said Harbaugh back in January. “My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!" As candidates go I'd like Matt Campbell but I'm also selfish in that I like him staying at Iowa St. I think he gets more out of the talent he has than you'd expect. You see results of good coaching in Purdy, Breece Hall, Montgomery, and a few others in the NFL.