AZ54

Saw someone state a similar case for Jahmyr Gibbs - get the elite threat out of the backfield and you now have a serious problem with Fields going one direction and Gibbs the other. Gibbs on routes makes it virtually impossible to put a LB to spy on Fields on passing downs. From a team building perspective, IMO that argument is stronger versus drafting JSN. Gibbs would be an option on a trade down scenario, or even trading back twice to late 1st Rd, or potentially getting an early 2nd Rd pick.

Drafting JSN would mean letting Mooney go. There'd be no reason to keep 2 slot WRs like that on the roster. I'm not for it because we have too many needs to have a luxury at any one spot.

That would be a very good draft.

On the surface the trade value is kind of a nothing to lose deal but if you got rid of Claypool due to work ethic issues, or poor fit in the locker room. Then how does ARob help that situation with a young WR corps which already has a bit of a head case in Pickens on the roster? Pickens has already caused issues on the sidelines. ARob mopes around a lot if he doesn't get things his way.

True.

Wow. I can’t see any reason to give up draft capital for a guy who will be cut and has little market. I know it’s not a one for one swap but giving up on Claypool and then trading for ARob is not a good look. Indicates to me that either they don’t think an early rd WR can have the same impact or they are not using an early pick on a WR.

Dante Pettis is back. He apparently didn't get any offers elsewhere and chose, wisely IMO, to cast his net with the Bears for training camp. He knows the offense and has as good a chance as anywhere else to showcase himself in the preseason for other teams. Worst case for us is he sticks due to injuries.

Rumors dropped in the last 24 he that the Steelers want to trade up to 9 for Jalen Carter if he’s there. Rumors also indicate the Bears are all in on Carter. Nobody gives away their trade target a week before the draft. That whole scenario for Carter is just too convenient. If anything about them moving up is true I’m thinking Steelers are after an OT but they might also want the top CB in the draft.

There are concerns (at least for me) about Dawand Jones and his fit in our blocking scheme. A week ago I found a scouting video that showed he was able to move and hit difficult reach blocks far better than I expected. Unfortunately that video got pulled from Youtube due to a copyright violation. In that video and others you can still find his strength at times just stuns pass rushers... as long as he uses his hands correctly. He does struggle with moves back to the inside but I think that's as much a footwork issue as anything because he tends to open his hips to the outside far too early (i.e. he's facing the sideline). That prevents him from sliding back inside as all he can is slide back toward the LOS. I am not using this video to say he should be our pick, rather I only want to highlight that he has more agility than he's given credit for. IMO that bodes well for him to improve his technique if he has the work ethic, something we don't know. For those who remember Adam Shaheen ... at his size he struggled to dunk a basketball straight up when it should have been second nature. For me that was a warning sign and unfortunately it turned out to be true as he couldn't gather his body for coordinated movements on the football field. Dawand Jones OTOH can do a reverse dunk. That's enough for me to believe that I was wrong when I thought he should be taken off our board entirely. In fact, this little tidbit combined with what I saw on that scouting video mentioned above, I now think he's part of the trade-back cluster of RTs Poles has in mind. In terms of work ethic and coachability, we had plenty of staff at the Senior Bowl and should know all we need. Then we just brought him in for a 30 visit. https://heavy.com/sports/chicago-bears/dawand-jones-top-30-draft-rumors-johnson/

Yes

That's exactly my point. If the oline is fixed and Fields isn't running for his life, nor having to do as many called runs, we can still have a very productive running game. We can also then have a productive passing game. RT affects 100% of the plays, RB at best 60%.

Alternate plan: Draft Skoronski with intent to put him at RT but give him a look at OC. Late on Day 2 or early Day 3 draft our backup OT. Basically we let 'em all compete and start the best 5. (assumption here is they want to keep Braxton Jones at LT). Skoronski could play either RT or C. Figure your floor is Whitehair at C, Skor at RT, rookie backup OT. Your ceiling is Skor at Center and your other rookie at RT plus an extra $10mil in cap space. Some of that money will be used to land a FA backup OT.

Our rushing game was better than either team that had McCaffrey last year. To that we’ve already added a better RG and a better 3rd down RB. And we’ve downgraded at RT for the moment.

For him I agree and if this were us drafting last year I'd have easily advocated for drafting him and trying him out at OT first. If it didn't work we'd have plenty of spots inside for him too. This year with such a singular need at RT that seems too risky.

I'm thinking there is too much smoke around this trade back plan with the Steelers. It appears to have first been released to reporters in Pittsburgh.... but why was it released and by who? Would Pitt really release that info? In the end there is really nothing unusual about teams reaching out before the draft to discuss potential trades. After all you are on the clock and knowing which teams to call first makes the most sense. I'd hazard a guess that Poles has talked with every team from 10-20 asking if they might consider a trade on draft day if their player is available. We don't have to know who their player is. For all we know the Eagles might be very willing to move up one slot for Jalen Carter and pay a steep price for it. Making some noise about trading with the Steelers is just like the noise around us willing to trade back to 9 with the Panthers. It drives up the price for any team in between. For the Panthers deal that extra hype got us DJ Moore who was not in the offer until last minute. Now it feels like a very similar situation with all the noise around us having two visits with Carter and it gets release that "he's our guy". Then today we're getting visits or are "high on" RTs who are back half of the 1st Rd talents (Darnell Wright and now a visit with Dawand Jones) when we could easily be drafting PJJr, or Broderick Jones. That 2nd cluster of RTs won't be around when we pick at 53. That could just be simple due diligence for a trade back, or a trade up in Rd 2, but it's also making it clear our intent is to trade back, and possibly even beyond 20. Is Poles working the rumor mill?

He's better on reach blocks than I was expecting. In part that because he's got arms forever and his feet are more nimble than expected. I'd say he moves better than Orlando Brown but he has technique issues, likely because he's been able to rely on his length and strength so far.

Sure but do you think Mauch is a rare talent at OT? I'm not seeing that anywhere. I can see us drafting him but IMO it would be to play OC, where I would welcome his attitude not to mention his ability to actually block people.

I'm doing my usual scan of Youtube videos and apparently there are rumors, totally unsubstantiated of course, that Darnell Wright is our top target for RT. Whatever little that is worth, taking him at 9 is too rich for sure so this could be noise surrounding the hope we can trade down. Plus, for any trade down scenario you must have at least two, if not more, targets. If we trade down, Darnell Wright or Anton Harrison? I'd have high confidence at least one if not both will be available at 17. Dawand Jones doesn't feel like a scheme fit for the running game but would we work around that?

Had to force that Steelers trade 9 for 17/49 just to do a what-if scenario. I think McDonald goes higher than 49 but there other Edge players available that I like. I like Spears but should have drafted a CB there... Riley Moss who I think can fit our scheme well. I realized my mistake and then of course the Patriots took him before I got to 136. The only position groups untouched were LB and CB.

How ironic would it be for this deal to happen on draft day and we end up with 17 and get 32 back from the Steelers. Straight up that deal is a little heavy in our favor so we'd have to give back about 200pts in value on the traditional trade chart. We'd likely do something with 64, maybe swap it with their 3rd Rd pick at 80. Value-wise that'd still be in our favor but they are trading into the top 10 with a shot at "the best OT" in the draft so maybe they bite. Or we have to toss in one of our 5th Rd picks and Trubisky. The easy trade value would be 9 for 17 and 49. Then we'd have 17, followed by a run of 49, 53, 61, and 64. Cap that run off with the pick of the litter at 103, the first pick on day 3. That's 6 picks in top 103 which is generally regarded as the area of the draft where you find starters. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2023/4/11/23679565/chicago-bears-nfl-draft-pittsburgh-steelers-rumors-trade-back-from-nine-been-discussed-ryan-poles

Yannick Ngakoue career earnings $42.6M and Haason Reddick career earnings $34.5M are all you need to know about pass rusher value in the NFL. Want to win big games you need two things: A good QB and a good QB on the ground.

I don't think Mauch is an OT in the NFL. He might be able to play some snaps there to get you out of a game in the same way Borom can. While he's nasty he doesn't have anywhere close to the movement skills Skoronski has. Very few are talking about Skor as an OT although some team may try him out there just to see if he can break the mold

Getting ready for post-draft OTAs and we need another camp leg so we can see who can catch punts.

CB is the likely wild card in the top 10. It's hard to gauge for me because I'm focused on other positions. While I know there is very good talent at the top of the draft the big question I have is how quickly does that talent drop off? Teams might be thinking to get the CB early because they can get an edge rusher in Rd 2. There's always a surprise in the top 10, or two.

The problem with Kancey and the arm length issue is run defense. He may well end up a good pass rusher but remember a few years ago when we played the Rams and ran at Donald all game, with good success. Kancey could have similar issues. Pass rushing where he can use his quickness to get to edge of a blocker, or avoid their hands, is one thing but when the blockers are coming at him things are different. I've drafted him in mocks but always in Rd 2, often with us trading up for him. He's definitely someone to watch on draft day and sacking the QB is always in demand so perhaps he goes in Rd 1.