AZ54

These guys...

I doubt we can sit at 53 and get the 3-tech we need. If we go 3-tech in Rd 1, I doubt we can wait until 53 and get the OT we need. I'm good if Poles trades back in Rd 1 but it's just to get more ammunition for a move up in Rd 2. I prefer RT in Rd 1 and then trade up for the 3-tech. If the 3-tech is truly all-that for this defense then it is worth giving up 2 Second Rd picks, maybe even 3 if we have to add a late day 3 pick, to get the right player. Inside pressure will force a QB to move out toward the average DEs we'll have. Of course that will resonate to the coverage needing to worry for just the first 2s.

Pure practice squad candidate so likely UDFA to compete with Diesch.

I'm good with this. We can easily draft the RT/OC we need to setup the Oline for the next few years. Just do it. As for the defense I think we can do two things: First: Build a dline with focus on good run defense. These players are easier to find and cheaper (see Billings). While we won't have the elite talent in the front 4 to get splashy negative plays, doing this will help get us into more 3rd and long situations. This also helps improve redzone defense since coverages tighten up and the DBs will have less concern with run defense. Second: With the LBs we have we can add 1 good CB and have a good coverage unit. This will lead to more coverage sacks. We'll use some occasional pressure packages just to mix it up but unlike late last year don't rely on that because we don't want to give up big plays. On 3rd and long rely on your coverage discipline and make them throw underneath and then rally to the ball. Net effect here it to get back to the bend but don't break style of defense. Force them to make long drives without drive-killing mistakes or penalties. Focus on the turnovers either forced fumbles and occasional picks to keep their scoring down. If we have the Oline in place, and maybe add 1 WR or good move TE this draft, then we should be able to get a lot of teams thinking their offense has to keep up with ours.

Eberflus stated today that Tremaine will be our MLB. That puts Edwards at WLB and Sanborn at SLB.

I believe this trade down from 9 buzz means Poles has a few options at RT he is comfortable with. Rumor is that he doesn't want to trade back very far. This could be a simple as being willing to take any of Skoronski, PJJ, or B. Jones with a fall-back option of a couple players like Anton Harrison or Darnell Wright. My spidey sense says he wants two top 40 or maybe top 35 picks in this draft. https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2023/03/28/bears-2023-nfl-draft-rumors-ryan-poles-could-trade-back-again/

Some good input from Gabriel. He said he'll have some inside info on injuries that will be worth trying to catch before the draft.

Good read on Foreman's fit in our offense. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/numbers-add-up-to-donta-foreman-as-bears-fit

If you haven't seen it Greg Gabriel shared his thoughts on the top two OTs. I agree with his overall assessment on Broderick having the higher ceiling and he looked more impressive at the combine especially with his strength. That floor for Jones concerns me and why I prefer PJJr. Both are really young as true Juniors in college so their best years are easily ahead of them. If the team has them ranked closely BroJones could be the target for them making a small trade back say with Tenn. I'd propose we swap 2nd Rd picks for that moving us from 53 to 41 so we end up with 11, 41. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2023/3/24/23654337/nfl-draft-2023-chicago-bears-breaking-down-tackle-paris-johnson-broderick-jones-georgia-ohio-state

100% that would be my plan. In this league most teams are moving their top edge rusher across the formation anyway. We moved Mack around, Nick Bosa moves, and if I were smarter I'm sure I could list a few more. There is no issue having two good OTs blocking for Justin and I'm not one to get caught up in value of the LT/RT position in this sense. The Eagles did this a long time ago with Lane Johnson at 4th overall and 10 years later are still glad they did.

Center is a need IMO but it's somewhat mitigated by the fact we're trying out Whitehair there so we'll see. My preference is to draft a guy for the future but at minimum Whitehair should be an upgrade over anything we saw from Mustipher or Patrick last year. I feel like we'll come up 1 short in filling all the "starter" gaps this year but we'll go into next offseason with a good amount of cap space and two 1st Rd picks. Having a starter caliber player at RT is a must have, not an option. If there is a starter gap it can be at one of the other need spots which means I think we could survive a season with Whitehair/Patrick as the center options.

Correct. That's what happens when the wife says it's time to go and you have to hit submit reply before you're done.

We're 13 months into Ryan Poles' total overhaul of a bad roster. To date we have: QB: A starting QB (yeah!) WR: 3 starting NFL caliber WRs including one who is top 15, maybe top 10, in the NFL. Who had that on their bingo card to start this season? Oline: Starters at LT, RG, LG and both guards are good to really good players with Pro Bowl potential. Braxton Jones ranked as a top 15 LT last year. TE: A top 15 starting inline TE (Kmet already on roster), and a good backup receiving TE in Tonyan. RB: Good RBs in Foreman, Herbert, and a 3rd down specialist who can pass protect in Homer. On defense we have: LB: 2 good starting LBs, probably 3 if you include Sanborn at SLB. One of our starters has 2 Pro Bowls on his resume and fits the centerfield role perfectly for this defense. Again, who had that on their bingo card for this season? Safety: 2 good starting Safeties. CB: 2 good starting CBs (can depend on your confidence in Gordon). DE: Walker is a legit starting DE for us. DT: Billings is a good starting DT as a 1-tech. For me at the 13 month point for Poles, and without his 2nd draft, this roster is more complete that I anticipated it would be. I see the gaps at RT, 3-tech, and CB. Right behind those is Center depending on Whitehair. And we have 10 draft picks and $38mil in cap space. I'm not nervous I'm excited for what this roster has already become and now we're about to add some good depth in this draft.

Luke Wypler... the anti-Mustipher.

DJ is definitely insinuating that is what Fields said. Who knows how accurate that is. In other statements DJ has made it clear he is the rising tide that will lift all WR ships. He’s got the resume to back that up.

Is there such a thing as a top WR who isn't confident like that?

Maybe he is the reason we didn't re-sign DHC? Our coverage gunners are Velus and Blackwell, with that new LB as the middle-of-the-field special teams ace.

I have similar concerns and while I liked some of what the younger players did last year it wasn't enough to be confident in them going forward. I have been hoping we'd just sign a vet FA on a one year $5-7mil deal so we could take this off the to-do list and focus on the trenches in this draft. That may still happen as Poles is patient enough to wait until after the draft to see what his options are. However the big question is where do they see Gordon at next year? If he moves outside it's much easier to find a NB on day 2 or 3 as teams tend to grab the outside CBs earlier. The top player on the board at 9, and remaining blue chip, could be a CB. From a long term budget perspective you bring in that guy and let Jaylon Johnson walk next year. That would still leave big gaps in the trenches and I don't like that. Plus, in any defense if you have a strong Dline/pass rush you need less talent in coverage. Point here is that we shouldn't draft a CB at 9 but that player could be good bait for a trade down. Given that we have some potential solutions on the roster I think we draft one on Day 3 who fits the NB profile and let them all compete for a job. That moves Gordon outside. Johnson hasn't been mentioned much in the contract extension rumors, typically we hear about Mooney and Kmet. It's hard to gauge what value the team sees in him. What value does Jaylon see for himself too and how close are the two sides? Does the team want to see another year before making a decision? It may also be that Poles has already reached out to agents for all 3 and they are closer in valuation for Kmet and Mooney so they just want to start there. All I know for sure is that this team has been really quiet about the DBs so far.

100%. Given the risk with Carter I’d say the alternate player wouldn’t have to hit elite level of play but reaching a few Pro Bowls is still expected of a player in the top ten. Get that while avoiding the risk Carter has and I’m ok. The odd thing is Poles already walked away from Carter when he dropped out of the top 4. It’s Carter who fell back into the discussion.

Yeah that’s a mess I wouldn’t want to be dealing with.

I think he’s a good fit for our culture. Early in his career he used to appear lost on the field but it’s hard to comprehend being just 19 when you are drafted. He was so young and I’m certain he has a lot to learn. His last couple years have been much better. I think he’s still ascending and we bought at the right time.

We both know that if Poles has the option he better make the right decision.

I'm not in either category (draft/ don't draft) because this is simply one player where the interviews are incredibly important and there is no way for me to know. I can say that IMO his on the field performance warrants being drafted at 9.

Great article but I wish he detailed a little more on the DT traits. Nonetheless I trust his scout's eye on talent and their fits. I thought he'd mention Gervon Dexter as a 3-tech but I was wrong. I was surprised to see him list Van Ness as a 3-tech but I can see that in him with his quick first step and brute force style as long as he adds a few pounds. For this thread I think Anton Harrison needs to be an option at 53. I also don't think Anudike lasts until 61 but this is a deep draft for DEs and sometimes scheme fit and depth at a position leads to a guy dropping more than we expect. I have considered if we should just take Skoronski knowing he'll be really good inside but might be good enough at RT this year for us to get by. If you're drafting in the top 10 you want to come away with a Pro Bowl caliber player and I think he fits that. He won't be worse than Reiff and definitely will be better than Borom. I doubt Poles takes that chance especially since he just signed Davis and think he'll just prefer the guy who fits his OT profile in Paris Johnson. One thing I'll be watching for as the evaluation process drags on.... Will we have another visit with Jalen Carter? Last year we met with Braxton Jones 3 times including a position coach working him out close to the draft. If Carter's recent visit helped allay some concerns then I could see the Bears trying to take the same under-the-radar approach with Carter to see where he's at in a few weeks. That could be as much to take him off the board as it is to keep him on it so they can be firm and confident in their strategy for draft day.

Watch it again. If we hadn't signed Davis I'd gladly take Avila in the 2nd Rd to be our LG of the future. I think he's a stud and he's very strong but Jalen Carter can walk him straight back into the QB.