DABEARSDABOMB

Lol

The whole narrative would be different.

I stick with - hire Harbaugh and get let’s start building a program. I would trust what he wants to do.

Lol

Why is Trubisky on this list?

I will also state I am all in on Harbaugh as the next coach. And if it isn’t Caleb Williams, McCarthy is who I am taking at QB.

Spot on - I think on offense center and wideout are two biggest priorities. I want another athletic guy who can emerge as a 1 to go with Moore. On defense - I want one more pass rush on the dline and an upgrade at safety for the aging Eddie Jackson. Those are my top 4 needs - excluding qb. All of those needs can absolutely be filled this offseason.

Excellent post and I agree with your assessment on Poles holding until draft day. Way more importantly - thoughts and prayers to you and your wife and she fights cancer. freak cancer!

The beauty is - the Bears can draft a QB and build a great team to support them because of the position Poles has this organization in. They added a blue chip oline prospect last year, added a blue chip dlinemen via trade, and we are sitting with what is highly likely one top 3 pick and another top 10 pick. And while we don't have a 2nd rounder - I fully expect if the Bears wanted to trade Fields, you could trade him to a team like the Raiders for say a 2nd rounder this year and a future 2nd (which would give us our own '25 2nd rounder plus the Panthers & Raiders). This is also a very strong and deep wideout draft - so while everyone loves MHJ, you can draft Caleb Williams and draft a top wideout too to pair with Kmet and Moore (plus Scott & just sign Mooney to like a 3yr 24M extension). You have FA money to use on a center (plus I presume they would use a later round pick on that) and you can continue to build up your dline (so the young QB should be coming to a team with a defense trending up). Bears could also sign Tee Higgins and opt to use the other Top 10 pick on an OT (or 3 tech) plus a QB. So they have the luxury of being able to build a quality football team AND use a high end pick on a high end QB prospect. This is a position the Bears haven't been in at any point in my lifetime.

I will stick with - I'll go with Caleb Williams. He has had a lot of adversity this year - but his numbers are still great and he had to do it with a pretty bad oline and constant pressure in his face He moves around and probably doesn't stay on script enough either - but he always has his eyes up and is using it to make plays. I also think this year he has went more that way vs. years before where he was more in the system because it wasn't constantly breaking down as much. But he can throw the slant, you see him use the middle of the field and his eyes are everywhere. I know he is short - but he is thick and looks a legit 6'1. This isn't someone listed at 6'1 but they are really 5'11/5'10. His body is thick too and that arm is a cannon and highly accurate. I also think in general Lincoln Riley coached QB's have been okay in this league and the kid has a TON of experience. I also will caveat - this Daniels guy has put up legit numbers, I presume the tools aren't there or something? JJ McCarthy just wins and seems to have some good tools too, could certainly be a nice fit with the 2nd of our 1st rounders.

I'll say this - I think the safest way to making the playoffs in the next 2 years is to keep Fields, trade down slightly from #1 (if you get it) and take best available Non QB and get more assets, and than continue to draft talent and build up the rest of the team. I think if Bears do that even remotely decently, this is a playoff team for the next 2 years. However - I think once you get to year 3 - you are either now looking yourselves in the mirror and are in a much tougher spot, cause you are now starting to pay Justin 50M per year and the talent around is not there and he isn't good enough to bring up the rest or you are moving on from Justin and basically starting back at square one looking for a QB (but now you aren't picking at the top of the draft and aren't in a position to get that QB without mortgaging the future). But I do think staying with Justin and continuing to stockpile talent everywhere else gets you into the playoffs the next 2 years. I don't think you win a superbowl in that timeframe - unless Fields becomes a top 7 guy and you really nailed it on the other picks. But again - that will quickly fleat unless he's the elite guy. With that said - taking a QB at 1/2 - the Bears ARE NOT going to make the playoffs next year - but the team could accelerate pretty quickly in the following year, but we are probably still going to be picking in the 5-15 range of the draft in '24, ideally you are in contention for a playoff spot in '25, and looking like a top team for years to come in '26. But I think those are the two timetables out there and if you are Poles - I get the pressure and desire of - hey, I go make the playoffs for a couple years, I have bought myself time to figure other things out and come up with new options. The in-between is to go with the make the playoffs, take a QB in round 2 (I bet you one of the guys will drop - just like Will Levis dropped this year). A QB in that round doesn't apply the same pressure to Fields and franhcise, but could earn that job in '25/'26 and put you in a better spot.

Fantastic post and the latter half is something I am speculating as well.

MHJ is great and all - but I am not using a #1 pick on a wideout. Or quite frankly any player other than a QB. So if I am not taking a QB, I am trading down.

It is a deep wide receiver draft - so yeah, they probably don't get MHJ, but there are some really really blue chip wideouts out there if that is the route they go and with the depth of QB's in this draft, you can also probably go QB and OT if you wanted to do that as well.

I have to give Flus credit as well though. Since he has taken over the defense just looks different and we are seeing young players develop. Stevenson and Smith are developing young players, the young DT's are improving and trending up. Edwards is just a beast and seems to have fit into this defense perfectly (credit to Poles too) and obviously Sanborn is a solid, cheap, 2 down player. Jaylon Johnson is trending up and despite the blip around the trade deadline is trending in right direction too. If the Bears could somehow shift Flus to a DC role while bringing in a new HC, I would be ecstatic LOL. He really is a well above average DC in my mind and I like the wrinkles he applies to the base Cover-2. It is also this development that gives me more confidence in Poles as a GM too (cause you are starting to see Edmunds playing faster and I expect that will only improve with Sweat here and Edmunds getting more comfortable in the system and also healthier).

This - Flus has got the defense trending in the right direction, big time. I have to acknowledge that and it stinks the offense looks so putrid. I honestly think if they hadn't blown those 2 leads, I would be leaning towards keeping him and finding a different playcaller. The problem is - than the Bears are putting themselves in the spot where your HC and QB are not on the same cadence (if the Bears were to draft a QB). And I just don't like the scenario where the team is a year from now saying, we DON'T have our QB and we literally went 2 years with top 3 picks and passed on the most important position in the league. Its a real tough spot - because I do really like the direction of the defense and if I squint and see some more draft picks, a big free agent investment (say the Vikings Dlinemen), resigning Jaylon, and continued growth out of our secondary and young DT's and I see a defense trending towards top end (which is great to see). I'd probably also add - one of those picks should be a young safety to play next to Brisker.

Evidently Poles talked to Flus about getting Sweat and his difference makers involved (after Sweat was barely on field for final drive vs Lions). I wouldn’t be shocked if Poles told Flus - let Fields loose following bye week. Let Fields rise or fail - but take the training wheels off. Flus has ensured he is getting a DC job after he is fired. Defense has really been trending in right direction.

What is weird is last year they were one of the fewest penalized teams in the league.

He is still a stud.

Not sure if this was directed at me - but I loved Fields the individual, but I don’t think I have seen enough out of Fields the QB. I do give him credit for getting the win tonight and battling adversity to finish it out despite two late fumbles. Now go throw 3 tds and run for another after the bye. We win out and make the playoffs

I mentioned this elsewhere. And it would be 6 wins in last 9 games. Crazy thing is Bears are 4-3 in prime time and 3-19 in all others in past two years.

Here is what I don’t get. This play calling doesn’t make Getsy look good either. I think Getsy would be better up opening it up and having film of his qb missing open targets or not executing than this. Quite frankly Packers offensive coaches haven’t been great elsewhere since McCarthy left so Getsy could be crap. But I think I am now 95 percent plus on draft a qb with top pick.

I missed the first half but Getsy is trash.

I would pay him.

Yeah my drafts start with a qb.