adam

I like that Pace is being decisive and not holding onto guys; he let Floyd walk, traded Howard, let Amos go, etc. This makes the Graham signing look better now. I assume Shaheen is next. Any savings is good at this point for guys that won't contribute much. This also shows how far Burton has fallen out of favor with the team.

Former Packers 2nd Rounder, was stuck behind Bulaga and Bakhtiari, so it's hard to get a read on him. He was on IR last year, so who knows. Another guy to compete with the revolving bookends we already have. One year deal, probably near the vet minimum, it can't hurt.

I could see us moving back twice, so something like the Jets would be interesting. Move from 43 to 68, 79, and 158. Select at 50, then trade 68 for 80 and 121 with LV. Select at 79 and 80, and 121. We would have 6 picks in the top 163. 50, 79, 80, 121, 158, 163

We need to get a full list because based on the media, I have a feeling most of our picks this year will come from guys that the team interviewed, which was not necessarily the case in previous years.

Thanks, for me, I think BAL, PHI, and DEN are the most likely to make some moves with us based on the trade values. They have extra picks to use without losing a pick in that round. So they can give up their extra pick to get more value.

Here are the options for pick 50 (value: 400): Option 1 - Tennessee (2nd and 3rd) - A 2nd and a 3rd is good value for this pick. 61 TEN - 292 93 TEN - 128 Option 2 - LA Rams (2nd and 3rd) - A 2nd and a 3rd is good value for this pick. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. 57 LAR - 330 104 LAR - 86 Option 3 - Seattle (2nd and 3rd) - A 2nd and a 3rd is good value for this pick. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. 59 SEA - 310 101 SEA - 96 Option 4 - Buffalo (2nd and 4th). This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. 54 BUF - 360 128 BUF - 44 Option 5 - Philadelphia (2nd and 4th). This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. PHI has 8 total picks and 2x 4ths, so they could use a 4th here to move up in the 2nd. 53 PHI - 370 146 PHI - 33 Option 6 - Las Vegas (3rd, 3rd, and 5th) - Would Gruden want to move up to get a 2nd back? If so he would have to give up both of his 3rd's. 80 LV - 190 81 LV - 185 159 LV - 26.6 Option 7 - Denver (3rd, 3rd, and 5th) - Is Fangio/Elway willing to deal? If they want to move into the 2nd, it's at least 2x 3rd's. Denver has 3x 3rd round draft picks, so they may be willing to move up into the 2nd using 2x of them. They also have 10 total picks. I could see DEN doing this to get another 2nd rounder. They have 3x 3rd's, they could give up 2, and then would have 2x 2nds and a 3rd which is favorable for them. 77 DEN - 205 83 DEN - 175 178 DEN - 19 Option 8 - Baltimore (2nd and 4th). This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. BAL has 9 total picks and 2x 4ths. 55 BAL - 350 129 BAL - 43 Option 9 - Kansas City (2nd and 3rd) - A 2nd and a 3rd is good value for this pick. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. 63 KC - 276 96 KC - 116 Which options do you like for pick 50?

Ok, so I took a look at the trade values for both of the Bears 2nd round picks and which teams had compatible trade value options based on the picks they had. The options are based on the total value the team would get back, the options are in order of value the Bears would get back, so Option 1 has the most value. For the 43rd pick, it has a value of 470. These were the combination of picks I could see for that pick plus or minus giving up a 7th to make it work: Option 1 - Atlanta (2nd and 4th) 47 ATL - 430 119 ATL - 56 Option 2 - Baltimore (2nd and 3rd) - This one is nice, getting a 2nd and a 3rd. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. BAL has 9 total picks and multiple picks in the 3rd and 4th. So I can see them as movers. This is my projection. I think BAL moves up from 55 to 43 and gives us 92. 55 BAL - 350 92 BAL - 132 Option 3 - Denver (2nd, 5th, and 6th) - My least favorite option would be to only get an extra 5th and 6th. They also have 10 total picks. 46 DEN - 440 178 DEN - 19 181 DEN - 17.8 Option 4 - NY Jets (2nd and 4th). The Jets have 8 total picks so they may use the extra pick to move up. 48 NYJ - 420 120 NYJ - 54 Option 5 - Philadelphia (2nd, 3rd, and 6th) - Another great option if Philly is willing to give up 3 picks. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. Philly has 8 total picks, so they may use the extra one to move up. 53 PHI - 370 103 PHI - 88 190 PHI - 14.2 Option 6 - NY Jets (3rd, 3rd, and 5th) - 2x 3rds would be good here. The Jets have 8 total picks and 2x 3rd rounders, so they could use them here. 68 NYJ 250 79 NYJ 195 158 NYJ 27 Option 7 - Baltimore (2nd, 3rd, and 4th) - If we took the later 2nd from Baltimore, this would be very appealing with a late 4th to make it work. This is probably the best option and the value is 470 to 471. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. BAL has 9 total picks and multiple picks in the 3rd and 4th. So I can see them as movers. 60 BAL 300 92 BAL 132 134 BAL 39 Option 8 - Pittsburgh (2nd, 4th, and 6th) 49 PIT 410 124 PIT 48 198 PIT 11 Option 9 - LA Rams (2nd and 3rd) - This one is nice, getting a 2nd and a 3rd. This team is competitive and may want to move up to get a blue chip player. 52 LAR 380 104 LAR 86 Option 10 - Atlanta (2nd and 4th) 47 ATL 430 143 ATL 34.5 Option 11 - Dallas (2nd, 4th, and 5th) - This one gives us an extra 5th compared to some of the others giving up only a 4th. 51 DAL 390 123 DAL 49 164 DAL 24.6 Which options do you like for pick 43? I will do pick 50 next:

What about trading Massie or Leno for Howard?

Based on a few of the other depth guys we picked up, we are going to have a killer Special Teams unit.

I understand the rationale, but after trading up for Monty last year feels like this would be a redundant add so early in the draft. We definitely need another RB, but I can't see us taking one within the first few picks, and especially if we don't trade down. The entire league has shifted away from elite RBs. Look at the teams Barkley and McCaffrey are on, they are terrible. So an elite RB on his own is not going to do much for you. Again, I am not opposed to adding one, and someone like Taylor would be great, but I just don't see it. SF relied on guys like Mostert and Breida where neither were drafted. KC's leading back who almost was the SB MVP was also undrafted. That is not a coincidence. Now on your draft, it looks great outside of the early RB selection.

From the Athletic, here is what Dane Brugler is projecting for the mid-2nd Round: 40. Houston Texans (from ARI) – Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU 41. Cleveland Browns – Jeremy Chinn, DS, Southern Illinois 42. Jacksonville Jaguars – Grant Delpit, DS, LSU 43. Chicago Bears (from LVR) – Lloyd Cushenberry, iOL, LSU 44. Indianapolis Colts – Michael Pittman, WR, USC 45. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia 46. Denver Broncos – Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn 47. Atlanta Falcons – Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri 48. New York Jets – Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado 49. Pittsburgh Steelers – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU 50. Chicago Bears – Curtis Weaver, Edge, Boise State 51. Dallas Cowboys – Terrell Lewis, Edge, Alabama 52. Los Angeles Rams – Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson 53. Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU 54. Buffalo Bills – Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU 55. Baltimore Ravens (from ATL) – KJ Hamler, WR, Penn State 56. Miami Dolphins (from NO) – Jonathan Greenard, Edge, Florida 57. Los Angeles Rams – Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia 58. Minnesota Vikings – Antoine Winfield Jr., DS, Minnesota 59. Seattle Seahawks – Kyle Dugger, DS, Lenoir-Rhyne https://theathletic.com/1736730/2020/04/13/2020-mock-draft-5-0-all-seven-rounds-and-255-picks/ I don't mind OL in the 2nd, but Edge with us having Mack and Quinn on the roster? Seems like an odd pick with Higgins, Reagor, and Hamler as WRs still on the board and Safeties Winfield and Dugger. So with who is available at 43 and 50, who would you pick?

Good point, I need to prioritize the positions like that (miss on starter and don't need depth, so don't waste a pick on that position).

I tried to accept all trades and get as much as I could in each trade. I ended up getting a S, 2x CBs, a RB/WR Hybrid, TE, QB, WR, and 2x T's.

So the more this gets discussed, the more I think the Bears won't be able to trade down in this year's draft. With that, I did another run without trades and came up with the following. This would be a great draft IMO, we address a ton of need spots with players perfect for our system. What do you think?

Odd, I follow them too, but when I try to run a mock sim, the trade button says "Exclusive for Premium" and is greyed out.

I don't know if the values will be much different because everyone is going through the same situation. However, I think their reasoning for trades may be altered. On one hand, teams may be reluctant to trade based on everything you have said plus the potential for a reduced offseason schedule and potential impact to the season (reduced regular season, etc). Why trade up for a player, then get less out of him? On the other hand, teams may be more willing to trade away this year's picks for future picks believing the current season may be at risk. So it will definitely be an interesting draft, something we will more than likely never see again in our lifetime (hopefully). I could see a lot of project players dropping, no one can afford to have a new guy who is going to take some time to develop come in under less than ideal circumstances, so those guys will tumble.

The more and more I do these mocks, it is pretty clear that trading back is almost a requirement. We can't go 112 picks between picks in the 2nd and 5th rounds. Those are all in the meat of the draft. The problem is teams know this and are probably going to be less likely to trade up unless someone drops. However, I would take a later 2nd or early 3rd for 43 and/or 50 if it gives you at least a 4th.

My THE DRAFTNETWORK draft with no trades: 43 Austin Jackson, OT USC 50 K.J. Hamler, WR Penn State 163 Antoine Brooks Jr., S Maryland 196 Nevelle Clarke, CB UCF 200 Kendall Coleman, EDGE Syracuse 226 Calvin Throckmorton, OT Oregon 233 Rodrigo Blankenship, K Georgia

Yeah, I like the in depth info. The PFF one is limited but it seemed like the trades were more realistic as sometimes you get a trade and other times there is no interest, compared to having a trade available every pick. I don't have premium on the TDN site, so I couldn't do trades.

Lol yeah, I saw that this morning. There are a ton of memes on Twitter with that as well.

I ran this simulator multiple times and the sweet spot of the draft seemed to be between 70-120. I traded out of 43 to 71, but picked up a 4th and a 5th. There were no trades available at 50, so I went BPA with a Safety. I couldn't pass up Claypool at 71 and thought he would provide some matchup challenges for other teams, especially with Graham on the other side. I watched a ton of talent go off the board between 72 and 112, and then thought Gibson was the best choice to compliment Monty and can split out wide. Between Claypool as WR/TE and Gibson as RB/WR, would provide a ton of dual-threat options for Nagy. At 152, it was hard to pass on Montez as a QB to groom. I went BPA at 163 for a CB, then at 186 for Edge, and 196 for WR. I reached a little get Runyan at 200 because I knew he would not last to 233. Then at 233, I went with a Kicker to challenge Pineiro. Overall, I thought it was a solid draft with one trade to pick up a few extra picks.

So I tried another simulator, I think this one is a little more realistic with the trades than with others. Here is what I came up with. https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator

I hope the Bears can extend ARob and bring in Tony Jefferson at SS. That would fill another hole before going into the draft. That way you have more freedom to move down. If we have starter holes to fill, you almost have to stand pat and draft the guy if he is there at 43 or 50. Otherwise SS might be the #1 need on the team right now. If Ifedi is the answer at RG competing with Bars and Coward, then you don't really need to draft one early this year. However, if the team doesn't trust Massie/Leno, then a young OT could be a target early. They can challenge to start or end up as a swing tackle. If you have Burns and Toliver compete for CB2, then that is another hole filled. We have no depth at ILB, so that is a sneaky place I could see the team going early, same with OLB. There is a good chance that a LB is selected within the first two picks. Based on Quinn's deal, I could see them adding an Edge Rusher to backup Mack/Quinn and ultimately replace Quinn in a year or two. For ILB, the same thing, I could see them bringing in a guy to groom to replace Trevathan in a few filling in the void left by Kwit and KPL. For offensive skill positions, even though the team let Gabriel go, he was gone for a good chunk of the season and the team did fine without him. If they do anything, it will be to add speed. The biggest hole was TE, which Graham should fill. I think RB2 may now be the biggest hole on the offense, unless you consider Nall as RB2. So they may go RB early to compliment Monty. For TE, we have over 10 on the roster so I can't see them adding to that group, then having to cut it down to get to the 53-man roster. Here are the positions I think the Bears still may target at some point in the draft or UDFA (in no order): Starting positions: 1. SS1 - Bush 2. CB2 - Toliver/Burns 3. RG1 - Ifedi/Bars Key Backup/Rotational: 1. RB2 - Nall 2. OLB3 - Irving 3. ILB3 - Woods Need for upgrades: 1. Speedy WR - None 2. OT - Leno/Massie 3. DL - Anderson/Urban

1. Player(s) you'd love to see the Bears land. Jeremy Chinn, S; Antonio Gibson, WR/RB; I am expecting these guys to be available when the Bears pick. I would love for them to be able to get both of them as I see them both filling need areas. 2. Players(s) you do not want to see the Bears draft. Any small school players. I almost feel like Pace has Adam Trautman and Kyle Dugger as first round grades just so he can justify drafting them both in the 2nd. Also, I do not want to see the Bears draft a project in round 2. We need players that can contribute Day 1 and with a potentially short or limited offseason, we need players that are ready to go off the bus. 3. Player you are most wary/nervous of the Bears drafting. Any player with injury concerns or any player. I don't want the Bears reaching on anyone until the 6th. If they want to take a flyer then, fine, but not before then. 4. Should the Bears draft a QB? If so, when? Yes, just not in the 2nd unless someone falls. 5. Player you don't want to see drafted by another NFC North team. Chase Young, with our O-Line, we don't need any additional elite pass rushers in the North unless they are on the Bears. 6. Player you irrationally love. Antonio Gibson, his overall game intrigues me the most. I can see him as an instant replacement for Gabriel AND Cohen. He can split out wide with Monty in the backfield, or be perfectly fine coming out of the backfield. He would give Nagy a lot of options. 7. Early round bust. Jordan Love, QB. One of the early round QBs is going to fail. 8. Late round steal. Jon Runyan Jr. Mock drafts and sims have him going really late, 6th or 7th. He has NFL in his DNA, and I think he will be a starting G somewhere in the league. 9. Player who will go at least two rounds later than everyone thinks. One of the mid-round TEs, I can see all the TEs going later than expecting, setting off a cascade effect where guys originally expected to go in the late 2nd or 3rd fall a couple of rounds. 10. Player who will go at least two rounds earlier than everyone thinks. Chase Claypool, he has been moving up the draft boards quickly. I think someone with a huge gap between picks may reach for him early rather than miss him 2 rounds later.

So while drinking some coffee this morning, I ran the sim 10 times to pick 42 to see which players had the highest probability that they would be available at 43. Here are the 8 most likely players available at pick 43: Marlon Davidson, DE Auburn Cesar Ruiz, C Michigan Jacob Eason, QB Washington Lloyd Cushenberry, C LSU Cole Kmet, TE Notre Dame Noah Igbinoghene, CB Auburn Jaylon Johnson, CB Utah Julian Okwara, DE Notre Dame Now the interesting thing is we have pick 43 and 50, so technically we would be able to get 2 from this group. If you could pick any two, which two would you choose?