Edge

[Mongo3451]

6 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

Sure, but you know better than I do for the Olineman it's always different when the pads come on.  

Absolutely!  Pads are everything to fatty...?

[Stinger226]

The preseason will determine who's here. I would like to see them  add Danielle Hunter. IF it doesn't cost to much. 

 

[AZ54]

Braxton Jones complimented Dominique Robinson saying he's improved this offseason... Dline chatter starts around 7min mark.  

 

[Mongo3451]

Love that dude

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Swifty has posted another video on this and speculates that Poles is posturing to get a veteran edge rusher in prior to the start of TC.  Of those available he things Houston and Ngokue are at the top of the list.  I'm guessing the Bears may be passing on higher ticket players like Chase Young or Danielle Hunter at this point(?)  I'm thinking he may be onto something with getting Houston who has some familiarity with Eberflus and is coming off of a 9.5 sack season.  The one drawback being his age.  

 

[Stinger226]

Houston is the logical pick, won't be expensive and will just be a situational pass rusher. Only need to give him a one year deal. If in limited snaps we can get 6  sacks out of him that would be a win. Don't see a big time edge but maybe as a whole we can be a middle of the pack in sacks.

[AZ54]

6 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Swifty has posted another video on this and speculates that Poles is posturing to get a veteran edge rusher in prior to the start of TC.  Of those available he things Houston and Ngokue are at the top of the list.  I'm guessing the Bears may be passing on higher ticket players like Chase Young or Danielle Hunter at this point(?)  I'm thinking he may be onto something with getting Houston who has some familiarity with Eberflus and is coming off of a 9.5 sack season.  The one drawback being his age.  

 

I saw this but it sounded like it's based on rumors that Poles is calling teams for potential trade targets.  There's no need to call any team for either Houston or Ngakoue, just make your choice and negotiate.  I don't know where the rumors are sourced from but there were several videos about this.  This time of year anyone in the media making a suggestive comment can cause the rumors to fly around but maybe he is kicking the tires a bit.  

[Alaskan Grizzly]

9 hours ago, AZ54 said:

I saw this but it sounded like it's based on rumors that Poles is calling teams for potential trade targets.  There's no need to call any team for either Houston or Ngakoue, just make your choice and negotiate.  I don't know where the rumors are sourced from but there were several videos about this.  This time of year anyone in the media making a suggestive comment can cause the rumors to fly around but maybe he is kicking the tires a bit.  

The calls may have been more related to inquires on players like Hunter and Young and this is a backup plan.  Swifty’s take was around this time last year Poles recognized they still had needs at the oline position and went and got Reiff and Schofield late last July.  Using that same line of reason it would be safe to assume that the highest need right now is at the edge and the simplest solution would be to sign someone like Houston or Ngokue…in late July.  

[BearFan PHX]

I suspect that Poles also looks into out-of-the-box answers, like unlikely trades and such too. Im sure that in doing his due diligence, he finds the price too high a lot and so we never know who all he might have been looking at.

But there is at least some chance that the answer at Edge will be an unexpected one, and there is conversely a decent chance that he wont sign anyone at DE of any import too.

I'm just saying the options and outcomes are much wider and more varied that we might think - even if we end up signing Houston for a one year deal at the end of all this anyway.

[AZ54]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

The calls may have been more related to inquires on players like Hunter and Young and this is a backup plan.  Swifty’s take was around this time last year Poles recognized they still had needs at the oline position and went and got Reiff and Schofield late last July.  Using that same line of reason it would be safe to assume that the highest need right now is at the edge and the simplest solution would be to sign someone like Houston or Ngokue…in late July.  

I think the two scenarios are different. Last year at Oline we had serious concerns.   After minicamp they knew how bad the gaps were plus the big questions around Teven Jenkins.  
 

At DE we have decent to good serviceable options.  We need to add a high level player to the mix not another JAG. I certainly wouldn’t trade a pick for a backup talent.  

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, AZ54 said:

I think the two scenarios are different. Last year at Oline we had serious concerns.   After minicamp they knew how bad the gaps were plus the big questions around Teven Jenkins.  
 

At DE we have decent to good serviceable options.  We need to add a high level player to the mix not another JAG. I certainly wouldn’t trade a pick for a backup talent.  

exactly. Poles has shown the discipline not to fill holes with players who dont fit his long term plans. He isnt drinking the "we're close and another piece could put us over the top to be a contender this year" the way other Bears GMs have forever. It's hard to stay disciplined, but its how you build a consistent winner. But putting 7 out of 10 guys on 4 year deals doesnt help you, because you have no room for the 9 out of 10 player unless he is your first round pick.

Poles is doing it right!

[adam]

Walker is putting in the work. Everywhere he travels, he is working it. Nice to see.

 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

On 7/13/2023 at 11:07 AM, AZ54 said:

I certainly wouldn’t trade a pick for a backup talent.

Right and that’s why Houston and Ngokue are being mentioned.  

 

On 7/13/2023 at 12:13 PM, BearFan PHX said:

Poles has shown the discipline not to fill holes with players who dont fit his long term plans.

He was willing to experiment with former first round talented players last year to see if they could potentially fill a hole.  Of those he signed last year (Harry, Reiff, Taco Charlton and Leatherwood) only Leatherwood remains. I like the concept especially if they are on those ‘cheap’ one year deals.  Similar to what I think a player like Houston or Ngokue would be should they be picked up.  

[AZ54]

Dave Kaplan popped off yesterday that the Bears are seriously looking at signing another edge rusher.  If they are they aren't too serious about it or it would be done.  I agree with Kap, at this point we're basically working off the scrap heap of whoever is left.  Then he adds that we want to add someone ASAP which is totally contradictory to our actions unless we're still quietly working on a trade.   

 

[Stinger226]

All vets are now hungry enough to commit to a team because they didn't get what they wanted. Dave Wannsted told the story that they signed Charles Haley 8 days before their first game their SB year. Odds are slim but the two names that could help, everyone knows. I would like to think their working on a trade. Minnesota is diving into a rebuilding year and maybe Danielle Hunter could be worked out. We have 2 extra picks, 4 th next year and 2 nd in 2025. Maybe that would work.

[BearFan PHX]

I think they have a list of guys they will roll with but not overpay for, and Poles is being patient, and will sign the last guy unsigned that is still on his list for the least $.

[Stinger226]

7 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

I think they have a list of guys they will roll with but not overpay for, and Poles is being patient, and will sign the last guy unsigned that is still on his list for the least $.

Actually I admire that he isn't signing big contracts for free agents. This year, the only one he paid was Edmunds. If he thinks it's going to be a core player, he may do that. I always seen teams go out in free agency and have  a big signing yr and then have most of those signing fail to live up to it. He needs to be sensible because in two yrs Fields will be getting 50 mil a year.

[BearFan PHX]

I saw an article about Yannick Ngakoue today where he has apparently changed his tune from wanting to go to a contender, to wanting to be on any NFL roster that will have him. That's his new public stance as of a couple days ago (or sooner) I guess.

Im not saying whether we would want him, or hes a good fit or anything. I'm just noting it as evidence of how this is the week that players soften their asks.

Poles obviously didnt want to pay top dollar and long term deals to anyone that's available or he already would have. If Nick Bosa or similar had been available, Poles would have signed him early in free agency.

So we know that everyone on the available list isnt int he long terms plans of the Bears, and it might take until this time in the season for some players to accept the kind of deal that Poles probably wants to offer.

And like i said earlier, if you have two or three guys rated evenly, you let the market pay for the players on that list until the last one you wanted is the only one left, and then you pay them less than the guy that went right before them. That's just being fiscally responsible.

All this to say that I do expect them to sign an edge rusher in the next week or two. I wouldnt be shocked if it was Justin Houston, but Poles has shown that he surprises us too, so I'll just wait and see who it is.

[adam]

Another name is Justin Houston, played in KC with Poles. Won't break the bank or be looking for a long term deal at his age. Had 9.5 sacks and an INT last year.

His sack totals for the last 6 years: 9.5, 4.5, 8, 11, 9, and 9.5. 

compare to Ngakoue's: 9.5, 10, 8, 8, 9.5, 12

Outside of Houston's bad 2021, their sacks totals are identical for the other 5 years (interesting).

Obviously Houston's age is the biggest issue. 

I would not be opposed to a multi-year deal for Ngakoue (2-3 years). 

 

Just one vet Edge really changes the landscape of the entire line and defense by bumping the other guys down the depth chart where they would be better suited. The Edge group would still be one of the worst in the league, but more like bottom 1/3 vs dead last.

[Mongo3451]

4 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

I saw an article about Yannick Ngakoue today where he has apparently changed his tune from wanting to go to a contender, to wanting to be on any NFL roster that will have him. That's his new public stance as of a couple days ago (or sooner) I guess.

He could be a good bargaining chip at trade deadline.