Report: Bears will take serious run on TE Austin Hooper

Drone7 · Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:25 pm

It'll be amusing to watch IE's reaction if the Packers sign Never Kwit

Wed Mar 04, 2020 7:23 pm

IE wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:17 pm Also... what's it worth to keep Hooper off of the Packers, since Graham is leaving? Let them have Ebron, and he can drop game winning throws from 12.

I don’t know that I’d automatically assume Hooper wouldn’t just outright choose the Packers over the Bears.

Drone7 · Wed Mar 04, 2020 7:26 pm

Packers have the most talented thrower to ever come down the pike.

IE · Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:42 am

Drone7 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:25 pm It'll be amusing to watch IE's reaction if the Packers sign Never Kwit

I really think we'd not like that. He'd have a chip. And I do see him as kind of a Clay lite, with his motor. Damn I hate you for saying that. LOL

IE · Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:49 am

wab wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 7:23 pm
IE wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:17 pm Also... what's it worth to keep Hooper off of the Packers, since Graham is leaving? Let them have Ebron, and he can drop game winning throws from 12.
I don’t know that I’d automatically assume Hooper wouldn’t just outright choose the Packers over the Bears.

True - who'd you want with the ball if you were a receiver? Get the QB situation right and it brings other advantages, right?

Someone hook Austin up with the scary similar Brees/Trubisky trajectory stats - quick!

G08 · Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:45 pm

I'm starting to accept that it will be Eric Ebron on a two year, $18 million dollar deal with $8M guaranteed.

Then we'll draft a kid to groom.

AZ_Bearfan · Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:59 pm

I would be fine with that. I know a lot of people have issues with Ebron, but he should be fine for a year while we groom a rookie like Hopkins.

Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:05 pm

I think Hooper goes to Houston. I don’t know why, just a hunch.

dplank · Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:45 am

Seeing what Watson has done for Darren Fells would make any TE want to go there I'd think.

IE · Fri Mar 06, 2020 9:08 am

Yeah - I think Hooper is just a pipe dream. A guy can dream, though - right?

I do believe Pace is going to run with Burton & The Jags. With a few exceptions, and those are not available, for the most part QBs make the TE and not the other way around. So I think Pace is going to save his FA dry powder for where it is more needed on defense, maybe Oline and especially at QB.

G08 · Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:05 am

If Pace is going to run with Burton & The Jags, I'd certainly hope they bring in a Tyler Eifert or someone with potential upside at the low cost.

IE · Fri Mar 06, 2020 1:32 pm

How could anyone consider Eiffert to have more un-tapped potential upside than Jesper Horsted? Eiffert doesn't block, is always injured, and although he has better consistent hands than Ebron still has a sub-70% catch rate. Although I do admit - 10 could overlook and not throw to Eiffert just as well as anyone.

G08 · Sat Mar 07, 2020 1:53 pm

From another board...

WindyCity wrote:
Scouts Honor [Paul Crane] podcast with David Te Thomas

-Hooper could command up to 15 million/season.

-Cincy all ready granted permission and Chicago has spoken to Dalton.

-Thinks Hooper ends up in Chicago who want to move on from Burton because of the injuries.

-GB could be the main competition.

HisRoyalSweetness · Mon Mar 09, 2020 2:22 pm

2020 NFL free agency: Eight players who could be overpriced
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... verpriced

Austin Hooper, tight end: Hooper is a consistent producer with strong hands. But is he a difference maker? Market dynamics suggest that Hooper will be paid like a superstar this offseason even though the team that knows him best is comfortable replacing him. It is increasingly rare to see a quality young tight end hit free agency and Hooper is essentially the only prime option this offseason, with the Chargers poised to keep Hunter Henry in Los Angeles. This could make Hooper among the highest-paid players at his position despite not being a top-five talent.

Hooper has averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch combined over the last two years on an offense where he's not seeing any double teams. He's a plus starter, but lacks the dynamic blocking or big-play threat that would make him a top-tier talent.

G08 · Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:12 pm

One more week. One more week..

RichH55 · Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:01 pm

wab wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 11:31 am When you are a team with holes and limited financial resources...yes, you can spend too much on one position. Even if it is for one year.

This is a pretty bad take.....it just doesn't take into account much of anything. The one year thing is particularly missing how math works

HurricaneBear · Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:17 am

Hooper is not a special, generational type player. So don’t pay him like he is one. Since he’s going to be paid that way the Bears need to stay far, far away. Pretty simple for me. Doesn’t matter who else is on the Bears roster.

RichH55 · Thu Mar 12, 2020 11:39 am

HurricaneBear wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:17 am Hooper is not a special, generational type player. So don’t pay him like he is one. Since he’s going to be paid that way the Bears need to stay far, far away. Pretty simple for me. Doesn’t matter who else is on the Bears roster.

That's a fair take

dplank · Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:52 pm

Yea I've kinda changed my mind on this...seems to me that in order to have a great offense you need 1 of 2 things...

1) A Top 5 QB -- OR --
2) A Top 5 OL

One can mask a deficiency in the other, but no amount of skill at other positions can shine if you don't have one of these two things. Translating to our situation...finding a Top 5 QB w/o a very high 1st round pick is extremely difficult, and no sane person would project Trubisky to be a Top 5 guy next season. So I lean towards big spending on our OL as it seems more feasible to improve in a big way if we just get a little creative.