Draft Season is Already Upon Us

[dplank]

I’m increasingly happy I don’t have to make this decision lol

Everyone here is equally as happy you don't get to make it as well.

Poles is the first GM since Finks that I feel has the ability to make the right choice.

You mean you don't wish Getsy was our HC?

[BreadNCircuses]

I've seen multiple "insiders" leaking certainty of the Bears intentions/next steps for the #1 pick.

And, none of them are saying the same thing.

Obviously, "insiders" are at best useful idiots, but if I were Poles, I'd have trouble thinking of a way to better purposefully seed misinformation and potentially drive up the value of the #1 pick for a trade than what he's been doing.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I've seen multiple "insiders" leaking certainty of the Bears intentions/next steps for the #1 pick.

And, none of them are saying the same thing.

Obviously, "insiders" are at best useful idiots, but if I were Poles, I'd have trouble thinking of a way to better purposefully seed misinformation and potentially drive up the value of the #1 pick for a trade than what he's been doing.

The only "inside knowledge" these people have is of their own colon.

[Arkansasbear]

I've seen multiple "insiders" leaking certainty of the Bears intentions/next steps for the #1 pick.

And, none of them are saying the same thing.

Obviously, "insiders" are at best useful idiots, but if I were Poles, I'd have trouble thinking of a way to better purposefully seed misinformation and potentially drive up the value of the #1 pick for a trade than what he's been doing.

I agree. The more talk of using the #1 pick, the a team thinks they have to pay for it.


Same thing if he wanted to trade Justin we’d be hearing how much they love him and what he means for the team. That way teams that can’t get a top QB this year would believe they had to pay a premium to get Poles to trade him.

[HurricaneBear]

I"m SO ready to get to the point we know the answer.

I'm not im thoroughly enjoying this. Right now we are debating which future league MVP QB we want to draft or build around in Williams and Fields.

Once the decisions made, the Bears will inevitably find a way to fuck it up while the other option shines and we will be miserable.

Yes, very much enjoying the number 1 pick debates right now. This is our Super Bowl

[Arkansasbear]

I"m SO ready to get to the point we know the answer.

I'm not im thoroughly enjoying this. Right now we are debating which future league MVP QB we want to draft or build around in Williams and Fields.

Once the decisions made, the Bears will inevitably find a way to fuck it up while the other option shines and we will be miserable.

Yes, very much enjoying the number 1 pick debates right now. This is our Super Bowl

There is the aspect of “hope” we get to enjoy now.

[Noots]

Once we're past the SB this Sunday, we'll have a serious amount of time on our hands until the draft. Between here and there:

2/28-3/6: NFL Scouting Combine
03/07: Tenders due for Franchise and Transitions
03/13-03/15: FA Negotiation window opens.

So we've got an entire month until we see some FAs get added, and then another month or so until the draft.
We're going to be climbing the walls.
Gotta wonder how the FA period impacts the draft for us. We will see. Let's hope the JJ situation is put to bed early so we're able to go forward and do other stuff that's needed.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

So we've got an entire month until we see some FAs get added, and then another month or so until the draft.
We're going to be climbing the walls.

Just enough time to add another 200 pages to the Justin Fields Megathread!

[Arkansasbear]

Once we're past the SB this Sunday, we'll have a serious amount of time on our hands until the draft. Between here and there:

2/28-3/6: NFL Scouting Combine
03/07: Tenders due for Franchise and Transitions
03/13-03/15: FA Negotiation window opens.

So we've got an entire month until we see some FAs get added, and then another month or so until the draft.
We're going to be climbing the walls.
Gotta wonder how the FA period impacts the draft for us. We will see. Let's hope the JJ situation is put to bed early so we're able to go forward and do other stuff that's needed.

They invented something to help with that. The call them bars.

[Grizzled]

The Bears are reportedly telling teams they need to pony up a "historic" package to move up to #1. Here are all the trades for the #1 pick since 1967. The prices, though, have gone up astronomically:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/354 ... nged-teams

[HurricaneBear]

Exactly as Poles should be. Whether he prefers Justin or Caleb or another, this is the right thing to tell teams. If Caleb is what they say he is, it won't scare teams from coming after him if that's what Poles wants. And if Poles does want Caleb, this is still the right move because desperate GMs can do dumb things at any time.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Charles Tillman's pearls of wisdom on the first overall pick (12:08):

[Arkansasbear]

Charles Tillman's pearls of wisdom on the first overall pick (12:08):

Thanks for giving me another reason to love Peanut.

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Dane Brugler has updated his top 100 pre-combine.

https://theathletic.com/5270481/2024/02 ... s-top-100/

Here is the top 10:

1. Caleb WIlliams
2. Marvin Harrison Jr.
3. Malik Nabers
4. Drake Maye
5. Brock Bowers
6. Joe Alt
7. Rome Odunze
8. Jayden Daniels
9. Olu Fashanu
10. Terrion Arnold

[Moriarty]

Dane Brugler has updated his top 100 pre-combine.

https://theathletic.com/5270481/2024/02 ... s-top-100/

Here is the top 10:

1. Caleb WIlliams
2. Marvin Harrison Jr.
3. Malik Nabers
4. Drake Maye
5. Brock Bowers
6. Joe Alt
7. Rome Odunze
8. Jayden Daniels
9. Olu Fashanu
10. Terrion Arnold

A few eyebrow raisers:

Cs Frazier and Maxx Powers-Johnson very high
Kinchens inexplicably low
Mason McCormick edging into Day 2

[wab]

I do love me some Mason McCormick, but R2 feels pretty rich. R3/4 seems right, but who knows. I expect a metric shit ton of OL to go off the board in the first two rounds because there is a pretty significant drop off after that.

[thunderspirit]

I do love me some Mason McCormick, but R2 feels pretty rich. R3/4 seems right, but who knows. I expect a metric shit ton of OL to go off the board in the first two rounds because there is a pretty significant drop off after that.

They invited a ton of O-linemen to the Combine this year.

And yeah, round 2 seems really rich for McCormick, or really for any FCS lineman. But then, Cole Strange.

[Arkansasbear]

Dane Brugler has updated his top 100 pre-combine.

https://theathletic.com/5270481/2024/02 ... s-top-100/

Here is the top 10:

1. Caleb WIlliams
2. Marvin Harrison Jr.
3. Malik Nabers
4. Drake Maye
5. Brock Bowers
6. Joe Alt
7. Rome Odunze
8. Jayden Daniels
9. Olu Fashanu
10. Terrion Arnold

A few eyebrow raisers:

Cs Frazier and Maxx Powers-Johnson very high
Kinchens inexplicably low
Mason McCormick edging into Day 2

So I cant' see behind the paywall (I blow so much money in various streaming services, I just can't stomach another), but Powers-Johnson appears to be skyrocketing in lots of peoples evaluations. Might need to somehow get into the early 20s to have a shot at him.

[Grizzled]

Good article on co-director of player personnel Jeff King. He was the one pushing for the signing of Bagent. His pre-draft evaluations of QBs might be key to what happens:

https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-b ... aluations/

[otis]

Good article on co-director of player personnel Jeff King. He was the one pushing for the signing of Bagent. His pre-draft evaluations of QBs might be key to what happens:

https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-b ... aluations/

i was wondering about that. the bears were savvy enough to see bagents potential then they may be savvy enough to draft a first qb. OR not draft one and ride with fields. i feel pretty good about either way they go. hopefully for fields but then, he's costs more. i just wish there wasn't so much doubt/ red flags about williams. figures there no manning or burrow in this draft...

[Grizzled]

Going back to 2009, the breakdown of offensive and defensive picks in the 1st rounds. Usually pretty even but a couple of years in which one was picked more heavily than the other. This year, though, there is the possibility of there being even more disparity with offensive players reaching 20 or possibly more. 4 to 5 QBs, 4 to 6 WRs, 5 or 6 OTs, 2 Gs, 1 C, 1 TE.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

For anyone who might be interested:



https://www.chicagobears.com/fan-zone/d ... yKvburUbA0

[Grizzled]

How much will teams hold back from trading for #1 after seeing the Panthers' experiences last draft and this season? Give up a highly valuable piece on offense, 2 high draft picks last year, one this year, and another in '25, limiting their abilities to build around Young?

[wab]

How much will teams hold back from trading for #1 after seeing the Panthers' experiences last draft and this season? Give up a highly valuable piece on offense, 2 high draft picks last year, one this year, and another in '25, limiting their abilities to build around Young?

Bryce Young is not Caleb Williams.

Young wasn't even universally considered the best QB in his draft class. The Panthers got it wrong. Other teams front offices are also going to believe they are better at their jobs than the Panthers.

[Grizzled]

How much will teams hold back from trading for #1 after seeing the Panthers' experiences last draft and this season? Give up a highly valuable piece on offense, 2 high draft picks last year, one this year, and another in '25, limiting their abilities to build around Young?

Bryce Young is not Caleb Williams.

Young wasn't even universally considered the best QB in his draft class. The Panthers got it wrong. Other teams front offices are also going to believe they are better at their jobs than the Panthers.

Plus teams work themselves into absolute frenzies before the draft.

[wulfy]

How much will teams hold back from trading for #1 after seeing the Panthers' experiences last draft and this season? Give up a highly valuable piece on offense, 2 high draft picks last year, one this year, and another in '25, limiting their abilities to build around Young?

Bryce Young is not Caleb Williams.

Young wasn't even universally considered the best QB in his draft class. The Panthers got it wrong. Other teams front offices are also going to believe they are better at their jobs than the Panthers.

There was a lot of buzz that Frank Reich lobbied hard for them to draft Stroud and it was the beginning of the falling out between him and the Panthers organization. Reich always likes bigger, pocket passers vs whatever Young is (poor man's Kyler Murray?)

[wab]

Bryce Young is not Caleb Williams.

Young wasn't even universally considered the best QB in his draft class. The Panthers got it wrong. Other teams front offices are also going to believe they are better at their jobs than the Panthers.

There was a lot of buzz that Frank Reich lobbied hard for them to draft Stroud and it was the beginning of the falling out between him and the Panthers organization. Reich always likes bigger, pocket passers vs whatever Young is (poor man's Kyler Murray?)

Yep. And if they would have listened to Reich, he'd still have a job.

[dplank]

I'm not sure how great Stroud would have been in Carolina. Circumstances matter a lot. Young may very well end up a good player, just impossible to tell given the shit show that guy had to play through last year.

[wab]

I'm not sure how great Stroud would have been in Carolina. Circumstances matter a lot. Young may very well end up a good player, just impossible to tell given the shit show that guy had to play through last year.

I don't think Young is still a starter by year 3.

[wulfy]

I'm not sure how great Stroud would have been in Carolina. Circumstances matter a lot. Young may very well end up a good player, just impossible to tell given the shit show that guy had to play through last year.

I don't think Young is still a starter by year 3.

He’s already in the Justin “wasn’t drafted by this regime” Camp. And he doesn’t have JF1’s tools.