Options Options Options

[Lake Shore Drive]

We're just three weekends away from crowning a new SB champion, then immediately afterward all hell breaks loose with guessing which teams hold onto or release their veteran players, guessing which free agents could be signed, and of course the seemingly endless number of mock drafts. In the meantime, the one certainty we Bears fans can count on, regardless who wins the trophy, is that the Bears will have plenty of options once the offseason formally commences. In fact, one can say that Chicago will be the options capital of the (NFL) world.

Options as to who sticks with the Bears and who doesn't.
Options as to which free agents Poles targets.
Options as to what Poles does with the #1 pick.
Options as to what Poles does with the #9 pick.

Stay tuned Bears faithful, this should get interesting.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Welp, the Super Bowl is now behind us. A hearty congratulations to the Chiefs on that dramatic OT dub and second consecutive trophy. This is truly their golden age.

Now we turn our attention to those multitude of options that Poles has before him, with the biggest one being whether he holds onto the 1st pick and takes a QB, undoubtedly Williams, or if he trades it back for a haul that could be even better than last year's. And of course before the draft, there will be free agent signings, player extensions and player cuts, so there will be a ton of sub-options there.

I'm heading to the Strip for a couple of days, so when I'm back I'll start exploring all these options. Should be a fun offseason.

 

[cwalke3408]

Intriguing

WR Brian Thomas Jr. - LSU
6'4 / 205 lbs / JR

 

[Jiddy]

Now we turn our attention to those multitude of options that Poles has before him

You know what I hope happens this offsesason so bad?

That we get Hard Knocks.

I was reading a bit that this is still open for us this offseason and one redditor comment caught my eye about how nice it would be to see what Eberflus is really like outside of the press conferences.

I swear the dude is so goddamn vanilla. I would f*cking lose my sh*t if he was flipping table behind the scenes. That would be top notch viewing for at least this Bear fan. Or, if he is that boring, trying to just understand why the players love him so much?

*shrugs* One can only hope for such entertainment.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

So as I've previously mentioned, we have a number of options, ranging from free agency to contract renewals, team cuts, and of course the draft. Altho free agency and how Poles handles both this and roster issues obviously comes first, without question the number one concern for just about every Bears fan and a large slice of NFL fans in general is what happens to that 1st pick in the draft.

Do we keep the pick and use it on a QB, most likely Williams?
Do we keep the pick but use it on a player in a different position, such as WR MHJ?
Do we trade back for a possible draft haul?

All this and we haven't even touched on roster cuts, contract renewals/extensions, or free agency.
Options options options. Time to start delving into such.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

As to the options of which players to keep or cut, the going thought is these three are definitely toast:

S Eddie Jackson
C/G Cody Whitehair
C Lucas Patrick

The first two in particular will be huge cap savings. Others are on the bubble, such as WRs Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones, DTs Justin Jones, Rasheem Greene. In fact, no position is immune from possible roster cuts.

The one must-keep has to be Jaylon Johnson. My guess is he will initially be tagged, then hopefully followed by a formal extension.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

As to the options of which players to keep or cut, the going thought is these three are definitely toast:

S Eddie Jackson
C/G Cody Whitehair
C Lucas Patrick

I'm guessing Patrick survived this initial cut until Poles signs a FA center and/or drafts one.

 

[Jiddy]

I'm guessing Patrick survived this initial cut until Poles signs a FA center and/or drafts one.

inb4 *Ryan Poles is re-signing Cody Whitehair for the vet minimum* "This time he's going to work at center, I promise."

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

You know what I hope happens this offsesason so bad?

That we get Hard Knocks.

I was reading a bit that this is still open for us this offseason and one redditor comment caught my eye about how nice it would be to see what Eberflus is really like outside of the press conferences.

I swear the dude is so goddamn vanilla. I would f*cking lose my sh*t if he was flipping table behind the scenes. That would be top notch viewing for at least this Bear fan. Or, if he is that boring, trying to just understand why the players love him so much?

*shrugs* One can only hope for such entertainment.

Nah, that’s a distraction for the players.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

This article shows why the Jackson/Whitehair cuts were not just anticipated, but sorely required to help maintain some positive cap space:

Eddie Jackson, Cody Whitehair release signals start of next phase of Ryan Poles' rebuild

Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair served their purpose in Ryan Poles’ rebuild, but they weren’t going to be part of the plan going forward at their respective cap numbers.

www.nbcsportschicago.com

Funny how at initial glance it appears that the Bears are sitting in the neighborhood of $68mil in cap space. But.....

With Jackson and Whitehair gone, the Bears now have no players on their roster who were drafted before 2020. The Bears are estimated to have around $68 million in cap space, but after taking out the money slotted in for the 2024 draft class and full 51-man roster, their effective cap space sits at around $55 million. Once you take out some money for in-season ($5-$7 million) and the likely franchise tag for Jaylon Johnson ($18 million), the Bears will be around $30 million, maybe slightly less, for free agency.

Suddenly doesn't seem like we have a ton of money to spend on FAs this year, does it? Now imagine that budget with Jackson & Whitehair still on the roster.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

There are four positions where there is a starter spot to be filled: DE, WR, C, S. You might even suggest other units such as DT, OL, TE, or RB, but at least with these latter four, we technically have them already manned, altho there's always room for improvement. But it's those first four where Poles can actually fit in a new starter, whether it's thru FA, draft, trades, or signing some other teams' cuts. As my post above has shown, there isn't as much FA money that will be available as was the situation last year.

Poles will need to be a bit more selective, perhaps stretch the budget a bit with inking a bargain or two. Both the center and safety positions could be had with relatively cheaper signings. One advantage of going this route is it frees up opportunities for drafting those other two key spots. To me at least, it's obvious Poles won't be able to afford any top of the line DE/Edge or WR, that is without using up just about all of the budget. Financially, it would be wiser for him to concentrate on these premium positions via the draft. Naturally there could also be some bargain opportunities even at these spots. But it would be nice to see him concentrate his efforts at grabbing coveted college talent while the gettin' is cheap.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

As it stands, the Bears have only six picks in the draft. This will likely change as it draws closer and on draft day itself. One thing's for certain, either Poles trades the #1 pick for a potential mega haul, depending on which team he'd trade with, or he trades Fields, which should result in at least a couple of picks added to the pot.

Then there's the much less discussed #9 spot. This could also generate some added draft capital if Poles finds a team wanting a particular player still on the board at that point. Assuming he stays put, there should be several players on the board who would fill a big need for us. I'm immediately eliminating QBs Williams, Maye, and Daniels, as well as WR MHJ. Those should be the top four players taken. Here are my personal top picks (pre-combine) who I'd love to see available at #9, listed in order of want:

Rome Odunze, WR
Malik Nabers, WR
Brock Bowers, TE
Laiatu Latu, DE/Edge
Dallas Turner, DE/Edge
Jared Verse, DE/Edge
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT
Joe Alt, OT
Taliese Fuaga, OT

You can see my positional priorities here. I'm hoping one of those first three receivers are still on the board, but the demand for such talent is strong, so it wouldn't shock me if all three are gone. The D side should be easier to fill and in fact all three of those DE/Edge players should still be there. I'm just not sure if Poles feels the same or instead prefers someone from the OL. One or two of those guys could still be around at that point.

 

[cwalke3408]

As it stands, the Bears have only six picks in the draft. This will likely change as it draws closer and on draft day itself. One thing's for certain, either Poles trades the #1 pick for a potential mega haul, depending on which team he'd trade with, or he trades Fields, which should result in at least a couple of picks added to the pot.

Then there's the much less discussed #9 spot. This could also generate some added draft capital if Poles finds a team wanting a particular player still on the board at that point. Assuming he stays put, there should be several players on the board who would fill a big need for us. I'm immediately eliminating QBs Williams, Maye, and Daniels, as well as WR MHJ. Those should be the top four players taken. Here are my personal top picks (pre-combine) who I'd love to see available at #9, listed in order of want:

Rome Odunze, WR
Malik Nabers, WR
Brock Bowers, TE
Laiatu Latu, DE/Edge
Dallas Turner, DE/Edge
Jared Verse, DE/Edge
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT
Joe Alt, OT
Taliese Fuaga, OT

You can see my positional priorities here. I'm hoping one of those first three receivers are still on the board, but the demand for such talent is strong, so it wouldn't shock me if all three are gone. The D side should be easier to fill and in fact all three of those DE/Edge players should still be there. I'm just not sure if Poles feels the same or instead prefers someone from the OL. One or two of those guys could still be around at that point.

Would be nice if Odunze or Nabers fall to #9.
TE at #9 would be an interesting addition.
Dallas Turner would be worth the #9 pick but idk about the rest of the DE class

What would our OL starting lineup look like next year if we're drafting one at #9? Do we grab a rookie OT and start them on the inside while we still have Braxton Jones for 2 years?

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Would be nice if Odunze or Nabers fall to #9.
TE at #9 would be an interesting addition.
Dallas Turner would be worth the #9 pick but idk about the rest of the DE class

What would our OL starting lineup look like next year if we're drafting one at #9? Do we grab a rookie OT and start them on the inside while we still have Braxton Jones for 2 years?

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Odunze, Nabers, or even Bowers were taken ahead of the 9th pick. Hopefully one of them would still be there and if so, I'd like to see Poles select him. If not, there's either the DE/Edge or OT for the taking. As for not liking any other DE/Edge except Turner, I'd encourage you to watch some game tape on Latu. For a guy his size he has deceptive quickness off the snap, fights off the block really well, can fall back in coverage when needed, plays equally well off the RT or LT. His big drawback is the injury history, which caused him to miss a couple of seasons. But he's bounced back big time. This doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy if Poles selected Turner, I'm only saying we have another solid option at this position.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Dallas Turner would be worth the #9 pick

Speaking of Turner...........

2024 NFL Draft: Dallas Turner scouting report

WCG’s lead draft analyst breaks down one of the top defenders in the 2024 NFL Draft.

www.windycitygridiron.com

Top positive:
Turner is the best speed rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A questionable negative:
Because of his athleticism and lack of top-notch play strength with his hand in the dirt, Turner projects best as a stand-up outside linebacker in a base 3-4 system.

I use the word questionable because who's to say he couldn't easily adapt to a 4-3 alignment. Besides, there's such a swirl when it comes to claiming teams operate strictly one way or the other.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Pick #9 is fast becoming the more discussed of our two 1st round picks. If we are going QB with our 1st pick and with each passing day it looks more and more so, then #9 immediately becomes the focus as to what direction the Bears take with respect to using the pick or trading it. Here's a take on landing Joe Alt with it:

Bears Insider Thinks Ryan Poles May Hatch A Surprise At #9 Pick

Ryan Poles isn't afraid to deviate from what everybody expects in the draft. He might do exactly that at #9 overall.

www.sportsmockery.com

I've said before that if the top three WR and perhaps TE Brock Bowers are all off the board by #9, then it's pretty much wide open as to who Poles takes and at which position. It's a given that whether he opts for taking a player from the OL or DL, there should easily be a choice of talent from which to choose. I'd hope that he would focus on the DE/Edge spot, as by position it's a greater need. But then again maybe this will already be addressed in free agency, who knows. Plus we've learned from the previous draft that come hell or high water, Poles chooses by BPA, and if a tackle such as Alt is ranked ahead of anyone on defense, then that's who he'll take.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

We often see some crazy ass trade up/trade down scenarios when it comes to the draft. Here's one that's at least somewhat grounded in reality:

Bears mock draft: Ryan Poles trades back for extra pick

Poles still manages to add a big-time pass catcher despite the trade back, too.

www.nbcsportschicago.com

No question that the Bears having the first pick dominates all potential trade talks in this year's draft, the 2nd mosty discussed scenario isn't even close. But assuming Poles does stick with the pick, then our #9 becomes very intriguing, with any number of possibilities. You have to think that the only reason for the Raiders to seek such a trade is due to one of the QBs they covet remains on the board. For those who won't want to bother reading the article, the proposed trade is the Raiders surrender pick #s 13 & 44 for the Bears 9 & 111. From the draft value chart standpoint, the Bears do benefit, but not by all that much. Besides, assuming the Raiders do have a shot at grabbing a QB, my guess is they won't mind at all not receiving true equal value.

I'm more jazzed by the players the Bears select, altho I question if both would be there at those respective spots. At #13, we take TE Brock Bowers and at 44 we select Bralen Trice. Those would be two nice grabs if they'd be available.

 

[NCChiFan]

We often see some crazy ass trade up/trade down scenarios when it comes to the draft. Here's one that's at least somewhat grounded in reality:

Bears mock draft: Ryan Poles trades back for extra pick

Poles still manages to add a big-time pass catcher despite the trade back, too.

www.nbcsportschicago.com

No question that the Bears having the first pick dominates all potential trade talks in this year's draft, the 2nd mosty discussed scenario isn't even close. But assuming Poles does stick with the pick, then our #9 becomes very intriguing, with any number of possibilities. You have to think that the only reason for the Raiders to seek such a trade is due to one of the QBs they covet remains on the board. For those who won't want to bother reading the article, the proposed trade is the Raiders surrender pick #s 13 & 44 for the Bears 9 & 111. From the draft value chart standpoint, the Bears do benefit, but not by all that much. Besides, assuming the Raiders do have a shot at grabbing a QB, my guess is they won't mind at all not receiving true equal value.

I'm more jazzed by the players the Bears select, altho I question if both would be there at those respective spots. At #13, we take TE Brock Bowers and at 44 we select Bralen Trice. Those would be two nice grabs if they'd be available.

Sure, lets pretend that happens, where is the trade for picks for Justin Fields... Surely at the minimum a Second rounder. Could even be a first round pick late. >shrugs<

ESPN has a rule with the "draft guys" first drafts... No Trades, all picks at the Team's original spots only. >shrugs<

 

[averagejoe]

Peter King wrote his last column (retiring). He did speculate that the Bears trade #1 pick and keep Fields.
Some other dude wrote that the Bears trade the #9 pick too.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Sure, lets pretend that happens, where is the trade for picks for Justin Fields... Surely at the minimum a Second rounder. Could even be a first round pick late. >shrugs<

ESPN has a rule with the "draft guys" first drafts... No Trades, all picks at the Team's original spots only. >shrugs<

That scenario made no mention of the Fields trade. So it's easy to assume that somewhere in the mix would also be the draft pick for Fields, likely a second rounder. Nothing wrong whatsoever with having two 2nd round picks in this talented draft, especially when we remember that our surrendered 2nd round netted us Montez Sweat. And if I'm around during day 2 of the draft, I'm gonna make sure that when it's time for the #40 pick in the draft to be announced, that I'll post Sweat's name in here.