What do we do at number 9?

[BsGenius]

Pick 9 is a pick that Poles MUST get right

I agree completely.

Do you swing for the fences and risk striking out?
Or just settle for a double to win the game?

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

So in the latest Windy City Gridiron 2 rd mock draft scenario, the writer has the Steelers swapping three of their picks for three of ours:

2023 NFL 2-round mock draft: Trades galore!

WCG’s Lead Draft Analyst has the Bears trading back in his latest 2-round NFL mock draft.

www.windycitygridiron.com

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Bears via Panthers, projected trade): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

The Steelers, surprised that Johnson fell out of the top 8, give up picks No. 17, 32 and 49 for Chicago’s picks No. 9, 61 and 64 in order to acquire the standout offensive tackle to protect Kenny Pickett for the long haul.

From a sheer numbers standpoint, the swaps come out relatively balanced via the draft value chart formula, so no issue there. Naturally I'm a bit curious as to why the Steelers feel the need of moving up to grab PJJ or conversely why Poles isn't so sold on him that he has no problems losing out. And the reasoning of the Steelers being surprised he falls out of the top 8 rings a bit hollow, being there are few, if any mock drafts from the dozens out there having an OL taken in the top 8. But whatever. So who do the Bears take at 17?

17. Chicago Bears (via Steelers, projected trade): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

The Bears move back, end up with three top-50 picks in total and acquire the best true right tackle in the 2023 draft. Wright is a mammoth of a blocker with tremendous anchor strength and sneaky good athleticism, especially for his size. He would start right away at a premium position that just so happens to arguably be Chicago’s biggest need.

No problemo baby, we get one of the fast rising OTs in the draft and are now in line for picks 32 & 49. Honestly, it's a scenario I really don't see happening, to me it makes little sense from the Steelers' standpoint. But shit, I'd take it in a heartbeat if there's even a hint of possibility.

If he trades back and ends up with Wright, I would consider that a master class in drafting. I’m hoping Carter drops to us because I think he was just a dumb kid doing something he thought was harmless and learned otherwise. We all make mistakes at that age and it’s not like he did anything malicious. The 9 pounds gained in the combine makes a lot of sense given the weight of what happened to him.

 

[wood20ks]

If he trades back and ends up with Wright, I would consider that a master class in drafting. I’m hoping Carter drops to us because I think he was just a dumb kid doing something he thought was harmless and learned otherwise. We all make mistakes at that age and it’s not like he did anything malicious. The 9 pounds gained in the combine makes a lot of sense given the weight of what happened to him.

You dont have to be a dumb kid to drag race,Im 60 and I drive my car at 140+,its the fact people died and he left.......only to show up two hours later......

I never left my buddy that crashed in a ditch after closing the bars at 2 in the mirning while we rode our bikes drunk as hell.....and we were not racing,just good old fashioned drinking and driving motorcycles shit faced.....only a world class piece of shit would leave your buddies behind.......and I was 21-22 yrs old.
So whats his excuse??

I wonder what you all would think if that was you left in the ditch.......to die??

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

If he trades back and ends up with Wright, I would consider that a master class in drafting. I’m hoping Carter drops to us because I think he was just a dumb kid doing something he thought was harmless and learned otherwise. We all make mistakes at that age and it’s not like he did anything malicious. The 9 pounds gained in the combine makes a lot of sense given the weight of what happened to him.

You dont have to be a dumb kid to drag race,Im 60 and I drive my car at 140+,its the fact people died and he left.......only to show up two hours later......

I never left my buddy that crashed in a ditch after closing the bars at 2 in the mirning while we rode our bikes drunk as hell.....and we were not racing,just good old fashioned drinking and driving motorcycles shit faced.....only a world class piece of shit would leave your buddies behind.......and I was 21-22 yrs old.
So whats his excuse??

I wonder what you all would think if that was you left in the ditch.......to die??

Yeah, while I agree with the general notion that youngins tend to do dumber things than when they age and realize what dumb things they did (case in point: me), I'm still having a tough time passing off Carter leaving the scene of that terrible crash as just a typical dumb kid move. And no matter what, when your immediate financial future is on the line, you DON'T show up 9lbs overweight and completely out of shape, especially when you already have somewhat of a rep of not practicing hard. There's simply no excuse for that, it shows an incredible disregard to his standing in the draft. Of course that being said, if by chance he falls to the 9 spot and Poles takes him, I'll become his biggest fan because he'll now be a Bear. He'll still be an idiot, but he'll be our idiot.

 

[wood20ks]

Yeah, while I agree with the general notion that youngins tend to do dumber things than when they age and realize what dumb things they did (case in point: me), I'm still having a tough time passing off Carter leaving the scene of that terrible crash as just a typical dumb kid move. And no matter what, when your immediate financial future is on the line, you DON'T show up 9lbs overweight and completely out of shape, especially when you already have somewhat of a rep of not practicing hard. There's simply no excuse for that, it shows an incredible disregard to his standing in the draft. Of course that being said, if by chance he falls to the 9 spot and Poles takes him, I'll become his biggest fan because he'll now be a Bear. He'll still be an idiot, but he'll be our idiot.

I understand the being out of shape,Im sure what has transpired from that accident did have something to do with that.......

Its also not against the law to help a crash victim out,no one says you have too.....But its your friends that he did that to.....
If me and the other two guys left the our buddy in that ditch with his lower leg shattered and left him to bleed out or a loss of that leg,you know how that would of been for us,we would have been ridiculed and looked down on the rest of our life for that,and Im 60......thats in excusable......plus the story he told pllice were untrue,so how can you trust a person lkke that,that thought more of himself than human life.......

Plus,I thinm the families of the two deceased are waiting for him to sign a contract and then go for a civil suit........and if they do,thry will hang ut up in the courtz long enough to see a contract extension for seek higher money.....karma is a bitch.

Im sure Polez has gone thru legal advice (and Im sure he has)of this and decides hes not worth it.......

Now if he does become a Bear,Im sure I can not hope the best for him.........so Ill never comment on anything good he does for us...........

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I understand the being out of shape,Im sure what has transpired from that accident did have something to do with that.......

Its also not against the law to help a crash victim out,no one says you have too.....But its your friends that he did that to.....
If me and the other two guys left the our buddy in that ditch with his lower leg shattered and left him to bleed out or a loss of that leg,you know how that would of been for us,we would have been ridiculed and looked down on the rest of our life for that,and Im 60......thats in excusable......plus the story he told pllice were untrue,so how can you trust a person lkke that,that thought more of himself than human life.......

Plus,I thinm the families of the two deceased are waiting for him to sign a contract and then go for a civil suit........and if they do,thry will hang ut up in the courtz long enough to see a contract extension for seek higher money.....karma is a bitch.

Im sure Polez has gone thru legal advice (and Im sure he has)of this and decides hes not worth it.......

Now if he does become a Bear,Im sure I can not hope the best for him.........so Ill never comment on anything good he does for us...........

I’m not so sure a civil suit would work. Do we know all of the details? I thought I read that the police said he never left the accident. I could be wrong though.

 

[wood20ks]

This is the story I read.......:

Top draft prospect Carter charged in fatal crash

Former Georgia star Jalen Carter, one of the top prospects in next month's NFL draft, has been charged with reckless driving and racing in conjunction with the crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staff member.

www.google.com

According to documents and recordings of 911 calls reviewed by the Journal-Constitution, at least two vehicles driven by Georgia football players had been at the scene, including the Jeep driven by Carter, who left the scene before police or emergency personnel arrived.

Carter returned to the scene less than two hours later, according to the paper, which reported that he was asked by police whether he had been racing the vehicle that crashed.

As far as the civil suit,he took place in a drag race,he was part of the problem.....
Im sure the families of the deceased can mot sur the university as they pretty much stole the car and broke the law of drag racing.....the vehicle was to be used as foe school activities......not drinking and driving and drag racing......someone will be paying,Id be willing to say Carter......we dont need that headache.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I understand the being out of shape,

See, I can't see that whatsoever. Remember, he already had to bag out of a number of drills on combine day due to attending his court hearing. His stock was already dropping at this point. He or at least his agent definitely knew pro day was his shot at some form of redemption. He should have been hitting the gym big time and laying low on the carbs during this period - assuming he even bothered training. Seriously, no excuses.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I was listening to an interview with Paris Johnson, Jr on SiriusXM - I think it was from a recent interview that they replayed. I'm telling you, this is a studious, hard working individual. Turns out he's a game film nut, and prided himself on making sure he took care of all his school work assignments and studies for any tests by Monday each week so that he could concentrate on preparing for his next opponent the rest of that week. Naturally he said on several occasions that he'd love to block for his former teammate. I'm also pretty sure when he's interviewing on other programs for specific teams who might end up drafting him that he'd love to play for them as well, kinda goes with the territory. But he really did wax on about the type of leader JF is and I definitely got the impression he'd be quite happy if the Bears chose him with the 9th pick.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I was listening to an interview with Paris Johnson, Jr on SiriusXM - I think it was from a recent interview that they replayed. I'm telling you, this is a studious, hard working individual. Turns out he's a game film nut, and prided himself on making sure he took care of all his school work assignments and studies for any tests by Monday each week so that he could concentrate on preparing for his next opponent the rest of that week. Naturally he said on several occasions that he'd love to block for his former teammate. I'm also pretty sure when he's interviewing on other programs for specific teams who might end up drafting him that he'd love to play for them as well, kinda goes with the territory. But he really did wax on about the type of leader JF is and I definitely got the impression he'd be quite happy if the Bears chose him with the 9th pick.

I’d be happy with him, but I think Poles is trading back the minute Carter is gone.

 

[wood20ks]

I’d be happy with him, but I think Poles is trading back the minute Carter is gone.

Im not much into tradinng down anymore,but I guess would not care if PJ AND Skoronski were still available at 9,that way we could still trade down a bit and still either player.......

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Im not much into tradinng down anymore,but I guess would not care if PJ AND Skoronski were still available at 9,that way we could still trade down a bit and still either player.......

Wright might be a solution as well.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I’d be happy with him, but I think Poles is trading back the minute Carter is gone.

You maybe onto something. The only caveat is there'd have to be a willing trading partner. But otherwise, I can see your scenario.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

You maybe onto something. The only caveat is there'd have to be a willing trading partner. But otherwise, I can see your scenario.

You know, I just read this article…

MSN

www.msn.com

And I might be completely wrong. Maybe he’s wanting carter to be there so a trade back is beneficial for the Steelers.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

You know, I just read this article…

MSN

www.msn.com

And I might be completely wrong. Maybe he’s wanting carter to be there so a trade back is beneficial for the Steelers.

Well for that matter, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Titans, Commanders, or even the Bucs wanting to swap spots with the Bears, depending on who's available at the time and who they're seeking to draft. I've always thought our best chance at maxing out a trade back is if one of the QBs remains on the board. But I can't rule out having Carter still on the board and if this too will entice a trade back with any number of teams. It's why despite us already trading our #1 pick, the situation still remains quite fluid as to Poles perhaps pulling off another or simply staying put and taking the BPA. I'm good with either scenario.

 

[wood20ks]

You know, I just read this article…

MSN

www.msn.com

And I might be completely wrong. Maybe he’s wanting carter to be there so a trade back is beneficial for the Steelers.

Well for that matter, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Titans, Commanders, or even the Bucs wanting to swap spots with the Bears, depending on who's available at the time and who they're seeking to draft. I've always thought our best chance at maxing out a trade back is if one of the QBs remains on the board. But I can't rule out having Carter still on the board and if this too will entice a trade back with any number of teams. It's why despite us already trading our #1 pick, the situation still remains quite fluid as to Poles perhaps pulling off another or simply staying put and taking the BPA. I'm good with either scenario.

I kinda looked thru what players are available at 9:

jalen carter
tyree wilson
christian gonzalez
paris johnson jr.
peter skoronski
lukas van ness
devon witherspoon
jaxson smith-njigba
broderick jones
darnell wright
calijah kancey
bryan bresse

Thats a nice list of players for another trade down......4 olinemen,4 dlineman still should be available.........I think Id be all for trading down again......dont think I wanna fall farther down than 17,possibly 18.......

Id be very happy to stay at 9,and be just as happy to trade down again if we some how could get an early second..........

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Here's an updated BPA ranking from Bears insider Josh Schrock:

Schrock's Bears Big Board 2.0: A new No. 1 and some fast risers

With one week to go, Bears Insider Josh Schrock releases a revamped big board with a new No. 1 player and several fast risers.

www.nbcsports.com

No OT has been rising faster up BPA boards all over the sports world than Darnell Wright of Tennessee. One reason I can see Poles going with this kid is if they are convinced that Braxton Jones should remain on the left side, being Wright has been strictly a RT. More interesting is that Schrock has Wright listed ahead of Tyree Wilson.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

No OT has been rising faster up BPA boards all over the sports world than Darnell Wright of Tennessee. One reason I can see Poles going with this kid is if they are convinced that Braxton Jones should remain on the left side, being Wright has been strictly a RT. More interesting is that Schrock has Wright listed ahead of Tyree Wilson.

And speaking of Wright's BPA rise......

NFL Draft 2023: Top 100 prospect rankings in a strong cornerback and offensive line class

Yahoo Sports NFL Draft expert Charles McDonald unveils his top 100 players ahead of next Thursday's first round.

sports.yahoo.com

#3? Now THAT's rising.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Here's an updated BPA ranking from Bears insider Josh Schrock:

Schrock's Bears Big Board 2.0: A new No. 1 and some fast risers

With one week to go, Bears Insider Josh Schrock releases a revamped big board with a new No. 1 player and several fast risers.

www.nbcsports.com

No OT has been rising faster up BPA boards all over the sports world than Darnell Wright of Tennessee. One reason I can see Poles going with this kid is if they are convinced that Braxton Jones should remain on the left side, being Wright has been strictly a RT. More interesting is that Schrock has Wright listed ahead of Tyree Wilson.

I’d still rather get Paris johnson Jr. If it came to the oline. Having two tackles that can adequately cover the blind side as a starter is the type of flexibility that great offensive lines have. You need that type of flexibility if you are going to need to provide the type of depth elite offensive lines have. If we have two starting quality LTs (One that plays RT), 2 starting quality Cs (One that plays G) then the rest of the line and its depth is easy. You can practically just get the BPA (in Free Agency and the Draft) to fill in the rest of the spots instead of taking an inferior player because they play a certain position.

 

[wood20ks]

I’d still rather get Paris johnson Jr. If it came to the oline. Having two tackles that can adequately cover the blind side as a starter is the type of flexibility that great offensive lines have. You need that type of flexibility if you are going to need to provide the type of depth elite offensive lines have. If we have two starting quality LTs (One that plays RT), 2 starting quality Cs (One that plays G) then the rest of the line and its depth is easy. You can practically just get the BPA (in Free Agency and the Draft) to fill in the rest of the spots instead of taking an inferior player because they play a certain position.

I totally agree......
Give JF everything he needs to find out if hes gonna be our franchise qb of the future.....if he fails,well its on him.........