Behold Da Bearz!

[SemperFeist]

28 minutes ago, MNPackfan32 said:

It's too bad his name will be attached to these moves. He was doing a good job before Mark Davis stepped in and did Mark Davis things. 

I’m not so sure he will. Jon Gruden is just too high of a profile, he’s going to be the one that all of the Raiders’ mistakes and successes will be attributed to. Especially is McKenzie leaves as soon as possible. 

[vike daddy]

Bears GM Ryan Pace:  "We are excited to add a special playmaker like Khalil to our football team. He brings a ton on the field, but he really fits what we are building in our locker room, too. Elite defensive players in their prime are rare so when we knew we had a legit shot to acquire him, we did everything we thought necessary to get him. I’m confident the compensation to Oakland, including the return draft picks to us, and the contract extension for Khalil are fair to all parties. We are anxious to get Khalil to Chicago with his coaches and teammates.”

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/09/01/ryan-pace-khalil-mack-fits-what-were-building-on-the-field-in-the-locker-room/

[Krauser]

Trading for Mack caps a franchise changing offseason for the Bears. 

Their defense has improved significantly over the last couple of years (31st in DVOA in 2015, 23rd in 2016, 14th in 2017) but they've been short on blue chip talent. They've had some very good DL players (Hicks and Goldman) and the secondary is solid with Fuller and Amukamara but none of those guys are getting All Pro votes (Hicks deserves to, but the others are more good than great). 

To that they now add Roquan Smith and Khalil Mack: a 3-down ILB with sideline-to-sideline speed and one of the best edge rushers in the league. 

Meanwhile, on offense they've added Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton, to go with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Kevin White is back from the dead and may be able to contribute. Even if you're skeptical of Trubisky, that's potentially a Chiefs level supporting cast. And the Bears have Matt Nagy bringing the Andy Reid scheme over from KC. If Trubisky's any good at all (I think he's at least OK, plus-level midrange accuracy for one thing), that offense is going to be fun to watch. 

Bears have a chance to open the season with a huge statement -- they play on Sunday Night Football in Lambeau. There's basically no film on the Bears offense, as Nagy hardly played his starters in the preseason (Trubisky played 39 snaps). Oren Burks will likely miss the season opener -- he'd be the LB the Packers would want to use to matchup with Burton or Cohen, and the other options aren't great (Blake Martinez?). 

This will be Rodgers' first healthy game back from his injury. Even on a good day for the Packers defense and/or a bad one for the Bears offense, the Bears defense has the talent -- especially with Khalil Mack -- to limit the Packers scoring and keep the game close. The Packers will have Bulaga at RT, just back from an ACL injury, facing Mack. 

If the Bears manage to win, it might feel like a sea change in the division. They've played the situation with Trubisky just right -- invested in weapons for the QB and blue chip talent to elevate the defense. Sets up as a potential Rams-level turnaround. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bears win 10 games this year. They could be playing for the division week 17 in Minnesota, or at least for a playoff spot.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Krauser

[Heimdallr]

If Trubisky takes the next step and becomes even an above-average (top-16) QB, the Bears could be very dangerous for a long time. Much more dangerous than the Packers. 

That is the big question though.

[rrgm]

1 hour ago, Heimdallr said:

If Trubisky takes the next step and becomes even an above-average (top-16) QB, the Bears could be very dangerous for a long time. Much more dangerous than the Packers. 

That is the big question though.

Agreed.

I'm more worried about the Bears far more than the Packers who are on the decline

[Uncle Buck]

On 9/1/2018 at 9:24 AM, CriminalMind said:

We are fortunate he didn't go to GB. 

I've been worried that he would end up there.  I think the Packers dropped the ball on this one.  While they can talk about the price involved, they only have a few good years left with Rodgers, and Mack could have been his version of Reggie White.  If I were a Packer fan I would be pretty disgusted with this, particularly after all living through all the years of Ted Thompson clinging to his checkbook through free agency. 

I'm extremely happy Mack didn't go to Green Bay.  The only problem is that the Bears are definitely going in the right direction and they won't be the pushovers they have been for the last several years.  Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith are going to be a handful for our questionable offensive line.  I sure hope Spielman and Zimmer are planning to invest heavily on the line in next year's draft.  No more luxury picks on the defensive side of the ball until we fix the line.

[Uncle Buck]

30 minutes ago, rrgm said:

Agreed.

I'm more worried about the Bears far more than the Packers who are on the decline

I would have said the same thing if Ted Thompson was still around, but the Packers' new GM has made some good moves.  He might be able to keep them relevant a lot longer than Ted would have.  They have 2 first round picks in next year's draft, so it will be interesting to see what he ends up doing with them.  It's probably safe to say that the Bears are the most improved team in the division after adding Mack.  This division is going to be brutal for the next several years.  I think the Packers are still the biggest threat to us in the division this season, but the Bears could very well pass them up by next year. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Uncle Buck

[y*so*blu]

I had a feeling we would see Khalil Mack in our division one way or another, as soon as the rumors started. I don't know if he's not a Gruden fan or the Raiders just couldn't pay him enough or what the deal is, but I look forward to the challenge he will present. If he plays as well as he did in Oakland he might even make me respect the Bears again.

I still hate them, though.

Edited September 3, 2018 by y*so*blu

[wcblack34]

I'm not surprised that the Packers didn't make a hard push for him. It's hard to justify giving Rodgers the biggest deal in NFL history one week, then turning around and giving Mack the biggest defensive deal in NFL history the next. That's an incredibly significant portion of your cap locked up in 2 players. I feel that's why the Raiders didn't pull the trigger. Aaron Donald got his because Goff is still on a cheap rookie deal. The Bears were the only team in the division that made sense. 

As far as the Bears' prospects for the upcoming season go, I don't see it. I don't view Trubisky as the answer there. At best, I see a middling starter. The WR's aren't going to scare anyone until they show they're all back from injury and can stay on the field. They don't really know what they have in Robinson just yet. I also think Burton is one of the most overrated signings of the offseason. I think he will be ok, but he won't be Travis Kelce for Nagy. 

Could they surprise? Definitely. Will they? Their history tells us "no."

[Krauser]

2 hours ago, wcblack34 said:

I'm not surprised that the Packers didn't make a hard push for him.

They did though. It was reported that they made a "strong offer" (as did the Browns and Bills), including one of their 2019 first round picks (but not both). They got outbid, but it wasn't for lack of interest. 

Quote

As far as the Bears' prospects for the upcoming season go, I don't see it. I don't view Trubisky as the answer there. At best, I see a middling starter. The WR's aren't going to scare anyone until they show they're all back from injury and can stay on the field. They don't really know what they have in Robinson just yet. I also think Burton is one of the most overrated signings of the offseason. I think he will be ok, but he won't be Travis Kelce for Nagy. 

Could they surprise? Definitely. Will they? Their history tells us "no."

Developing teams are never entirely convincing until suddenly they're good. Declining teams look like they just have a few question marks until suddenly they're no good. 

Rams example aside, teams gain or lose 4-5 wins in the standings all the time. Bears have a very realistic chance to win 9 or 10 this year, and even if not, to win 11+ in 2019 -- especially if one of the other NFCN teams drops off. 

 

[Klomp]

 

[marshpit23]

39 minutes ago, Klomp said:

 

Ohmygoodness, that’s hilarious ?. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you.

Edited September 11, 2018 by marshpit23
Add info

[swede700]

I'm never going to worry about the Bears.  I think they'll be decent, but I'm just not a big Trubisky guy.  He's got a lot of Cade McNown to him.  He may be better than McNown, but I just view him in the same class of Bears QB history as Sexy Rexy, Jim Miller, Mike Tomczak, and Erik Kramer.  I don't see anything that he is really good at.  

[rrgm]

6 hours ago, Klomp said:

 

WOW LOL

I shouldn't let one play change my opinion of a player but ..

[SteelKing728]

What's so wrong with that play? Looks like any other Bears QB out there throughout the years...