Your #1 FA Target

[topwop1]

20 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

Of the FA QBs I think Mariota makes the most sense but a guy who intrigues me in that role but is currently under contract for 2020 is Tyrod Taylor. 

As disappointing as this season was for Mitch I think the plan is still going to be for him to start in 2020. Pace tied his career to his success in 2017 and because of that he’s not going to (IMO) undermine what hope he still holds out for Mitch to become what he has the potential to be by taking a 2nd rounder this year nor is he bringing in a guy who is going to beat him out in camp. Taylor is a guy who IMO can run the Nagy offense but also a guy who has shown capable of accepting the back seat to the young and developing passer when called on to do so. He’d give us a significantly better chance to win as a starter than Daniel has who can run the full playbook and still provide a veteran presence for the room. 

Many are going to want the full measure change at QB. I think what we’re going to get is a full measure investment in what’s around him. If Mitch ultimately fails it’s going to be because he wasn’t good enough, not because Pace didn’t give him the tools to succeed. I think we’re going to add a big speed WR most likely in the draft to replace Gabriel who isn’t 5’6” and a top FA TE. I also want to see us draft another RB with speed so Nagy can stop trying to force Cohen into being more than the gadget/scat back that he is. 

My top FA target personally is Hunter Henry. I know the injury history but he’s DYNAMIC. He’s exactly what Nagy wants in his TEs. My fallback to Henry is Ebron over Hooper personally. I’ve always liked what he brings to the table, and I think with Hooper being the cleanest of the top TE FA he’s going to have the most troubling price tag for us. 

Haven't heard from you in a while man. Nice to see you back AZ.

You hit all the points in a sensical way. I agree with you on what the team will likely do when it comes to Mitch.

I think its unrealistic to think they will bring in a guy to start at starter money over Mitch.

For better or worse Mitch will be our QB in 2020.

[JAF-N72EX]

7 hours ago, Heinz D. said:

Confused as to why they wouldn't release Burton. The guy has turned out to be a complete bust. 

If they're truly that attached to Mitch (and I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment)--then they'll both be fired after the 2020 season anyway, the team is then scrambled, and all of our careful consideration into solving the mess that is the Bears is wasted time. 

Az already answered the question about Burton.

I hear ya...and ultimately you're right....it is almost a waste of time. But only to a point. I do it because;

1) Unfortunately, I'm a fan of a team that did not make the playoffs and this helps kill the time. 

2) I would rather the new regime be put into the best position possible if/when they get here so that it takes them as less time as possible to put together a super bowl caliber team while the new QB is on a rookie contract. And the best way for that to happen is through careful planning, good use of draft picks, and good cap management.

[AZBearsFan]

4 hours ago, topwop1 said:

Haven't heard from you in a while man. Nice to see you back AZ.

You hit all the points in a sensical way. I agree with you on what the team will likely do when it comes to Mitch.

I think its unrealistic to think they will bring in a guy to start at starter money over Mitch.

For better or worse Mitch will be our QB in 2020.

Thanks man. Good to be back. Real life got in the way during the season. 

[JAF-N72EX]

7 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I don’t think that the current investment in TE is preclusive to us spending on another top FA there at all, for several reasons: 

1- Burton can be cut for $1.75M in dead cap after 2020 ($7.1M cap savings).

2- Unless we pay starter money to a FA QB (unlikely) we will still be paying well under the league average at QB for 2020.

3- We are paying NOTHING at RB in salary. Right now we have 3 rostered RBs reasonably likely to make the 2020 roster (DM, Cohen and Nall). 2 of them are on non-first round rookie contracts and the other on a UDFA contract. 

4- Outside of ARob, who IMO is going to land a huge extension this offseason that will significantly reduce his 2020 cap hit, after we presumably cut Gabriel we are paying NOTHING at WR either. Miller, Ridley and Wims are all on non-first round rookie deals (NOTE: I lump Patterson’s salary in with our ST budget, where we are paying a rookie salary to our kicker and less than $2M to O’Donnell).

5- We once again don’t have to pay a first round pick salary in 2020. 

I get what you're saying here. They could use the salary from other positions that are much lower by league average in order to feed more into the TE position.

However, they're still paying out 12.8M to TE's this year. Signing another top TE for say...9M this year...would put us at 21.8M total alone. That would be about 7.3M( or a whopping 50.3%) higher than the 2nd most in the league this year. I'm pretty sure that would be an NFL record. 

We also currently have the 9th highest total offensive salary in the league -- meaning all salary allocated to the entire offense). So even if/when Gabriel is cut and lowers the salary by 6.5M, we're still not gaining anything, cap wise. In fact, we're still behind 2.5M.

And even if/when Arob signs an extension (which I agree with), I don't think it's going to add much. He's set to make 15 this year and beings this is his 3rd contract, I expect that number to come close. But I could be wrong.

I just don't see any GM making that type of move, imo.

[GBHalas]

On 1/9/2020 at 5:36 PM, beardown3231 said:

Interesting. I didn't even realize Glasgow was a UFA

 

I think a guy like him or Su-aFilo from Dallas are realistic options for the RG spot for the Bears

[WindyCity]

Glasgow would be a great signing. I expect that he is going to get more than we think as once Scherff is tagged and Thuney re-signs he will be the #1 OG option.

[Heinz D.]

10 hours ago, JustAnotherFan said:

I hear ya...and ultimately you're right....it is almost a waste of time. 

Quality wasted time, though. 

[beardown3231]

FWIW (which is probably nothing)

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/nbc-sports-nfl-analyst-chris-simms-predicts-bears-will-make-splash-move-free-agency

[WindyCity]

1 hour ago, beardown3231 said:

FWIW (which is probably nothing)

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/nbc-sports-nfl-analyst-chris-simms-predicts-bears-will-make-splash-move-free-agency

I would be fine adding a speed WR that didn’t cost a ton more than Gabriel.

Breshad Perriman interests me.

[malagabears]

After watching Conklin against the Ravens he would still be my number 1 target. He was excellent in run blocking again and really good in pass pro.

[AZBearsFan]

4 hours ago, malagabears said:

After watching Conklin against the Ravens he would still be my number 1 target. He was excellent in run blocking again and really good in pass pro.

Conklin would be a great upgrade but I can’t see us paying $8.3M to Massie to sit the bench, and it costs $10.8M to cut him. Is he moving to OG in this scenario? If so it makes more sense to just sign a top OG in FA. 

We can use an upgrade at OT this off-season but given the financials it’s not going to be in the form of a priority FA but rather a draft pick. 

[Heinz D.]

21 hours ago, beardown3231 said:

FWIW (which is probably nothing)

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/nbc-sports-nfl-analyst-chris-simms-predicts-bears-will-make-splash-move-free-agency

Yeah, I don't know that adding another 'skill' player to the offense makes a lot of sense. Perriman, maybe, but I'm not sure that'd qualify as a big 'splash'. 

[WindyCity]

To sign Conklin for 12/season we would have to be very confident in Bobbie Massie's ability to play OG otherwise that is way too much money tied up at OT.

It would make it hard to address OG, TE, CB and OLB.

[Sugashane]

 

 

 

1

20 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

Conklin would be a great upgrade but I can’t see us paying $8.3M to Massie to sit the bench, and it costs $10.8M to cut him. Is he moving to OG in this scenario? If so it makes more sense to just sign a top OG in FA. 

We can use an upgrade at OT this off-season but given the financials it’s not going to be in the form of a priority FA but rather a draft pick. 

It is a stopgap for him to move to RG. Conklin is the guy who anchors the OL and Massie holds the fort down at RG for one year then he can be cut cheap. Avoids needing to have much dead cap and if an OT goes down Massie can still shift back to it. 

 

I just feel it is easier to draft and sign OGs than it is for OTs, so when you find a damn good OT you take advantage of it. We could draft an OT this year in the 2nd, and let him develop a year too. If he looks like he is going to be able to play on the outside then we can be rid of Leno too and then plug in a top OG or draft another OL early to replace Massie. I don't want either on the Bears in 2021. 

[AZBearsFan]

17 hours ago, Sugashane said:

It is a stopgap for him to move to RG. Conklin is the guy who anchors the OL and Massie holds the fort down at RG for one year then he can be cut cheap. Avoids needing to have much dead cap and if an OT goes down Massie can still shift back to it. 

 

I just feel it is easier to draft and sign OGs than it is for OTs, so when you find a damn good OT you take advantage of it. We could draft an OT this year in the 2nd, and let him develop a year too. If he looks like he is going to be able to play on the outside then we can be rid of Leno too and then plug in a top OG or draft another OL early to replace Massie. I don't want either on the Bears in 2021. 

I’m just not sure about Massie’s ability to kick inside. And I’m also At least somewhat concerned about the ability of a new OL coach who’s never coached him to be the guy to make that call. Agree about Massie and/or Leno being gone for 2021 IF they play at their 2019 level. Both were more than fine in 2018 IMO. Let’s see how they respond to the down year.