Next Steps

[abstract_thought]

The short-term goal should be to find insurance at OT and a real WR2.

Long-term you need to re-build the defense. Fuller, Gipson, Hicks, and Trevathan need to be replaced. Draft a developmental EDGE prospect who can at least generate some pressure opposite Mack.

[Heinz D.]

4 hours ago, abstract_thought said:

Draft a developmental EDGE prospect who can at least generate some pressure opposite Mack.

Although he wasn't drafted...Snowden might be that guy. Gipson could well be that dude, too.

And I don't expect Quinn to flounder this year, either. 

[soulman]

I have mixed emotions about letting Hicks go.  The cap savings make it tempting but I also can't see just releasing him getting nothing in return.  His age and salary may make it tough to get more than a mid round pick for him and when healthy he's still a very dominant DL.

Nichols needs to be extended so this year is definitely it for Akiem but how to go about it without getting fair compensation is the question Pace needs to deal with.  If all we're offered is a late round pick I'd keep him this year and let him hit FA in 2022 hoping for a compensatory pick.

Other than this the OL has been addressed along with QB so we roll with things this year possibly adding a vet here or there for some depth if needed but to be honest I'm more in favor of playing some of the younger guys so we know what we've got.  We're still at least a year away from making a legit push for a championship unless we do get even luckier and Rodgers leaves GB.

[dll2000]

How long before Soldier Field is chanting Fields name while Dalton is playing?

He is going to play.  It is inevitable.  I don’t care what your plan is.  It won’t survive contact with he enemy.  

Remember Dalton is going to need time to learn or relearn these plays.   Every rep and time with him in meetings is time Fields isn’t getting.

Football practice is a pie.  That is why I get frustrated with the sit and learn stuff.

I want Fields eating majority of that pie.  

 

[dll2000]

My other thing is we have a win now defense.

Quinn is better than people think.  He was one of best players in league in 2019. He probably didn’t train hard because of FA and Covid and couldn’t overcome injury.

Not having Goldman was huge because people ran up and down the field on Bears all year and our LBs were pretty terrible with blockers in their face.  Now we got Goldman and another big body.    

Take advantage of having Hicks and Mack this may be their last year.   Let’s not spend it with Dalton and a half trained Fields thrown into fire.

 

 

[WindyCity]

I would play Dalton 3-4 games to let the OL get on the same page.

Unless the OL and Fields look good in the preseason, in which case just roll with them.

[WindyCity]

Protect the 2022 Cap Space

 

Based on a 205 million dollar cap for 2022, the Bears currently have about 50 million in cap space for 2022. That sounds like more than you think, as they do not have a lot of players under contract.

 

The only real money saving cuts are

 

Foles 7 million [3 dead]

Quinn 6.7 million [9 dead]

Blackson 2 million [1 dead]

 

As hard as it is, the Bears should not run out and spend a bunch of money or move a bunch of money into 2022. That is when the window should really open and we do not want to be bargain shopping at that point.

 

Keep Trying to Generate 2020 Draft Capital

 

-WR Anthony Miller, I would keep him at this point because I am not sure that Dazz Newsome is ready to be the #3, but it could be that the relationship is toast and they need to try and move him. If Adam Shaheen can return a 6th round pick than Miller should return something in terms of future capital.

 

-QB Nick Foles, the team trading for Foles would be adding a 2 years 12 million/9 guaranteed dollar contract, which is not crazy for a backup QB. If I am the Bears I would eat 3-4 million of the guarantees if it brought back a pick. If they have to keep him he would be a great mentor in the room, but he is very expensive for a glorified QB coach.

 

Extensions

 

-Allen Robinson, I think now is the time to strike with Robinson. The QB has been upgraded, the vibe is much better, and the last thing we want is to lose our #1 WR after 1 year with Fields. Now is the time to get back into this, he does not want to play under the tag and the Bears need the threat of the tag year as some leverage. If they get this done they can be way more flexible with the guys listed above. Robinson would clear a bunch of the cap space that they need.

 

5 years 100 million/60 guaranteed/15 signing bonus

 

Year 1:  7 GS/3 SB [10]

Year 2: 13 GS/3 SB [16]

Year 3: 4 S/10 GS/3 SB/5 RB [22]

Year 4: 16 S/3 SB/5 RB [24]

Year 5: 20 S/3 SB/5 RB [28]

 

-DE Bilal Nichols, Pace usually gets 1 deal done for a homegrown guy each camp and this season it should be Nichols. The transition from Hicks to him upfront started last season and now the financial transition needs to happen. Nichols had a great 2020 and looks to be building into the centre piece of the DL.

 

New Money: 4 years 36 million/18 guaranteed/5 SB

Old Money: 1 year 2.5 million

Total Deal: 5 years 38 million/18 guaranteed/5 SB

 

Year 1:  2 GS/1 SB [3]

Year 2: 5 GS/1 SB [6]

Year 3: 2 GS/1 SB/4 RB [7]

Year 4: 10 S/1 SB [11]

Year 5: 10 S/1 SB [11]

 

 

Draft Capital

 

The move up for Fields was the right move, it will always be the right move, and the Bears had to do it, or they would have been relegated to irrelevance. But, it has left them light on draft picks in 2022, a season where the cap is not expected to make a total rebound and grow. The Bears need to find a way to generate some day 3 picks. I have said it a couple of times, they will not replace the quality of the 1st round pick, but they can replace the quantity that they have lost. They are not currently eligible for a comp pick, which sucks, but they can make veteran trades and move down to supplement.

 

NO MORE TRADE UPS

 

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[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

Regarding Mr Robinson,  it cuts both ways: Fields and even Dalton will probably be the best QBs he's ever played with (I'm not sure on Dalton but you guys keep saying it so...) so that should be a great situation to stay in, right? BUT if he plays with those best QBs for a year, then he's probably going to earn even more out in the wild.  I hope they do sign him, but the change at QB could move him in either direction. 

[WindyCity]

40 minutes ago, RunningVaccs said:

Regarding Mr Robinson,  it cuts both ways: Fields and even Dalton will probably be the best QBs he's ever played with (I'm not sure on Dalton but you guys keep saying it so...) so that should be a great situation to stay in, right? BUT if he plays with those best QBs for a year, then he's probably going to earn even more out in the wild.  I hope they do sign him, but the change at QB could move him in either direction. 

That is a lot of injury risk for a guy who already had an ACL in a contract year.

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

That is a lot of injury risk for a guy who already had an ACL in a contract year.

Also a very good point. If it were me I'd sign and have some fun with a (slightly) better QB and then (hopefully much) better QB, but I could see someone in that spot thinking "F these guys for not paying me, this is probably going to be my best season ever and then I'm going to get paid for real"

[WindyCity]

You know what I really appreciated from Ryan Pace, besides picking players that I loved, is that the draft showed that he had learned from the Mitch draft to some degree.

 

1. Mitch was an entirely traits based pick. He had a tiny resume. The biggest game he had played in was the Sun Bowl. He had only been in the spot light for 1 year. There was no resume to tell you how he would handle pressure or a major media and football market. Mitch was considered by most a reach based on their overall rankings.

Fields led one of the biggest programs in the country, played in the playoffs, played well, and had some serious pelts on the wall. He has been in the spot light since he was 17 years old.

 

2. The first pick after Mitch was drafted was a 6'7", soft TE from a technical school in Ohio, a major developmental project at a position that takes a long time to develop. Shaheen was considered a reach.

The first pick after Fields was a monstrous OT who played at a real school and is the most physical player in the draft. He should be a day 1 starter and someone who directly protects you investment in Fields.

 

3. The 2nd offensive pick after Trubisky was Tarik Cohen, a good player, but at his peak he is a part time gadget player. He is not someone who has an everyday impact on the offense.

The 2nd offensive pick after Fields is another monstrous OT, a multi year starter in the most difficult conference in college football, and someone who if you hit on the pick should be your starting RT or RG. 

 

Pace made the bold move up for a QB, he had to. But instead of following it up with small school projects at less valuable offensive positions, he took big men from big schools, to protect and support his QB.

 

[soulman]

Moving forward should probably begin with getting a new deal for ARob signed, sealed, and delivered.  I appears that he and his agent have finally accepted that most teams are tight on cap space this year and that 2022 may be only marginally better meaning we may be back to only where we were pre-COVID or a small increase over 2020.  Give him significant guarantees and back end the contract a little more.

If he feels he's worth top five money then put it into achievable bonuses that can kick in starting in 2022 and beyond.  It's taken us this long to finally come up with another #1 WR whose either not a loose cannon (Marshall) or is looking to play elsewhere (AJ) so don't play games with the numbers.  He says he'd prefer staying in Chicago so find a common ground, get it done, and pick up even more cap space.

If someone is willing to give up a mid round pick for Foles by all means trade him and if not he'll just become the highest paid Assistant QB coach in the NFL.  He's always been a willing and able to help another QB learn and offense so IMHO it's not 100% money wasted.

And yes, Bilal Nichols is up to bat for his extension as well.

[dll2000]

8 hours ago, WindyCity said:

I would play Dalton 3-4 games to let the OL get on the same page.

Unless the OL and Fields look good in the preseason, in which case just roll with them.

I am cool with throwing Dalton to wolves if Jenkins isn't playing well or acclimating.   I just want Fields getting bulk of practice reps.

 

[Heinz D.]

11 hours ago, dll2000 said:

I want Fields eating majority of that pie.  

As much as I do agree with what Pace and Nagy are saying--that the QB room is best for a rookie with both Dalton and Foles in it--Fields need at least second string reps. I still like Foles, but they're absolutely making a mistake if they don't trade him. 

44 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

I am cool with throwing Dalton to wolves if Jenkins isn't playing well or acclimating.   I just want Fields getting bulk of practice reps.

Y'all can laugh at me if I end up being wrong, but I'm telling you now that Jenkins' situation is absolutely the same as Fields.

Meaning?

Meaning, when all is said and done, he could end up being the best tackle from this draft class. He's that good. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Heinz D.

[Heinz D.]

1 minute ago, Heinz D. said:

 

Glitch. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Heinz D.