2022 Free agency thread

[AZBearsFan]

31 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

You are massively over rating the post draft cuts.

The issue is that we are running out of quality free agent options. The current lists are not inspiring.

I understand, big picture what they are doing. But you have to have a minimum offensive talent level for week 1 of 2022.

I’m not overrating anything. I just expect that a guard drafted in R2/3 should be expected to start and be at least capable, and you don’t. The rest of our immediate OL need is depth. OL is the only position where the pool is dwindling IMO. 

[dll2000]

2 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

If you remove Fields from this equation what they're doing is a good implementation of an aggressive and proven strategy.  With Fields in place it looks really risky, potentially very wasteful. 

This team always seems to find itself positioned in conflict with itself. 

This year it's the value of a promising rookie QB, but the context of a teardown. Unproven EVERYBODY. Hoping QB will develop, but to date the supporting cast has been all subtraction. Hope he's got what it takes to be good on his own as it doesn't appear we're willing to spend to get game changers around him to make it happen faster/sooner/easier. 

Last year might have have been the "how-to guide" in how to position a team with no regard for timing or context.  Luck in to a high prospect QB, but he's in a building with guys who want wins and repsectable losses, so we spend on yet another mediocre veteran to execute the system, while the rookie gets jack. Rookie starts anyway, and system is incoherent, team so chaotic, that both haters and fans of rookie QB can claim he proved their point. 

The one thing the Bears seem to be consistently good at, is being bad at strategy.   I will say what we're doing now is an strong and merciless move towards getting the team on the same page towards future success,  but the potential to waste what might be a good QB is very high. 

I'm living the perfect analogy for this ******* team right now and it's in my house.  We're getting solar installed shortly, but the company is moving at a glacial pace and I'm at the point where I"m about to void the contract. BUT.  My wife has called in stucco guys, who are starting TODAY (cold, raining) even though we wanted the stucco done after the electrical work is done for solar, as the electrical guys are moving some conduit and service around, which requires stucco work to make nice. PLUS, the critter control people that my wife called out (and signed a $6k contract with to deal with ONE Raccoon) have been aggresively patching cracks in our stucco with silicone, which is a) pointless since the stucco is getting done b) messing with the adhesion of the new stucco.  Plus I have an insane neighbor who is probably going to call the FBI if anyone puts a ladder on her lawn,  and this all combines with me staying close to home to deal with the ****show instead of doing my work to pay for what is quickly turning into an expensive week. And we still haven't caught our $6000 raccoon. **** this team, **** my house. 

It may be too late, but make sure you are reading that solar panel contract or lease carefully.   The sales people are often less than honest about fine print.

I have seen a lot of complaints and "I didn't know that" later on after it is done or when people go to sell with those things on the roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dll2000]

1 hour ago, AZBearsFan said:

I’m not overrating anything. I just expect that a guard drafted in R2/3 should be expected to start and be at least capable, and you don’t. The rest of our immediate OL need is depth. OL is the only position where the pool is dwindling IMO. 

Bears 2nd and 3rd rounders history from 2013

It's a better than 50% bust rate which is fairly normal.

2020 Kmet and Johnson.

Kmet didn't start and Johnson did.  Both are starting now so I will count them as yes(s).  Few TEs can play as rookies. 

2019 Montgomery

Yes (but RBs are kind of their own category)

2018

Daniels and Miller

 Miller played early but never played well and they moved Daniels to G where he did adequate his rookie year.  Neither are with team now.   I will say Daniels yes and Miller as bust.

2017

Shaheen - bust

2016

Whitehair-yes Bullard - Bust

2015

Goldman - yes Grasu - bust

2014

Ferguson and Sutton - busts

2013 

Bostic - bust

 

[AZBearsFan]

14 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

Bears 2nd and 3rd rounders history from 2013

It's a better than 50% bust rate which is fairly normal.

2020 Kmet and Johnson.

Kmet didn't start and Johnson did.  Both are starting now so I will count them as yes(s).  Few TEs can play as rookies. 

2019 Montgomery

Yes (but RBs are kind of their own category)

2018

Daniels and Miller

 Miller played early but never played well and they moved Daniels to G where he did adequate his rookie year.  Neither are with team now.   I will say Daniels yes and Miller as bust.

2017

Shaheen - bust

2016

Whitehair-yes Bullard - Bust

2015

Goldman - yes Grasu - bust

2014

Ferguson and Sutton - busts

2013 

Bostic - bust

 

Re: the OL, what I take most from that is that whether a R2/3 OL ends up being good or not is as up in the air as any other position, but they are almost surely going to plug in as a starter if they’re an IOL. If that’s the plan, then sign a capable backup (not Dozier lol) and roll with it. You’d like to think your former OL in the GM and Asst. GM seat can evaluate that position a little bit. Both certainly come from franchises that have done a really good job with it. That’s probably why I am as relatively comfortable with what they’ve done so far on the OL as I am compared to other people. Poles & Cunningham should be good on that evaluation more than any other part of their job as our top talent evaluators.

[Madmike90]

6 hours ago, WindyCity said:

We just need to hit on all those picks.

That is a tough place to put yourself when the best drafting teams in the league often go 50/50 in the draft.

That is the pressure we are putting on this draft.

We don't need to hit on all the picks...we need to hit on two...that takes away the huge need we have at guard & reciever...after that it's the usual crapshoot every draft is.

[Madmike90]

4 hours ago, dll2000 said:

I was giving Pace relative credit for not leaving cupboard totally bare like his predecessors, but that was before I knew so many guys were out the door.

We are very comparable to 2017 roster talent level.  

I bet if we were a fly on wall Eber is verbally upset at his starting hand at moment. 

I think you should go read up on what this guy comes from...adversity is where he has thrived in his career...this current Bears roster isn't as bad as what he has seen in the past and won't phase him.

[AZBearsFan]

2 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

We don't need to hit on all the picks...we need to hit on two...that takes away the huge need we have at guard & reciever...after that it's the usual crapshoot every draft is.

If we end up using the 6 picks we have now, it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest to have them be, in no specific order: 

2 WR

2 OL

2 DB

Take your biggest needs, assume a 50% hit rate, and bet the odds.

[Madmike90]

2 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

If we end up using the 6 picks we have now, it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest to have them be, in no specific order: 

2 WR

2 OL

2 DB

Take your biggest needs, assume a 50% hit rate, and bet the odds.

I would have zero issue with that either...I think people are forgetting how we ended up with two of our starters last year in Jason Peters & Alec Ogletree...everyone just calm down...we are 4 weeks away from the draft let along an OTA or TC...tons of change coming to this roster still...ton of guys getting opportunities and if we trust in Poles' ability to access these guys then we need to give him time to work.

[WindyCity]

2 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I’m not overrating anything. I just expect that a guard drafted in R2/3 should be expected to start and be at least capable, and you don’t. The rest of our immediate OL need is depth. OL is the only position where the pool is dwindling IMO. 

A majority of OLmen drafted in rounds 2 and 3 are not ready to/don’t play at a solid level as rookies.

Go back and looks at the drafts. At best, in round 2, it is a 50/50 coin flip at IOL in year 1.

[WindyCity]

10 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

If we end up using the 6 picks we have now, it wouldn’t shock me in the slightest to have them be, in no specific order: 

2 WR

2 OL

2 DB

Take your biggest needs, assume a 50% hit rate, and bet the odds.

This would be the smartest approach we could take based on what we need to come out of the draft.

[WindyCity]

6 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

I would have zero issue with that either...I think people are forgetting how we ended up with two of our starters last year in Jason Peters & Alec Ogletree...everyone just calm down...we are 4 weeks away from the draft let along an OTA or TC...tons of change coming to this roster still...ton of guys getting opportunities and if we trust in Poles' ability to access these guys then we need to give him time to work.

Jason Peters was okay. Ogeltree was bad.

I agree if we just want to fill roster spots that is easy.

But filling them with capable players is harder and more time sensitive.

[WindyCity]

23 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

We don't need to hit on all the picks...we need to hit on two...that takes away the huge need we have at guard & reciever...after that it's the usual crapshoot every draft is.

Finding 2 day 1 starters is a lot to pull out of 3 good picks. Most rookies even if they become goo starters are not there week 1 of the season.

I am not sure why we would want to back ourselves into that type of corner.

Edited March 29, 2022 by WindyCity

[AZBearsFan]

12 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

A majority of OLmen drafted in rounds 2 and 3 are not ready to/don’t play at a solid level as rookies.

Go back and looks at the drafts. At best, in round 2, it is a 50/50 coin flip at IOL in year 1.

Whether they play to the level you want is irrelevant. They’re almost certainly going to start, especially IOL from round 2. 

Honest question - does any part of you think Poles and Cunningham know how to evaluate OL talent? Do you think they are at all competent in that regard?

Do you really think Poles and to a lesser extent Cunningham would plant their flag, and more so be willing to plant their flag on a 2nd round OL in lieu of signing an established veteran in their first draft after repeatedly belaboring their importance of OL play while bashing that from the 2021 Bears if they weren’t supremely confident in their evaluation and projection that Player(s) X could help out right away? More than maybe any other picks Poles makes as GM these first two 2nd rounders will be scrutinized to the Nth degree for years, especially if they’re an OL and a WR. People still bag on Pace for the Kevin White pick, and that bust mostly wasn’t even his fault. 

[AZBearsFan]

18 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Finding 2 day 1 starters is a lot to pull out of 3 good picks. Most rookies even if they become goo starters are not there week 1 of the season.

I am not sure why we would want to back ourselves into that type of corner.

You don’t think Poles was inspired by Dazz Newsome’s 2 catches last year?? 😂🤦‍♂️

[WindyCity]

3 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

Whether they play to the level you want is irrelevant. They’re almost certainly going to start, especially IOL from round 2. 

Honest question - does any part of you think Poles and Cunningham know how to evaluate OL talent? Do you think they are at all competent in that regard?

Do you really think Poles and to a lesser extent Cunningham would plant their flag, and more so be willing to plant their flag on a 2nd round OL in lieu of signing an established veteran in their first draft after repeatedly belaboring their importance of OL play while bashing that from the 2021 Bears if they weren’t supremely confident in their evaluation and projection that Player(s) X could help out right away? More than maybe any other picks Poles makes as GM these first two 2nd rounders will be scrutinized to the Nth degree for years, especially if they’re an OL and a WR. People still bag on Pace for the Kevin White pick, and that bust mostly wasn’t even his fault. 

I think they know what they are looking for, but it’s the draft and it still a crap shoot. There are a million moving parts. They could really like a couple of guys who never make it to their pick.

OL is not a position where guys come in and play at a high level early. Some do, a vast majority don’t.

I am suggesting we don’t rely on the draft alone. Get some veteran insurance.