2022 Free agency thread

[CBears019]

55 minutes ago, JAF-N72EX said:

One things is certain. These next 12 months on the forum should be alot of fun with so many different topics and so many different views while everyone is still deciding which direction to lean more towards lol.

 

It’s been crazy busy here the last few weeks/months.  We just blew past the Cowboys forum in total posts, and they’ve always been one of the biggest fanbases on this site.  I don’t expect it to slow down any time soon.

[JAF-N72EX]

1 hour ago, CBears019 said:

It’s been crazy busy here the last few weeks/months.  We just blew past the Cowboys forum in total posts, and they’ve always been one of the biggest fanbases on this site.  I don’t expect it to slow down any time soon.

I bet about 47% of those posts come from Windy complaining about the RG position. 😆

In all seriousness though, this site has always seen a big spike in views around draft time. But nevertheless, that's still nuts. I would've never thought that the Bears forum would have 64 threads compared to the Cowboys 51. Especially considering the active user ratio. Maybe it died down but I know on the old forum the Cowboys always had one of highest post counts among all subs and one of the most amount of active members too. Patriots and Packers have always reigned supreme on this site but we all know why. 😉

On a similar note; To all of you lurkers out there, don't be afraid to start threads or post your opinions. That's how all of us started too. Anyone who has read this forum for more than 5 seconds can quickly realize that all of us have different opinions and personalities and that's part of what make this site so great. Different view points are always welcomed.

I've also noticed some familiar faces around here too who seem to be more active recently than usual like @RTD@StLunatic88 @Bigbear72 and I hope you guys continue to post more often as well after the draft. Sorry if there are more but those are the ones who stuck out at the moment.

 

[soulman]

18 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

You mean the same Fields that got smacked around last year and missed games behind a line that wasn't very good but had more proven talent than they currently have? When they had a right guard?  Joking and exaggerating  a bit here, but they're worse than they were, and the rest of the offseason does not have many surefire ways to get better to the point where I'd call them adequate.

Thanks Vaccs.  I won't accept that our 2022 OL will be worse then our 2021 or that our offense will be worse either.  Why you ask?  OK, I'll give you my opinion.

While pass pro from LT may not be quite as strong as we had with Peters I don't see us starting a matador at LT and I also see Getsy working with Fields and his receivers on routes and timing that will get the ball out faster.  Plus Field mobility.

OC has been improved significantly not only in raw talent but also as far as an ability to QB the OL in a system in which OC he has played both OC and OG.  We'll add a starting RG in the draft.  Whitehair's play will improve in this blocking scheme where he was always more efficient even as a rookie.  He's zone blocker.

We're likely to be starting our top 2021 draft choice at RT.  If he's not an improvement over "Hog" Simmons then we must have screwed up and drafted the wrong guy.  I'll even go with Borom over Simmons but when all is said and done Borom may be at LT or playing as a Swing OT behind a vet or a rookie LT.

Fields is tough and he's mobile as he's already proven both in college and the NFL.  I'm not anywhere near as worried about him getting maimed as others seem to be.  Scare tactics seem to spread around forums the same way Faux News likes to spread them around the public.  Sorry brother but I ain't that scared of the BS.

Edited April 26, 2022 by soulman

[soulman]

18 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

Sign me up as OK with a total rebuild when it's called for, we should have done it several times in the last decade when it was clear things weren't working out. However it's not as clear cut when you might have a franchise QB, and I'm not sure what this year will look like for him.

Fields is a 23 year old "prospect" who looks like he may have a good shot at becoming our franchise QB.  Hallelujah I say.  But he's not that yet and I have all kinds of doubts this year will prove pivotal in that final assessment.

It's only year two and as some insist, if a true franchise QB will make everyone around him better then Justin Fields will have his shot at proving his worth with a less than ideal roster. But less than Ideal isn't downright ****ty.

Look, we're re-tooling both the offense and the defense around dramatically different schemes which will require different skills and talent.  That's the rebuild part we see just beginning to happen.  Lemme say it again, "just beginning to happen".  Over the next two seasons this team will look markedly different even from what it looks like now.  Crack open a beer then make like the beer and chill. 🍺  LOL

[soulman]

19 hours ago, RunningVaccs said:

Worst case scenario!? Glad you asked, allow me to do my thing... worst case scenario is that we have no more clarity about the team than we do right now.  Fields gets hurt and misses time, or the whole offense is so talent deficient we can't tell who's good and what works.  Defense needs like 8 starters for 2023 and the offense is still dollar store. Worst case scenario is we end the year like we start it, but with more cap space and a first round pick. 

Please excuse my desire to speak plainly here but you sound like every impatient Bears fan who believes they know just how this year is already pre-destined to end up yet it's only April 26th.  If you really believe you can be that accurate please slide me a PM with some betting info on the following;  😉

Kentucky Derby, NBA Playoffs, NHL Stanley Cup Champ, is this truly the SOX year to win it all, are the Cubs for real, and how YOU would rebuild our putrid Hawks?  🤔

Win or lose I can't imagine "Flus" and his staff and Poles and Cunnigham won't know who we have that fit our needs and should be extended and who gets set out along the curb on trash this guy day.  It's only fans who are willing to make up excuses for pathetic play not the guys being paid to build teams who win games.

IIRC Vegas has the Bears over/under at 7 1/2 games so they're looking for an outcome at least close to a .500 season even with all of the uncertainty surrounding this team.  Even if it's only 5 wins we will still have gained ground we can use in 2023 along with a full stable of draft picks and a full cap coffers too.

Once we stop expecting 2022 to be some kind of massive turn around year the rest becomes much easier to accept.  This is not a team yet built out to compete at a high level.  That begins in 2023 and hopefully it will continue thereafter for the foreseeable future.  That's how success is created one step at a time. JMHO

Edited April 26, 2022 by soulman

[soulman]

3 hours ago, JAF-N72EX said:

On a similar note; To all of you lurkers out there, don't be afraid to start threads or post your opinions. That's how all of us started too. Anyone who has read this forum for more than 5 seconds can quickly realize that all of us have different opinions and personalities and that's part of what make this site so great. Different view points are always welcomed.

Danger.....danger!!!!!

This will never work.  ALL members must share the same or nearly identical opinions on all matters especially on our present lack of a RG which we all know is the single most important position on any properly staffed NFL team.

You may, if you so choose and are bold or crazy enough to do it, disagree on any point.  However you should be aware that doing so will lead to your being "primaried" during next vote for new or top members resulting in your potential defeat and you will also lose all support from the FF National Committee.

So there......😝

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

6 hours ago, soulman said:

  Scare tactics seem to spread around forums the same way Faux News likes to spread them around the public.  Sorry brother but I ain't that scared of the BS.

So, like "Tonight on RV Today,  do helmets cause concussions?  Also, I bring secret evidence that Luke Getsy has a stunning Packers connection that the Bears don't want you to know about. Also, chilling updates on the caravan of pass rushers coming through our open offensive line"  

To address the latter,  I'm not saying these guys are all going to immediately shank Fields on the first snap, but it was lousy last year and while I'll grant you center should be better,  at the very best we're starting "potential" on both tackles. Maybe Whitehair will play better, but maybe we've said that for several years?  At right guard we're counting on getting a draft pick right and him be able to start right away. 

As for betting advice, well,  I did call the Parkey doink? But I also thought Mitch was going to be really, really good in 2019 so make of that what you will.   I'd never put real money on the team before it's complete, but right now if it's really 7.5 I would be stealing from my kids piggy bank and putting it on the under. What do you think gets this team to 8 wins, anyway?  To met that would take getting immediate starters out of 4 draft picks, the defense holding up and the OL playing out of their mind while we run the ball all day. But who knows there's a long way to go. At the same time, I don't think it's crazy to be concerned about the quality of the offensive talent we have right now, and also how hard it's going to be to get better with just the draft and the dregs of FA.  I wish we'd done this last year, but this year is hard to expect much out of since so much needs to go.  Poles came into this situation with a plan, which we all get, but if I have one point it's that I'm concerned that the offense is so bare that it's going to hinder development of the QB and whatever scheme it is we're going to run. 

 

[BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW]

6 hours ago, soulman said:

Danger.....danger!!!!!

This will never work.  ALL members must share the same or nearly identical opinions on all matters especially on our present lack of a RG which we all know is the single most important position on any properly staffed NFL team.

 

I really do like the back and forth here, so lets find some common ground and just say that it's not controversial that you need to have 5 guys on the field playing OL. 

[dll2000]

10 minutes ago, RunningVaccs said:

I really do like the back and forth here, so lets find some common ground and just say that it's not controversial that you need to have 5 guys on the field playing OL. 

Tell that to little league parents in leagues with low weight limits.   One of joys of coaching.

No one complains about their fat kid playing Oline.  Those kids are also naturally humble.  I have come to think it may be a hidden blessing.

When there are no fat kids on team everyone with a kid that gets put on Oline complains and bitterly.  

You are ruining their development for high school and beyond you see and also  how dare you.  Can’t you see the immense talent? Are you blind man? 

You say what am I supposed to do?  We kind of need an Oline and if I put our 5 worst players on Oline we are going 0-12.   Oline is kind of important.  This is part when they throw their buddies kid under bus.  Play Johnny at Oline he has no future.  

LOL   It’s crazy.  Maybe I did ruin their development because none of those kids surprisingly and shocking to everyone involved is playing in NFL now or starred at Alabama. 

 

[soulman]

1 hour ago, RunningVaccs said:

So, like "Tonight on RV Today,  do helmets cause concussions?  Also, I bring secret evidence that Luke Getsy has a stunning Packers connection that the Bears don't want you to know about. Also, chilling updates on the caravan of pass rushers coming through our open offensive line"  

You need an addendum for the helmet thing.  It should read something like "why is the NFL forcing us to wear them when we get concussions anyway".  No forced helmet mandates.  It's "Deep NFL" plot.  Death to all tyrants and NFL owners.  🤣

[soulman]

1 hour ago, RunningVaccs said:

To address the latter,  I'm not saying these guys are all going to immediately shank Fields on the first snap, but it was lousy last year and while I'll grant you center should be better,  at the very best we're starting "potential" on both tackles. Maybe Whitehair will play better, but maybe we've said that for several years?  At right guard we're counting on getting a draft pick right and him be able to start right away. 

Are we now ready to say that both Borom and Jenkins were poor picks and just two more mistakes by Pace before either has ever played a full season?

If we're counting on getting an OG draft pick right what reason do we have for not believing our two 2nd year OT weren't also good picks?  Or do we just throw up our hands and like some whine because we can't be sure and if they suck then poor Justin Fields has no chance whatsoever to progress?

If this OL hasn't progressed beyond what we put on the field in 2021 I will be truly shocked because we have two former OL for our GM and Asst GM.  I gotta think they might have an eye for OL talent at the very least.  And.....as it stands we still have no idea who all of the camp OL participants will be and won't for another month or so, maybe longer.  I'm just gonna have to trust our GM + AGM to do their jobs.

Seriously brother all of this whining and pearl clutching with every third post is getting to be like watching videos of TFG speeches vs current ones where nothing has changed except "but her emails".  You can only beat a dead horse so many times before it becomes dog food meat and that's what this is becoming.

[soulman]

1 hour ago, RunningVaccs said:

I really do like the back and forth here, so lets find some common ground and just say that it's not controversial that you need to have 5 guys on the field playing OL. 

And another four backing those five up.  We absolutely need nine OL who can play without embarrassing themselves with the best five as our starters in September.

But it's still only April.  The season is still five months off.  So let's at least try not to get into a panic over positions and depth before we even see what we do have.

And of course the post you quoted was also dripping with sarcasm as well.

[dll2000]

23 minutes ago, soulman said:

You need an addendum for the helmet thing.  It should read something like "why is the NFL forcing us to wear them when we get concussions anyway".  No forced helmet mandates.  It's "Deep NFL" plot.  Death to all tyrants and NFL owners.  🤣

You joke, but it is the helmet itself that is causing severe concussions and always has. 

It is the weapon.  

 You will get a messed up nose and probably several lost teeth without one playing football, but the concussion issue would be less severe.

No one would lead with their head without a helmet.  It isn't natural without it.   Watch old games or rugby and you will see.

 

 

 

[soulman]

1 hour ago, RunningVaccs said:

What do you think gets this team to 8 wins, anyway?  To met that would take getting immediate starters out of 4 draft picks, the defense holding up and the OL playing out of their mind while we run the ball all day. But who knows there's a long way to go. At the same time, I don't think it's crazy to be concerned about the quality of the offensive talent we have right now, and also how hard it's going to be to get better with just the draft and the dregs of FA.  I wish we'd done this last year, but this year is hard to expect much out of since so much needs to go.  Poles came into this situation with a plan, which we all get, but if I have one point it's that I'm concerned that the offense is so bare that it's going to hinder development of the QB and whatever scheme it is we're going to run. 

What gets us to 8 wins?  Playing the second easiest schedule in the NFL and playing like we expect to win for a change now that we no longer have Matt Nagy wondering each week how to "fix it" as he told us each week he could do.

To be honest I don't really care how many games we win.  We can lose all of them as far as I'm concerned.  Then we'll have the #1 overall pick in the 2023 draft and if there's another Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence in the rookie QB pool teams will be arriving with a wheel barrow load of picks offering them in trade for our pick.

Maybe it's just that I can see rainbows following thunderstorms while all others want to see is wet streets and sidewalks covered in broken tree limbs.  I also see dead people but that's so off topic I won't discuss it here.

Tell me what's so very bad about this offense that Nagy himself didn't have a hand in creating?  We have a young QB with terrific athletic ability whose won games on a very big stage.  He's not another Mitch.  We have two excellent RBs that we know of and experienced depth.  We have decent but not great talent at TE.  At WR we have Mooney and mostly 2nd and 3rd type WR backups at other positions but Pringle has already shown he's ready for a much bigger role now.

We haven't seen many of these guys play one single down for us yet just as we haven't with some of the OL and yet fans are coming to the conclusion that we'll suck just because we didn't sign more pricey name brand talent?  Ain't it funny how some of that previously thought of name brand talent is still sitting around waiting on calls from their agents telling them someone wants to sign them?

Whose to say that a couple of our bargain basement priced FA may have a breakout year and next spring we're all discussing how vital it is to keep them even if do overpay.  Hell, we'll have beaucoup cap to spend on them and just about any other FA talent we may want to add to the mix.  But before we do that let's at least see what we've got and where we need to add and/or subtract.

Even though I can see dead people I cannot predict the outcome of this season or I would be betting the farm with all of it's cows, horses, and little piggies and lighting $100 cigars with $500 bills next year drinking 20 year old scotch while you all are still swilling Old Style.....but I can dream can't I.  So I will dream until cold hard reality catches up with me and I can either crow or eat crow.  OK?

[soulman]

20 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

You joke, but it is the helmet itself that is causing severe concussions and always has. 

It is the weapon.  

 You will get a messed up nose and probably several lost teeth without one playing football, but the concussion issue would be less severe.

No one would lead with their head without a helmet.  It isn't natural without it.   Watch old games or rugby and you will see.

 

 

 

I have no doubt but jokes never work when someone chooses to take one seriously. 😁