Madmike90 Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Resign… RB…David Montgomery FB…Khari Blasingame TE…Ryan Griffin OLB…Matthew Adams CB…Josh Blackwell (ERFA) S…DeAndre Houston-Carson LS…Patrick Scales I think if you purely look at Monty as a RB then we don’t resign him…his career average just doesn’t warrant it on paper however he has ran behind some terrible offensive lines and while he should never be considered an out and out #1 RB combined with Herbert & another explosive RB he can be the glue to hold everything together…short yardage…game winning drives where you need to protect the ball is exactly what he should be used for…pass pro and as a receiver out the backfield are again real strengths…add in his leadership and mentality in the locker room and a contract that pays well over the next couple of seasons would make a lot of sense for both parties in a stacked RB market…Blasingame has been really effective when on the field and there is no reason to look for another FB at this point as he brings a lot of physicality to the run game…Griffin is just playing too often…he is a solid #3 TE and seems like a good guy to have around the locker room for his experience…Adams is a stand out special teamer who can be depth at all three LBs spots and seems to be Flus’ boy…Blackwell has really impressed on special teams and looked like he might be something when playing nickel with Gordon out…I like him as a development piece moving forward…DHC continues to be one of the best special teamers in the league and has always looked solid when taking snaps on defence…Scales continues to be a rock solid long snapper…all these guys outside of Monty would return at close to vet min and in lesser roles can be efficient players for us. I would also expect us to re-up some guys for competition and PS purposes early in the offseason like Darrynton Evans, Dante Pettis, Sam Mustipher, Mike Pennel, Armon Watts & Joe Thomas…I would also be open to bringing Byron Pringle back on a much lesser contract. All other FAs are released. Cuts… Cody Whitehair (Post June 1st) $4,200,000 to the dead cap…saving $9,900,000 Whitehair has been overpaid for the last few years now and just doesn’t fit what this FO & coaching staff are going to value in terms of size and length in the trenches…time to move on and spend that near $10 million on an upgrade. Lucas Patrick (Post June 1st) $1,482,500 to the dead cap…saving $3,900,000 Another OL who just doesn’t fit the physical profile we should be looking at upfront…the injuries didn’t help but even when he was healthy and in there he was poor at best…we need to get bigger and more physical in the trenches. Al-Quadin Muhammad $500,000 to the dead cap…saving $4,000,000 Muhammad has been a major disappointment up front and given his contact is an easy cut who saves us money that could be used elsewhere to sure up the position more. Cairo Santos $1,500,000 to the dead cap…saving $1,775,000 The NFL has changed to where kickers are expected to have a serious look at anything from up to 60 yards out…Santos just doesn’t have the leg for that and struggles from even 50…we need to find a kicker who fits the city and the conditions they will be expected to kick in. Free Agency… WR…Darius Slayton…6-1” 195lbs…Giants… Slayton is a young guy with a ton of physical traits that could make him excel in this offence as a #3/#4 behind Mooney & Claypool as well as a potential #1 trade in…at 6-1” 195lbs he has ideal size and longer than expected arms at just under 33” and 10” hands…that along with a 40.5” vertical allows him to go up compete for balls down the field using his 4.39 speed to gain vertical separation…Slayton has had drops in his career and concentration issues but was productive in his first few years in the league playing under our WR coach Tyke Tolbert which alongside the opportunity to come and play with a dynamic QB like Fields is enough to get him signed to a decent deal. TE…Foster Moreau…6-5” 250lbs…Raiders… For all the improvements we are seeing in the passing game I still very much so expect us to be a run first team moving forward given the talent we have in the backfield and the scheme we play…Moreau would make for a real upgrade as our #2 TE given he is both a better blocker and a far better receiving option than Ryan Griffin is at this point in their career…Moreau might cost a little more money than some other options out there to be the #2 TE but if he can show out he could save us money on a Cole Kmet contract next offseason which depending on how Poles values the TE spot will be an interesting contact because he clearly likes Kmet…could be another Roquan/Monty situation. OT…Jawaan Taylor…6-5” 310lbs…Jaguars… Time to spend some real money…Taylor is not only the right sort of age of the guys we should be looking at given he is only 25 years old but plays a position of massive importance which we have had a revolving door at this year…Taylor would come in and play RT where his 6-5” 310lbs frame with 35’1/2” arms will tick a lot of boxes for Poles & co given what we know they value…Taylor is young but by the end of this season will have started 65 games in his career…he has the athletic upside to play in this scheme given we can ask him to run block in space…Taylor struggled early in his career with pass pro but this year has only give up 4 sack and 14 QB pressures this season…that would represent a big upgrade over what we have had at the position and a long term building block up front. C…Evan Brown…6-3” 320lbs…Lions… Brown is a guy who has really stepped up in the absence of one of the top centres in football Frank Ragnow’s absence and made the drop off look minimal…Brown is an excellent athlete both in terms of speed with a 5.02 forty…explosiveness 36” vertical…& power with 36 reps on the bench press…he is only 6-3” but has near 33” arms adding better length than we currently have…he also has a background at both centre and guard so offers versatility…this is a younger more athletic Lucas Patrick signing where he can start early but hopefully be challenged from a draft pick and become quality depth. DE…Charles Omenihu…6-5” 275lbs…49ers… Adding talent on the defensive line is going to be incredibly important to fixing this defence…we need to find talent that fit this scheme and a huge part of that is finding versatile, long, athletic players who play with a motor and aggression…Omenihu really fits that role…at 6-5” 275lbs he has the size and mass to set the edge against the run especially with his 36” arms making him tough to get outside of…when rushing the passer he is just so big and long he overwhelms a lot of tackles and creates a lot for others on the 9ers DL…his 4.5 sacks don’t jump off the page however the 16 TFL is good for joint 14th in the league last season…Omenihu really seems to fit what Poles has looked for in DEs in the past and the fact will only turn 26 years old at the start of next year is another big plus. DE…Arden Key…6-5” 245lbs…Jaguars… We continue to work the tiers and add more DE talent before we hit the draft…Dominique Robinson was supposed to be a situational pass rusher last season but got pressed into too much action and it is clear the role was too much for him…I can see him competing with Gipson for that last DL spot but possibly ending up on the PS meaning we need to find a pass rusher who can come in on passing situations and really get after the QB…Arden Key has had an up and down career but in his last two stops of San Fran & Jacksonville it seems to be coming together…on limited snaps he has 11 sacks and 32 QBHs over the last two seasons…he can be the RE when we look for match ups inside for some of these other Des…the more versatile we can be up front the better this defence will work. DT…Daron Payne…6-3” 320lbs…Washington… The approach at DT has to be more aggressive than even at DE IMO…we have to target the top DT in FA and that IMO is Payne because we simply have to get better inside on defence and find a way to stop the run on a consistent basis as well as getting some guys who can get after the QB …Payne is a physical player who could line up at either UT or NT which would provide massive flexibility in the draft if we wanted to draft either Carter or Anderson…I think he can be truly either in this scheme at NT given how attacking our NT will be asked to be…he will be a LBs best friend while also getting after the QB….over the last two seasons he has really taken a step forward with that currently having 16 sacks & 33 QB hits along with 24 TFL…that is the production we need inside…if I am Poles or Flus I pull a Lovie and be waiting on this guy’s driveway at the start of FA. DT…Derrick Nnadi…6-1” 317lbs…Chiefs… As much as getting a big time player like Payne is an excellent start to fixing this interior DL there is no doubt we need more and specifically more players to help stop the run which has to be an early fix for this defence…Nnadi is a stout tackle who seems to have fallen down the ranks in KC but who has always been a solid role player…I think as a rotation NT he would really fit the 2 down player we could need inside before playing some of these bigger, longer and more athletic DEs as interior rushers…Nnadi should be a fairly cheap add. LB…Tremaine Edmunds…6-5” 253lbs…Bills… I think as much as we will want to target the primer positions we have to find a way to get Flus some guys who fit his scheme on the defensive side…signing Payne would be a massive get to fill the 3T role if we go a different direction in the draft…Gordon started to look better as the season went on and with improved pass rush will be the starting NB…but what are we doing at WILL? Roquan clearly just wasn’t a fit seemingly from a personality or positional stand point so we need to try and find a dominant WILL who can fill the Shaq Leonard role here…Edmunds has all the physical traits to be just that…6-5” 253lbs with 34 1/2 “ arms and 4.52 speed he brings the run and hit element to his game that we lacked from the WILL spot last season…Edmunds is also excellent against the pass with 35 PBUs over the last 5 seasons…5 seasons which have lead to him playing multiple times in the playoffs and being named a team captain despite still only being 24 years old…Edmunds could be a mainstay of this defence for years to come. LB…Bobby Okereke…6-2” 235lbs…Colts… I think it is clear Jack Sanborn has earned the right to be the starter at MLB next season given his play before heading to IR but IMO it is clear we need an upgrade at the other two starting LB spots with Morrow being a bit of a liability…Okereke plays MLB in Indy (& could do in case of Sanborn injury again) but IMO his skill set is an even better fit for the SAM or WILL in this scheme given his physical traits and has probably just not been played there because of how good Leonard is…6-1” 240lbs but with 34 ½” arms he more than fits the length requirement…runs a 4.56 forty and has a 33 ½” vertical so again brings the speed and explosiveness they want at that spot…allowing him to be a run and hit WILL with Sanborn playing as downhill as he does would make for a really nice combination and Okereke’s knowledge of the scheme wouldn’t hurt either. CB…Rock Ya-Sin…6-0” 190lbs…Raiders… Another ex Flus guy in Indy who I think could come in here and be an excellent fit in terms of need, scheme fit, value & experience…JJ has played well at corner this season and Kyler looks like he is starting to get better in the slot role but I am still concerned for the #2 CB position where I think guys like Jones & Vildor have without doubt looked better as the season have went on but I still see them as depth only options…Ya-Sin would come in and lock down that 2nd CB role with his experience in the scheme and ideal combination of size/length & athletic upside…increase the pass rush and add a veteran presence like Rock and that secondary is going to look excellent if Jackson comes back healthy and Jaquan continues to develop. S…Donovan Wilson…6-1” 205lbs…Cowboys… Brisker looks like he can become a real star on the back end with an improved front 7…Eddie also looked good last season until the pass rush fell off a cliff but then picked up an injury…looking at the depth at safety DHC is a solid enough player but truthfully we could use a depth upgrade and to try and future proof a move to take Eddie off the roster next year given his cap hit…Wilson came out of nowhere this season behind Dallas’ pass rush to look like a star at the safety spot at times…6-1” 205lbs with 33’1/2” arms he would bring the size we want in what will be looking for in what will quickly become combo safeties in this scheme…Wilson was very effective in and around the box with 5 sacks…9 QBHs…7 TFL & 101 tackles overall…he plays with real speed and decisiveness and even in year one brings the sort of versatility to line up alongside Brisker & Jackson on some downs…he would be a really underrated pickup but on the field he is excellent. K…Matt Gay…6-0” 230lbs…Rams… As I said before we badly need a kicker who can hit from 50+ in order to keep the scoreboard ticking over…Santos doesn’t offer that so I would rather pay a little more for a kicker like Gay when we have so much to play cap to play with. Draft… ***TRADE*** Bears trade pick #1 to Indy for pick #4 + #35…2024 1st round pick & DE Dayo Odeyingbo… The Colts are going to have to jump the Texans to ensure they get their QB of the next 10-15 years rather than facing the guy for the next 10-15 years…Jim Irsay seems to have gone off the deep end this season and Chris Ballard needs to make a big move happen in order to keep his own job moving forward…knowing the Colts HC would be huge here but I think either way they need to bring a face of the franchise in and they will give up a solid amount to make that happen…he also finished with 13 QBH & 5 TFL as his snaps continued to increase as the season went on…Dayo would be an excellent fit at LE in this defence. DE…Dayo Odeyingbo…6-5” 278lbs… Dayo is a clear fit for what Flus wants in his DEs considering Flus was in the building when they drafted him…at 6-5” 278lbs with over 35” arms he is another versatile, long, athletic defender who towards the end of last season really started to show his potential with 5 sacks over the last 3.5 sacks over the last 4 games to take his total for the season to 5…he also had Round 1.4… DT…Jalen Carter…6-3” 310lbs…Georgia… “The engine that makes us go”…that is how Flus describes the UT position in this defence and due to that I think we will have Carter graded higher than Anderson…Carter brings legit game wrecking potential inside with a combination of size, length, strength, athletic ability & aggressiveness that has been rarely matched in recent years…some will question Carter’s production but if you watch Georgia’s defence he is asked to very rarely get up the field and shoot gaps…he stays at the LOS and controls offensive linemen to allow others to make plays…that said on the occasions he is able to play with more freedom he uses his physical traits to destroy run blocking schemes and be a terror when rushing the passer…I have seen some defensive ends like Will Anderson…I have very rarely seen a DT with all the tools Carter has. Round 2.35… OG…Darnell Wright…6-5” 335lbs…Tennessee… Right now this might feel a little high for Wright but I reckon when we get into these all-star games as well as the combine and coaches start to wat the tape Wright will rocket up boards…when you look at the size he is on paper you probably think he can’t play in the zone scheme we currently run but he is an excellent athlete and plays smaller on the move…his length and power really show as a run blocker and with his mentality to put people in the ground it would give us a terrifying set of OGs alongside Jenkins as two guys who can just flat out bully defensive linemen…in pass pro I figured he would struggle a little but having watched a few of his games it is clear to see why he is a former 5 star recruit because he has real movement skills…his tape against Will Anderson & Bama is very impressive and moving him inside is only further going to hide any deficiencies…considering what Poles found in Trey Smith out of Tennessee I think he will love this guy. Round 2.53… DE…Keion White…6-5” 283lbs…Georgia Tech… I think we have to go all out to fix this DL if we want to fix this defence…everything in this scheme starts up front and IMO Flus is brining about the revolution of the old “Cover 2” scheme…where as before DEs would be around if not under the 250lbs mark Flus wants bigger, stronger & longer defensive linemen who can dominate in the run game as well as wear offensive linemen down when rushing the passer…White played on a terrible Georgia Tech team but stood out in every game I saw against some far more talent teams…he is so athletic & strong that he can win in a multitude of different ways from a ton of different spots…he could legitimately play as a UT in this scheme or as an end which is where I project him to start out his career given his explosiveness and size I think he could be a nightmare for a lot of OTs in this league. Round 3.64… ***Trade*** Bears trade pick #64 to Arizona for WR DeAndre Hopkins… We need to find a true #1 WR for Fields this offseason…the next 2 years of his career are going to be the most important of his career when it comes to developing as a passer…we have seen how QBs like Josh Allen with Stefon Diggs & Jalen Hurts with AJ Brown has gotten so much better knowing they have a true #1 receiver to go to…Hopkins is a little older and coming off missing half a season with a suspension but when he did play he was still excellent for Arizona this year…I think he really could make this offence excellent by giving Getsy that Davante Adams type #1 receiver as well as slotting Claypool & Mooney into their more natural roles which will massively help the entire offence and give us time to hopefully develop our own quality receiving core rather than having to trade for big name stars. Round 4.102… WR…Trey Palmer…6-1” 190lbs…Nebraska… Speaking of finding WRs who could develop into quality options down the line Palmer is an excellent example of that…the former 5 star recruit who transferred to Nebraska from LSU showed just what he could do when getting there 71 catches for 1,043 yards & 9TDs off the back of some pretty average QB play…at 6-1” 190lbs with long arms he brings the ideal size to play both outside and in…he has great speed and suddenness as well as COD skills and with a little more development could become a really nice complimentary player for this offence…reminds me a lot of Josh Palmer of the Charges though isn’t quite as thick on his frame. Round 4.133… C…Joe Tippmann…6-5” 315lbs…Wisconsin… More talent in the trenches in order to protect QB1 and to change the dynamic of our OL…gone should be the days of shorter linemen who lack length and size…we need to find this bigger, longer more physically gifted and imposing linemen who can not only move but also maul defensive linemen…Tippman has rare size for the centre position as a former OT…be brings that size and length to the centre spot as well as his athletic ability which allows him to pull and climb to the 2nd level on a regular basis…Tippman would compete with Evan Brown with either offering us an upgrade over what we have now purely from a genetic aspect. Round 5.139… OLB…Brenton Cox Jr…6-5” 250lbs…Florida… I considered a CB at this spot but I like what we saw out of Jaylon Jones & Josh Blackwell last season and think they both deserve the opportunity to show they can be solid depth options on defence rather than just quality special teamers…so here we add…you guessed it…another versatile, long & athletic defender who can play multiple positions and roles…Cox Jr was more of a stand up pass rusher at Florida and I think he can offer that here but I also think he would be a great fit as a SLB in this scheme where his size & length could be a real asset against the run next to Edmunds & Sanborn…I also think we could ask him to lose a little weight and see what he can do against some inline TEs in coverage…just a ball of clay to try and mould which we have seen Flus do in the past…Cox Jr would go far higher than this if he hadn’t been dismissed from Florida but I have no major concerns over his off-field issues and I think Poles will be open to giving guys 2nd chances. Round 5.158 RB…Roschon Johnson…6-1” 225lbs…Texas… If we bring back Monty and with Herbert coming back to 100% we are pretty set for the top two of the rotation but last year we got lucky that Herbert went down for longer than Monty…Herbert is a better pure runner but isn’t great in pass pro or as a receiver out of the backfield so IMO we have to find a RB who excels in those areas to be potentially pair with Herbert long term when we eventually move on from Monty…Johnson is a backup at Texas but is one of the most respected guys in the locker room…he is a tone setter who has excellent size for the position as well as that all important ability to not one be a quality runner but also a really good receiver and pass protector…those elements shouldn’t be underestimated and Johnson would be a nice change up in that backfield…should be great on teams as well with his attitude. Round 7… OT…Javon Foster…6-5” 318lbs…Missouri… Braxton has been an excellent find for us but I don’t see anyone else on this team who could play LT in the event of injury…Foster has a lot of LT traits in terms of feet & length and given he has been tested in the SEC might go earlier than this depending on testing but we have to find someone we think can develop in case the worst comes to the worst at that spot. Depth Chart… QB…Justin Fields…Trevor Siemian RB…David Montgomery…Khalil Herbert…Roschon Johnson FB…Khari Blasingame WR…DeAndre Hopkins…Darius Slayton WR…Chase Claypool…Equanimeous St. Brown Slot…Darnell Mooney…Trey Palmer…Velus Jones Jr TE…Cole Kmet…Foster Moreau…Ryan Griffin LT…Braxton Jones…Javon Foster LG…Darnell Wright…Alex Leatherwood C…Evan Brown…Joe Tippmann RG…Teven Jenkins RT…Jawaan Taylor…Larry Borom LE…Dayo Odeyingbo…Keion White…Trevis Gipson NT…Daron Payne…Derrick Nnadi UT…Jalen Carter…Justin Jones RE…Charles Omenihu…Arden Key SLB…Bobby Okereke…Brenton Cox Jr MLB…Jack Sanborn…Matthew Adams WLB…Tremaine Edmunds…Stirling Weatherford NB…Kyler Gordon…Josh Blackwell CB…Rock Ya-Sin…Kindle Vildor CB…Jaylon Jackson…Jaylon Jones SS…Jaquan Brisker…Donovan Wilson FS…Eddie Jackson…Deandre Houston-Carson P…Trenton Gill K…Matt Gay LS…Patrick Scales 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Wow you did a lot of stuff. For record I would be doing cartwheels if Bears did all these thing. I just think they won't be THAT busy. That is getting every single thing on the Christmas list. Maybe it is Bears fan in me, but I feel like we couldn't be that fortunate. RESIGNS I like your resigns. Not sure if Bears will retain Montgomery since running back draft class is super deep, but I think they absolutely should. Blasingame was criminally underused this year IMO. CUTS I think many fans expect Whitehair back, but I will not be surprised at all if he is cut. Patrick and Santos would be a bit more surprising to me just because Santos was so good year prior and Patrick was the prized FA of 2022 and ego may dictate he gets at least a shot in camp, but I wouldn't be shocked. Bold to put them in your mock. FAS - you bought everybody we could want. Not going to discuss everyone, but I liked a lot of your choices. I just don't think we get near all those guys. Give me Chark over Slayton. I didn't know Foster was a FA - I like the signing. Jawan Taylor - this would be a big signing. If your draft worked out though I think Darnell Wright could play RT. As could the Georgia guy or either OSU guy. Getting both guys would definitely improve OL. Not sure Wright would love being kicked inside to G post draft. Arden Key is an underrated and improving young pass rusher. Better in a 3-4 D, but still this would be a nice FA signing. Been saying that for a few months now this guys is under radar. I think people are noticing him now in playoffs and he won't be so much of a secret unfortunately. Daron Payne - is the biggest target of FA for us I believe. We likely get him as we can pay him most. I hope he isn't another FA DL that comes and lays an egg when he gets paid and is more Hicks mentality. I think there is small chance we sign Edmunds. I don't think Poles would pay a LB what he will want. Gay would be cool. I don't see it happening, but I would like it. TRADE I like the trade with Indy, but I don't think we get the player with it. It just usually doesn't work that way when trading draft picks for picks and not players for players/picks. Hopkins I personally would love for a 3rd. But I think Poles stays young and doesn't make that move. I think we target and pick up one of TN WRs or Rashee Rice in draft instead and possibly a FA like Chark or maybe Smith Schuster. I don't think it will be Slayton, but its possible. Draft: I don't know most of the guys. I like Carter and Wright. Those two alone is a good draft. This was one of your better offseason mocks IMO. Nice work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Yes a million times over. Good work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty21 Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 This is probably my favorite mock I’ve seen thus far but far more active than I can see us ever being. Can you imagine actually addressing every need lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Really well done Mike! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 I like alot of what you've done here (some of it was in my previous mock, some more will be in my next) but as some have already said, it seems a bit pie in the sky for just one offseason. Spreaking of, if we do make cuts, and we have soooo much cap space, why are we pushing dead cap into 2024? Just seems like a bad plan I know many disagree with me, but Ive yet to see someone give a good reason that Cody Whitehair is going to be cut other than you dont like his current cap number (none of which is guaranteed money for '23 or '24) so I'll still be very surprised if he is outright cut, and id be Very surprised if he was to be designated a Post 6/1 cut. And I would be SHOCKED to see Patrick set as that other Post 6/1 cut. It was a tough year for him, but he was a priority for them last offseason, and that hand injury really messed up their plans. Unless that injury had completely ended his carer at Center, I will be surprised if he isnt on the roster at the least (more likely looked at as our Center). Unless they have had a massive change in scheme, "bigger and more physical" arent the hallmarks of what are needed along the OL. Longer and Athletic, sure, but they specifically picked Patrick last year, hes not some left over from the previous regime. Would also shock me to see them drop Patrick for Evan Brown, a guy who struggled in the run game when he saw action Im not here to ride for Santos or anything, but I would not be wasting my time/energy/money at this point on the Kicker position. If he were tobe a free agent, I wouldnt bring him back, but he's fine. Too many fans want to think of their Kicker as a "weapon" there really are only a few of those in the league, and Matt Gay is not one of them. Im fine brining Monty back in the short term, but Im just not sure what the RB market turns into this offseason. Alot of talent, also alot of options in the Draft. Im not giving him long term money, but if he doesnt like what the market has to offer, and is Ok coming back with a 2/3 year deal, without much long term money in it, then fine. But he is for sure not high on my list. I like Slayton (I like Shephard more) but that play against the Vikings is his career in a nutshell. The second you start to rely on him, he drops the ball, sometimes literally. Wouldnt comlain if he was added to the WR corps, I will say that type of move does seem more and more likely than a trade for DHop Foster, Taylor, and Payne would all be great gets, and higher end pickups even though they arent the flashiest names Edmunds seems like a pipe dream at this point considering... But Rock Ya-Sin does seem like someone we would pay up for, although I do wonder if we would pay 2 CBs at this point. Feels like Okereke is going to be our first signing out the gate. He should probably be in everyone's Mocks, just fits as what Flus needs at LB for now. The one thing I dont love coming out of this offseason, feels like we just have a bunch of rotational DEs, not one that we can really count on to be out there a bunch As for the draft, I like Darnell Wright a whole lot more at RT than at Guard. He could still do it, just less excited about it. Still dont see us taking the risk of Cox 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 14 minutes ago, StLunatic88 said: I like alot of what you've done here (some of it was in my previous mock, some more will be in my next) but as some have already said, it seems a bit pie in the sky for just one offseason. Spreaking of, if we do make cuts, and we have soooo much cap space, why are we pushing dead cap into 2024? Just seems like a bad plan I know many disagree with me, but Ive yet to see someone give a good reason that Cody Whitehair is going to be cut other than you dont like his current cap number (none of which is guaranteed money for '23 or '24) so I'll still be very surprised if he is outright cut, and id be Very surprised if he was to be designated a Post 6/1 cut. And I would be SHOCKED to see Patrick set as that other Post 6/1 cut. It was a tough year for him, but he was a priority for them last offseason, and that hand injury really messed up their plans. Unless that injury had completely ended his carer at Center, I will be surprised if he isnt on the roster at the least (more likely looked at as our Center). Unless they have had a massive change in scheme, "bigger and more physical" arent the hallmarks of what are needed along the OL. Longer and Athletic, sure, but they specifically picked Patrick last year, hes not some left over from the previous regime. Would also shock me to see them drop Patrick for Evan Brown, a guy who struggled in the run game when he saw action Im not here to ride for Santos or anything, but I would not be wasting my time/energy/money at this point on the Kicker position. If he were tobe a free agent, I wouldnt bring him back, but he's fine. Too many fans want to think of their Kicker as a "weapon" there really are only a few of those in the league, and Matt Gay is not one of them. Im fine brining Monty back in the short term, but Im just not sure what the RB market turns into this offseason. Alot of talent, also alot of options in the Draft. Im not giving him long term money, but if he doesnt like what the market has to offer, and is Ok coming back with a 2/3 year deal, without much long term money in it, then fine. But he is for sure not high on my list. I like Slayton (I like Shephard more) but that play against the Vikings is his career in a nutshell. The second you start to rely on him, he drops the ball, sometimes literally. Wouldnt comlain if he was added to the WR corps, I will say that type of move does seem more and more likely than a trade for DHop Foster, Taylor, and Payne would all be great gets, and higher end pickups even though they arent the flashiest names Edmunds seems like a pipe dream at this point considering... But Rock Ya-Sin does seem like someone we would pay up for, although I do wonder if we would pay 2 CBs at this point. Feels like Okereke is going to be our first signing out the gate. He should probably be in everyone's Mocks, just fits as what Flus needs at LB for now. The one thing I dont love coming out of this offseason, feels like we just have a bunch of rotational DEs, not one that we can really count on to be out there a bunch As for the draft, I like Darnell Wright a whole lot more at RT than at Guard. He could still do it, just less excited about it. Still dont see us taking the risk of Cox RE: Cox Has anyone figured out yet what he did to get booted off of Florida's team? Regardless KC took a few chances on morons and players with health issues while Poles was there. Does he take that with him or was that Veach's idea? What would McCaskey and Warren think? Hard to say as of now. Everyone Poles took last year was clean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 1 hour ago, beardown3231 said: Has anyone figured out yet what he did to get booted off of Florida's team? I dont think I know anything more than anyone else here, but I do know that the "attitude problems" go all the way back to when he was recruited to Georgia. And if Pickens was downgraded by Poles & Co (he had to be?) then Im not sure a serial problem child like Cox is likely to be higher on our draft board than other teams. I want us to get to a place where we can take these chances (like KC or Pittsburgh) but you need to have an established locker room to do that. We arent there yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 1 minute ago, StLunatic88 said: I dont think I know anything more than anyone else here, but I do know that the "attitude problems" go all the way back to when he was recruited to Georgia. And if Pickens was downgraded by Poles & Co (he had to be?) then Im not sure a serial problem child like Cox is likely to be higher on our draft board than other teams. I want us to get to a place where we can take these chances (like KC or Pittsburgh) but you need to have an established locker room to do that. We arent there yet I know. I wasn't disagreeing though. I was just saying that in his lone draft he did draft guys with clean bills of health and OTF issues. We'll see if it continues. I just think it's too early to say one way or another. Maybe they liked Pickens but they had Gordon/Brisker higher *and* Eberflus pounded the table for those guys 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmike90 Posted January 19, 2023 Author Share Posted January 19, 2023 19 hours ago, dll2000 said: Wow you did a lot of stuff. For record I would be doing cartwheels if Bears did all these thing. I just think they won't be THAT busy. That is getting every single thing on the Christmas list. Maybe it is Bears fan in me, but I feel like we couldn't be that fortunate. RESIGNS I like your resigns. Not sure if Bears will retain Montgomery since running back draft class is super deep, but I think they absolutely should. Blasingame was criminally underused this year IMO. CUTS I think many fans expect Whitehair back, but I will not be surprised at all if he is cut. Patrick and Santos would be a bit more surprising to me just because Santos was so good year prior and Patrick was the prized FA of 2022 and ego may dictate he gets at least a shot in camp, but I wouldn't be shocked. Bold to put them in your mock. FAS - you bought everybody we could want. Not going to discuss everyone, but I liked a lot of your choices. I just don't think we get near all those guys. Give me Chark over Slayton. I didn't know Foster was a FA - I like the signing. Jawan Taylor - this would be a big signing. If your draft worked out though I think Darnell Wright could play RT. As could the Georgia guy or either OSU guy. Getting both guys would definitely improve OL. Not sure Wright would love being kicked inside to G post draft. Arden Key is an underrated and improving young pass rusher. Better in a 3-4 D, but still this would be a nice FA signing. Been saying that for a few months now this guys is under radar. I think people are noticing him now in playoffs and he won't be so much of a secret unfortunately. Daron Payne - is the biggest target of FA for us I believe. We likely get him as we can pay him most. I hope he isn't another FA DL that comes and lays an egg when he gets paid and is more Hicks mentality. I think there is small chance we sign Edmunds. I don't think Poles would pay a LB what he will want. Gay would be cool. I don't see it happening, but I would like it. TRADE I like the trade with Indy, but I don't think we get the player with it. It just usually doesn't work that way when trading draft picks for picks and not players for players/picks. Hopkins I personally would love for a 3rd. But I think Poles stays young and doesn't make that move. I think we target and pick up one of TN WRs or Rashee Rice in draft instead and possibly a FA like Chark or maybe Smith Schuster. I don't think it will be Slayton, but its possible. Draft: I don't know most of the guys. I like Carter and Wright. Those two alone is a good draft. This was one of your better offseason mocks IMO. Nice work! If we are going to be competitive this season...and I think from ownership on down they expect to be...Poles is going to need to be this active IMO... I think they value Monty as much for his attitude and leadership as anything else...he isn't a perfect back but he is good at everything and I think they keep that solid work horse in play for at least another season or two... I can see Santos being retained simply because we have so many needs but I just think a kicker who can't hit from over 50 yards is a thing of the past in today's league... I would prefer Chalk as well over Slayton but I feel he is going to get way more money in FA... If we don't get the player then we need to get at least one other pick which again we can then use on a player but I think given how much time we have to negotiate we could look to add players who Flus has some knowledge of... I would love to add a younger #1 but the price would be so much higher...unless a team were willing to take a 2024 1st I don't think we could get anyone...would love Higgins for a future 1st if possible but I don't know if Poles will be that aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TankWilliams Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 I've never seen a team make so many free agent signings before, but when teams do make a lot of FA signings, it seems like usually that doesn't pan out for them too well. Its hard to know what else they will do considering their massive cap room and a lack of underlying talent on this team, but I would be pretty surprised to see them that aggressive in free agency. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmike90 Posted January 19, 2023 Author Share Posted January 19, 2023 1 hour ago, StLunatic88 said: I like alot of what you've done here (some of it was in my previous mock, some more will be in my next) but as some have already said, it seems a bit pie in the sky for just one offseason. Spreaking of, if we do make cuts, and we have soooo much cap space, why are we pushing dead cap into 2024? Just seems like a bad plan I know many disagree with me, but Ive yet to see someone give a good reason that Cody Whitehair is going to be cut other than you dont like his current cap number (none of which is guaranteed money for '23 or '24) so I'll still be very surprised if he is outright cut, and id be Very surprised if he was to be designated a Post 6/1 cut. And I would be SHOCKED to see Patrick set as that other Post 6/1 cut. It was a tough year for him, but he was a priority for them last offseason, and that hand injury really messed up their plans. Unless that injury had completely ended his carer at Center, I will be surprised if he isnt on the roster at the least (more likely looked at as our Center). Unless they have had a massive change in scheme, "bigger and more physical" arent the hallmarks of what are needed along the OL. Longer and Athletic, sure, but they specifically picked Patrick last year, hes not some left over from the previous regime. Would also shock me to see them drop Patrick for Evan Brown, a guy who struggled in the run game when he saw action Im not here to ride for Santos or anything, but I would not be wasting my time/energy/money at this point on the Kicker position. If he were tobe a free agent, I wouldnt bring him back, but he's fine. Too many fans want to think of their Kicker as a "weapon" there really are only a few of those in the league, and Matt Gay is not one of them. Im fine brining Monty back in the short term, but Im just not sure what the RB market turns into this offseason. Alot of talent, also alot of options in the Draft. Im not giving him long term money, but if he doesnt like what the market has to offer, and is Ok coming back with a 2/3 year deal, without much long term money in it, then fine. But he is for sure not high on my list. I like Slayton (I like Shephard more) but that play against the Vikings is his career in a nutshell. The second you start to rely on him, he drops the ball, sometimes literally. Wouldnt comlain if he was added to the WR corps, I will say that type of move does seem more and more likely than a trade for DHop Foster, Taylor, and Payne would all be great gets, and higher end pickups even though they arent the flashiest names Edmunds seems like a pipe dream at this point considering... But Rock Ya-Sin does seem like someone we would pay up for, although I do wonder if we would pay 2 CBs at this point. Feels like Okereke is going to be our first signing out the gate. He should probably be in everyone's Mocks, just fits as what Flus needs at LB for now. The one thing I dont love coming out of this offseason, feels like we just have a bunch of rotational DEs, not one that we can really count on to be out there a bunch As for the draft, I like Darnell Wright a whole lot more at RT than at Guard. He could still do it, just less excited about it. Still dont see us taking the risk of Cox I think the thing is this off season is the pie in the sky off season in terms of us having resources beyond what is normal for any team...when was the last time a team had the 1st overall pick...the most cap space by far...and a ton of roster flexibility? This is the opportunity to build this roster how Poles wants to build it... The reason for cutting Whitehair is he is just not very good...far too many times I saw him getting pushed back and giving up quick pressure...he has been our Robert Garza for too long now...a not very good offensive linemen who just so happens to be better than the rest of the rubbish we have had...we have to expect more moving forward...Patrick is the exact same...he was solid for GB...he looked bad for us all last season...now I am more open to keeping him on the roster but as a backup only...I would be okay with pushing both's or either's cap hit into 2024 simply because I want to get as much talent around Fields and on this defence as quickly as possible... I would only be bringing Monty back on a 2/3 year deal...I also think the fact the market is so strong helps us to do that at a fairly cheap price... I think with our cap space we are in a spot where no one is a pipe dream...it's just about how much resource we want to assign to which positions and what sort of competition we face for them... I have no issue taking a risk on a 5th round pick...2nd or 3rd I can see the issue but a ton of 5th round picks do nothing in this league...if we can add a would be 2nd round talent that late I say we go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmike90 Posted January 19, 2023 Author Share Posted January 19, 2023 14 minutes ago, TankWilliams said: I've never seen a team make so many free agent signings before, but when teams do make a lot of FA signings, it seems like usually that doesn't pan out for them too well. Its hard to know what else they will do considering their massive cap room and a lack of underlying talent on this team, but I would be pretty surprised to see them that aggressive in free agency. Jacksonville had 11 free agents last year...I guess for me we just have more money and more versatility that we can continue to add a ton of talent if we work the tiers...I just feel we can't sit back where there is talent out there with so many resources this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 4 minutes ago, Madmike90 said: I think the thing is this off season is the pie in the sky off season in terms of us having resources beyond what is normal for any team...when was the last time a team had the 1st overall pick...the most cap space by far...and a ton of roster flexibility? This is the opportunity to build this roster how Poles wants to build it... The problem is, doing all these deals, it isnt about the impact on just 2023. Those deals impact '24 and '25 and so on. If we can find guys who want to rebuild stock for 1 year or 1 year + option deals, then Im all about that. But those arent bountiful options. Ive said it many times, we currently have too much cap room to responsibly spend all in one offseason. Its why many have talked abouot extensions (JJ, Mooney, Claypool, Kmet) and I would love to be the dumping ground for a bad contract just this year. I dont currently see any of those, but if someone wants to send us a bad contract along with a draft pick and we just cut and eat the money, Id be ecstatic. But again, not always an option. I think your assumption that "Ownership on down" is expecting us to compete in 2023 is way off. There is NO WAY that Poles came in with this plan that he just executed in 2022 and then also told everyone that we will be competing in one years time. He would have been laughed out of the interview. Now if you want to say see obvious growth? Sure. Competing for playoff by 2024, maybe. But this was a commitment to a long haul rebuild, and now it seems like the fans want to skip the build after the tear down. Doesnt work like that. If Im being honest, its not about any of the specific players that you have added in Free Agency, but this type of approach (the amount and dollar cost of Free Agents) is how you wind up right back in a messy cap without a foundation of the franchise. You have 13 impact signings here. With a retention of one big impact guy (Monty) and 2 trades for impact veterans. Thats 16 guys we are bringing in expecting alot of of them. And unfortunately, its likely that atleast 1/4 of them are wash outs within the year. Which is fine if those guys are all 1 year deals, rosters turn over, no big deal. But those that you have us signing, are unlikely to be 1 year deals other than 1 or 2 of them, so the rest will heavily impact the 2024 Cap as well. 23 minutes ago, Madmike90 said: The reason for cutting Whitehair is he is just not very good...far too many times I saw him getting pushed back and giving up quick pressure...he has been our Robert Garza for too long now...a not very good offensive linemen who just so happens to be better than the rest of the rubbish we have had...we have to expect more moving forward...Patrick is the exact same...he was solid for GB...he looked bad for us all last season...now I am more open to keeping him on the roster but as a backup only...I would be okay with pushing both's or either's cap hit into 2024 simply because I want to get as much talent around Fields and on this defence as quickly as possible... I mean I just disagree with this. Whitehir is a solid lineman, who was playing between a Rookie LT and a Center who should have never seen the field. When he is around good talent, in this system, he should work well. If you want to say he isnt worth $9m salary, thats fine, but there are options other than Cutting him, especially without having a reliable replacement. I like Darnell Wright as much as you do, but to think we KNOW he will be able to step in and take over that LG spot no problem is just lying to ourselves. You make those type of cuts once you KNOW that you have the solution. And if it costs us $9m in salary (non guaranteed, and can be cut at any time) to hang on to Cody Whitehair till we are sure that his replacement can handle it, Ill do that and cut him next offseason. Not every player at every level of the team is going to be a stud, the NFL just doesnt allow that. 28 minutes ago, Madmike90 said: I think with our cap space we are in a spot where no one is a pipe dream...it's just about how much resource we want to assign to which positions and what sort of competition we face for them... Except after One major signing (Payne) we are right back at the level of the other big spenders. And a second one (Taylor) puts us down amongst everyone else. Its also that type of thinking that gets you into bad contracts (Albert Haynesworth), not to mention, its not just about the Salary Cap, its about Real Cash. I dont trust we are ready to shell out that much Cash in a single offseason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 27 minutes ago, Madmike90 said: If we are going to be competitive this season...and I think from ownership on down they expect to be...Poles is going to need to be this active IMO... I think it is more a 2 year plan for all marbles because he did such a large tear down. He will say he plans to be compete next year, but he said this year too. I think in reality next year is looked as a stepping stone. I will note that Poles has also emphasized that he is not going to change his basic philosophy of not over paying in FA even though he has all this hugecap space. That being said there is a floor of which he contractually has to spend under CBA. So there will be some large moves in FA this offseason. I think they value Monty as much for his attitude and leadership as anything else...he isn't a perfect back but he is good at everything and I think they keep that solid work horse in play for at least another season or two... I agree. From a coaches perspective - you want and need guys like Monty on your team. Even if they aren't stars. They are glue guys. They are an example and good influence to others. They make your culture better. You don't have to worry about them off field. I think Poles is smart enough to realize that. Mooney would be another example of that. I can see Santos being retained simply because we have so many needs but I just think a kicker who can't hit from over 50 yards is a thing of the past in today's league... Agreed. But you can also find yourself in kicker hell rather quickly. If we can get a guy like Gay I am cool with it. A lot of GMs think they can find a kicker anywhere anytime. Doesn't always work that way as we know. I would prefer Chalk as well over Slayton but I feel he is going to get way more money in FA... Maybe. I think he should have signed Chark to a three year deal last year which would have been 2 with an out in year 3. Be interesting to see what their market is this year. If we don't get the player then we need to get at least one other pick which again we can then use on a player but I think given how much time we have to negotiate we could look to add players who Flus has some knowledge of... I would love to add a younger #1 but the price would be so much higher...unless a team were willing to take a 2024 1st I don't think we could get anyone...would love Higgins for a future 1st if possible but I don't know if Poles will be that aggressive. So we know we have Mooney, Claypool, St. Brown and Jones coming back. That is already 4 WRs. Granted many are not loving Velus at moment. Poles may just wait until after draft to see what he wants to do in FA at WR if anything. (Other than cutable guys). If he goes with a WR high in draft he may not want to do much of anything of note in WR FA this season. I believe Poles is tied to his big board and will go BPA throughout. Since he traded for Claypool If he happens to draft a WR in first 2 rounds he will be looking for that guy to get 2023 starter reps. If he goes big in FA at WR that guy will be an expected starter which creates problems. Lets say we draft Quentin Johnston in first. So you will need to find quality game reps for your large contract WR FA, Mooney, Claypool (who you just traded a 2nd rounder for) and possibly the 1st or 2nd round pick. That is with basically giving up on Velus getting playing time (sans injuries). For those reasons I think Poles will decide to wait on WR FA until after draft to see if he needs to do something more. I also think Claypool WAS his FA WR move for 2023. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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