Da Dos

Comments

  • Caleb is a Bust

    Caleb is a Bust

    Photo Credit: Getty Images

    TBC, I did NOT write this! So put down the pitchforks. One of the drawbacks of basically being a one man blog [with awesome help from some regs] is the risk of solipsism, or worse – an infinite circle-jerk! I’m naturally an optimistic person, and as such, tend to shy away from negative criticism [until the evidence is overwhelming – see, Smoking Jay Cutler]. However, that doesn’t mean more negative takes aren’t out there!

    The most consistent, and in-depth, critique I have crossed on Twitter is certainly FIRST ROUND MOCK@firstroundmock . He’s basically in a one-man death match with the entire Chicago Bears’ fan base, so tip-o-the hat to him since I wouldn’t even bother. Well, without further ado, here’s his latest “Caleb Hit Piece”. I’ll let you decide [I may add some more independent evidence which reinforces his case].

    Caleb Williams is not getting better.

    Caleb Williams is regressing.

    And the longer he holds onto the ball, the worse his “accuracy” becomes.

    What’s the most alarming part about Caleb Williams?

    He hasn’t responded to Ben Johnson’s coaching.

    Johnson came out before this past season, stating that his goal for Williams was a 70% completion percentage.

    Here‘s that article talking about that:
    [Here for 1st Round Scouting Report]

    Not only did Williams not reach that goal ⎯

    He screamed in the opposite direction.

    Williams actually regressed under Johnson. Williams dropped from a 62.5% completion percentage in 2024 to a 58.1% completion percentage during the regular season in 2025 ⎯

    And then he dropped to a 52.2% completion percentage in the playoffs.

    Will he improve?

    No.

    Why?

    Williams is in love with playing hero ball.

    He loves to hold onto the ball too long.

    He hates to get the ball out of his hand on time.

    He hates structure.

    He likes to run around back there like a chicken with its head cut off and play his brand of football, which is — unstructured — playground football.

    Williams actually had a better completion percentage and got the ball out of his hand faster when Matt Eberflus was his head coach.

    Think about that.

    Williams time to throw (PFF):

    2024: 3.03 seconds
    2025: 3.23 seconds

    The numbers speak for themselves.

    Johnson even built a better offensive line for Williams ⎯

    And he still couldn’t get the ball out of his hand faster.

    All it did was make him more comfortable holding onto the ball longer.

    Just about everyone out there wants to continue to whisper sweet nothings in your ear about Williams, but the truth of the matter is, Williams is regressing in the NFL; he’s regressing right in front of our eyes.

    And ⎯

    With just about everybody out there telling him “how wonderful he is,” and “making excuses for him,” will not motivate change.

    All that’s going to do is solidify his one-way ticket out of Chicago.

    Most everyone will try to tell you that Williams “led the Bears to the playoffs,” but I’ll tell you the truth.

    He was along for the ride.

    The Bears No. 3 rushing attack (142.3 yards per game) and his YAC receivers carried him (1,889 of his “3,942 passing yards” during the 2025 regular season were YAC per PFF).

    They’ll all try to tell you Williams is getting “better,” but I’ll tell you the truth, he’s regressing. The longer he holds the ball⏱️ the more his accuracy declines 📉

    But “what about all the dropped passes” they’ll cry***Quarterbacks control the timing, velocity, and location of their passes.

    “Look up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…”

    No…it’s not Superman

    It’s a Bust.

    I [Butch back] was going to post these graphs, but I’m heeding the words of a publisher, ‘the more math a book presents, the less it sells,’ so, I’m just going to link a ‘predictive model for 1st round QBs‘

    It basically breaks it down into categories.

    1. NFL EPA Per Play vs Predicted NFL EPA Per Play based on College-to-NFL QB Prediction Model (QBs with at least 150 snaps since 2015)

    2. NFL EPA Per Play vs Pressure-to-Sack Rate on Plays w/o a Blitz (in College) (QBs with at least 150 snaps since 2015)

    3. NFL EPA Per Play vs Accuracy % on Throws between 10-19 yards (in College) (QBs with at least 150 snaps since 2015)

    4. NFL EPA Per Play vs BTT Rate on Plays >2.5sec (in College) (QBs with at least 150 snaps since 2015)

    Summary. If you don’t want to bust out your binoculars, I’ll simply relay that on a scale of Nathan Peterman [absolute awful] to Purdy/Mahomes [excellence], Caleb Williams consistently floats in the realm of Daniel Jones, Lawrence, Darnold, Mariota, Brissett, Minshew and yes, Fields.

    It’s a mixed neighborhood. Mostly talented QBs who didn’t live up to hype, though not outright busts; worth noting, Darnold DID win a SB [despite only completing 61% of his passes during his ’25 playoff run].

    So, what does this all mean? Well, guess we’ll find out soon enough.

  • Audentes fortuna iuvat

    Audentes fortuna iuvat

    Growing up is confusing enough, but it’s even more of a clusterfuck when you get contradictory advice. We often rely on folksy sayings, time proven proverbs and maxims especially when one doesn’t have a dad [like me]. You can probably finish these:

    “Bird in the hand…”, “Devil finds work…”, “A penny saved…”All work and no play…”

    “Measure twice cut once” – Lincoln.

    One of my faves.

    But sometimes you get conflicting proverbs:

    “He who hesitates loses.”
    “Look before you leap.”

    OK. So which is it? Well, both are in/correct aren’t they? Plenty of evidence for either cases. One learns in life that, unlike football, no playbook exists, so you gotta decide, often in a split second, which to roll with.

    Aristotle said as much. “You can’t make someone wise.” Seems like the last case a philosopher should write, but that’s essentially what he expressed. He advocated The Golden Mean: Making the right decision involves acting at the right time, towards the right people, for the right purpose, and in the right way.

    Student, “Follow up question, Prof A… how do we discern that?”

    Aristotle, “Ultimately, that’s up to YOU.”

    In other words, “You can lead a horse to water…”

    In literature [and now films] the ‘hero’ is often presented with a choice:

    1. Stay home. Think about your family, safety and happiness. A woman usually presents this case [think Adrian in “Rocky IV” – “You can’t win!”].
    2. Take a chance. Set off! Sometimes an elderly ‘wise’ man spurs this on like Obi Wan to Luke or guides the neophyte [up to a point] like Virgil in Dante’s “Paradise Lost”.

    “Call to adventure“. It’s a Jungian trope that is in nearly every movie.

    What the hell are you babbling on about, Butch? Gimme football!

    Well young grass-hoppa, this IS about football, the Bears and Poles.

    See, Poles thus far has acted prudently. He hasn’t splurged like the Raiders or leveraged the Bears’ future, but he also hasn’t been completely frigid in FA like the Puke during the Rodgers-Favre era.

    Poles has taken the middle road. When his Nissan broke down, he didn’t hit the German dealership. He took a bus to his local Carmax and purchased a newer Camry.

    Now, that could work. Maybe he’s saving his pennies for some secret target we’re not privy to. Or maybe Booker suddenly turns into Richard Dent, or Benedet’s arms grow 2 inches, or Motivated Dayo Mack-Attacks the league…I suppose anything’s possible. It certainly appears Poles is banking on prior bets to finally pay.

    This all leaves us sorta…meh, right?

    Maybe lit and flicks have conditioned us so thoroughly that we no longer can sit on our hands; spectators get fidgety . We WANT Achilles to go to Troy. We WANT Rocky to fight Drago. We WANT Luke to fly to the stars.

    We WANT a Crosby, Garrett, or Hendrickson.

    Now, going bold doesn’t always work out. If “Grinder” represents the extreme of caution, “Worm” represents the other spectrum of recklessness.

    Jerry “Glitchy” Angelo went bold and signed Cutler.

    Ryan Pace went bold and gave up the kitchen sink for Mack.

    We all remember the Herschel Walker Trade and the Ditka-Ricky Williams marriage. Heck, The Commandos’ MO basically the last 40 years has been to Albert Haynesworth it.

    Still, at SOME point, you gotta take your shot.

    A GM certainly can’t be “Worm”, but being “Grinder” is death by a thousand papercuts.

    Whether it’s literature, movies, or life, a person rarely achieves anything staying on the couch.

    “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

    Perhaps the most frustrating part for fans is that we MUST trust Poles’ to ‘decide on the right player, in the right way, at the right time.’ Like lowly peasants, we have no choice but to back whatever king is on the throne, whether he be just, dumb or mad. Still, that’s a TALL ask given Poles’ history. Patience is thinning especially for one who believes this team can truly push for a SB.

    So, remember, Poles.

    “Fortune favors the bold.”

  • ’26 Bears Worse?

    ’26 Bears Worse?

    It’s a shame the old reg Buttonshoes didn’t make it over here. While everyone thought he was a bitter cynic and unshakable pessimist, he wasn’t really wrong. Didn’t make him the most popular guy in a blogasphere full of homers, but he was mostly correct about Lovie, Emery, Trestman, Sweaty Teddy, and his #1 enemy whom he hated with the heat of a thousand supernovas – the McCaskeys.

    So, in his honor, let’s take the skeptical tour of Ryan Poles’ FA

    The Bears are a WORSE team now post-FA ’26.

    Why? Glad you asked.
    Brisker is gone. His backup [coming off INJ] is now the starter.
    Wright is gone. Stevenson, who was benched for Wright, is now CB2.
    Trapilo is down [for who knows how long]. TWO benched backups [in Benedet and Braxton] are now going to fight to be the starter.

    That’s 3 backups now starting.

    Byard, while old, is likely still better than Cobe Bryant. Byard lead the league in INTs with 7. That’s BETTER than ‘lockdown’ CBs like Jayce Horn [Second with 5].To put that in perspective, Mike Brown in that magical 2000 season racked up 5 INTs. Byard also never missed games; however, Bryant is no chump. He had 5 INTs last season, and is a versatile, smart, aggressive leader on a SB winning team. So, let’s be generous and call it a wash.

    Nickel CB will be Mr. Glass, I mean, Spider-Man Gordon, but common.

    We all know he’s going to miss half the season. Last year Bears signed CJ Gardner Johnson off the street, and he delivered. It could be argued he saved 2 games. In 10 games he had 2 INTs, 1 FF, 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 51 tackles. Not shabby. Like Wright, he struggled mightily in coverage, but will CJ’s replacement [Cam Lewis] impact wins like him?

    On offense, I give Poles a slight pass. I don’t know if Dalman‘s retirement shocked him like us, but isn’t vetting in the job description of an NFL GM? Maybe that’s why other GMs passed on Dalman.

    Trapilo getting INJed late season was another kick in the nads out of Poles’ control.

    Nonetheless, results in the same. LT and C now are downgraded with Benedet and Bradbury. How do I know this? Because on Earth 2 Trapilo and Dalman are returning healthy and willing.

    Both Edwards and Dayo [motivated or not] are coming off INJ-plagued ’25 campaigns. Unfortunately, they’re also “starters.”

    Last yr WR1-DJ; WR2-Rome; WR3-Burden

    This year Rome [who drops at least 2 per game and is terrible at the one thing he was drafted for – contested catches] is WR1, while our WR3 is Kalif Raymond; no matter how optimistic you are, you can’t convince me that Raymond is a superior WR3 than Burden. Of course, one can argue that All Day Jadhae is the WR3, but hey, he was our WR4 last year.

    Bears’ TE3 also moved on, FWIW.

    Bears’ Dline 31st in Pass Rush Win Rate%
    – Rush D: 27th
    – Sacks: 22nd [35 overall]

    And that exact same Dline of Dayo-Dexter-Jarrett-Sweat returns, only older, battered and INJed! What can go wrong…

    49ers whooping the Bears

    Another little talked about ’26 FA factor to consider which I’m sure ButtonShoes would love.

    The fact that the McCaskeys, on top of being imbeciles, are cash poor in an existential stadium struggle which may sap their NFL mojo. Our old friend Data asserts as much, and he’s not alone.

    The LCD retort

    Well, if Buttonshoes was the eternal pessimist, his yang was the eternal [Bears] optimist LCD. He was so optimistic, he even truly pushed that the Bears should build around Fields and pass on Caleb!

    #DaHaul

    A lesson for all, but I digress…

    An optimist would spin it like this.

    Poles isn’t so much cooking as simmering. He’s getting everything prepped and marinated, not over committing two 1sts for Crosby, or $100M to Hendrickson – heck, not even a measly 3rd for DT Osa Odighizuwa.

    Slow and steady, like the turtle.

    Jarrett was INJed last year, performing better towards the end. Sweat is durable. Posted 10 sacks. Dexter great penetrator [that’s what she said], while Dayo can’t be worse, and Booker still filling out.

    Bryant, Bush, Jackson, et al are young, hungry and fast. Most importantly, they’re BJ-Allen guys. More we Flush the Fluseez, the better.

    Poles may have sucked ballz with Eberflus, but with BJ, they drafted fantastically, often rated as an “A” or “A+” selecting Loveland, Burden, Trapilo and Monangai.

    Bears own 4 picks in top 90. If they draft as well in ’26 on Defense, holy smokes, that’ll go a long way while saving cap for possible trade-deadline studs.

    NTM that this new regime has proven it can basically coach up anyone – Wright, CJGJ, Jackson, Trapilo, Monangai…so while the new crew on paper may not seem as sexy, CJ/Allen/Harris/Roushar will max their potential.

    By nature, I’m not a ‘hot take’ kinda guy. I’m more akin to The Dude, and he always abides.

    So, I’m not going to sit here and waste psychical energy morphing into either ButtonShoes or LCD. In my younger days, I actually cared about being right, and not just being right, but proving it to the unconverted.

    Now? Well, maybe my zeal’s flaccid, but “winning” and bathing in TigerBlood about relatively trivial minutia barely moves my pulse.

    For all we know, Caleb tears his ACL in August, or Myles Garrett finally forces his way out in October and Poles swings a deal – in either case, all this March Madness and angst turns moot.

    For now the only thing I certainly know is that our Dline MUST improve, but at the same time, BJ/Caleb will likely take it up another notch.


    ButtonShoes/LCD, Sith/Jedi, Ying/Yang. This is the way…

  • FA Thurs ’26

    FA Thurs ’26

    Bears’ new free-agent signings

    S Coby Bryant
    LB Devin Bush
    C Garrett Bradbury (’27 5th RDer)
    DT Neville Gallimore
    WR Kalif Raymond
    DB Cam Lewis
    DE Kentavius Street
    OT Jedrick Wills Jr.

    Bears who re-signed
    LT Braxton Jones
    QB Case Keenum
    LB D’Marco Jackson
    S Elijah Hicks
    DE Daniel Hardy

    Former Bears who signed elsewhere
    S Kevin Byard (signed with Patriots)
    CB Nahshon Wright (signed with Jets)
    LB Tremaine Edmunds (signed with Giants)
    WR Olamide Zaccheaus (signed with Falcons)
    DE Dominique Robinson (signed with Texans)
    DT Chris Williams (signed with Falcons)
    TE Durham Smythe (signed with Ravens)

    Bears’ free agents who remain unsigned
    DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (Void)
    OL Ryan Bates (Void)
    DT Andrew Billings (UFA)
    LB Amen Ogbongbemiga (UFA) (released by Bears)
    S Jonathan Owens (UFA)
    S Jaquan Brisker (UFA)
    RB Travis Homer (UFA)
    CB Nick McCloud (UFA)
    LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (UFA)
    CB Jaylon Jones (UFA)
    LS Scott Daly (UFA)
    WR Devin Duvernay (UFA)
    S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (UFA)
    OL Jordan McFadden (RFA)
    LB Ty Summers (SFA)
    C Ricky Stromberg (SFA)

    Trust in Poles? For those who want to keep picks to draft the next Richard Dent…

    TW@Tylow237
    ·
    Sweat- 2nd rd pick traded; 4 years $98M

    Dayo- 3 years $48M

    Grady- 3 years $43.5M

    Dexter- 2nd rd pick

    Shemar- 2nd rd pick

    That’s three 2nd rd picks and $189.5M invested only to be the worst DL in the NFL. Well done, Ryan Poles!

    Free agent Defensive Lineman signed by Poles so far

    • Grady Jarrett
    • Dayo Odeyingbo
    • Yannick Ngakoue
    • Justin Jones
    • Andrew Billings
    • Al Quadin-Muhammad
    • Kentavious Street
    • Neville Gallimore

    At some point he needs to invest heavily in the trenches [Poles has invested, just badly]

    Hey, apparently, Dayo don’t care about sacks, pressures, TFLs, FFs, fumble recoveries, INTs, tipped passes, strips, tackles, stats, staying healthy, or any of your vein honors. He is now Motivated Dayo!

    Best DL options remaining for the #Bears:

    Free agency

    Cam Jordan
    Joey Bosa
    D.J. Wonnum
    D.J. Reader

    Trades

    Maxx Crosby
    Jonathan Greenard
    Kayvon Thibodeaux
    Josh Sweat
    Myles Garrett (?)

    OT:

  • Official FA Starts!

    Official FA Starts!

    In case you missed last thread.

    However, one minor incident took place yesterday.

    RAVENS BACKED OUT OF CROSBY DEAL
    Citing ‘failed physical’.

    If only Philip Rivers’ pull out game was on par!

    Well, it’s only taken 15 years, but I no longer feel as embarrassed over that one time Jerry Angelo bungled the Ravens’ deal on draft day 2011.

    Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh heavily criticized the Chicago Bears’ front office on Tuesday for a botched draft-day trade, calling into question the Bears’ honesty and ethical integrity.

    Bears general manager Jerry Angelo profusely apologized at the time, claiming to have made a simple mistake. But Harbaugh, appearing Tuesday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000, was skeptical about the team’s intent in April’s draft, asserting what it had done “was just not honest.”

    “It was disappointing,” Harbaugh said. “They can get mad at me if they want, but I’m not buying the mistake thing. It wasn’t a mistake. They knew what they were doing.

    “They put their guy on the phone. They agreed to a pick. They got their guy on the phone. They recognized he wasn’t getting calls from the team behind them, and they basically stalled for over a minute, telling us they had called the trade in. They hadn’t called the trade in. They said it was a mistake. Those guys have been doing it for a long time, c’mon.”

    When contacted Tuesday, a Bears team official said, “We’ve moved on months ago.”

    If the Ravens thought THAT gave the Bears a bad rep, just wait ’til this debacle further explodes. Imagine if they sign Trey Hendrickson WEDs morning lol

    This has to be a kick in the nads to the Raiders. The memes write themselves.

    TBH, I don’t expect this to change the Bears’ plan as much; however..

    Dave@davebftv
    ·Mar 9
    Rich Eisen just said the Bears met the Raiders price of 2 firsts for Maxx Crosby.

    But the Ravens pick was earlier this year. Poles wasn’t willing to outbid Baltimore.

    Crosby becomes a Raven. But looks like Chicago truly wanted to land Crosby. Pretty interesting.

    I’m sure BJ covets Crosby. It’s not just the talent but the attitude. Both are a lil psycho. I must imagine that the asking price is no longer two 1st RDers. Yes, the ‘failed physical’ is likely a pretext to back out of the deal, but other GMs can now leverage that ‘red flag’ to drive down the price. I mean, how awkward would it be in Vegas if Crosby [who basically George Constaza’d his way out] walks back into that locker room? I wouldn’t give two 1sts, that’s for sure.

    So what does this all mean? WTF knows. It only takes one desperate Jerrah to drive the price right back up, so I guess we’ll see. Hendrickson is supposed to make up his mind manana; then the rest of the dominoes should fall, quickly. Hey, at least it’s fun.

  • #2ues Tampering

    #2ues Tampering

    Bears Nation@BearsNationCHI
    ·7h
    Free agent update:

    LB D’Marco Jackson re-signed 2 years $7.5 million
    S Coby Bryant signed 3 years $40 million
    DT Neville Gallimore signed 2 years $12 million
    LB Devin Bush signed 3 years $30 million ($21 million guaranteed)
    QB Case Keenum signed 2 years $5.5 million with a max value of $8 million
    OT Braxton Jones signed 1 year $10 million $ DE D Hardy 2 years $5 million

    Departures
    WR OZ – Falcons
    DE D Robinson – Texans
    LB T Edmunds – Giants
    WR DJ Moore – Bills

    QB Bagent – Likely
    SS Brisker – ???

    Bears’ Cap [OTC]: $13, 646, 445

    Total FA Spending by Team after Day 1 #Titans $283M

    #Raiders $281.5M

    #Panthers $172.5M

    #Commanders $147M

    #Colts $134M

    #Saints $132.5M

    #Giants $127.5M

    #Bengals $100M

    #Jets $82.5M

    #Chiefs $76M

    #Cardinals $75M

    #Seahawks $75M

    #Bears $68M

    #Dolphins $67.5M #Browns $66.5M #Chargers $65.3M #Buccaneers $61M #49ers $51.5M #Rams $51M #Patriots $48.5M #Steelers $46M #Falcons $39.5M #Broncos $35M #Cowboys $33M #Ravens $30M #Texans $29M #Lions $25M #Bills $20M #Vikings $8.5M #Jaguars TBA #Packers $0 #Eagles $0

    Top remaining FAs:

    Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate

    DE Trey Hendrickson
    CB Tariq Woolen
    OT Rasheed Walker
    TE Chig Okonkwo
    WR Romeo Doubs
    S Kevin Byard
    CB Nahshon Wright
    DE K’Lavon Chaisson
    G Alijah Vera-Tucker
    G Chris Paul
    QB Kyler Murray
    OLB Bradley Chubb
    OT Taylor Decker
    OT Braden Smith
    G Elgton Jenkins
    WR Calvin Austin III
    WR Deebo Samuel
    WR Jauan Jennings
    G Wyatt Teller
    S Jaquan Brisker
    LB Kaden Elliss
    LB Leo Chenal
    TE Dallas Goedert
    TE David Njoku
    DT D.J. Reader
    RB Rachaad White

  • Unoffical FA ’26

    Unoffical FA ’26

    Even Twitter will be struggling to accurately relay all the transactions, so this shall be an open thread to follow moves.

    roy_OTC@TexansCap
    Daniel Hardy signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Bears worth a base value of $4.97 million with $2.45 million guaranteed at signing.

    Aaron Leming@AaronLemingNFL
    After this move, the #Bears roster sits at 53. Not counting draft class, etc, they’re now at $25.313M in cap space.


    Thus far, I’ve been sorta right. “Cheap” C. Maybe a DT/DE. Brisker, DJ, Edmunds, Brisker…via con dios.

    You know I’m not exactly a Poles-truther [shoulda been fired with Flus], but he’s not Pace at least. He tends to show discipline while taking chances on Side B players like Dayo, Jarrett, even Sweat with mixed results. One may counter, “Ah, but Thuney was premier, as was Dalman.” Well, Poles only ponied up a 4rth for Thuney and didn’t exactly overpay Dalman who retired anyways. OTOH, Pace likely throws two 1st rounders and DJ for Maxx Crosby or backs up the Brinks’ truck for Trey Hendrickson.

    I simply don’t see that in Poles’ DNA. He’s not a rapper at a strip-club making it rain. He’s more like the frugal business man waiting for the 2-for-1 lapdance specials on a Tuesday.
    It could happen, but I’ll be surprised.

    As such, I don’t exactly believe Poles will land a Peppers-Mack tier player. If the right situation pops, perhaps, but I suspect Poles isn’t going to leverage the future like his predecessors. His job isn’t on the line this year.

    Poles will practice due diligence. He monitored the price of Crosby, Linderbaum and McGovern and swiped left.

    I’m certain Poles will gauge the market on Hendrickson, Phillips, Carter…or other possible trade partners not on the radar, but my gut tells me he stays the course, keeps his cap and draft picks, then ‘settles’ for more B-sides maximum potential and flexibility. No doubt not splurging will rile up the natives. Doing your taxes cleanly isn’t sexy.

    One other major difference between 2024 and 2026 is Ben Johnson; he, not Eberflus, is the fail-safe. Maybe even the boss like Tony Soprano while Poles is merely the puppet-boss Junior, in which case, I have much more hope considering the results of 2024 vs 2025.

    So, excuse me while I doom scroll at the Bada Bing between “Cherry Pie” and “Girls Girls Girls”…

  • Untampering Weekend

    Untampering Weekend

    Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Jeff Haynes/AP

    NFL free agency unofficially opens at noon ET on March 9 [MON] with the negotiation window (when players can agree to terms); it officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 11 ( WEDs when players can actually be signed).

    Top 50 FAs

    I wanted Crosby initially; however, Dalman’s shocking retirement has changed my mind. Bears now have significant question marks at:

    SS [Brisker gone], C [Dalman gone], LT [Trapilo achilles], DE [Dayo achilles/suckage], DT [only two on roster as of this weekend], LB [Edmunds gone, Edwards old, HippoWho?]

    Thuney isn’t getting any younger; plus, this assumes Poles will resign an older Byard, and that the 3rd WR [DJ Moore gone] won’t be Velus Jones.

    In other words – a rebuild – or retweak.

    This isn’t quite “Apollo 13” where shit is at critical. This is more akin to “The Martian” where Poles [with major help from Ground Control Ben Johnson] must problem solve on the fly.


    Bears are in an odd spot. They absolutely overachieved in a magical ’25 season which may distort the real talent and depth of the team.

    It SEEMS [still TBD, btw] that the Bears nailed the two most vital components of sustained success: HC, QB

    [the 3rd part is GM, but let’s not digress, ahem].

    HC/QB can go a LONG way – mask many deficiencies and mistakes [see, 2000s Pats].

    Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are the foundation. They offer a floor that is higher than Lovie/Grossman.

    The Oline is [or was] the strength of this team. A top 5 unit by most objective metrics.

    So one could make a valid case for attaining a premium LT+C in FA.

    The top 2 for the Bears should be recently released LT Taylor Decker [former Lion] on hopefully a short 1-2 yr deal ’til we know WTF is left of Trapilo

    Also C Linderbaum [former Raven], though many predict he’s asking for north of $22M/yr.

    I could see Poles paying Decker, and sticking to a cheaper option at C. He did draft Luke Newman after all; albeit that doesn’t automatically make him viable [cough- Kiran, Hippo, Velus- cough].

    Poles will now have to do what many great GMs [Grandmasters] must:

    Sacrifice lesser pieces to win.

    The proven formula is to build the lines, but does that mean paying a C like a player who scores TDs? NO.

    OTOH, one of the first things Poles did with BJ was sign Dalman, so it could be that BJ values C much more since his O lines up under C at a higher % than say the shotgun-happy Cards.

    IMO that unexpected $10M+ Dalman windfall should funnel to DE.

    LTs typically get paid, so I’d have no issue with a short-term Decker deal because the alternative is Parsons/Hutchinson/Turner-v-Benedet twice this year.

    Personally, I’d much rather the Bears pay for LT, and DE.

    Hendrickson is older and less effective vs run than Crosby, but he won’t cost draft picks.

    Between him, Booker, and whatever Dayo can muster on one Achilles, should improve Bears’ D while keeping that #25 for any number of long term solutions at DT, DE, LT, C, S.

    The other option is Poles opting for blue-bin specials.

    If Poles decides to skip on day 1 splashes, players such as these could be solid additions:

    Edge Jaelen Phillips

    DE Rashan Gary [only 28]

    Edge Mack

    Edge Cam Jordan [Allen connection]

    DT Rankins [Allen connection]

    LB Demario Davis [Allen…]

    C McGovern

    DT Jonathan Allen…

    Chicago Bears Network@bearsnetwork_
    LB Alex Anzalone is a name to watch for the Bears in free agency, per Jeremy Fowler.

    Anzalone was with Dennis Allen in New Orleans.

    (via @CHGO_Bears)

    Going into the weekend, no doubt a slew of players will get released, traded, or retire than the current list, so definitely a time to refresh news’ feed. Should be exciting for us Bear fans!

    TLDR Butch Moves.

    Pay DE Hendrickson
    Pay LT Decker
    Pay DT Rankins/Allen
    Prolly go cheap at C, draft
    Prolly go cheap at SS, draft
    Trade Bagency, get athletic project
    Try to trade Kyler Gordon, NB draft
    Maybe rework/trade Kmet
    Resign Byard and Demarco Jackson
    Maaaybe see what we can get for CB Jaylon Johnson.

    Time to totally remake roster in Ben Johnson image.


    Update:

    Gary Ross@gaross18-7h
    Courtney Cronin was on ESPN1000 this morning & said that she expects the Bears to get the comp picks for Cunningham. That would be HUGE!

  • Combine ’26

    Combine ’26

    Don’t know why, but the combine really snuck up this year. I had a few ideas for pieces, but it came and went quickly. Then moving to Indiana and Dalman retiring [NTM the U.S. launching another Middle Eastern War].

    Likely a combo of factors. Bears for once weren’t irrelevant by Thanksgiving, even winning the division and a playoff game. So the season was actually longer. Must’ve thrown off my circadian Bears’ rhythm conditioned to suckage and checking mock drafts in November.

    It’s also a little hard to get super-hyped over this draft because.

    1. It’s more than likely Poles trades away the 1st [+ change] rd pick.

    2. Even if Poles keeps it, it’s still the 25th. Not complaining. Better than the alternative of perennially drafting in the top 10.

    But mostly it’s reason #1 that’s keeping me from getting truly invested though that will change as we near April.

    As such, I’ll let Unbearble Sports breakdown the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ from the combine.


    Two quick Butch notes.

    I know Bears desperately need Dline, but man, if Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles miraculously drops to #25, Poles needs to waddle his ass to the podium.

    Styles recorded a blistering 4.46-second 40-, a 43.5-inch vert, and an 11-foot-2 inch broad jump at 6’5″, 244 lbs.

    That is INSANE. Those are Urlacher metrics

    I must admit I haven’t watched the other Buckeye’s tape because he keeps shooting up the boards, but if Safety Caleb Downs also somehow tumbles to #25, I’d have no issue with Poles pulling the trigger. It’s a copy-cat league, and many just witnessed what a rookie S in SEA named Nick Emmanwori can do. SEA didn’t exactly have the ’85 Bears pass-rush, but they rostered exceptional talent all through the “Darkside.”

    Kyle Hamilton on the Ravens is another example of how a versatile S can impact games.

    I doubt Caleb Downs’ RAS will surpass theirs, but from most ‘experts’, he’s the goods.

    UPDATE. Bears Trade DJ Moore to Bills.

    That’s not a shabby exchange actually. DJ’s production didn’t match his contract, and it dropped mostly because of circumstance.

    Under Ben Johnson, the Bears are a run-first team. Feeding Swift-Monangai tandem ate a lot of snaps. Then the acquisitions of Rome, Burden and Loveland siphoned away more targets [let’s not forget that Kmet is also still on the team].

    I mean, if Flus was still HC, and if Fields is still the QB with DJ as his lone target, then DJ is a 100 catch/1200+ WR [if he stays upright]. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case, and now he can be the true #1 or #2 target on the Bills while the Bears can use that extra 2nd rounder for a Center, LT, S, LB, or even to sweeten the pot for a DE/DT via trade.



  • Drew Dalman Retiring

    Drew Dalman Retiring

    Emergency post. Drew Dalman is officially retiring.

    Needless to say, this is a major unexpected blow. LT was already iffy, now Ben Johnson must worry about replacing a PB caliber C.

    Dalman is arguably the best C the Bears have rostered since Garza or Olin, so good Cs don’t grow on trees.

    Some options in FA/Draft, but it’ll cost capital that otherwise may have gone to Defense.

    Immediate rumors are Bears sniffing around Tyler Linderbaum [ex Hawkeye] and Tyler Biadasz [ex Badger].

    If you’re looking for a silver lining, at least Dalman retired before FA and the Draft while Bears save about $10M in cap though that’ll likely be sunk right back to new C.