Da Dos

Category: NFL, Bears, Draft

  • Draft ’26: DTs

    Draft ’26: DTs

    Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

    DT IMO is a bigger need than DE. One may argue that Sweat is good bordering on AP. Last season Hendrickson had 4 sacks in 4 games then was out. Crosby had 10 sacks in 15 games then was out. In the NFCN Hutchinson had 14.5 sacks; Parsons had 12.5 in 14 games.

    Sweat had 10 sacks in 17 games while holding up vs run.

    Now, he’s not in the S-tier, but 10 sacks ain’t shabby.

    Austin Booker looks great at times, though he definitely needs to clean up his run d.

    Neither are premium, but they’re not terrible.

    However, at DT, do the Bears roster anyone with the production of Sweat or the upside of Booker?

    Grady Jarrett looked old and INJed. Gervon Dexter is wildly inconsistent and may not even get a 2nd contract. Shemar Turner was the only DT who showed promise, but he seemed more effective at DE and is coming off an INJ. The rest are JAGs.

    In addition, Allen’s philo is to stop the run by setting the edges while having 3Ts disrupt the inside. Once the O can’t run and needs to throw, then he gets exotic with his blitzes and packages.

    But if Allen has DEs who can’t set the edge, nor 3Ts to disrupt the QB – well – we get the ’25 D which would’ve been almost Dallas awful if not for the TOs [never forget the 9ers just dicing them up at will].

    The problem is that great DTs are even harder to come by than great DEs since teams know their value.

    Poles understandably couldn’t get one in FA. Some speculate that Giant’s Dexter Lawrence could still be target – but one must wonder if his down year is an anomaly or a trend. It’s not as if the Gmen are broke – why aren’t they extending him if he’s so good?

    Philly may unload Jalen Carter as well, but if Poles passed on him the 1st time around, hard to imagine he’s going to trade for PLUS pay him now.

    It gets worse for Bears as this draft class is filled with iffy DTs, none more controversial than Peter Woods. Then other DTs like Kayden McDonald [6’2, 326], Christen Miller [6’4, 321] and Caleb Banks [6’6, 327] aren’t exactly pass rushers, nor fit the Allen 3T mold. Would Allen change his MO for the biggens?

    All of which leaves the Bears in a somewhat tricky DT situation which will take some skill and luck to solve.

    Here’s a good take on the DT class.


    Chris Simms will anaylyze his Top 5 DTs Monday morning.

  • Safety:Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

    Safety:Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

    Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is gaining a lot of buzz. Some even grade him ahead of Oregon Duck [S] Dillon Thieneman.

    “EMW” is yuge. Nearly 6’4. 200+ Forced 9 fumbles [Peanut Punch!]. Plays deep. In the box. Ran a 4.52. Rangy. Can cover TEs. The obvious comp is Kam Chancellor. 

    Naturally, I’d prefer Dline.

    This class is deep at Corner and Edge, but a Cover Corner only eliminates ONE WR; a pass rush eliminates ALL of them – Trey Wingo

    Once more this comes down to the forever debate of need-v-BPA.

    Who improves the Bears more? an Alex Brown DE or a Kam at S?

    Some talk about the Bears trading back esp if a prospect like DE Zion Young falls. Young is graded by many in the the 40s, so drafting him at #25 may not be maximizing value. As such, a trade down could be viable.

    In the ’25 draft, The Texans traded back, and this is what it looked like:

    In exchange for No. 25 overall, Houston will receive No. 34 in the second round, No. 99 in the third round, and a 2026 third-round pick.

    I don’t know if QB Ty Simpson will tempt a team to move up, but needless to say, I’d be for it. If picks 25-45 are roughly equal, may as well get more picks.

  • Zion Young, Edge

    Zion Young, Edge

    I’ll try to relay the prospects most mocked to the Bears. Zion Young is definitely #1. Makes sense. Bears need Dline, specifically Edge ’cause Motivated or not, Dayo ain’t it while Austin frequently gets washed out on run plays [the 9ers abused him].

    Enter a 6’6 262 Edge Setter in Young.

    Gotta be honest – his tape didn’t wow me. He looks like a less explosive Leonard Floyd. Appears a lil light in the pants. Plays too high. Doesn’t exactly bend like Von Miller. Hands aren’t violent. Arm length decent. His RAS accurately reflects him. Functional. All this would be fine if Young punched like Mike Tyson or was Colossus-strong like Jared Verse, but he seems like an above avg DE known more for setting the edge than attacking the QB. Don’t we already have two of those? I do like that he plays with an attitude. Here’s a quick 2min run down:

    Here’s Eric Edholm, lead Draft writer at NFL.com, breaking down Young. He compares him to Sweat, but Sweat was a RAS monster, so if this is Sweat-lite…

    Albeit, I do agree with Edholm. I doubt the Bears could draft him in the 2nd, so if BJ/Poles want to get more turns at the roulette table, I’d rather trade down to draft Young. He’s a high-floor prospect, but Big Balls BJ doesn’t exactly “settle” while Poles is obsessed with 34″+ Arms and 9.5+ RAS. I could see Bears’ brass taking a swing at a higher upside prospects like OT Kadyn Proctor, S Dillon Thieneman, DT Kayden McDonald, DT Peter Woods, or even a chad like LB Jacob Rodriquez.

    Joe Klatt ranks Zion Young as his 42nd overall player on his top 50 board which is more or less where I would take him; obviously need may drive his value higher.

  • 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.



  • Mock Draft #1!

    Mock Draft #1!

    It’s waaaaay too early for mock drafts, but here we are! Unlike Jeff, I do not view them as ‘slave auctions.’

    I think they’re quite entertaining and excellent ‘filler’ post-SB.

    No, I am not entirely comfortable with strange old men measuring young athletes like a slab of meat, but if someone is willing to throw me millions to measure my arms and run, jump and bench in spandex, sign me up.

    Kiper, aka Legohead, was the OG. He’s probably over the hill, but hey, time makes us all fat Elvis. There’s a lot of Draftniks out there, but Joel Klatt eats, drinks and breaths college football year round. He’s a maniac, and doesn’t do ‘hot takes’ for hits.


    Spoiler alert, he has Bears drafting DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio St @ #25. I don’t know much about McDonald, but I DO love selecting a DT since I still believe that’s the Bears’ biggest need. The sooner the Eberflus leftovers are gone, the better [and Jarrett didn’t exactly wow either].
    Debating who the Bears should draft at #25 is almost useless at this point though since everyone believes Poles is trading it for an Edge.

    Speaking of which, Harrison Graham discusses the price [via insider] which Maxx Crosby might take.

    Long story short.

    Bargain cost: #25 + DJ Moore

    Expensive cost: Two 1sts, another 2nd/3rd + DJ Moore

  • Happy New Year!

    Happy New Year!

    Can you believe it’s already 2026? Man, this year zoomed by.
    From a Bears’ fan point of view, we went from 7 win expectations, to maybe a winning season, to – hey, Wild Card is entirely in the realm of possibility – to holy shit, NFCN champs; maybe we can win it all!

    It’s been a crazy ride, and no matter what, it was fun. It’s not often life pleasantly shocks. May the Cinderella season continue, and a happy New Year!

  • Trade Deadline ’25

    Trade Deadline ’25


    Deadline: Tues, 4:00 PM ET
    Bears’ current cap space: $6.7M

    Poles’ 3rd RDers: Velus Jones Jr. (2022), Zacch Pickens (2023), and Kiran Amegadjie (2024)

    It’s no secret the Bears are hunting for Dline and CB, especially since Dayo Odeyingbo has torn his achilles [again]. For me, achilles is worse than an ACL/MCL, etc.

    It can sometimes take two seasons to regain the same explosion. Dayo isn’t getting any younger, and it’s not as if he was Lawrence Taylor to start with. Hard to envision this ending any better than the Claypool fiasco.

    There’s too many trade targets to name. So here’s some possible options.


    Bears EDGE trade targets:

    Trey Hendrickson (CIN)
    Danielle Hunter (HOU)
    Jermaine Johnson (NYJ)
    Kayvon Thibodeaux (NYG)
    Bradley Chubb (MIA)
    Josh Sweat (ARZ)

    No clue if J. Sweat even available, but he looked great on MNF

    DTs:

    [You really trust Jarrett or Billings? Dexter, like Shemar, can spell Booker/DomRob though I understand if Poles prioritizes DE]

    Jeffery Simmons (Titans) Supposedly had a short list he OKed. Washington was one of those teams, but now that Jayden Daniels is out, I wonder if he’d pencil in Chicago…

    Quinnen Williams (Jets)

    Mazi Smith (Cowboys)
    Dre’Mont Jones (Seahawks)[now a Raven]

    CBs:

    [CJ Gardner-Johnson did ok. Gordon eventually set to return. Maybe JJ later]

    Riq Woolen (Seahawks)
    Alontae Taylor (Saints)
    Cam Taylor-Britt (Bengals)
    Rasul Douglas (Dolphins)

    HBs:[No longer such a high-priority]

    Breece Hall (Jets)

    Devon Achane (Dolphins)

    Jerome Ford (Browns)

  • Baby Got Half-Back?

    Baby Got Half-Back?

    I’m hearing lots of Bears’ HB chatter. Let’s start with the draft.  
     
    IMO, the Bears were serious about trading up for Jeanty, but then Jags traded up with Browns. Remember, everyone was mocking Jeanty to the Raiders at #6, so a popular scenario was for the Bears to trade up with the Jags at #5. 
     
    Of course, NOBODY predicted that the Jags would fly over the cukoo’s nest and trade all the way up to #2 with the Browns 
     
    This threw a wrench to get Jeanty in two ways 
     
    1. The enormous price Jags paid may have set a precedent Poles wasn’t willing to pay. For those like me who were hoping Poles would stay put [unless it was for Abdul Carter], we must credit Poles for remaining disciplined and not trading away a future 1st or something akin  
     
    2. The Browns now sat at #5, and they likely weren’t willing to drop again in a draft where true ‘blue-chippers’ were rare. They likely graded DT Mason Graham in that tier and weren’t willing to move off 
     
    Raiders now on the clock at #6. To nobody’s surprise, they draft Jeanty. There goes #1HB target 
     
    The rest of the draft can best be summed up by this tweet: 
     
    Adam Hoge@AdamHoge 

    [No. 36 – CLE drafts RB Judkins] 
    No. 38 – NE drafts RB TreVeyon Henderson 
    No. 39 – Bears draft Luther Burden 
    No. 41 – Bears trade back 

    No. 104 – JAX drafts RB Bhayshul Tuten 
    No. 105 – NYG drafts RB Cam Skattebo 
    No. 109 – Bears trade back 

    No. 147 – SF drafts RB Jordan James 
    No. 148 – Bears trade back 
    ————————— 

    I have no ‘inside source’, but my intuition tells me that Bears really coveted Treveyon Henderson. Either way, many Bear fans were clamoring for Judkins or Henderson, but once they were stolen, Poles did what most good GMs do. Stuck to his board 
     
    Now, could Poles have traded up with SEA at #35 to jump both CLE and NE? Yes, but it takes 2 to tango. SEA either asked for too much or weren’t willing to move off S Nick Emmanwori who many judged a 1st rder and 2nd best safety with insane upside 
     
    And just like that, the ‘top HBs’ were gone. The Bears could’ve drafted RJ Harvey [he’s 24 btw, so by the end of his rook contract, be 28], but preferred OT Ozzy Trapilo at #56. Broncos drafted Harvey at #60, then Bears at #62 drafted DT Shemar Turner 

    One may argue, “Poles shoulda drafted Harvey or some other HB at #56” yet these are likely the same fans who want to fix the lines. Can’t draft Harvey and Trapilo with one pick. Poles decided that the Oline was more important at that point no doubt eyeing the $25M/yr Braxton may demand next season

    I also don’t believe Poles miscalculated. After Bears drafted Trapilo, a team didn’t pick another true OT for basically a whole round, so Trapilo was likely the last in that tier
     
    The Bears didn’t own a 3rd, but the only HB drafted in that RD at #83 was Kaleb Johnson. Unless you were a yuge Kaleb Johnson fan and  willing to trade away draft capital, this missed chance didn’t anger many. Either way, evidently the Bears weren’t that high on Kaleb because if they were, they easily could’ve traded back from #62 to get into the 3rd and nab Kaleb, but they didn’t. Poles preferred Shemar Turner at #62 over Kaleb [or other HBs] .

    The 4rth is where I personally had my last hope. My ‘value’ pick all along was Bhayshui Tuten who I saw as Jeanty-lite. A fast, explosive runner with tremendous upside. However, the Jags sniped him with the 2nd pick of the 4rth. Now, I was praying Cam “White Thunder” Skattebo lasted 3 picks. That hope was crushed immediately as Giants drafted Skattebo right after Tuten. It is also debatable if Poles even drafts slow Skattebo at that draft slot. Bears then traded out of pick #109 with the Bills who drafted DT Deon Walker. I may have stayed put at #109 and drafted HB Dylan Sampson, but maybe Poles viewed Sampson as too similar to Swift. Other HBs drafted in the 4rth: 
     
    Trevor Etiene, Woody Marks, Jarquez Hunter 
     
    Bears likely saw the rest of the HBs as dice rolls, and by this point one can argue that available FAs like JK Dobbins or Chubb are better options requiring no draft capital 
     
    Which brings me to the endless Twitter debate: 
     
    Should we sign Dobbins or Chubb? 
     
    I’ll answer that on next post…
     

  • Film Study: 2019 DAN ROUSHAR Saints Wide Zone Clinic

    Film Study: 2019 DAN ROUSHAR Saints Wide Zone Clinic

    Maybe take a break from draft for a day. I found this informative Dan Roushar seminar that looks like it was given in a Holiday Inn, but is loaded with tons of info about his system and coaching in general. Fair warning, it’s pretty hardcore and an hour long, so prepare your angus!

    I don’t know about you guys, but I always feel like I can learn more about oline in general, and what better way to learn than from Bears’ new Oline coach? HOPEFULLY Roushar finally fixes this damn oline that has struggled mightily since everyone kept trying to gaslight us that Mike Tice was great.

  • All Aboard Ozzy Train!

    All Aboard Ozzy Train!

    Perhaps the #1 story going into camp will be Ozzy Trapilo. He has a lot of backers, but also more than his share of detractors, “a 2nd RDer for a back-up!” 
     
    The criticism is legit, but friendly reminder: it was going to be difficult for any prospect to crack the starting lineup
     
    One could argue that if the Bears, and not 9ers, drafted Mykell Williams, Edge [6’5, 265] , then he would’ve been the starter. Maybe that’s true, and much like Wright will be forever contrasted with Carter, Loveland will be compared to Mykell, but more likely Mykell ends up in a heavy rotation 
     
    Still, if we consider NB Gordon a ‘starter’ [and he sure as hell is getting PAID like one], then we must equally consider the move TE/Slot WR a starter too

    SAM was about the only open ‘starter’ slot but 4-3 base is run less than 50% of time
     
    Even so, “swing” likely won’t see the field unless an INJ [or suckage] strikes; hence on paper at least, Ozzy isn’t a ‘starter’
     
    That being said, do you recall the last time the starting 5 olinemen for the Bears began and finished a season as a unit without missing a game? I sure can’t. My best guess is the Kreutz’ era 
     
    “Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst” 
     
    Ozzy’s natural position seems to be RT Maybe LT in a pinch 
    But how about possible OG to take over for Thuney or if Jonah Jackson underwhelms? 
     
    Well, I dug a little into Ozzy’s metrics and precedents 
     
    According to PFF, the top OGs heading into ‘24 season: 
     
    Chris Lindstrom, ATL; Thuney, KC; Sam Cosmi, Wash; Tyler Smith, DAL; Quinn Meinerz, DEN 
     
    One can make his own list, but I’m just going off PFF 
     
    I won’t boggle you down with numbers, so I just focused on height, weight and 10 yd split:
     
    Lindstrom, 6’3, 308, 1.68 
    Thuney, —6’4, 304, 1.71 
    Cosmi, —-6’5, 314, 1.68 
    Smith, —-6’4, 320, 1.7 
    Meinerz, -6’2, 320, 1.73 

    —————
    Jonah Jackson 6’3, 306, 1.84 
    Darnell Wright 6’5, 333, 1.75 
    Braxton Jones, 6’5, 310, 1.68 
    Ozzy Trapilo, –6’8, 316, 1.77* 

    All, except Thuney, 33”+ arms 

    [If you’re interested in RAS, follow Kent Lee Platte]
     

    Now if you just look at these numbers [and verify it with tape], we can note some interesting possibilities 
     
    Jonah Jackson’s 1.84 sticks out like a sore-thumb. He’s also been INJ-ridden, so that’s not going to help his quickness 
     
    Lindstrom, Cosmi and Braxton Jones have a 1.68 split. This checks cuz we know Braxton can pull and demolish LBs at the second lvl. So, why not him at OG if you believe he’s a subpar LT? 
     
    Say you’re fine with Braxton at LT, ‘Give him an opportunity under competent coaching’ 

    Ok, well, maybe Wright at OG? He profiles very similarly to Tyler Smith; then start Trapilo at RT 
     
    Greg Gabriel believes that Trapilo has bend and movement to play OG, but that’s hard to envision at 6’8/ 1.78 split. Maybe he’s that good but seems like an outlier. I thought Long was too tall for OG, even so he was 6’6, not 6’8!  
    Being that tall also didn’t help Long’s back 
     
    Braxton or Wright at OG appear to better fit the precedents; albeit if this happens, I doubt it’s immediately. The Bears will give this lineup a chance first before moving around players:

    Braxton-Thuney-Dalman-Jackson-Wright

    Nevertheless, it appears that Ozzy at least provides BJ ‘flexibility’ along the lines 
     
    Besides, never know. Maybe Ozzy Trapilo can man LT. A gal can dream…