Da Dos

Tag: Poles

  • RD 4-7 Draft ’26

    RD 4-7 Draft ’26

    Round 2, Pick 57:Logan Jones, C, Iowa
    Pro Comparison: Seth McLaughlin
    Summary
    Logan Jones anchored Iowa’s Joe Moore Award–winning offensive line and won the Rimington Trophy after logging more than 2,800 snaps as a four-year starter. He shows good athletic traits and excellent consistency in Iowa’s zone-blocking system. Jones likely projects as a center only at the next level and lacks the ideal size and length the NFL typically covets, despite his stellar college career. He’s a savvy, intelligent player who could thrive in a zone or pin-and-pull scheme.

    About
    2025: Unanimous All-American
    2025: Rimington Trophy winner (nation’s top C)
    Strengths
    Excellent feet and athleticism to reach frontside defenders and cut off backside pursuit; smooth mover in space and to the second level.
    Good initial strike in pass protection with the footwork to mirror, clamp and stone defenders on counters.
    High football IQ, consistently setting protections, identifying the Mike and adjusting the point when needed.
    Weaknesses
    Struggles to move head-up defensive linemen in the run game and anchor consistently against power in pass protection.
    Lacks the ideal size and length [30″ arms] NFL teams prefer; combine measurements will be closely scrutinized.
    Smaller pass-protection sample in a run-heavy offense and has shown occasional issues picking up games and exotic blitzes.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.90 seconds [Sub 5].
    Vertical jump: 32 inches
    20-yard shuttle run: 4.59 seconds
    Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches
    3-cone drill: 7.46 seconds

    Butch Take: I don’t mind this one [despite the Trex factor]. Bradbury was never the long-term answer and Logan Jones may actually supplant him. Iowa has a fantastic record with Oline and TEs. Seems a bit undersized, but BJ/Rouschar covet nimble Cs, and Jones can make blocks others can’t. It should be noted that other IOL/Cs like Slaughter, Hecht, Zuhn and Lew were frequently graded more highly, but hey, THEY didn’t win the Rimington, and I never trust ‘converted’ Cs. Prefer them to be true centers, and Jones is that. C is also notoriously difficult to judge, so I’m going to have to trust BJ knows WTF he’s doing.


    Round 3, Pick 69 (via Rams): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
    Pro Comparison: Jack Doyle
    Summary
    Sam Roush is a sturdy, reliable tight end who excels as a traditional inline blocker and middle-of-the-field target. A high-achieving student-athlete at Stanford, he has a large catch radius and the strength to run through defenders in the open field. While he may not be the fastest player, his consistent blocking and ability to shield defenders make him a valuable asset in a balanced offense.

    About
    Career: 119 receptions, 1,201 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD
    Family: Two uncles and grandfather played in NFL
    Strengths
    Effective inline blocker who plays bigger than his 250-pound frame.
    Natural hands catcher with a large, reliable catch radius.
    Strong long-strider capable of running through arm tackles in space.
    Weaknesses
    Lacks high-end twitch or explosiveness of elite tight ends.
    Can struggle to create consistent separation against tight man coverage.
    Occasional losses early in reps against highly active edge rushers.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds
    Bench press: 25 reps
    Vertical jump: 38.5 inches
    20-yard shuttle run: 4.37 seconds
    Broad jump: 10 feet, 6 inches
    3-cone drill: 7.08 seconds

    Butch Take: must admit, this befuddled me. Poles just restructured Kmet. Loveland is obviously TE1, so drafting TE3 at 69 makes lil sense. I can only conclude BJ wanted to make up for Smythe’s 25% snaps [though I read Bears only lined up 8% in 13 personnel. Need to confirm]. Nevertheless, T3 ain’t going to stop Jahmyr Gibbs or sack Jordan Love.

    Round 3, Pick 89: Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
    Pro Comparison: Rashid Shaheed
    Summary
    Zavion Thomas is an explosive, versatile playmaker who can line up across the formation or contribute as a dangerous return specialist. He relies on elite short-area quickness and precise footwork to create instant separation against man coverage. While he lacks the size to dominate in jump-ball situations, his ability to reach top speed quickly makes him a constant big-play threat in space.

    About
    2025: 41 receptions, 488 receiving yards, 4 receiving TD
    Career: 1,213 receiving yards, 7 receiving TD, 1 rushing TD, 3 return TD
    Strengths
    Reaches top speed in two steps with elite acceleration.
    Precise route runner with twitchy movement out of breaks.
    Dangerous open-field runner with the ability to stack defenders vertically.
    Weaknesses
    Struggles to win contested-catch battles against larger defenders.
    Lacks the size and play strength to be an effective blocker.
    Difficulty separating on deep routes against physical cornerbacks.
    Combine Data
    40-yard dash: 4.28 seconds
    Vertical jump: 36 inches

    Butch Take: Another offensive weapon! [pun intended]. Honestly, my first reaction? “Great, Velus/Cohen 2.0”
    An apologist can argue that we needed a true ‘gadget’ threat. Someone who can take a jet sweep or return to the house, or back off the safeties with 4.28 ludicrous speed. Heck, some comp him to Tyreek Hill, and he’s somehow related to Sweetness.

    I guess Bears can score 50 a game.

    OT. Sat, RDs 4-7

    Jacob Infante@jacobinfante24
    ·28m
    #Bears GM Poles drafting in RD 3:

    • Velus Jones Jr.
    • Zacch Pickens
    • Kiran Amegadjie
    • Sam Roush
    • Zavion Thomas

    Not even gonna bother with best available. GMs usually go off the rails by RD 4 [some earlier, apparently].

    Only ones I maybe want:

    Edge, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State

    DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

    DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss

    So Poles will likely draft a safety, scatback and water boy.

  • Welcome Dillon Thieneman! Draft Day 2

    Welcome Dillon Thieneman! Draft Day 2

    We would all prefer Dline, but BPA pointed to drafting the 2nd best Safety.

    It’s entirely possible Poles was eyeing Edge Mesidor or Edge Malachai Lawrence drafted right before Bears at #22 and #23, respectively.

    The Browns decided to draft the 4rth best WR instead of the 2nd best S, which set up S Theineman for Poles on a platter.

    Many assumed he’d be gone by #25. Plenty mocked Vikings taking him at #18, but instead they drafted DT Caleb Banks – a massive DT with bum feet. Lions the pick before predictably drafted a LT in Blake Miller.

    At this point a GM must show his hand. Poles preached “BPA” but Safety happened to also fill a hole. Instead of drafting DT Peter Woods, or Edge Keldric Faulk like the Chiefs and Titans after Bears, Poles selected the consensus best S.

    Courtney Cronin@CourtneyRCronin
    ·2h
    Ryan Poles: “This was the most aggressive we were in terms of the guys that we like.” If a player wasn’t the right scheme fit, didn’t fit their character profile, etc. “then you’re off the board.”

    The Bears feel like they’re in a position to be “very selective of who we want.”

    Poles: “Why mess around with those who don’t fit what we’re trying to do?”

    Of note, S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

    DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

    EDGE Zion Young, Missouri

    EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

    Didn’t go in the 1st, so Poles correctly valued the board.

    Dillon is a genetic freak! He blazed a 4.35 [faster than many CBs/WRs]. 9.72 RAS out 10. Vertical jump 94% [who says white men can’t jump!]

    Tape shows he’s not a thumper but sure tackler.

    2025 missed tackle %:
    Thieneman 8.3
    Stukes 10.7
    Downs 11.7
    EMW 15.3
    Scott 20.3

    Larry Mayer@LarryMayer
    ·3h
    With 25th pick in first round of draft, Bears select safety Dillon Thieneman. The 6-foot, 201-pounder appeared in 39 games over three seasons at Purdue (2023-24) and Oregon (2025), registering 8 interceptions, 14 pass breakups, 306 tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.

    PFF graded him as the 8th best player out of 914. Comped to Kevin Byard, Jevon Holland or Harrison Smith.

    Productive, athletic and versatile + filling a hole on D. Poles almost HAD to draft Dillon Thieneman. Albeit many of us must still get over our Chris Conte PTSD…

    OT:

    ====Day 2====
    Bears hold the #57 and #60th in the 2nd, and #89th in 3rd.

    Will Poles trade up in day 2? Initially I suspected yes, but after digging through best available, no, I don’t think so. Still TONS of talent left esp on the lines and LB. Like on Day 1, Poles should just let gems fall on his lap.

    For those wondering about trades, Pit shared this :

    Seahawks traded 52 and 82 for 35

    Texans traded 58 and 99 for 48

    Bills traded (to the Bears) 56, 62, and 109 for 41, 72, and 240

    The Rich Hill Chart is what most roughly use

    They can absolutely go up or down, but I feel like they’ll stay or even trade down. Depends on how they tier prospects, but Day 2 is the meat of this draft. Simply scan the list of Lance Zierlein’s best available and circle all the players who could contribute immediately. Bold for prospects who interest me or were linked to Bears. [i]=interviewed/visited

    • 16. CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
    • 21. S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
    • 22. CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
    • 23. WR Denzel Boston, Washington
    • 26. DL Kayden McDonald, Ohio State [i]
    • 29. EDGE Zion Young, Missouri [i]
    • 30. EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
    • 31. CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
    • 33. IOL/OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
    • 35. LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
    • 36. TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
    • 38. CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
    • 40. WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
    • 42. WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
    • 43. WR Germie Bernard, Alabama
    • 44. EDGE Gabe Jacas, Illinois
    • 45. LB CJ Allen, Georgia
    • 46. LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
    • 47. IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
    • 48. S/NB Keionte Scott, Miami (Fla.)[i]
    • 49. DL Christen Miller, Georgia
    • 51. OT/OG Gennings Dunker, Iowa
    • 53. EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
    • 56. LB Jake Golday, Cincinnati
    • 57. WR Antonio Williams, Clemson
    • 59. WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
    • 60. EDGE Derrick Moore, Michigan
    • 61. EDGE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
    • 62. LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri
    • 63. DT Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss
    • 64. TE Max Klare, Ohio State
    • 65. CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
    • 66. CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
    • 67. DL Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
    • 68. RB Mike Washington, Arkansas
    • 69. CB Treydan Stukes, Arizona
    • 70. WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State
    • 71. S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
    • 72. WR Skylar Bell, Uconn
    • 73. WR Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
    • 74. EDGE Keyron Crawford, Auburn
    • 75. CB Keith Abney, Arizona State
    • 76. WR De’Zhang Stribling, Ole Miss [i]
    • 77. WR Chris Bell, Louisville 
    • 78. DT Dominique Big Citrus Orange, Iowas St [i]
    • 79. IOL/C Jake Slaughter, Florida
    • 80. IOL/C Sam Hecht, Kansas State
    • 81. WR Deion Burks, Oklahoma
    • 82. S Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
    • 84. OT Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
    • 85. S Bud Clark, TCU
    • 87. QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
    • 88. EDGE Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
    • 89. LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
    • 96. EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
    • ==CBS Honorable mentions==
    • 43. IOL Connor Lew, Auburn
    • 49. IOL Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
    • 50. WR Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
    • 61. S Genesis Smith, Arizona
    • 64. S A.J. Haulcy, LSU
    • 70. CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington
    • 71. DL Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
    • 73. QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
    • 77. DL Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
    • 78. EDGE Romello Height, Texas Tech
    • 79. OT Travis Burke, Memphis
    • 80. DL Chris McClellan, Missouri
    • 81. CB Daylen Everette, Georgia
    • 82. CB Jadon Canady, Oregon
    • DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
  • 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:

  • 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”…