Da Dos

Tag: Unbearable Sports

  • 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.

  • 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.