NFL 2023 Season

[A Future of Stevens]

Maybe a factor in whether or not the Bears keep Justin Fields, the return for the No. 1 pick poises to be "immense," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Fowler illustrated NFL executives believe the return for this season's No. 1 pick will be stronger than the return the Bears received in 2023 from the Carolina Panthers.

"If the Bears traded the first pick, the return could be immense," Fowler wrote. "Several executives agree Chicago could net more than it did in the Panthers trade, and from a prospective trade partner already picking in the top five. Those execs believe the price to get to No. 1 could be two future first-rounders on top of this year's pick, along with a variation of a Day 2 pick and/or a premium veteran player on a manageable contract."

Last year's trade is the current gold standard for Chicago:  a top-10 first, another first, a second, a future second, and a really good WR.

Just Keep Justin Fields.  JKJF.

Honestly, they could trade down for another haul, draft a borderline blue chip player, and take a developmental QB in the 2nd or 3rd if they really have reservations about Fields.

Yeah.  That's my thought.  The Bears are starting to build a pretty good team, based largely upon last season's draft.  If the choices are Caleb Williams and a third rounder (the projected value of Fields) or Fields + threes #1s and a #2, I see it as obvious.

Speaking of Fields, if he becomes available for a third rounder, or even a second, I think about a dozen teams should make offers.  I don't think he'd be great on the Patriots (unless you guys want to get him killed), but in a place with a good line and decent skilled players, he's a good QB.  Atlanta, Minnesota, Vegas?  He'd be a steal, and he's under team control for two more seasons on his rookie deal.

Yeah. If I was Atlanta or Minny, I would take a tackle or defensive trench position in the first, and give up to a 2nd for Fields.

[angryguy77]

Maybe a factor in whether or not the Bears keep Justin Fields, the return for the No. 1 pick poises to be "immense," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Fowler illustrated NFL executives believe the return for this season's No. 1 pick will be stronger than the return the Bears received in 2023 from the Carolina Panthers.

"If the Bears traded the first pick, the return could be immense," Fowler wrote. "Several executives agree Chicago could net more than it did in the Panthers trade, and from a prospective trade partner already picking in the top five. Those execs believe the price to get to No. 1 could be two future first-rounders on top of this year's pick, along with a variation of a Day 2 pick and/or a premium veteran player on a manageable contract."

Last year's trade is the current gold standard for Chicago:  a top-10 first, another first, a second, a future second, and a really good WR.

Just Keep Justin Fields.  JKJF.

Honestly, they could trade down for another haul, draft a borderline blue chip player, and take a developmental QB in the 2nd or 3rd if they really have reservations about Fields.

Yeah.  That's my thought.  The Bears are starting to build a pretty good team, based largely upon last season's draft.  If the choices are Caleb Williams and a third rounder (the projected value of Fields) or Fields + threes #1s and a #2, I see it as obvious.

Speaking of Fields, if he becomes available for a third rounder, or even a second, I think about a dozen teams should make offers.  I don't think he'd be great on the Patriots (unless you guys want to get him killed), but in a place with a good line and decent skilled players, he's a good QB.  Atlanta, Minnesota, Vegas?  He'd be a steal, and he's under team control for two more seasons on his rookie deal.

Yeah. If I was Atlanta or Minny, I would take a tackle or defensive trench position in the first, and give up to a 2nd for Fields.

Don't you put that juju on my vikings. We don't want fields.
We need a QB that can get JJ and Addison the ball consistently.

I'll take Kirk back and draft a dude to develop.


I'm going to go vomit now.

[Moranis]

Maybe a factor in whether or not the Bears keep Justin Fields, the return for the No. 1 pick poises to be "immense," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Fowler illustrated NFL executives believe the return for this season's No. 1 pick will be stronger than the return the Bears received in 2023 from the Carolina Panthers.

"If the Bears traded the first pick, the return could be immense," Fowler wrote. "Several executives agree Chicago could net more than it did in the Panthers trade, and from a prospective trade partner already picking in the top five. Those execs believe the price to get to No. 1 could be two future first-rounders on top of this year's pick, along with a variation of a Day 2 pick and/or a premium veteran player on a manageable contract."

Last year's trade is the current gold standard for Chicago:  a top-10 first, another first, a second, a future second, and a really good WR.

Just Keep Justin Fields.  JKJF.

Honestly, they could trade down for another haul, draft a borderline blue chip player, and take a developmental QB in the 2nd or 3rd if they really have reservations about Fields.

Yeah.  That's my thought.  The Bears are starting to build a pretty good team, based largely upon last season's draft.  If the choices are Caleb Williams and a third rounder (the projected value of Fields) or Fields + threes #1s and a #2, I see it as obvious.

Speaking of Fields, if he becomes available for a third rounder, or even a second, I think about a dozen teams should make offers.  I don't think he'd be great on the Patriots (unless you guys want to get him killed), but in a place with a good line and decent skilled players, he's a good QB.  Atlanta, Minnesota, Vegas?  He'd be a steal, and he's under team control for two more seasons on his rookie deal.

Yeah. If I was Atlanta or Minny, I would take a tackle or defensive trench position in the first, and give up to a 2nd for Fields.

Don't you put that juju on my vikings. We don't want fields.
We need a QB that can get JJ and Addison the ball consistently.

I'll take Kirk back and draft a dude to develop.


I'm going to go vomit now.

Fields is actually pretty good at that

[Vermont Green]

Fields is actually pretty good at that

I posted in anther thread about how hard it is to judge QBs based on college.  It is hard to judge a QB in the NFL too.  I remember seeing Fields against Pats last season and he looked pretty good.  But the Bears have so many issues, it is hard to know if he is a decent or better QB in a bad situation or just bad QB.

The criticism seems to be that he doesn't process his 2nd and 3rd reads very well.  But that can be hard if your OL is bad.  By the time you get to your second read, you are running for your life. Or maybe he just doesn't process reads fast enough.  Scouts and others study film but I am not sure that even these experts are able to know anything for sure.

I would be open to trading for Fields and using our high pick for infrastructure instead of a QB.  But that would depend on what we have to give up and what QB is available when we pick.  There is some chance that we pick a QB that ends up better than Fields but also plenty of chance he doesn't.  We could get Trey Lance or Zach Wilson.  Fields might end up with a Dak Prescott career or better.

[Donoghus]

If I was the Bears, I wouldn't give up on Fields yet.  There's some promise there and I think the organization would be better served by addressing other needs.  Ideally, trading out of the #1 pick again and gathering more assets. 

They're also gonna have a decent chunk of change to use in free agency. 

[wdleehi]

The Fields issue comes down to one thing, do the Bears think his ability to process defense and move through the progression improving.   

If not, (or not to the level they think would keep him over a new rookie) they need to look to upgrade.   There are two to three QBs the look to be in the top 10 of the draft (and one likely is the 1st pick).   If they think there is higher upside, they draft a QB and trade Fields.   


If they want more draft picks, they should look to trade down their other 1st round pick.

[Roy H.]

Fields is actually pretty good at that

I posted in anther thread about how hard it is to judge QBs based on college.  It is hard to judge a QB in the NFL too.  I remember seeing Fields against Pats last season and he looked pretty good.  But the Bears have so many issues, it is hard to know if he is a decent or better QB in a bad situation or just bad QB.

The criticism seems to be that he doesn't process his 2nd and 3rd reads very well.  But that can be hard if your OL is bad.  By the time you get to your second read, you are running for your life. Or maybe he just doesn't process reads fast enough.  Scouts and others study film but I am not sure that even these experts are able to know anything for sure.

I would be open to trading for Fields and using our high pick for infrastructure instead of a QB.  But that would depend on what we have to give up and what QB is available when we pick.  There is some chance that we pick a QB that ends up better than Fields but also plenty of chance he doesn't.  We could get Trey Lance or Zach Wilson.  Fields might end up with a Dak Prescott career or better.

He's also working with a fairly lousy OC, or at least one who doesn't play to Fields' strengths.  He's got very good "arm talent", but Getsy likes a lot of screens and short throws.  (You might think that with a talented second year QB, the team would have hired an OC with NFL experience to bring him along.  Nope.  The Bears hired a guy who had never been an NFL OC before.)

[angryguy77]

Here's the thing about Fields, he might have been what they drafted him to be, but not getting time to marinate on the bench eliminated that as a possibility. As much as I hate GB with every fiber of me being, giving their rookies time to learn has worked out for them. I wonder how many other busts would've been serviceable had they not been thrown to the wolves so quick. 

If I'm Chicago, I draft a QB and trade Fields.

Minnesota doesn't have a great line. Kirk masked a lot of the weaknesses by being able to make quick reads. Fields would be running for his life.

[Birdman]

Give Fields Marvin Harrison & fill in holes with FAs & draft

[Donoghus]

Give Fields Marvin Harrison & fill in holes with FAs & draft

The problem is that they'll have a thin needle to thread to make it work.  Drafting Harrison at #1 isn't making the best use of that asset.  Ideally, they'll have to trade down 1-3 slots to pick up some assets and still get Harrison.  Any later than that and he's probably gone. It takes two to tango so would Arizona, Washington, New England, etc. be wiling to pay the price to get that #1 pick?

[Roy H.]

Give Fields Marvin Harrison & fill in holes with FAs & draft

The problem is that they'll have a thin needle to thread to make it work.  Drafting Harrison at #1 isn't making the best use of that asset.  Ideally, they'll have to trade down 1-3 slots to pick up some assets and still get Harrison.  Any later than that and he's probably gone. It takes two to tango so would Arizona, Washington, New England, etc. be wiling to pay the price to get that #1 pick?

One report is that the Redskins covet Williams.  I'm skeptical, since teams haven't worked these kids out yet, etc., so I doubt anybody is locked in on anybody.  But, that's got to be the hope for the Bears.

But who knows with Poles?  The rumor last year was that the Bears didn't want to move out of the Top-4 because they wanted Jalen Carter.  That report was doubly wrong, because the Bears traded down to #9, and then passed on Carter anyway.

[Moranis]

Ravens officially sit Lamar. Pro-bowler Huntley to start against Steelers.  And yes I think it is funny Huntley made the Pro-Bowl last year, so I'm going to keep calling him that.

[Phantom255x]

Ravens officially sit Lamar. Pro-bowler Huntley to start against Steelers.  And yes I think it is funny Huntley made the Pro-Bowl last year, so I'm going to keep calling him that.

He's got nothing on Pro-bowler Mac Jones 

[Donoghus]

This is good stuff for those of you confused by the tiebreaker situation for draft order.

NFL Network

@nflnetwork
A lot of uncertainty for the #2 spot in the 2024 Draft. Who’s getting it? 👀

Watch the full clip with
@SteveKornacki
 and
@PSchrags
 ➡️ https://link.chtbl.com/49aac56l

[celticsclay]

Ravens officially sit Lamar. Pro-bowler Huntley to start against Steelers.  And yes I think it is funny Huntley made the Pro-Bowl last year, so I'm going to keep calling him that.

Glad they used common sense. Didn’t want one of the few contenders going down with a meaningless injury.