It really is. It boggles the mind that they traded away both Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I feel bad for Bryce Young. It’s hard to imagine a worse first year situation for a rookie QB. We may never know how good he might have been.
He may go down in the history books alongside QBs like David Carr and Archie Manning: talented guys who were drafted very high (Carr was #1 overall, Manning #2 overall) by truly awful teams, got the hell beat out of them, and were never able to live up to their potential.
I’d say Andrew Luck as well. I mean, he wasn’t a total bust but he could have done so much more without a turnstile for an o-line and suffering so many injuries.
Bumping this thread with the best article I’ve yet read on the topic.
“Justin Fields is finally only as bad as when he entered the NFL, according to these charts” is the faintest praise I’ve heard of him so far.
Let’s say the Bears trade Fields to another team, and over the following three years, he plays well. He’s a top-12 to top-18 quarterback.
When playing well means you’re an average quarterback, it doesn’t spark joy.
Now I cant help but picture Poles hiring Maria Kondo to make the Bears’ roster decisions.
Hell, that might not be a bad thing.
Bye, Justin Fields. Time to see what the Bears can’t get right with whoever they draft next.
Truly embarrassing end to the season. The general sense just a week ago was that the coaching staff would probably be back, and it was better than 50/50 that Fields would be back while the Bears would try to parlay that pick into another windfall. And now after a 10th straight loss to the Packers in a game that wasn’t half as close as the scoreboard indicated, we’re doing a complete 180. Today everyone wants to burn the whole fucking thing down.
The only silver lining, the loss keeps the Bears drafting in the top 10, 9th overall to be precise. Also, I suppose you could say that the odds of the brass talking themselves into running it back or giving Fields a big contract had dramatically decreased so that’s probably a net positive.
We likely have a couple days to wait before we get word on the coaching staff, traditionally announcements of this type tend to be made on Tuesday at Halas Hall. But you can’t rule out a leak tomorrow. If we hear something tomorrow, I’d suggest that means that Eberflus was cooked even before today’s loss, but more likely they’ll all sit down tomorrow and have a series of discussions and make a call in the AM.
Tomorrow we tune into watch Michigan and start speculating if Harbaugh will leave his cushy college gig to come back to the pros.
- Option 1: Trade Fields and draft a QB at #1
- Option 2: Keep Fields and trade the #1 pick
- Option 3: Trade Fields and trade the #1 pick
- Option 4: Keep Fields and keep the #1 pick
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voters
Now that the season is complete, what do you think the Bears SHOULD do? I know how I feel, but I’ll reserve comment until some votes are in.
Options 3 and 4 are big outliers, so if you vote that way please explain your plan.
To me, the decision is less dependant on Field’s play this year, and more dependant on your options/opinions about this draft class.
If you think Caleb Williams (or Drake Maye if you’re “that guy”) is going to be elite in running an NFL offense, you draft him. You simply cannot pass on the opportunity to get a franchise defining QB if you can. Personally, I havent watched enough gametape of Williams to make that decision yet, but it seems pretty clear he’s extremely well regarded by experts.
But if you dont think that, or if you like your chances of getting a QB later (Nix/Daniels/Penix could make it a pretty deep QB class), you trade down and roll the dice. If you still get a QB you love, great, you can trade Fields after. If not, you have Fields and you can add Marvin Harrison Jr.
The other option, to me, is to commit to changing your offense to suit your QB’s strengths. There’s a reason why Lamar Jackson is in the MVP discussion despite the Ravens having the 2nd fewest passing attempts in the league. Fields has, I think, that kind of rushing skill.
Of course, that would take a self-aware, creative coaching staff that has the lack of an ego that requires running their offense, dammit! And a similar type backup QB. Not sure the Bears have that.
What kind of draft equity is Fields even worth at this point? I don’t think there’s any team that trades for him to be their opening day starter (without him beating someone out in a pre-season competition). Maybe third round at best?
Keep Fields for now until we see what a new QB can do. Fields doesn’t play crappy all of the time, and he’s a few steps above better than nothing.
The Bears need to clean house starting at the top.
To start: I think Fields’s ceiling is “talented backup to a mobile quarterback like Hurts or Jackson”. It’s pretty clear he’s not THE guy for a contender, but he’s not trash. He’s still on his rookie contract, so that has value, but his play - meh.
I’d definitely draft Williams, but not trade Fields. $3 million is cheap for a backup, if that’s all Fields is for now. And it gives the Bears a chance to sit their brand new toy for a bit to see the speed of the NFL. A few offseason workouts and training camp aren’t exactly a lot of time for a rookie quarterback to get ready. Maybe Williams is Peyton Manning reborn, but starting a rookie QB can demolish their confidence, especially on a not-good team.
That said, I hope the Bears trade the #1 pick to Benny the Bull for popcorn. Ten in a row isn’t nearly enough. I want the new stadium in Arlington Park to read “Love Field” after their new ownership.
I don’t think Fields has Jackson’s skills as a passer, however. Jackson’s release is much faster than Fields’, and he simply reads the field more quickly. I’m not sure how much of the difference is due to coaching, and how much is simply Jackson being a more skilled QB.
There are plenty of teams for whom Fields would be an upgrade over their 2023 starter(s). But given his level of play and the length of time remaining on his rookie deal, a 3rd round pick is probably in the ballpark.
Bears starting safety Jaquon Brisker throws shade at the Packers wide receivers, saying: "We gave them too much room and I really have no respect for them at all, just to be honest.
Reporter: Why?
Brisker: No one’s over there. No respect. They have no stars over there. They try to play a little fake tough."
He said that AFTER his secondary gave up 300 yards passing, including 112 yards to a rookie WR. Sometimes, like when Lamar Houston tore his ACL after celebrating a sack when the Bears were losing by 25 points, it’s just so fun being a Packer fan.
When did this become the Rub Salt in Bears’ Fans Wounds thread?
Not Bears fans. They have enough pain, I dont need to add to it. Bears’ players. Especially those who talk shit after failing.
I would suggest starting a Packers oriented thread. Or a general NFL trash talking thread in the pit for that kind of thing. There are no Bears players reading this thread, only fans. So your target isn’t here, only the people you are saying have enough pain.
Got it. Nothing that might make Bears fans feel bad about a player or the team. I’ll show myself out.