Perhaps you should, so you can see the way in which you implied he could have signed better. I mean hell, why would he sign "other" one's, if the one's he signed were good enough. YOU however cleared that mystery up when you said "we have the worst defensive front 7 in the NFL and he hired all these guys."
So clearly you think he could have signed better players for the same money, and you made that point in later posts as well. When are you just going to finally admit that what you asserted wasn't a fact, its your opinion? This is getting silly now.
It is the worst front-7 in the NFL, and so it sure wouldn’t take much to have done better, but the only FACT I stated is that he hired all these guys and there are many other players he could have brought in. If you would stop trying to read other words (like “better”) into what I write, we wouldn’t have a problem. You always ask me to take your words literally, and I would appreciate that you return the favor.
So you are criticizing Poles for not signing "other players" who aren't necessarily "better", got it. Apparently, "other but not better" is somehow better just by being "other".
Seriously, this is beyond silly. You have been asked many times to name specific names and you can't.
This thread is about the CURRENT offseason. Why don't you create a new thread entitled: "2022 offseason in review" and post away with all your critiques and ideas over there please. And drop it here.
It is the worst front-7 in the NFL, and so it sure wouldn’t take much to have done better, but the only FACT I stated is that he hired all these guys and there are many other players he could have brought in. If you would stop trying to read other words (like “better”) into what I write, we wouldn’t have a problem. You always ask me to take your words literally, and I would appreciate that you return the favor.
So you are criticizing Poles for not signing "other players" who aren't necessarily "better", got it. Apparently, "other but not better" is somehow better just by being "other".
Seriously, this is beyond silly. You have been asked many times to name specific names and you can't.
This thread is about the CURRENT offseason. Why don't you create a new thread entitled: "2022 offseason in review" and post away with all your critiques and ideas over there please. And drop it here.
Deal?
I have no idea what would have happened, if he brought in a different set of players. Might have been better. Might have been even worse. The names of alternative players he could have brought in is extremely large, I don’t know 1% of them.
This whole thing started when I said he created this mess. You said he “inherited” it. That is what we will never agree on, and I thought we already agreed to disagree and move on.
Back to the current offseason, this is pretty much Captain Obvious stuff.
Whitehair: Talked about this earlier. He's as good as gone as his play is nowhere near what it needs to be to justify his cost going forward. Go get Quenton Nelson from the Colts, Ryan. Massive upgrade at 1/2 the cost.
Blackson: Sucks plain and simple. Justin Jones and Watt were decent finds and can stick as backup/rotational guys. Blackson needs to go.
Griffin: For a few million more, there a bunch of players about to hit FA who would be a huge upgrade as a 2nd move/receiving TE. Gesicki, Schultz, Hurst, Hooper, etc.
Pringle & Harry: Both were reasonable shots to take on one-year contracts for a team doing a teardown but neither of them showed anything to justify keeping them around. I'd add Pettis to this group too. All 3 can hit the road.
Back to the current offseason, this is pretty much Captain Obvious stuff.
Whitehair: Talked about this earlier. He's as good as gone as his play is nowhere near what it needs to be to justify his cost going forward. Go get Quenton Nelson from the Colts, Ryan. Massive upgrade at 1/2 the cost.
Blackson: Sucks plain and simple. Justin Jones and Watt were decent finds and can stick as backup/rotational guys. Blackson needs to go.
Griffin: For a few million more, there a bunch of players about to hit FA who would be a huge upgrade as a 2nd move/receiving TE. Gesicki, Schultz, Hurst, Hooper, etc.
Pringle & Harry: Both were reasonable shots to take on one-year contracts for a team doing a teardown but neither of them showed anything to justify keeping them around. I'd add Pettis to this group too. All 3 can hit the road.
These 5 are the tip of the iceberg. At least 40% of the 2022 roster will be replaced. About half the starters on offense and defense should be replaced.
Back to the current offseason, this is pretty much Captain Obvious stuff.
Whitehair: Talked about this earlier. He's as good as gone as his play is nowhere near what it needs to be to justify his cost going forward. Go get Quenton Nelson from the Colts, Ryan. Massive upgrade at 1/2 the cost.
Pringle & Harry: Both were reasonable shots to take on one-year contracts for a team doing a teardown but neither of them showed anything to justify keeping them around. I'd add Pettis to this group too. All 3 can hit the road.
I keep wondering what happened to Whitehair to drop so far this year. He is not THAT old to fall off the map like he did. I do wonder if he was playing hurt. But if he truly is what we saw this year then yeah, he needs to go. He is under contract for '23 and '24 for around $10-mil/yr. Has an $8-mil dead cap for '23. If for some reason it was injuries that held him back last year, then it would be good to have him one last season. We already have needs at RT and C (and at RG if Jenkins is a glass-man).
WR is going to be interesting to watch. Pringle, Harry, Pettis & Claypool - not one of those 4 proved anything last year. I "get it" that folks want to believe Claypool can be good here. And hopefully he is. But that is not a given at this point. And he's out of contract after this season anyway. All we have is Mooney in his last season and he is nothing special. People are on Fields for not proving to be a "passing quarterback" here. But he really doesn't have much to work with. Poles knows this, so it will be interesting to see what he can get done at WR. I am so hoping that he invests a 2nd round pick in one, especially in a trade down situation. I'm also hoping he can do something in a trade or FA too. Then if '24 he has to figure out if he keeps Claypool or Mooney - or shuffles the WR deck yet again on Fields.
Back to the current offseason, this is pretty much Captain Obvious stuff.
Whitehair: Talked about this earlier. He's as good as gone as his play is nowhere near what it needs to be to justify his cost going forward. Go get Quenton Nelson from the Colts, Ryan. Massive upgrade at 1/2 the cost.
Pringle & Harry: Both were reasonable shots to take on one-year contracts for a team doing a teardown but neither of them showed anything to justify keeping them around. I'd add Pettis to this group too. All 3 can hit the road.
I keep wondering what happened to Whitehair to drop so far this year. He is not THAT old to fall off the map like he did. I do wonder if he was playing hurt. But if he truly is what we saw this year then yeah, he needs to go. He is under contract for '23 and '24 for around $10-mil/yr. Has an $8-mil dead cap for '23. If for some reason it was injuries that held him back last year, then it would be good to have him one last season. We already have needs at RT and C (and at RG if Jenkins is a glass-man).
WR is going to be interesting to watch. Pringle, Harry, Pettis & Claypool - not one of those 4 proved anything last year. I "get it" that folks want to believe Claypool can be good here. And hopefully he is. But that is not a given at this point. And he's out of contract after this season anyway. All we have is Mooney in his last season and he is nothing special. People are on Fields for not proving to be a "passing quarterback" here. But he really doesn't have much to work with. Poles knows this, so it will be interesting to see what he can get done at WR. I am so hoping that he invests a 2nd round pick in one, especially in a trade down situation. I'm also hoping he can do something in a trade or FA too. Then if '24 he has to figure out if he keeps Claypool or Mooney - or shuffles the WR deck yet again on Fields.
IDK why but Whitehair's play has fallen off last season or two. No way they are gonna keep him with his contract going forward. Even if we don't get Quenton Nelson in an Indy trade, Whitehair is upgradeable in FA with a younger player for less money. You can get good iOLs in FA in a way that you can't in other positions.
As for WR, I'm ok with EQ sticking as a #4 or #5 type of guy. He's decent in that role but can't do much else. Pringle, Harry, and Pettis were lottery tickets and they all sucked, especially Pringle who really was a disappointing bust. Claypool is gonna be here and he should be. If he doesn't produce in 2023, then he's gone too. There's basically 4 WRs on the roster in effect (CC, Mooney, EQ, & Velus). Will need to add 2 more via FA and the draft and/or trade.
I keep wondering what happened to Whitehair to drop so far this year. He is not THAT old to fall off the map like he did. I do wonder if he was playing hurt. But if he truly is what we saw this year then yeah, he needs to go. He is under contract for '23 and '24 for around $10-mil/yr. Has an $8-mil dead cap for '23. If for some reason it was injuries that held him back last year, then it would be good to have him one last season. We already have needs at RT and C (and at RG if Jenkins is a glass-man).
WR is going to be interesting to watch. Pringle, Harry, Pettis & Claypool - not one of those 4 proved anything last year. I "get it" that folks want to believe Claypool can be good here. And hopefully he is. But that is not a given at this point. And he's out of contract after this season anyway. All we have is Mooney in his last season and he is nothing special. People are on Fields for not proving to be a "passing quarterback" here. But he really doesn't have much to work with. Poles knows this, so it will be interesting to see what he can get done at WR. I am so hoping that he invests a 2nd round pick in one, especially in a trade down situation. I'm also hoping he can do something in a trade or FA too. Then if '24 he has to figure out if he keeps Claypool or Mooney - or shuffles the WR deck yet again on Fields.
IDK why but Whitehair's play has fallen off last season or two. No way they are gonna keep him with his contract going forward. Even if we don't get Quenton Nelson in an Indy trade, Whitehair is upgradeable in FA with a younger player for less money. You can get good iOLs in FA in a way that you can't in other positions.
As for WR, I'm ok with EQ sticking as a #4 or #5 type of guy. He's decent in that role but can't do much else. Pringle, Harry, and Pettis were lottery tickets and they all sucked, especially Pringle who really was a disappointing bust. Claypool is gonna be here and he should be. If he doesn't produce in 2023, then he's gone too. There's basically 4 WRs on the roster in effect (CC, Mooney, EQ, & Velus). Will need to add 2 more via FA and the draft and/or trade.
I really don't think V.Jones is a WR. His draft profile says the same thing (LINK). He can be a valuable special teams player though, so I'm not saying he's a wasted draft pick. He just isn't an NFL wide receiver. We have had some of these guys on the Bears before. They were listed as WRs and the Bears tried desperately to make them WRs... but they were never very good.
I definitely agree Claypool is worth watching this year to see if there's anything good there. If not, then don't extend his contract for '24. EQ is a JAG. Nothing to see there.
So that leaves Mooney. He will be playing his last season of his rookie contract this year. He seems like a decent receiver but not a player to scare any defense. He was easily shut down by opposing defenses - as our WR1 he got 490 yards this year (granted he only played in 12 games, but still). I do think he has value if we have a legit WR1 on the team.
I agree Poles needs to bring in 2 WRs this year. High quality guys, and not these JAGS who add nothing to the team. I really have my doubts about Claypool but hope I'm wrong on that. I think he'll be gone in '24 after a so-so season in '23.
IDK why but Whitehair's play has fallen off last season or two. No way they are gonna keep him with his contract going forward. Even if we don't get Quenton Nelson in an Indy trade, Whitehair is upgradeable in FA with a younger player for less money. You can get good iOLs in FA in a way that you can't in other positions.
As for WR, I'm ok with EQ sticking as a #4 or #5 type of guy. He's decent in that role but can't do much else. Pringle, Harry, and Pettis were lottery tickets and they all sucked, especially Pringle who really was a disappointing bust. Claypool is gonna be here and he should be. If he doesn't produce in 2023, then he's gone too. There's basically 4 WRs on the roster in effect (CC, Mooney, EQ, & Velus). Will need to add 2 more via FA and the draft and/or trade.
I really don't think V.Jones is a WR. His draft profile says the same thing (LINK). He can be a valuable special teams player though, so I'm not saying he's a wasted draft pick. He just isn't an NFL wide receiver. We have had some of these guys on the Bears before. They were listed as WRs and the Bears tried desperately to make them WRs... but they were never very good.
I definitely agree Claypool is worth watching this year to see if there's anything good there. If not, then don't extend his contract for '24. EQ is a JAG. Nothing to see there.
So that leaves Mooney. He will be playing his last season of his rookie contract this year. He seems like a decent receiver but not a player to scare any defense. He was easily shut down by opposing defenses - as our WR1 he got 490 yards this year (granted he only played in 12 games, but still). I do think he has value if we have a legit WR1 on the team.
I agree Poles needs to bring in 2 WRs this year. High quality guys, and not these JAGS who add nothing to the team. I really have my doubts about Claypool but hope I'm wrong on that. I think he'll be gone in '24 after a so-so season in '23.
Velus had a rough rookie year no doubt and Poles is probably gonna catch some flak for drafting him in the 3rd round if he becomes nothing more than a gadget guy as you said. Haven't given up on him yet. Don't think he will ever be a star but maybe he can become a return man/#4 WR type of player.
EQ is a JAG. He's just a JAG who can block and play STs so may end up on the bubble come Labor Day.
No question Bears need help here, no one's denying that. They have 2 decent receivers (#2/#3 type guys) but need more. I think you draft a guy in round 2, you sign a FA (and I'm starting to like Meyers there like Butkus), and you sign a good receiving #2 TE like Hurst, Schultz, or Gesicki. Maybe they go all in on a guy like Hopkins or Evans but it feels a little early for that to me.
I think that ^^^ is a reasonable plan that won't break the bank. And I want a big chunk of that "bank" going to stocking the OL and DL. I want 2 significant FA signings on each line plus draft picks.
I really don't think V.Jones is a WR. His draft profile says the same thing (LINK). He can be a valuable special teams player though, so I'm not saying he's a wasted draft pick. He just isn't an NFL wide receiver. We have had some of these guys on the Bears before. They were listed as WRs and the Bears tried desperately to make them WRs... but they were never very good.
I definitely agree Claypool is worth watching this year to see if there's anything good there. If not, then don't extend his contract for '24. EQ is a JAG. Nothing to see there.
So that leaves Mooney. He will be playing his last season of his rookie contract this year. He seems like a decent receiver but not a player to scare any defense. He was easily shut down by opposing defenses - as our WR1 he got 490 yards this year (granted he only played in 12 games, but still). I do think he has value if we have a legit WR1 on the team.
I agree Poles needs to bring in 2 WRs this year. High quality guys, and not these JAGS who add nothing to the team. I really have my doubts about Claypool but hope I'm wrong on that. I think he'll be gone in '24 after a so-so season in '23.
Velus had a rough rookie year no doubt and Poles is probably gonna catch some flak for drafting him in the 3rd round if he becomes nothing more than a gadget guy as you said. Haven't given up on him yet. Don't think he will ever be a star but maybe he can become a return man/#4 WR type of player.
EQ is a JAG. He's just a JAG who can block and play STs so may end up on the bubble come Labor Day.
No question Bears need help here, no one's denying that. They have 2 decent receivers (#2/#3 type guys) but need more. I think you draft a guy in round 2, you sign a FA (and I'm starting to like Meyers there like Butkus), and you sign a good receiving #2 TE like Hurst, Schultz, or Gesicki. Maybe they go all in on a guy like Hopkins or Evans but it feels a little early for that to me.
I think that ^^^ is a reasonable plan that won't break the bank. And I want a big chunk of that "bank" going to stocking the OL and DL. I want 2 significant FA signings on each line plus draft picks.
That's pretty much how I see it too. And regarding V.Jones I'm not saying he won't be valuable to the team. I actually think he can be a very valuable special teams guy. If he pans out that way, hey, I'm okay with that. I'd rather he was a solid WR, but if he can really help the team over the years as a STs guy, then that is okay... I can live with that.