As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
That’s what I say, too. A rookie LT may never be as good as Brax and certainly not his rookie year while on “learning curve.” My question is, “Can Bears with Brax be Super Bowl ready 2025?” Hell yes. With a rookie LT? Who knows.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
That’s what I say, too. A rookie LT may never be as good as Brax and certainly not his rookie year while on “learning curve.” My question is, “Can Bears with Brax be Super Bowl ready 2025?” Hell yes. With a rookie LT? Who knows.
A lot of 1st round LTs are such physical specimen freaks that they can make up for a lot with their power. Which is why they go in the first round.
You can live with some of the rookie bumps if the guy is a wall between the pass rusher and the QB.
That’s what I say, too. A rookie LT may never be as good as Brax and certainly not his rookie year while on “learning curve.” My question is, “Can Bears with Brax be Super Bowl ready 2025?” Hell yes. With a rookie LT? Who knows.
A lot of 1st round LTs are such physical specimen freaks that they can make up for a lot with their power. Which is why they go in the first round.
You can live with some of the rookie bumps if the guy is a wall between the pass rusher and the QB.
Okay, and I can give you plenty of examples on the other side of the coin. Paris Johnson was the hot shot LT in 2023. He had 8 sacks and 12 penalties his rookie year. We could have that in 2025, which would be way worse than anything Brax has done.
As far as physical size and power, you won’t find many equal to Darnell Wright. Yet his rookie year was — what should I say? — something less than spectacular. I think even Ric would agree.
A lot of 1st round LTs are such physical specimen freaks that they can make up for a lot with their power. Which is why they go in the first round.
You can live with some of the rookie bumps if the guy is a wall between the pass rusher and the QB.
Okay, and I can give you plenty of examples on the other side of the coin. Paris Johnson was the hot shot LT in 2023. He had 8 sacks and 12 penalties his rookie year. We could have that in 2025, which would be way worse than anything Brax has done.
As far as physical size and power, you won’t find many equal to Darnell Wright. Yet his rookie year was — what should I say? — something less than spectacular. I think even Ric would agree.
I agree with you, David. The only thing good about rookie OL is that (if they are good raw talent guys) they can mature in a year or two (or three) into stud players. I'm specifically talking about offensive linemen here. Personally, I believe it is the toughest football position at the NFL level to play - other than the franchise QB position. These are 320 pound men who have to be incredibly high football IQ people (they score highest on the Wonderlic each year too). They have to be incredibly quick, with speed to get to the 2nd and 3rd levels on plays too. The best ones have to be incredible "quick twitch" to deal with defense guys who are infinitely better than they used to be. Anymore, the OL positions require a kind of hybrid martial arts type skills - very very sophisticated skills. These are not the "fat boys" of the past. These are incredibly gifted world-class professional athletes.
A rookie can definitely have a decent first season. I'm not saying they can't perform well year one. But it takes a few years to mature and refine their game - and build their bodies to where they must be at the NFL level. I just shake my head when fans think you just "draft a guy" for the OL and that's it. LOL. These are very very special athletes (the good ones). The OL will set the ceiling for our skill players in 2025 and beyond... for the next several seasons. These guys are worth their weight in gold. JMO.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
Replaced him w/a cheaper version of hismelf.
problem is they keep biting from the same tree, mid-UDFA ever going to be greats.
People said the same thing about Cutler, and Mitch and Fields, keeping mid to bad is worse then replacing them w/more mid and bad. Keeping taking shots until you get it right. for LT that should be rd 1, maybe 2. QB/DE/OT those are your key positions, get them fixed and the rest fall into place a lot easier. Or, be like Det, and take back to back to back WR's in the top 10 b/c "bpa" and see how that works out for ya(hint more top picks that lead to top 5 picks). bad gm's go into the draft going bpa unless the team is already getting to the sb.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
It's often the same with firing coaches or GMs. Getting rid of people is easy. The hard part is getting better people to replace them. All too often the replacements are worse than the guys you moved on from.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
It's often the same with firing coaches or GMs. Getting rid of people is easy. The hard part is getting better people to replace them. All too often the replacements are worse than the guys you moved on from.
doesn't mean you don't try though. Although GM's/coaches can create stability in an organization that a player won't so you should be less willing to just chuck a mid GM/HC compared to a mid player in a premier position.
That’s what I say, too. A rookie LT may never be as good as Brax and certainly not his rookie year while on “learning curve.” My question is, “Can Bears with Brax be Super Bowl ready 2025?” Hell yes. With a rookie LT? Who knows.
A lot of 1st round LTs are such physical specimen freaks that they can make up for a lot with their power. Which is why they go in the first round.
You can live with some of the rookie bumps if the guy is a wall between the pass rusher and the QB.
MJY, Braxton Jones WAS a physical freak out of college. He just didn't play for a big school.
I would love a rookie on the line. One. I'm not thrilled with two, and I'd rather they play guard that rookie year.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
It's often the same with firing coaches or GMs. Getting rid of people is easy. The hard part is getting better people to replace them. All too often the replacements are worse than the guys you moved on from.
We sure have a lot of experience with that. It's the Bears Standard Operating Procedure and is written in Navy Blue ink in large IMPACT font on Page 1 of the McCaskey Ownership Manual.
As I said on the board when everyone wanted to get rid of Leno...thats cool...tell me who you're replacing him with. Just cause you replace someone, doesn't mean you're replacing them with someone better. A high draft pick is no guarantee.
It's often the same with firing coaches or GMs. Getting rid of people is easy. The hard part is getting better people to replace them. All too often the replacements are worse than the guys you moved on from.
Well, I view that as an issue of the people who are deciding who to hire. They make a bad hire, then that person needs replacing and the person that couldn't pick someone good goes and picks again.
