As the new season starts (for the Bears anyway)
Jan 4, 2017 8:15:37 GMT -6
AlexM, riczaj01, and 3 more like this
Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2017 8:15:37 GMT -6
Just wanted to verbalize (ok... typealize) some thoughts on the new season and what I am thinking and hoping for.
I was a big proponent that the Bears needed more talent and that the best way to do that were some high picks in the draft. I felt so strongly that was the way to help the team long term that I was even hoping for losses during the year. Well, here we are with the #3 pick of the next draft. While a single position up at #2 would actually give us a lot more flexibility since there are only two consensus defensive rushing threats, the #3 pick is an awesome pick and should help Pace make the team better. All that sucking this season better pay off for us. I really want these high picks to help make a difference and make us better.
However, as we all know, a high pick only buys you a ticket to the dance. You still need to be able to pick the right dance partner. I have to honestly say that at least in recent times, I likes Paces ability to find talent more than I have with Angelo and Emery. I like what I have seen so far. I wish I knew more about who Pace wanted as QBs. Rumors say it was Marriotta and Wentz, but I have no idea if that is true. I did like Marriotta and I was not sure about Wentz. Both seem ok but not great so far. Wentz maybe not even ok. We'll see on him. QB is the hardest to pick.
I do not know how this draft will go. It is crazy to think that even with the #3 pick we might miss out on a sure thing (as much as one exists) defensive rusher if that is how he wants to go.
My thoughts are .... Is there really a QB that is worth the third overall pick? I have to be honest and say I don't know. If there is a difference making QB in there, the answer is definitely yes. But if there is, I'm not sure if any team including the Bears really know who that is. There is going to be a lot of analysis in this, but also much luck. The two teams that suck more than us suck for the same reasons. When you are this low, you have bad players and bad coaching. Both of those other teams need QBs also. There is a possibility that both will go QB. I have no idea how many "sure thing" QBs Pace has in mind, but I can't believe it would be more than two because they are rare. So if both teams go QB, where does that leave us? Is there a guy Pace thinks can still be a starter but not worthy of a first round pick? And will he still be there or will he have been one of the first two picked?
We HAVE to get a QB so we are not in a good position to say the draft did not fall that way for us. If we don;t get the guy Pace wants in the draft, do we then go for a trade? If so, who> Garappolo? THat may or may not be the answer. More often than not, people leaving NE are not going to set the world on fire. So obviously, I have concerns as to how our QB situation will turn out.
Going with the defensive pick, I'll switch and be devils advocate here. Say that the Browns finally understand their inability to pick the right QB, they might just decide to go with a sure thing and pick Garrett. That would at least get them a difference maker. I think the probability is high that they do that. The 9ers may follow suit and think that the QB is too much of a crap shoot or no QB deserves the #2 pick and go with Allen. I don't know who Pace wants, but if he wants defense, the two best guys just went off the board. Now the option to go sure thing defense in the first and best QB in the second goes off the table. Now does he reach for a QB, go for a D guy that may not be worth the #3, get a WR or secondary guy (not sure any are worth #3) or go LT.
We still have many holes. We do finally have a few anchors that we did not before and we have a legit running threat. Pace has put us in a better position this year than we were last year, so I think we get better no matter what.
So lets take a look at the best case scenario. I do not know what Pace has in mind. As far as I am concerned, I do not see a sure thing QB. Maybe he does. So I can only go with my opinion since I don't know his. I think the best defensive player on the board is Garrett. I personally do not think he will still be there at #3. I think he is going before us. However, I am going to pray that the second best will be as good as the best (how did that work out for us with White?) so I am going to say we still have either Garrett or Allen there at #3 and we take him.
In the second, Pace has identified a QB he thinks will win and he is still there at the top of the second. I don't know who that person is. That for me would be the best case scenario.
If he has a sure thing QB to pick with the #3, I would be ok with that also. The QB is harder to get than the DE, although you need really high picks to get the best of either. If we went with QB in the first, there would be a big drop in defensive talent between the #3 and the beginning of the second. Since the QB is such a crapshoot, it is possible that the best guy does not get taken at the top of the first and is still there at the beginning of the second (assuming we are actually able to determine who that is). That allows us the "sure thing" D player as well as our starting QB. That is why I think that is our best scenario.
It will be fun to see how this all unfolds. The off season will be exciting for us. We have lots of cap and lots of needs. I expect Pace to be active in FA and he has proven to be pretty good there also. I do not have great confidence in Fox, but I think given talent he will be ok. A big criteria for me is whether or not the team performed up to the level of talent on the team. That is an indication of the coaching. This is very subjective, but I say no. Some on the board feel differently, and that's good too. For me, next year will determine if Fox stays. Personally, I am not impressed and would almost hope for a lackluster season so that he goes. I have seen a jump in record causing us to keep a mediocre coach before (Lovie) and I know the same will happen with Fox if he has a good season. I would rather get us a long term killer HC and start building on his legacy.
Anyway, those are my thoughts at this early juncture
I was a big proponent that the Bears needed more talent and that the best way to do that were some high picks in the draft. I felt so strongly that was the way to help the team long term that I was even hoping for losses during the year. Well, here we are with the #3 pick of the next draft. While a single position up at #2 would actually give us a lot more flexibility since there are only two consensus defensive rushing threats, the #3 pick is an awesome pick and should help Pace make the team better. All that sucking this season better pay off for us. I really want these high picks to help make a difference and make us better.
However, as we all know, a high pick only buys you a ticket to the dance. You still need to be able to pick the right dance partner. I have to honestly say that at least in recent times, I likes Paces ability to find talent more than I have with Angelo and Emery. I like what I have seen so far. I wish I knew more about who Pace wanted as QBs. Rumors say it was Marriotta and Wentz, but I have no idea if that is true. I did like Marriotta and I was not sure about Wentz. Both seem ok but not great so far. Wentz maybe not even ok. We'll see on him. QB is the hardest to pick.
I do not know how this draft will go. It is crazy to think that even with the #3 pick we might miss out on a sure thing (as much as one exists) defensive rusher if that is how he wants to go.
My thoughts are .... Is there really a QB that is worth the third overall pick? I have to be honest and say I don't know. If there is a difference making QB in there, the answer is definitely yes. But if there is, I'm not sure if any team including the Bears really know who that is. There is going to be a lot of analysis in this, but also much luck. The two teams that suck more than us suck for the same reasons. When you are this low, you have bad players and bad coaching. Both of those other teams need QBs also. There is a possibility that both will go QB. I have no idea how many "sure thing" QBs Pace has in mind, but I can't believe it would be more than two because they are rare. So if both teams go QB, where does that leave us? Is there a guy Pace thinks can still be a starter but not worthy of a first round pick? And will he still be there or will he have been one of the first two picked?
We HAVE to get a QB so we are not in a good position to say the draft did not fall that way for us. If we don;t get the guy Pace wants in the draft, do we then go for a trade? If so, who> Garappolo? THat may or may not be the answer. More often than not, people leaving NE are not going to set the world on fire. So obviously, I have concerns as to how our QB situation will turn out.
Going with the defensive pick, I'll switch and be devils advocate here. Say that the Browns finally understand their inability to pick the right QB, they might just decide to go with a sure thing and pick Garrett. That would at least get them a difference maker. I think the probability is high that they do that. The 9ers may follow suit and think that the QB is too much of a crap shoot or no QB deserves the #2 pick and go with Allen. I don't know who Pace wants, but if he wants defense, the two best guys just went off the board. Now the option to go sure thing defense in the first and best QB in the second goes off the table. Now does he reach for a QB, go for a D guy that may not be worth the #3, get a WR or secondary guy (not sure any are worth #3) or go LT.
We still have many holes. We do finally have a few anchors that we did not before and we have a legit running threat. Pace has put us in a better position this year than we were last year, so I think we get better no matter what.
So lets take a look at the best case scenario. I do not know what Pace has in mind. As far as I am concerned, I do not see a sure thing QB. Maybe he does. So I can only go with my opinion since I don't know his. I think the best defensive player on the board is Garrett. I personally do not think he will still be there at #3. I think he is going before us. However, I am going to pray that the second best will be as good as the best (how did that work out for us with White?) so I am going to say we still have either Garrett or Allen there at #3 and we take him.
In the second, Pace has identified a QB he thinks will win and he is still there at the top of the second. I don't know who that person is. That for me would be the best case scenario.
If he has a sure thing QB to pick with the #3, I would be ok with that also. The QB is harder to get than the DE, although you need really high picks to get the best of either. If we went with QB in the first, there would be a big drop in defensive talent between the #3 and the beginning of the second. Since the QB is such a crapshoot, it is possible that the best guy does not get taken at the top of the first and is still there at the beginning of the second (assuming we are actually able to determine who that is). That allows us the "sure thing" D player as well as our starting QB. That is why I think that is our best scenario.
It will be fun to see how this all unfolds. The off season will be exciting for us. We have lots of cap and lots of needs. I expect Pace to be active in FA and he has proven to be pretty good there also. I do not have great confidence in Fox, but I think given talent he will be ok. A big criteria for me is whether or not the team performed up to the level of talent on the team. That is an indication of the coaching. This is very subjective, but I say no. Some on the board feel differently, and that's good too. For me, next year will determine if Fox stays. Personally, I am not impressed and would almost hope for a lackluster season so that he goes. I have seen a jump in record causing us to keep a mediocre coach before (Lovie) and I know the same will happen with Fox if he has a good season. I would rather get us a long term killer HC and start building on his legacy.
Anyway, those are my thoughts at this early juncture