Chicago Sports

The Chicago Bulls are a shell of what they were a year ago, but somehow have mostly the same roster make-up.

Obviously, the missing piece right now is Lonzo Ball, who very well could be shut down for the year pretty soon. But other than Ball, this team still features the main guys who led the Bulls to a once-time seat in first place last season.

Playing as inconsistently as they have all season, the Bulls still maintain the belief that they have more than enough to win with, at least according to head coach Billy Donovan.

The Bulls’ coach seems intent on keeping this roster where it’s at and riding it out, stating that the team just “isn’t desperate enough,” despite having what he thinks is the talent to make a playoff run.

Whether or not Donovan believes this roster is good enough, though, is irrelevant. If the front office wants to make a move, they’ll do so, and one rumored move as of late includes swing man Alex Caruso.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer believe the Chicago Bulls would ask for two first-round picks for Alex Caruso

It sounds absolutely crazy because it is. The Bulls getting a pair of first-round picks for Caruso would be a dream.

Sure, he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, if not one of the best overall, on-ball defenders. His tenacity and effort changes the course of games at times. But, the fact is, Caruso isn’t even a starter.

The Bulls might have a hard time getting a pair of first-round picks for a couple of their key starters at this point, let alone for a sixth man.

If Chicago’s brass thinks they’ll get a return like that for Caruso, they might as well hand in their resignations now. Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley are bright basketball minds, but an ask like this would be hilarious and downright off-base.

Who are we kidding, though. The Bulls will likely stand pat at the deadline, not make any moves and ride this roster right into the play-in tournament, with a first round exit.

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson follows an admirable, if clich?, maxim.

“You have to try things and fail before you learn you’re actually good at something,” he said.

That mindset motivated him six years ago to try renovating his bathroom at his home in Georgetown, Ontario, with the help of one plumber friend. That project inspired him to take up carpentry as a permanent hobby.

That attitude also gave him confidence when a last-minute shakeup in the Hawks’ lines Thursday moved him up to first-line center, a role he’d never occupied. He produced two of his best performances in that role against the Flames and Oilers.

First, though, came the bathroom renovations and woodworking.

“I said, ‘I want to try this,’ ” Dickinson said. “That’s really where it all started. I needed tools to try it, and I enjoyed it, so I stuck with it. After I helped with the bathroom, I was able to get the nod from my wife to build a coffee table that she wanted, so she must’ve thought I was at least half-decent.”

After the coffee table and a few “other random things,” he turned his attention outside and constructed a ground-level deck behind his house. Then last year, he began building some chairs, but supply-chain shortages for the types of screws he needed forced him to postpone that project.

The time demands of the hockey season — and the logistical impracticality of transporting his tools to Chicago — limit his carpentry to summertime, and he downplayed his ability as “very minimal.” But if he was a less humble man, he could certainly claim to possess one of the most unique skills of anyone in the Hawks’ locker room.

Occupying a first-line center role is obviously less groundbreaking by comparison. It does represent, however, a high-water mark for Dickinson in his solid first season with the Hawks.

The idea first entered coach Luke Richardson’s mind when Max Domi — who has typically held that role — was tagged with 17 penalty minutes Tuesday against the Canucks.

Dickinson held his own as Domi’s temporary fill-in alongside Patrick Kane, so when Jonathan Toews came down sick in Calgary, Richardson moved Domi into Toews’ second-line spot and put Dickinson next to Kane again.

“It looked like there were a couple of plays [in Vancouver] where there was a bit of life there,” Richardson said Thursday. “I thought, ‘Let’s start with that. We could always maybe flip [Sam] Lafferty in there for some speed.’

”But Dickinson was skating well and making plays. It went well, so I didn’t need to change it.”

It went so well that even when Toews returned to the lineup Saturday against the Oilers, he was merely inserted as the third-line center to keep Dickinson and Domi in the same spots.

Dickinson scored in both games in Alberta, upping his season goal total from five to seven, and both goals were similar. He skated down a middle-lane highway, smoothly gathered well-placed passes from Kane and beat goaltenders one-on-one with good shots.

He also finished with a 50.2% expected-goals ratio at five-on-five in the two games combined. When he wasn’t on the ice, the Hawks’ ratio was 37.2%.

Kane, who has been longing for a net-driving linemate ever since Dylan Strome left last summer, loved it.

“I like playing with him,” Kane said. “He drives the middle of the ice really hard. If he keeps doing that, defenses are going to have to honor that, and it’s just going to give me more space on the outside to make plays. . . . Hopefully we can build on that chemistry we’ve had and be even better when we come back [from the All-Star break].”

It seems the Hawks have found a substantive combination with Kane and Dickinson, who might be learning he’s actually good at being a “1C.”

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The Chicago Bears have big fish to fry this off-season. They are the team with the most money to spend against the cap, the team with the number one pick in the draft, and the team that has a fanbase the most starving for a winner.

Over the weekend, we saw Championship Sunday take place and it was a wild ride. Each matchup was incredibly hard to pick before the games began for a variety of reasons but the outcomes aren’t very surprising in the end.

For the NFC, the Philadelphia Phillies took down the San Francisco 49ers in blowout fashion. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy became famous this season as he was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft but he won seven straight NFL games coming into this match on Sunday.

Unfortunately, he got hurt on a play rather early in the game. He was replaced by Josh Johnson who is the fourth quarterback used by San Francisco this season but he got hurt as well. Purdy eventually came back into the game but he was unable to throw the ball.

We should find out for sure what the actual injury to Purdy is soon but it was obviously something that hindered the 49ers and their chance to win.

The Chicago Bears should be watching and learning from these amazing teams.

Over in the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals paid the Kansas City Chiefs a visit with a chance to advance to the Super Bowl on the line for the second straight year. With Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes going up against one another, you knew it would be amazing.

Of course, it was. It was tied 20-20 in the final minutes of the game and both teams had a chance to win it. The Chiefs, however, found a way to get it done by kicking a game-winning field goal to advance to the Super Bowl. It will be the Chiefs vs the Eagles.

This is going to be a truly sensational game to end what was a very fun season. As Bears fans, we can’t help but wonder what it would take for our team to reach this point sometime soon.

If they could mimic one of the teams that will be playing in two weeks, it is the Philadelphia Eagles. They have a mobile quarterback in Jalen Hurts that can make plays with his feet. He has been developing his throwing abilities but everyone knows how he wins so well in this league.

Justin Fields can absolutely become what Hurts is but he is a better runner and you never know what his arm develops into. The Bears should try and build around him and his style of play the same way Philly did with Hurts.

Having an outstanding offensive line and a great defense has really helped him as well but that would help any quarterback. Adding a superstar wide receiver like AJ Brown to the mix also gives him significantly better weaponry as everyone slots down a spot.

If the Bears can realize this sometime soon and build it in a similar fashion, they could become the kings of the NFC North which will give them a chance in the postseason.

Something to think about is the fact that all four remaining teams over the weekend, including the Eagles, had offensive head coaches. The Bears have a defensive head coach. That is something that may need to be thought about when it comes to developing Justin Fields.

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After the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round in 2020 — a move that “left mouths agape across the country,” NFL.com reported at the time — even then-coach Doug Pederson seemed to endorse the notion that Hurts might not be an NFL-caliber passer.

“Taysom Hill on steroids,” Pederson called Hurts, referring to the manner in which the Saints had used the run-first Hill as a complement to Drew Brees.

So what has Hurts done since then? Taken over for a clearly less-talented Carson Wentz. Taken his own lumps — in the form of continued criticism of his passing ability — while growing into the job. And now, of course, as one of the leading MVP candidates in the NFL, taken the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

Was Justin Fields watching? One hopes.

Can Justin Fields follow in Hurts’ footsteps? One prays.

Hurts will be overshadowed in Glendale, Ariz., by Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the best player on the planet, but to doubt he can hold his own on the Super Bowl 57 stage would be to ignore his path. He is the same guy who went to Alabama and, as a freshman, beat out a second-year QB who’d been Nick Saban’s top recruit ever at the position. The same guy who went 25-2 as a starter before being lifted — stunningly — for Tua Tagovailoa in a national-title game, then spent the next season as a backup so he could graduate from Alabama and finally transferred to Oklahoma and had one of the greatest statistical seasons of all time.

Fields was beaten out at Georgia before he transferred to Ohio State and became a Hurts-level college star. Like Hurts, Fields knows what it’s like to be dismissed as an NFL thrower despite having an embarrassment of physical tools. But Hurts is 16-1 as a starter this season, and if that seems a few million miles from where Fields is with the Bears, well, it is.

For now.

That doesn’t mean forever.

THREE-DOT DASH

The 49ers falling short means no shot to tie the Patriots and Steelers with a sixth Super Bowl title, the most ever. Who gets to seven first? It could take a while. …

Ayo Dosunmu’s name keeps popping up in trade rumors. It would be kind of sad to see the Bulls guard and native South Sider have to leave his hometown behind, wouldn’t it? But Dosunmu is all business, as he famously was in college at Illinois. Wherever he is, he’ll be living at the gym. …

Illinois has owned Wisconsin since Dosunmu hit all those big shots down the stretch in 2020 to snap a 15-game losing streak against the Badgers. A 61-51 win Saturday in Madison was the Illini’s sixth straight in the series. Is it fair to say Brad Underwood’s program has surpassed Greg Gard’s? By all means, go right ahead. …

What a huge win Oklahoma got for coach Porter Moser over the weekend, blowing out No. 2 Alabama 93-69. The Sooners had lost to Texas by one point, to Iowa State by three, to Kansas by four, to Baylor by two — mercy. A breakthrough like that was coming.

“I just sat there when the crowd rushed the floor,” the ex-Loyola coach said. “My younger self might have run out in the middle of it. I just sat there and said, ‘This is the vision.’ ” …

After the Big 12 smoked the SEC in a 10-game weekend challenge between the best two conferences in the land, we can put away the debate about which is No. 1. It’s the league that won the last two national titles (Baylor, Kansas). …

My latest college basketball AP Top 25 ballot: 1. Purdue, 2. Houston, 3. Tennessee, 4. Virginia, 5. Arizona, 6. Alabama, 7. Texas, 8. Kansas State, 9. Kansas, 10. UCLA, 11. TCU, 12. Gonzaga, 13. Clemson, 14. Baylor, 15. Xavier, 16. Iowa State, 17. Marquette, 18. North Carolina, 19. San Diego State, 20. Providence, 21. Florida Atlantic, 22. Saint Mary’s, 23. NC State, 24. New Mexico, 25. Indiana.

THIS YOU GOTTA SEE

Clippers at Bulls (7 p.m. Tuesday, NBCSCH): Patrick Williams’ play has been trending up, but is “the Paw” ready to deal with “the Claw”? Because that Kawhi Leonard cat is still kind of good.

Northwestern at Iowa (8 p.m. Tuesday, BTN): Are the Wildcats an NCAA Tournament team? They’re on the bubble for now, but ending an eight-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes would get all the bracketologists stirring in their moms’ basements.

“30 for 30: Bullies of Baltimore” (7:30 p.m. Sunday, ESPN): This documentary recalls the glory of the team with the single greatest defense in NFL history, none other than your 1985 Chicago Bea … oops, sorry, make that the 2000 Ravens.

ONLY BECAUSE YOU ASKED

From Tony, via Facebook: “Why is Big Ten basketball so down this year?”

Last season’s all-Big Ten squad — Johnny Davis, Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey, Kofi Cockburn and E.J. Liddell — was a great one, and all those guys have moved on. The new batch of all-leaguers, even with the national player of the year in Purdue’s Zach Edey, doesn’t quite stack up. Let’s call that Part One.

Part Two: The best players around the league — Edey, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson — are big men, not a bad thing in itself. But the relative absence of star guards stands out, particularly in the playmaking department and especially so at some of the league’s traditionally powerful programs. Illinois doesn’t have a point guard. Indiana and Michigan lost their point guards to injuries. Most of the best facilitators in the Big Ten aren’t surrounded by Top 25 talent.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

Brock Purdy: It’s a great nickname and all, but the NFC Championship Game is high on the list of the worst possible times to be “Mr. Irrelevant.”

Josh Johnson: Pretty amazing that the 36-year-old quarterback has played for a record 14 NFL teams. If only the 49ers were one of them.

Schadenfreude: You know who’s only 35? Colin Kaepernick. I’d crack wise about that, but it wouldn’t be nice.

Matt Painter: Purdue’s Edey was a bucket short of 40 points Sunday when his coach subbed him back in with a huge lead on Michigan State and a couple of minutes left to play. We’re sure Tom Izzo appreciated the heck out of that maneuver.

Joel Embiid: You’ve got to feel for the 76ers big man. After being snubbed when All-Star Game starters were announced, all the poor son of a gun has left is a supermax contract, the NBA scoring lead and a still-perfect career record against the Bulls.

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The Chicago Blackhawks were in Alberta to end the pre-All-Star portion of their 2022-23 schedule. They started 1-1 on their trip through western Canada as they were defeated by the Vancouver Canucks but managed to beat the Calgary Flames.

Things wrapped up against the best team in the western part of Canada as the Edmonton Oilers hosted Chicago. It is always difficult to play them because of the fact that you have to try and contain the two National Hockey League leading scorers.

Connor McDavid is the best player on Earth and it is by a sizable margin. Leon Draisaitl, however, is in the mix for the second-best player. Together, they form the best 1-2 punch in the entire league. Playing against them is never easy.

The Hawks found it to be especially difficult as they lost to Edmonton by a final score of 7-3. Connor McDavid scored one goal and had two assists for his typical three-point game. Likewise, Draisaitl also had one goal and two assists.

The Chicago Blackhawks were not successful against the Edmonton Oilers.

You can’t stop them completely but the Hawks did a terrible job of even slightly containing them. It was just one of those games in which they looked like the worst team in the league (they are certainly one of them).

The good news for the Hawks is that Patrick Kane had two assists. There is going to be a lot of trade buzz surrounding him so seeing him play well is really important.

He hasn’t had the best year of his career and needs to get on the scoresheet as often as he can in order for the Hawks to get the most out of him before the deadline.

A cool part about the game is that the Edmonton Oilers gave an opportunity to an emergency backup goalie (EBUG). Matt Berlin of the University of Alberta got a chance to dress because of the status of Stuart Skinner. Jack Campbell made the start but allowed Berlin to finish once it was obvious that they were going to win.

Now, the Hawks are done until after the All-Star break. They will send Seth Jones to the event in Florida to compete for the Central Division and the rest of the team will get a break. Although losing has been by design, it has to be tough on the players so they deserve this break.

They will return to the ice on Tuesday night when they host the Anaheim Ducks. This will be a very interesting game between two teams that want to be in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes this upcoming spring. That should be a lot of fun to watch as each team begins the stretch run of their season.

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This offseason, the Chicago Bears have to add talent across their offensive line. What Justin Fields endured last year was unacceptable, and although some of his hits were his own fault, the majority of them came because of a lack of protection.

With the most cap space in the NFL, the Bears are set to make an impact via free agency. And, there is going to be one specific option at guard which could be a perfect fit.

The Philadelphia Eagles had arguably the best offensive line in football this season, and with a similar offense that features a ton of running from both the quarterback and running backs, grabbing a starter from this unit would make a ton of sense.

When the new league year hits, Eagles starting guard Isaac Seumalo will become a free agent. The 29-year-old is one of the more underrated free agent linemen in this year’s crop, and the Bears should definitely make a run at him.

Isaac Seumalo would give the Chicago Bears a surefire starter up front, taking one need off the board right away

This past season, Seumalo was graded out strongly via Pro Football Focus, earning a phenomenal 79.1 pass blocking grade and an overall grade of 75.2. That’s an incredible mark, for those familiar with PFF grading.

To make things even more impressive and put it into easier terms, Seumalo played 1,135 offensive snaps across the regular season.

He only gave up one sack.

That is outstanding. In addition, Seumalo only allowed three quarterback hits all year on Jalen Hurts. If he came to Chicago and could give Fields similar protection, Seumalo would immediately become one of the Bears’ best free agent signings in quite some time.

While he played every game this year, except one, Seumalo’s lone red flag is his injury history. Between 2020 and 2021, he only appeared in 12 games total. That is a concern, but the fact he was able to stay healthy in 2022 is a plus.

Again, with the Eagles running the ball a lot and featuring a rushing quarterback, Seumalo is a great fit in Chicago. He would allow the Bears to potentially move on from Cody Whitehair and then the only decision to make would be regarding whether Teven Jenkins can be a full-time starter.

At the very least, they’d know Seumalo gives them a strong starter, and that’s something the Bears have not had many of in recent years.

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Is it April yet? The 2023 NFL Draft is one of the most highly-anticipated drafts in history for the Chicago Bears, and we could see a ton of movement prior to Chicago actually making a selection.

With what we already know, we understand there could be a Battle Royale for the Bears’ no. 1 pick between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. Colts general manager Chris Ballard went on record saying he’d do “whatever it takes” to get the pick, while the Texans are rumored to want to prevent that from happening.

This could not be going any better for the Bears. Ryan Poles‘ phone is going to be blowing up, and may the highest bidder win.

In the end, though, it’s very possible for the Bears to trade down twice in the first round. It’s rarely done, but Chicago could very well see a scenario where that happens. Let’s take a look at what that perfect scenario would be.

The Chicago Bears could execute a double trade-down in the 2023 NFL Draft

When it’s all said and done, the Texans could outbid the Colts for that no. 1 pick. It would be a hefty price to pay in order to move up just one spot, but you have to remember that they do not want the Colts ending up being able to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

The Texans overpay to move up just a single spot, but they are able to land Young, which is what matters in the end.

From there, the Colts could be looking at Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud or Kentucky’s Will Levis as “their guy,” but don’t want to risk a team taking him (or moving up to select him) at three or four. At this stage, the Colts are desperate. So, the Bears win big yet again, moving back a couple of spots and netting an enormous haul of draft capital.

Let’s recap.

The Bears trade back a total of just three spots, but they are able to net two extra first-round picks, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, two sixth-round picks, and a seventh rounder.

After giving up just a fifth to the Colts, that’s an additional seven picks for the Bears, with five of them coming in the top three rounds.

Just imagine the possibilities for the Bears, not only this year, but next year. This year, they could address some huge needs like the offensive and defensive line. Next year, they’d have three first rounders to work with and very well may end up with a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr. if they did everything they could to land him.

Once again, is it April yet?

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ORLANDO – Billy Donovan mockingly pushed the final box score off to the side.

That’s usually a good practice for the Bulls coach when discussing what Alex Caruso does.

It’s not there in black and white, and it’s not something novice watchers of the game pick up on. There’s dirt under Caruso’s nails when the final horn sounds most nights, even if it can’t be seen.

“He’s one of those classic guys that if you’re watching the game and you really understand the game, then you look at the stat sheet, you’re like, ‘You know what, don’t tell me about the stat sheet. That guy impacts the game, he impacts winning,’ ” Donovan said of his guard. “To me the stat sheet never really tells the story about the guys that are really impacting the outcome of the game with different things they do.”

And there’s no doubt that Caruso is a different cat, capable of doing those different things for the Bulls.

Here’s just a glance at what he means when he’s on the floor this season: The Bulls have a top five defensive rating of 110.7 when Caruso is playing, and when he’s not that rating drops to 116.8 – near the bottom of the league.

He’s first in plus/minus at plus-117, with the next closest being Javonte Green at plus-55.

Caruso is second in the league in defensive box plus/minus with a 3.4 rating, his 164 deflections are second to only Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby, and he averages 1.7 steals per game.

All of that was felt in the win over the Magic on Saturday, even with a very pedestrian-looking box score of seven points and two steals.

Whether it was a deflection or just physically getting into Orlando’s ball-handlers, possession after possession was disrupted by Caruso.

“That’s kind of what I try to do every night,” Caruso said. “Some nights I’m just a little better at it than others.”

What does that truly mean to the Bulls right now?

Considering where they are in the standings and what the expectations were, it means everything.

That’s why a member of the organization shot down the idea of Caruso being on the trading block like one report recently said.

In fact, when the Bulls have received calls on Caruso, the asking price has been so astronomical, it reiterated a Sun-Times report that Caruso is basically deemed untouchable.

“He’s the culture,” one source said. Actually, not a bad nickname for Caruso, considering his hustle plays are often plastered throughout the game film.

“High-IQ, knows what’s happening, what’s coming, what he’s going to do, where his man is, is he going over, under?” Donovan said. “He really reacts pretty spontaneously and he has such a good feel for it. And then like we’ve all talked about, he throws his body into everything all the time.”

What he won’t throw himself into? Concerns that he’s a trade piece.

“They also said I was getting traded in December,” Caruso said of the rumor mill. “I lived in LA for four years [playing for the Lakers], and that’s kind of what happens there. You just play basketball games and be a good teammate until something changes, and if nothing changes you just keep doing what you’re doing.”

That’s also why Caruso has no plans to take advantage of the open-door policy of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, and find out where he stands as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.

“No, because I came into the league just hoping to be on a team, so for me just being part of a team is good enough, wherever that is,” Caruso said. “Obviously I want to keep wearing the red and white, I love my teammates here, the city, and I’m going to give all I can to whatever team I’m on. It’s just kind of my MO.”

And why he’s so valuable to the Bulls. No matter what the box score reads.

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Simeon remains on top. That is a bit of a surprise based on what I was thinking last night, but when I sat down this morning and set everything out in front of me it was an easy decision.

The three contenders for the No. 1 spot were Simeon, Benet and Kenwood.

The Wolverines have beaten five teams that have been ranked this season (St. Rita, Perspectives-Leadership, Curie, Benet and Hyde Park). The overall resume is even more impressive with wins against Moline and seven out of state opponents that are ranked quality teams, including Philadelphia Imhotep, one of the best teams in the country.

It’s also hard to forget that Simeon’s win against Benet was very lopsided for three quarters. The Wolverines had an 18-point lead after three and led by 20 at halftime.

Both of Simeon’s losses came down to the final shot. The Wolverines lost to Kenwood 46-43 and on the road at Curie this week 50-48.

Benet and Kenwood both have seven wins against ranked teams. The Broncos have a slightly stronger overall resume, but Benet beat them last week so stays at No. 2.

Bloom lost to Thornwood this week and drops out. The Blazing Trojans have a high ceiling but are young at some key positions and are learning how to get by without Jayden Watson, who is injured and out for the season.

Marian Catholic returns. The Spartans cracked 20 wins and have put together a strong overall season. They have a huge test against Benet this week.

Super 25 for Jan. 29, 2023

1. Simeon (21-2) 1Still the best resume

2. Benet (23-1) 2Only loss is Simeon

3. Kenwood (19-5) 3Can Broncos win the city?

4. Joliet West (19-5) 4Fears is a burger boy

5. Young (19-5) 5Beat Chaminade

6. Hillcrest (24-2) 6Survived H-F

7. Curie (16-9) 15Upset Simeon

8. Brother Rice (22-3) 7Hosts Caravan Friday

9. Mount Carmel (21-2) 10Dominant Moline win looking good

10. Rolling Meadows (21-4) 8Couldn’t handle Moline

11. Hinsdale Central (22-3) 12Area’s longest win streak at 14

12. Bolingbrook (19-6) 11Challenging week ahead

13. Hyde Park (20-5) 9Lost to Perspectives-Leadership

14. Oswego East (20-5) 13At Yorkville Friday

15. Lyons (19-3) 16Beat Riverside-Brookfield

16. New Trier (21-4) 22Handled Glenbrook South

17. Lincoln-Way East (20-3) 19Lost to Hinsdale Central, beat H-F

18. Proviso East (16-5) 14Upset by rival Proviso West

19. Downers Grove North (20-3) 23Huge week ahead

20. Marist (20-5) 24Beat St. Viator

21. St. Rita (14-10) 17Couldn’t hang with Mount Carmel

22. Glenbrook South (19-6) 18Lost to Trevians, Prospect

23. Glenbrook North (21-3) 21Lost to Evanston

24. Loyola (20-7) 25Lost to Bolingbrook

25. Marian Catholic (20-6) NRHosts Benet Friday

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Now that we’re in full offseason mode, all of the takes and opinions are flying. The Chicago Bears enter a pivotal offseason which they hold a lot of power, and there’s a ton of positive belief around this team.

But, one specific story continues to be a stain on Chicago’s early offseason, and that’s the “what could have been” question when it comes to the Chase Claypool trade last season.

The Bears dealt their own second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Claypool, which ended up being the 32nd pick in the draft. Remember, Miami forfeits their first rounder, therefore the first pick of the second round becomes no. 32.

While Claypool’s numbers as a Bear don’t tell a pretty story, one would be right to say that it is entirely too early to say that the Steelers won this trade.

Time will tell if the Chicago Bears or Pittsburgh Steelers won the Chase Claypool trade

If you thought the Bears were going to trade a second rounder for a guy who would only end up with 14 catches in Chicago last year, go buy yourself a lottery ticket. Yes, his final numbers in Chicago were not ideal.

Claypool wasn’t even used as often as fans would have liked to see. However, that can also be attributed to a few factors. Most importantly, the Bears very well could be playing the long game with Claypool. Bringing him along slowly and integrating him into the offense in time could be part of the plan.

Let’s be real, here. If Claypool had come in and been utilized heavily, the Bears could have won another game or two. He has the big play ability. We know that.

But, if the Bears had won another game or two, then they wouldn’t be in this position to draft no. 1 overall.

This is all part of a slowly-developing plan. Just like last offseason, when people complained Ryan Poles didn’t do enough to help Justin Fields, they didn’t understand this was going to be about 2023, not the current league year.

Poles’ plan has always lined up with going big in 2023, and that’s what he’s going to do. He now has the ammunition both in cap space and the draft to make huge ripples across the league. The offseason, in essence, runs through Chicago now.

To call the Steelers a winner in this trade would be entirely too soon. We haven’t seen what Claypool can do when fully immersed. We also haven’t seen who the Steelers take with that draft pick. Let’s calm down with these early overreactions and allow the process to play out.

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