The Chicago Bears are on the clock

In unbelievable fashion (thanks Lovie!) The bears have officially secured the NO.1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Yes, that’s right the Chicago Bears are officially on the clock and have 109 days to make a decision on what they want to do with the first overall pick.

The Bears could keep the pick and take who they deem best in the draft. Is it Will Anderson from Alabama? A shiny new QB for Ryan Poles? Or do Ryan Poles and the Bears brass get creative and trade down from the 1st pick for a haul of picks? If the Bears were to trade down who would they target in the 1st round?

Here are some potential players the Bears could target in different trade-down scenarios.

Picks #3-6 range: Will Anderson(Alabama) EDGE, Jalen Carter(Georgia) DT, Bryan Bresee(Clemson) DT

Will Anderson

Will Anderson Jr has been the consensus pick for the Chicago Bears in most mock drafts in which the Bears keep their pick. Anderson is also arguably the consensus best player in the draft and when you turn on the film it shows. Anderson is basically un-blockable and extremely explosive and would be an instant starter for the Bears and help them on defense immediately.

Jalen Carter

Carter is the type of generational athlete that could transform an entire organization’s fortunes, and Chicago desperately needs an upgrade of talent on its lackluster roster. Chances are the front office will trade down to acquire more draft capital and subsequently more prospects. However, if Chicago keeps the second pick, Carter’s ability to create disruption and cause chaos could be the catalyst needed to jump start the Chicago Bears’ defense.

Via: NBCsports.com

Bryan Bresee

Even though Jalen Carter is ranked ahead of Bresee in most draft prospect rankings Bresee is not that far off from Jalen Carter. Injuries have been the number one thing holding Bresee back but when he is right he can blow through anyone in the interior. Bresee is also slightly longer than Carter, something that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said would play a big role in shaping the team in the future.

Picks #7-10 range: Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) EDGE, Myles Murphy (Clemson) EDGE, Peter Skoronski (Northwestern) OL

Tyree Wilson

Continuing off the point that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus saying that length will be a huge factor in the Bears scouting process in slides linebacker Tyree Wilson. Standing at 6’6 and weighing in at 276 lbs Wilson is a freak of nature. Wilson has a massive wingspan and is very athletic for his size. With NFL coaching he could be a serious weapon for the Bears defense.

Myles Murphy

Murphy is similarly built like Tyree Wilson is and has received pro comparisons comparing him to Travon Walker. This is because of his explosiveness. Don’t be fooled by Murphy’s mild stat production his attributes and physical ability will translate nicely to the NFL. Myles Murphy is one of four Clemson players since 2000 to have multiple seasons with multiple forced fumbles and at least four sacks.

Peter Skoronski

If you watched Chicago Bears football this season then you know the Bears desperately need help on the O-line. Especially if Ryan Poles decides Justin Fields is his guy and the QB of the Bears future. Justin Fields ran for his life nearly every game season, in fact Fields set a new NFL record this season. Fields had a sack rate of 14.7% narrowly edging out Derek Carr’s previous mark of 14.6%. Skronski would instantly improve the Bears O-line as he has only allowed 4 pressures on 362 pass blocking snaps this season.

Picks #10-13 range: Paris Johnson (Ohio State) OL, Quentin Johnston (TCU) WR, Jaxon Smith-Nijigba (Ohio State) WR

Paris Johnson

Tackle is probably their greatest sore spot(Chicago Bears). They have no definitive right tackle, and left tackle remains a slight question mark despite an admirable effort by Braxton Jones. Johnson played well for the Buckeyes in 2022, demonstrating his unique physical traits with size, power, length, and athleticism. C.J. Stroud rarely had to worry about pressure from his blind side. Pass protection is the first priority for the Bears, so this would be an easy decision.

Via: Sportsmockery.com

Quentin Johnston

Johnston is a big bodied WR. Standing at 6’4″ 215 pounds Johnston’s size alone is an issue for anyone opposing him. Here are his strengths from profootballnetwork.com

Johnston has excellent height and elite length, with a wiry but compact frame. He’s a truly effortless accelerator for his size and can gear up instantly with outrageously long, explosive strides off the line. He also has exceptional long-strider speed — enough to accelerate, stack defensive backs, and sustain separation.

Johnston can explode across the field after executing his break, but he also has impressively loose hips for his frame. The TCU WR can send defenders off-balance in the open field with quick, subtle lateral moves. He also shows good finesse for his size and uncanny fluidity between movements.

Once again if Poles decides to ride with Fields heading into the 2023 season not only does he need to protect Fields but he needs to give Fields a true NO.1 WR option. Trading for Chase Claypool has not yet worked out for Chicago. Adding Johnston to the Chicago Bears WR room will only do positive things for Justin Fields development.

Jaxon Smith-Nijigba

Like Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Nijigba would be a tremendous addition to the Chicago Bears WR room. You might know Smith-Nijigba from the 2022 Rose Bowl in which he had an electric performance (15 rec, 347 yards, 3 touchdowns). He also set the BIG 10 single season receiving record in 2021 with 1,606 yards. Smith Nijigba was limited in 2022 due to injuries even so he is an intriguing option for the Chicago Bears.

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White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced on Instagram that he recently was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will begin treatment Monday.

“Hearing the word ‘Cancer’ came as a shock to my wife and I, as it does to millions of families each year,” Hendriks said. “However, I am resolved to embrace the fight and overcome this new challenge with the same determination I have used when facing other obstacles in my life.

“I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible. I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organization, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this.”

Sox general manager Rick Hahn released a statement:

“Our thoughts and reactions at this time are for Liam the person, not Liam the baseball player. I know the entire Chicago White Sox organization, our staff, his teammates, and certainly White Sox fans, will rally in support of Liam and Kristi during the coming months.

“Knowing everyone involved, especially Liam, we are optimistic he will pitch again for the White Sox as soon as viable. In the meantime, we all will do everything in our power to support our teammate and his family as they face this challenge, while also respecting their privacy.

Hahn said the Sox don’t expect to have any updates on Hendriks’ playing status before Opening Day.

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The Chicago Bears are on the clock

In unbelievable fashion (thanks Lovie!) The bears have officially secured the NO.1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Yes, that’s right the Chicago Bears are officially on the clock and have 109 days to make a decision on what they want to do with the first overall pick.

The Bears could keep the pick and take who they deem best in the draft. Is it Will Anderson from Alabama? A shiny new QB for Ryan Poles? Or do Ryan Poles and the Bears brass get creative and trade down from the 1st pick for a haul of picks? If the Bears were to trade down who would they target in the 1st round?

Here are some potential players the Bears could target in different trade-down scenarios.

Picks #3-6 range: Will Anderson(Alabama) EDGE, Jalen Carter(Georgia) DT, Bryan Bresee(Clemson) DT

Will Anderson

Will Anderson Jr has been the consensus pick for the Chicago Bears in most mock drafts in which the Bears keep their pick. Anderson is also arguably the consensus best player in the draft and when you turn on the film it shows. Anderson is basically un-blockable and extremely explosive and would be an instant starter for the Bears and help them on defense immediately.

Jalen Carter

Carter is the type of generational athlete that could transform an entire organization’s fortunes, and Chicago desperately needs an upgrade of talent on its lackluster roster. Chances are the front office will trade down to acquire more draft capital and subsequently more prospects. However, if Chicago keeps the second pick, Carter’s ability to create disruption and cause chaos could be the catalyst needed to jump start the Chicago Bears’ defense.

Via: NBCsports.com

Bryan Bresee

Even though Jalen Carter is ranked ahead of Bresee in most draft prospect rankings Bresee is not that far off from Jalen Carter. Injuries have been the number one thing holding Bresee back but when he is right he can blow through anyone in the interior. Bresee is also slightly longer than Carter, something that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said would play a big role in shaping the team in the future.

Picks #7-10 range: Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) EDGE, Myles Murphy (Clemson) EDGE, Peter Skoronski (Northwestern) OL

Tyree Wilson

Continuing off the point that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus saying that length will be a huge factor in the Bears scouting process in slides linebacker Tyree Wilson. Standing at 6’6 and weighing in at 276 lbs Wilson is a freak of nature. Wilson has a massive wingspan and is very athletic for his size. With NFL coaching he could be a serious weapon for the Bears defense.

Myles Murphy

Murphy is similarly built like Tyree Wilson is and has received pro comparisons comparing him to Travon Walker. This is because of his explosiveness. Don’t be fooled by Murphy’s mild stat production his attributes and physical ability will translate nicely to the NFL. Myles Murphy is one of four Clemson players since 2000 to have multiple seasons with multiple forced fumbles and at least four sacks.

Peter Skoronski

If you watched Chicago Bears football this season then you know the Bears desperately need help on the O-line. Especially if Ryan Poles decides Justin Fields is his guy and the QB of the Bears future. Justin Fields ran for his life nearly every game season, in fact Fields set a new NFL record this season. Fields had a sack rate of 14.7% narrowly edging out Derek Carr’s previous mark of 14.6%. Skronski would instantly improve the Bears O-line as he has only allowed 4 pressures on 362 pass blocking snaps this season.

Picks #10-13 range: Paris Johnson (Ohio State) OL, Quentin Johnston (TCU) WR, Jaxon Smith-Nijigba (Ohio State) WR

Paris Johnson

Tackle is probably their greatest sore spot(Chicago Bears). They have no definitive right tackle, and left tackle remains a slight question mark despite an admirable effort by Braxton Jones. Johnson played well for the Buckeyes in 2022, demonstrating his unique physical traits with size, power, length, and athleticism. C.J. Stroud rarely had to worry about pressure from his blind side. Pass protection is the first priority for the Bears, so this would be an easy decision.

Via: Sportsmockery.com

Quentin Johnston

Johnston is a big bodied WR. Standing at 6’4″ 215 pounds Johnston’s size alone is an issue for anyone opposing him. Here are his strengths from profootballnetwork.com

Johnston has excellent height and elite length, with a wiry but compact frame. He’s a truly effortless accelerator for his size and can gear up instantly with outrageously long, explosive strides off the line. He also has exceptional long-strider speed — enough to accelerate, stack defensive backs, and sustain separation.

Johnston can explode across the field after executing his break, but he also has impressively loose hips for his frame. The TCU WR can send defenders off-balance in the open field with quick, subtle lateral moves. He also shows good finesse for his size and uncanny fluidity between movements.

Once again if Poles decides to ride with Fields heading into the 2023 season not only does he need to protect Fields but he needs to give Fields a true NO.1 WR option. Trading for Chase Claypool has not yet worked out for Chicago. Adding Johnston to the Chicago Bears WR room will only do positive things for Justin Fields development.

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Mitch Trubisky is ready to leave Pittsburgh after one failed season with the Steelers and admitted as much in the locker room.

Former Bears QB Mitch Trubisky is ready to move on from his time in Pittsburgh and is hoping for another chance at starting in the NFL.

Mitch Trubisky was very excited to sign with and have the chance to replace Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.  But after being benched at halftime in the Steelers week four game against the Jets it’s apparent they’re ready to keep moving forward with Kenny Pickett.

Trubisky signed a two-year deal with the Steelers on the first day of free agency and didn’t look around the league much.  The Steelers then drafted Kenny Pickett the hometown college kid who they see as their QB of the future.  With Trubisky still thinking of himself as a starting-caliber QB it will be interesting to see where he winds up this off-season.

Could he wind up in Atlanta where maybe Ryan Pace still sees some good in him?  There will once again be plenty of starting jobs open, but Trubisky may want to temper his goals and hope he can restart his career as a backup that helps develop a young up-and-comer and hope that kid doesn’t work out or is injured and he earns a chance that way.  After two failed chances in Chicago and Pittsburgh his opportunity to be a franchise QB in the NFL are dwindling as is his reputation.

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Back when NFL scoreboards couldn’t be relied upon to keep time, officials kept a starter’s pistol on the sideline. As the clock wound to zero, an official — starting in 1965, it was line judge — would fire the gun in the air to signify the end of a quarter.

The NFL scrapped the practice at the end of the 1993 season, but the colloquialism — to play until the final gun — lived on. While it’s fair to wonder whether a tanking Bears team did that in Sunday’s 29-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday, there’s no question that the men running the first 14-loss team in franchise history need to take the concept of the starter’s pistol literally.

When the final gun sounded Sunday, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus ran out of excuses. So did quarterback Justin Fields, who should benefit from having more skilled teammates next season. They need to begin running — sprinting — in a race to build a winning team.

The Bears will have the most money in the NFL to spend — and, thanks to a fourth-and-20 Hail Mary by the Texas on Sunday afternoon, the draft’s No. 1 overall pick. They’ll also have a roster that, by design, has more holes than almost any other team in football.

For the first time, they’ll have expectations: to build the Bears into a winner.

Eberflus has spent the season saying that his expectations are the same every week.

“The standard is the standard,” he’s said dozens of times.

Now the standard is changing, even if the coach won’t acknowledge it.

“To me that’s outside the locker room,” he pushed back Sunday. “We can’t control those things, and, again, we’re focused on our standard, how we operate in practice, in the meetings, and in the game.”

Their failures can no longer be met by the cheers of a sliver of the fan base that rooted against the Bears every week with hopes of improving their draft status. They can no longer claim that close losses mean anything. They can longer be judged against the low expectations that they set with their own roster construction.

No one in the Bears’ locker room celebrated a three-win season, draft pick or not. Running back David Montgomery was asked how to define it.

“Unfortunate,” he said. “Just unfortunate. It’s just unfortunate.”

In his first year, what Poles accomplished required all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Poles traded the team’s three best defensive players (Roquan Smith, Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn) and paid dearly for the privilege, paying a league-high $93.3 million in dead cap charges. The league average was almost one-third as much.

The one win-now move Poles made — trading his own second-round pick to the Steelers for receiver Chase Claypool — has thus far been a dud. Only one of the one-year flyer free agent contracts he handed out prompted a contract extension — and that was a one-year deal for Equanimeous St. Brown. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker were acceptable second-round draft picks, but wouldn’t you rather have Steelers receiver George Pickens?

Tearing the team down required Poles to hold his nose and make a move. Rebuilding requires panache. It’s an exercise in precision and creativity.

Can Poles pull it off? Can Eberflus coach them up?

Eberflus could go 11-6 in his next two seasons and still have a worse winning percentage than Matt Nagy did. Without wins to support his proof of concept, Eberflus spent the season talking about establishing a winning culture and enforcing his H.I.T.S. principle.

“I think one of the main focuses of this year was to build a foundational floor to build up, and I think we did that,” he said. “That’s a credit to those players in that locker room. They did a really good job.”

In that context, maybe. But by no other definition.

That needs to change. Starting now.

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White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced on Instagram that he recently was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will begin treatment Monday.

“Hearing the word ‘Cancer’ came as a shock to my wife and I, as it does to millions of families each year,” Hendriks said. “However, I am resolved to embrace the fight and overcome this new challenge with the same determination I have used when facing other obstacles in my life.

“I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible. I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organization, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this.”

Sox general manager Rick Hahn released a statement:

“Our thoughts and reactions at this time are for Liam the person, not Liam the baseball player. I know the entire Chicago White Sox organization, our staff, his teammates, and certainly White Sox fans, will rally in support of Liam and Kristi during the coming months.

“Knowing everyone involved, especially Liam, we are optimistic he will pitch again for the White Sox as soon as viable. In the meantime, we all will do everything in our power to support our teammate and his family as they face this challenge, while also respecting their privacy.

Hahn said the Sox don’t expect to have any updates on Hendriks’ playing status before Opening Day.

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If you’re a Bears fan, you were asking fate to do one thing for you Sunday. Just one. You were asking for same-day delivery of the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.

And you, having dealt with so much pain and disappointment over the years because of your devotion to this franchise, were expecting what in response? Probably a UPS van full of derisive laughter.

Instead, the unexpected happened, which is to say that happy happened. The Bears lost to the Vikings, and the Texans beat the Colts, the exact result needed to bring the first pick in the 2023 draft to Chicago. The Bears haven’t had the first overall selection since 1947, when they drafted Oklahoma A&M halfback Bob Fenimore, who lasted just one season because of injuries. I’d tell you to ignore that sad trivia, but I’m guessing it’s floating in your marrow.

Let’s talk present day. There were two big goals for this season. Just two. The first was to see development from quarterback Justin Fields, and that happened, though perhaps not in the way many people would have expected. The second in a rebuilding season was to lose as many games as possible in order to improve the team’s draft position. No one in the organization would say such a thing out loud, but it was loud and clear in the substandard roster that general manager Ryan Poles put together and in his decision to trade top defenders Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn during the season. No apologies necessary for the approach. A 3-14 record, setting a franchise record for losses in a season, turned out to be a big winner Sunday.

You can thank Texans coach Lovie Smith, the former Bears coach, for pulling off a last-gasp, 32-31 victory over the Colts. A loss would have given his team the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Instead, Houston will get the second pick overall. I’m not sure why someone in the Texans organization didn’t call down to the sideline late in the game and tell Smith to wake up and get on with the losing. But he didn’t lose, bless him, and the Bears are the beneficiary of whatever you want to call what he did. Lunacy? Maybe. Or maybe Smith knows he’s not long for his gig in Houston and left a going-away present.

Now, you can argue that the history of No. 1 overall picks isn’t great or that 2023 doesn’t look to be a strong draft or that one is the loneliest number, but I’d rather have the top pick than not. There’s very little downside to having it, unless you wouldn’t know an offensive lineman from an offensive joke.

What should the Bears do with the No. 1 pick? At this moment, in early January, trading it makes the most sense. This team has so many holes, it could hold two drafts and still not have enough players coming to the rescue. The Bears need to get help at wide receiver and on the offensive line if they want to further Fields’ development and make sure he’s still ambulatory in 20 years. They need help almost everywhere on defense. It’s true that they’ll have the most salary cap space in the league to attract free agents, but this entire endeavor is a numbers game. The larger the number of talented players in uniform next season, the better chance the Bears have of turning things around in the years to come. It’s why trading the No. 1 pick to get three or four more draft picks should be the goal.

After Sunday’s 29-13 loss, Bears coach Matt Eberflus talked about how hard his team played this season and how that would pay dividends when the talent level rises. It’s the kind of thing coaches say. You know what the best team “culture” is? The one that’s built by winning, not by corporate leadership books.

The Bears are married to Fields, at least as far as this rebuild is concerned, but I’d love to know what Poles really thinks of his quarterback. If we agree that much of what comes out of the mouths of coaches and general managers publicly has little resemblance to the truth, we don’t really know if Poles thinks Fields is going to be a good passing quarterback. He knows that Fields can run, as proven by his 1,143 rushing yards this season. The kid is the most exciting athlete in Chicago sports since the 2010-11 version of Derrick Rose. Fields didn’t play Sunday because of a hip injury, and if it weren’t for the top-pick drama, Chicago would have reacted by napping.

Poles knows he has to build around Fields. Does he know if he can win with him? Does he know if the Bears can win with a running quarterback? Does he think any team can win a Super Bowl with a running quarterback?

It’s entirely possible that Poles is like many of us: He hasn’t the foggiest about what the future holds with Fields, but he sure as hell is looking forward to the show.

This could be good, and the No. 1 pick only helps. It’s what all that losing was for this season. Now, let’s see what the Bears can do with it.

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