Valentine’s Top Pick, “D” Upgrades an Offseason Must, Setting Out Trade Bait, and Other Bears Bullets

Feb 14, 2023

Treat yourself to something nice this Valentine’s Day. Because even if you don’t have someone, you know you have yourself. And you deserve nice things.

The Chicago Bears have made it known who their No. 1 pick is:

Happy #ValentinesDay from us, with love 💙🧡 pic.twitter.com/YZ0EgwtA8K
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 14, 2023

It’s you. And me? us?

Whatevs. It’s good to see someone in the holiday spirit:

pic.twitter.com/KSgpk0BYEX
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 14, 2023

As for me? I’ve got nothing but love for our readers, commenters, tweeters, facebookers, and everyone who shows us love back. Thanks, y’all.

One thing I find myself enamored with this time of year is the multitude of trade options the Bears could be lining up for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are a handful of teams picking in the top 10 who should be looking to swing a deal. And one of those teams just hired a new coach, with the Colts hiring Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their next head coach. Hey, it can’t end worse than the last time Indy brought in a Philly offensive coordinator to run their show.

Patrick nails it here:

This is shaping up perfectly for the Bears. Steichen landing the head coaching job almost assures that the Colts will look to draft a quarterback in April. They’ll likely look to jump ahead of their division rivals in Houston, who will be looking to do the same. A divisional bidding war for the preferred quarterback is excellent news for the Bears.

My dream scenario is a bidding war between the Colts and Texans that results in Houston trading the Nos. 2 and 12 overall picks (and more!) to seal the deal. And from there, Chicago and Indy could cut a deal to ensure the Colts get the second-best QB prospect in this draft.

The potential of that type of scenario playing out is why it is important that the Bears do their homework on this draft class’ top quarterbacks. The more they know about these signal callers, the more info they can relay to teams inquiring to trade up. Imagine all the leverage GM Ryan Poles is creating simply by doing his job. Do simple better, as Joe Maddon once famously said (and put on a t-shirt).

If anyone needs me, I’ll be forwarding this tweet to the Texans, Colts, Raiders, Panthers, and anyone else whose team needs a quarterback:

Which NFL team is the best fit for Bryce Young?🐘 pic.twitter.com/yvlE9b3Jsz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 13, 2023

Also: The answer to the question above is whichever team gives the most assets — in terms of players and draft picks — to the Bears. Let the bidding begin!

As for the Bears’ needs, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggests an impact defender should be at the very top of the priority list:

The Bears desperately need defensive difference-makers regardless of their position. Chicago traded Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith before the Nov. 1 deadline and finished the year ranked 26th in yards per rush allowed (4.9), 32nd in yards per pass allowed (7.4), 29th in total yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed.

In fairness, it’s tough to argue against that logic. We saw how that defense fell apart after the Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith trades. But we also just saw a Super Bowl where 73 points were put on the board. So … maybe offense should be a priority? Are you sure we can’t choose both?

FWIW: Knox name-checks free-agents-to-be James Bradberry (Eagles CB), Lavonte David (Bucs LB), Arden Key (Jags pass rusher), and Daron Payne (Commanders DT) as plausible targets. He also lists top draft-eligible prospects Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) and Jalen Carter (Georgia) as options. But we shouldn’t lose sight of off-the-board options such as Myles Murphy (Clemson edge rusher) or Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State cornerback). With all this talent available, no wonder Knox sees an impactful defenders as a must-get for these Bears this offseason.

Are you interested in seeing how the sausage is made? If so, then I feel as if this Greg Gabriel post at Windy City Gridiron that explains why February might be the most important month for league personnel departments is right in your wheelhouse. This rare peek behind the curtain is both informative and entertaining.

Former Bears tight end Greg Olsen appears to be getting a raw deal from FOX, with Andrew Marchand (NY Post) reporting that Olsen’s salary will get cut from $10 million to $3 million once Tom Brady joins the booth. Olsen did such a good job this year and was superb in the Super Bowl. Olsen’s ability to thread the needle and analyze a big moment in an important game without overdoing it is uncanny. After the work he has put in to get to this point, he deserves that lead analyst role.

I missed this on Super Bowl Sunday, but this was a nice touch:

In the #SuperBowl press box sits an NFL tribute to our friend Moon Mullin. It’s lovely. I miss him. Big fan of his work, as he used to say. pic.twitter.com/CNbAZCoXTy— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) February 12, 2023

This was a fun Super Bowl nugget that also had some Bears ties:

Rookies Isiah Pacheco and Skyy Moore each have a TD tonight.

The Chiefs are the 2nd team to have 2 different rookies score a TD in the Super Bowl, joining the 1985 Bears (William Perry & Reggie Phillips). pic.twitter.com/BAc3ynywqD— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 13, 2023

Hopefully, the Blackhawks’ trade deadline pursuits are more fruitful than the Bulls’ attempts at whatever that was at the NBA’s deadline:

Blackhawks Trade Rumors: Hot Defense Market, Domi a Popular Name, Morehttps://t.co/lDqiDZ8R6W pic.twitter.com/Mi7Px6diQa
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 13, 2023

Speaking of the Bulls, how about we get our friends at BN Bulls 30,000 Twitter followers:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
the Bulls bring me pain
But thankfully you don't too

Sending some love to all you folks who follow anything BN Bulls does. Whether it's liking, commenting, or reading, it's all appreciated!

Less than 100 followers until 30k! Thank you!— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 14, 2023

Ah, some MLB rule changes are coming down the pipe:

Dramatic Change Coming to the Rules About Position Players Pitchinghttps://t.co/gFh3nXWMKU pic.twitter.com/rEQSIfn7q0
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 13, 2023

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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