Hypothetically: Who Would You Want to Poach Off Your Rivals? And Other Bullets

The most important meal of the day after a wedding is brunch. I’m on the road and my dad is being a trooper by letting me work/write while he drives. I’ll make it up to him later.

  • I’m not one to look forward to Mondays while still hanging out on Sunday, but the Bears’ “Meet the Rookies” series kicks off tomorrow and I’m a little geeked about it.
  • Here’s a fun exercise via Lester Wiltfong of Windy City Gridiron: Which three players would you take off a division rival if you could do such a thing? I’d be tempted to take Aaron Rodgers, but that’s too easy of a solution. For the sake of being different, we’ll eliminate him from the discussion. So let’s answer a question with this question: How much better would the Bears be if they could snatch Ezekiel Ansash (Lions), Mike Daniels (Packers), and Stefon Diggs (Vikings) from their division rivals?
  • Ansah would fill the team’s current void at edge rusher, Daniels would solidify the defensive line and give the group two potential Pro Bowlers at defensive end flanking nose tackle Eddie Goldman, and Diggs is talented enough to play (and provide an upgrade) in the Zebra role or outside the numbers.The NFC North is loaded, so you could go any number of ways. It’s truly a testament to how the Bears’ rivals have built their teams and should serve as a reminder of how much work the front office needs to do to catch up with the rest of the division.
  • This leads me to another question: Which three players would you hate to see leave because they were poached by a division rival? Off the top of my head, I’d dread losing Jordan Howard, Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Allen Robinson, and Mitch Trubisky. Losing Adrian Amos, Danny Trevathan, Cody Whitehair, or Tarik Cohen would sting, too. If the other teams in the NFC North sat down to think about it, they would probably have a more difficult time picking three from this improving roster.
  • The Bears’ secondary is pretty much set with all four of its starters from last year returning for another run under Vic Fangio, but you really can’t have enough quality depth. Matt Eurich of 247Sports explains why the Bears should make a pass at signing Eric Reid or Kenny Vaccaro, a pair of starting caliber safeties who are still available on the free agent market. GM Ryan Pace is familiar with Vaccaro from their time together with the Saints, while Reid is well-versed in Fangio’s scheme having played with the 49ers.
  • Chicago’s secondary needs to be a strength if the team is going to be that breakout team in 2018, especially in NFC North play. Going up against Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, and Aaron Rodgers twice a year essentially demands tip-top play from the defensive backfield. If the Bears’ corners and safeties are up to the challenge, the Bears will have a puncher’s chance at stealing some games against some quality opponents.
  • Remember, the Bears’ secondary is crowded as it is with a loaded cornerbacks room that should provide quality training camp competition and fodder.
  • Happy birthday to one of the new guys:
  • Watford has been getting it in at right guard in place of Kyle Long during OTAs and minicamps, so it’ll be worth watching how his practice time changes as the team eases its starter back into action. At minimum, it’s good to have the depth get some experience working with the line’s first unit.
  • Walter Payton would be virtually unstoppable if he was playing in the modern era of video games:
  •  

    written by

    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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