I’m riding the struggle bus with a sore throat and a runny nose this morning. Let’s take some medicine, power through Bullets, and see where the day takes us.
Patrick Mahomes has accomplished so much in two years as a starter. NFL MVP. A 50-touchdown, 5,000-yard passing season. Three come-from-behind wins in the postseason after trailing by double figures, including a double-digit comeback win in the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl MVP award is just icing on the cake for Mahomes. It has left some wondering what Mitch Trubisky – who was the first quarterback taken in the same draft class – does better than Mahomes. Which leaves me to ask: Does breaking Vegas count?
Odds are already out for next season’s NFL MVP award, as set by the folks at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. You’ll see the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson at the top as favorites. No surprise there. And you’ll also see Mitch Trubisky among the long shots. Again, no surprise there. HOWEVER, it is notable that Trubisky is only a 100/1 long-shot, which are better odds than were given to him entering this year (200/1). How? Superbook Vice President of Risk Ed Salmons notes a new rule has been put into place to guard against taking on too much risk of a long-shot MVP. “After we lost on Lamar Jackson this year, we came up with a rule that no QB will be higher than 100-1 at the start of the year,” Salmons explained to ESPN. “Otherwise, Trubisky would be higher.” There is, folks. Mitch Trubisky is a game-changer. One year after opening up as a 200/1 long-shot to win the NFL’s MVP award, the folks at one of the most prominent sports books in the world are capping QB MVP futures numbers at 100/1 in an attempt to mitigate risk. Way to go!
Ahead of an offseason of change, one NFL analyst does not expect the Bears will bring on competition to push Trubisky:
Matt Bowen’s film breakdowns on ESPN’s platform are top notch. Few cut up film as well as Bowen, so Bowen saying he would be “pretty surprised” if the Bears brought in competition for Trubisky is him going on a bit of a limb. Not to say Bowen is wrong about the Bears’ various needs and complications of having limited draft picks, but not bringing any competition would be a misstep. Further, it would be borderline ignorant not to address the room after watching how the Titans created a perfect storm in the quarterbacks room. But since we’re still early in the offseason process, it’s not worth getting into a huff about it.
Also worthwhile: Jalen Hurts and Anthony Gordon are highlighted as quarterback prospects who could be had in Round 3 or 4 of this draft. For the Bears to get a pick in those rounds, they would have to trade down out of one of their second-round picks. Or they could continue to sacrifice future draft capital, as they did last season.
I love me some Anthony Gordon:
FWIW: There is some precedence in the Bears trading back in the second round to collect more draft capital. In 2017, the Bears traded the 36th overall pick to the Cardinals and received the 45th overall pick, a fourth-rounder (119th overall), a sixth-rounder (which was subsequently traded), and a fourth-rounder in the 2018 draft. That’s quite a haul, though what the Bears got out of it was a mixed bag (Adam Shaheen went 45th, Tarik Cohen was selected with pick 119, and Joel Iyiegbuniwe was the 2018 fourth-rounder).
The 2017 draft marked the second consecutive draft in which the Bears successfully traded back. In 2016, the team dealt the 49th overall pick to Seattle for the 56th pick and a fourth-rounder (124th overall). With those choices, the Bears drafted Cody Whitehair (56th) and Deon Bush (124). Getting a Pro Bowl offensive lineman and a core special teamer and rotational safety isn’t a bad haul after trading back. Makes you wonder if that path is one the Bears re-visit in this draft.
A little nugget regarding Eddie Jackson’s extension:
PFF re-drafted the first-round of 2017, in which Jackson goes 17th overall to Washington. Sure, there are plenty of things I’d re-do in that draft. But I certainly enjoy watching Jackson as a ball-hawking safety.
Also … George Kittle third overall? And not Christian McCaffrey? I mean, you do you, PFF.
OK, so the mutual departure in Carolina wasn’t all that mutual:
Elsewhere in Olsen’s world, it sounds like he really wants to hear from the Bears. Considering the team’s tight end needs, they should oblige with a phone call.
I think I’m the only person who is happy about this:
https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1224735137809780738?s=20
Some reports had dropped on Super Bowl Sunday, but the Associated Press confirmed the Chargers handed Head Coach Anthony Lynn a contract extension.
A neat angle of Damien Williams’ game-sealing touchdown run:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1224905486291685376?s=20
Kendall Fuller (yes, Kyle’s brother) is a free-agent-to-be. His interception was a dagger in the hearts of the 49ers’ comeback chances. Are you interested?
Finding ways to make things happen when things got hard is the story of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run:
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1225012649831825408?s=20
Over at BN Bulls, we’ve got the trade deadline covered: