NEWSLETTER
I have pages worth of notes on last night’s episodes of “The Last Dance” and a dozen tabs open featuring draft-related content. Here’s to getting through all of it in a timely and orderly fashion.
• Alright, so who won the trade?
A look at the final personnel in the Khalil Mack trade with all of draft picks exchanged now made:
Bears receive: OLB Khalil Mack, TE Cole Kmet, G Arlington Hambright
Raiders receive: RB Josh Jacobs, CB Damon Arnette, WR Bryan Edwards, a 6th rounder used in Kelechi Osemele deal
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 26, 2020
• Both sides truly received what they wanted out of the deal. The Bears brought in a star to anchor the defense with Khalil Mack and a second-round offensive asset in Cole Kmet who some had a first-round grade during the pre-draft process. Meanwhile, the Raiders were able to get out from paying Mack the mega-bucks he desired, then netted a pair of first-round picks (two other selections) for good measure. There is a train of thought that believes the team that receives the best player in a trade is the winner. So even though my gut says this is a win-win trade, Chicago received the best player. That’s a win in my book.
• David Haugh (670 The Score) calls the Bears’ draft-weekend approach practical, even though Ryan Pace’s moves have come with their share of skepticism. To be fair, the skepticism has been earned over the years. Pace’s drafts always have points where you’re left scratching your head … until you’re not. For me, the best comparison I can make for a Pace draft is that it is much like Chicago weather. Don’t like the weather? Give it 15 minutes, because it will change. Don’t like the draft class? Wait until the next pick. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, that works in reverse, too.
• Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog echoes Haugh’s general sentiments, describing the second-round selections of Kmet and Johnson as steady. No argument here. Not that you didn’t notice, but I had my hang-ups about the picks (specifically, grabbing Kmet at 43). However, I understand that Kmet (1) was widely viewed as the best player at his position in the draft (2) filled a position of need, and (3) did so while bringing a high floor and room to grow. And even though Johnson has had shoulder surgeries in the past, I’m still digging his pick. Getting a quality cornerback with he potential to start right away is commendable, even in a class that was deep at the position in the first two rounds.
• Essentially, the Bears drafted a pair of players who immediately project into the starting lineup. If you allow yourself to step back and give it a big-picture view, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the Bears did well in Round 2.
• I suppose that logic could be applied to the Bears’ draft class as a whole. If you would have told me before the draft that the Bears would come away with two probable Week 1 starters at their respective positions, a fast-as-heck receiver prospect, depth for the group of edge rushers and cornerbacks, and multiple offensive linemen projects, I would have given you a thumbs up without thinking twice. I mean … I still would have asked why the Bears didn’t draft a quarterback. But I likely would have rubber-stamped the draft class and hoped a UDFA QB would have hopped along for a ride.
• What a moment for the suburban Chicago product:
Cool photo (courtesy of Frank Kmet) of Cole and his siblings (Cooper, Frankie and Casey) reacting to the call from the Bears pic.twitter.com/jlUVkNqyC3
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) April 27, 2020
• Cam Ellis (NBC Sports Chicago) unearthed one of my favorite mysteries of the draft — the story behind all those play cards on the wall of Matt Nagy’s war room.
• If it were up to me (REMINDER: it isn’t) the third day of the draft would be a lot like how this draft was run. Let’s go into the houses of team executives, scouts, coaches, and everyone else willing to let us in. Allowing the NFL to humanize these folks was a refreshing change of pace.
• HOWEVER, I do *NOT* need the darkest moments of a prospect’s life to be center stage on their draft day story telling. It was over-the-top and unnecessary. Here’s hoping producers and editors make good-faith decisions next year.
• This should be a fun read:
Last fall, our Utah football writer @chriskamrani traveled to Jaylon Johnson’s hometown of Fresno. Great feature on the new Bears cornerback https://t.co/GPi9vEujsn pic.twitter.com/ktcOKEav5Y
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) April 27, 2020
• One of the more talented quarterbacks who was available this offseason via free agency found a new home behind an all-time great:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1254452246693113857?s=20
https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1254508819620782080?s=20
• It’s never too early to look at next year’s draft class of QBs:
Sports Betting Dime opens with Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (-305) and Ohio State QB Justin Fields (+300) as the favorites to be the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) April 26, 2020
• The best quarterback to ever come out of the University of North Carolina:
• Never have I ever related more to an NBA player than when Dennis Rodman was telling his bosses that he needs a 48-hour vacation in Vegas to blow off some steam. To that end, Eli did a thing:
We’d all watch this … #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/H5mPCNOrem
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 27, 2020
• Fast forward to the present day, and Chicago’s basketball team reportedly has a new general manager:
Marc Eversley Fallout: Rebuilding the Bulls Brand, Experience with Nike, Toronto Connections, Front Office Priorities, Morehttps://t.co/JlqYc8ej6R
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 27, 2020
