Akiem Hicks is Fun, Graham's No-Trade, Steelers Out on a New QB, and Other Bears Bullets

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Akiem Hicks is Fun, Graham’s No-Trade, Steelers Out on a New QB, and Other Bears Bullets

Chicago Bears

I woke up this morning with a taste for a dipped ice cream cone. Guess that’s what happens when 40-degree temperatures in February make it feel like 80°.

•   Akiem Hicks is awesome for how he answered fan questions on Twitter the other night:

•   I think we got some real answers to important questions. Although, I wish he would push as hard for the white-on-white jerseys as he did with he orange ones a few years back. Akiem Hicks single-handedly changed my opinion on the orange tops. Because, I mean, who wants to be on the opposite end of an argument with that guy?

•   One of these things is not like the other…

•   I have mixed feelings about the Jimmy Graham no-trade clause. On the one hand, it was pure silliness to give no-trade protection to a 33-year-old tight end coming off a career-worst year. Especially when the contract itself essentially served as a no-trade provision. But on the other hand, throwing a no-trade clause in Graham’s contract always felt performative. In other words, don’t get too worked up about it.

•   Reminder: Chicago can create $7 million in cap space by cutting Graham. And considering their needs throughout the roster, I don’t imagine they’ll hang on to a tight end with a $10 million cap number for his age 34 season.

•   One player who isn’t going anywhere is Ben Roethlisberger:

•   This is good news if you’re a Bears fan. For starters, Roethlisberger’s return to Pittsburgh means there is one fewer team looking for a starting QB on the market. Expect the Steelers to be in on finding a potential heir apparent to the soon-to-be 39-year-old. But don’t think they’ll be as aggressive as they would’ve been had Roethlisberger not been in the team’s short-term plans. Additionally, Roethlisberger re-upping with the Steelers means the Bears won’t sign a former star QB in the twilight of his career in hopes he can be he player he was 10 years ago. That was always a fear in the back of my mind. And now, that possibility is off the board. So … that’s a relief.

•   On the other end of the spectrum is Trey Lance, a quarterback prospect whose throws look SO GOOD:

•   There is something about how the ball comes out of Lance’s hand that looks good. Every throw I see him make, a voice goes off in my head saying: A-ha! That’s what it’s supposed to look like! To be clear, Lance still has work to do and development to make before he becomes an impact QB at the pro level. But the tools are loud, his physique is legit, and the ball simply looks good coming out of the hand. When was the last time you could say any of those things about a Bears quarterback? On second thought, please don’t answer that…

•   Inject all the QB-centric content into my veins:

•   Kristopher Knox (Bleacher Report) warns against the Bears reaching for a quarterback with the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. A recently sample of quarterbacks drafted between picks 20-32: Jordan Love (26-2020), Lamar Jackson (32-2018), Paxton Lynch (26-2016), Johnny Manziel (22-2014), Teddy Bridgewater (32-2014), Brandon Weeden (22-2012), Tim Tebow (25-2010). That’s a mostly underwhelming group, to say the least.

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Author: Luis Medina

Luis Medina is a Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at@lcm1986.