NEWSLETTER
I recently bought tortillas to throw in the freezer so I can make tacos at a later date. Days later, my friend Jim shared his chorizo recipe, which makes for the perfect taco meat. Check it out!
• This is what happens when you do’t have the QB issue resolved:
The Bears free agency signings in 2017 still blow my mind for how terrible they were.
Mike Glennon
Dion Sims
Quintin Demps
Markus Wheaton
Marcus CooperNot included is Prince Amukamara because he ended up being a really solid signing. Kendall Wright also wasn't terrible.
— Matt Eurich (@MattEurich) April 21, 2021
• I remember Bears targets such as Stephon Gilmore, A.J. Bouye, Kenny Stills, and Ted Ginn Jr. (who would sign with Chicago years later) taking less money elsewhere to shun the Bears. In other words, it pays to have a real quarterback.
• With that in mind, a reminder that the Bears can make us forget about their QB follies over the year by picking the right prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft. And with the Draft coming in ONE WEEK, brace yourselves for an increase in rumors, innuendo, and loose connections between Chicago’s football team and every draft-eligible quarterback in this class.
• The obvious solution is to trade up in the Draft to take the best available signal caller after Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson go off the board. And it’s not an obvious play just because the Bears have a need at the position, but also because GM Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy need to connect on a swing for the sake of their future employment. Pace and Nagy sold Chairman George McCaskey on a plan to get out of the doldrums of consecutive 8-8 seasons. And I don’t imagine that plan revolves around Andy Dalton being the guy to usher in the future.
• I suppose the Bears could go off the board with Davis Mills, who might be more well-regarded in an alternate universe where (1) he stays healthy and (2) plays a larger slate of games at Stanford in last year’s pandemic-shortened season:
• On the one hand, I’m willing to bet on a player with Mills’ prospect pedigree. To be clear, I wouldn’t be willing to mortgage the farm. But as someone who is comfortable in his own skin wagering what he can afford when possible, I’d consider rolling the dice with Mills as someone who can step in if Dalton falters.
• Speaking of alternate universes, Brad Biggs (Chicago Tribune) answers questions in his mailbag. And in doing so, Biggs reveals a nugget about the Bears’ original offseason plan. “Some believe the Bears preferred (Ryan) Fitzpatrick to Dalton,” Biggs writes. “but had to pivot after the Washington Football Team reached an agreement with Fitzpatrick before free agency opened.”
• If you’ll recall, Fitzpatrick was a rumored Bears target. But when Washington’s football team swooped in with a deal while Chicago was still trying to pull Russell Wilson from Seattle’s clutches, it left the Bears pivoting to Dalton. Frankly, missing out on Fitzpatrick probably led Chicago to move quickly on Dalton. Whiffing on the trio of Dalton, Fitzpatrick, and Jameis Winston would’ve put the Bears in a tougher predicament than they are in now. Because while it looks challenging to get the QB they desire in the 2021 NFL Draft, it only becomes more challenging from a negotiation standpoint if Nick Foles is the only signal caller on the roster.
• The Bears have done historically well in drafting players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. And last year, they were the only team to draft a player from HBCUs. So with that in mind, I’d like to see that continue:
The Chicago Bears have had good fortune with athletes from HBCUs, including Tarik Cohen, Walter Payton, Richard Dent and Leslie Frazier.
Could @ca70_ be next?https://t.co/uBjdOlDgKA
— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) April 21, 2021
• Alex Ballentine (Bleacher Report) has some 2021 Draft sleepers worth keeping an eye on. Players who stand out at positions of need for Chicago include Florida State WR Tamorrion Terry, Northern Iowa OL Spencer Brown, Purdue S Tyler Coyle, and Central Missouri TE Zach Davidson. If the Bears can come up with depth players who can grow into something more with their late-round picks, I’ll be happy with the process (and results).
• Because all the cool kids are doing it, mark your calendars so you can mark your calendars:
NFL is now slated to release its full 2021 regular-season schedule on Wednesday, May 12, per sources. It’s the date to get more dates.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2021
• You don’t want to know how much time I spent mapping out a Bears-Raiders Vegas trip for a date that has yet to be determined.
• Is Joel Embiid Philly’s best QB?
“And with the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select…” pic.twitter.com/zToJ8ofgFh
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) April 22, 2021
• The Blackhawks won last night, which is all well and good. But this is the news that made me feel a little better than I did previously:
REPORT: Jonathan Toews Could Be Ready to Return to the Blackhawks Next Seasonhttps://t.co/3RAZiYNvyM pic.twitter.com/OsQcNlvvfA
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 22, 2021
• Using Baseball-Reference’s prorated splits calculator, Javier Báez is on a 162-game pace of 47 HR, 152 RBI, 47 SB season while slashing .203/.250/.469. A 40-40, 150-ribbie season helps soften the blow of a 295 strikeout campaign. He also does this:
Javy Báez Batted Lefty and *Almost* Sent One Out (VIDEO) – https://t.co/HAUyROJ2cr pic.twitter.com/KIkJT7pPcp
— Bleacher Nation Cubs (@BleacherNation) April 22, 2021
