NEWSLETTER
At this time next week, we’ll be discussing the Chicago Bears’ first first-round pick since taking Roquan Smith in the 2018 NFL Draft. That is, of course, unless the Bears trade out of the first round.
• Speaking of Roquan Smith, he won the Ed Block Courage Award. It’s always neat to see really good players win awards that honor things they do off the field.
• It will soon be time to pivot to the future when talking about Smith. More specifically, Smith’s long-term future with the team. I see that ESPN’s Jake Trotter reports the Browns are picking up he fifth-year option on Baker Mayfield’s deal. The first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft will make $18.858 million on the fifth year of his rookie deal. If you’ll recall, this class of rookies is the first wherein the fifth-year option is fully guaranteed. In other words, teams can’t do what the Bears did with Leonard Floyd and pick up a player’s fifth-year option, only to cut him before that option season and create cap space at the end of the process. Once your team picks up the option, it is tied to that player.
• This brings me to Smith, who could be come the second first-round pick of the Ryan Pace era to get their option picked up by the team. Pro Football Talk estimates Smith’s pith-year option will be worth $9.735 million. That’s a fair price for a top-10 pick coming off a second-team All-Pro season. But more than that, I wonder if it’s a starting point for an extension. My mind is flip-flopping between thinking it’s too early to think about extending Smith, can the Bears afford to extend *ANOTHER* defensive player, and what’s the point of drafting studs if you’re not going to reward your own? Pace needs to strike a balance with how he spends his cap space. But my lean, as of right now, is that it would be nice to extend a core member of your team no matter what side of the ball he plays.
•. It’s a sad stat that Pace has seen first-round picks Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, and Mitchell Trubisky not make it to a fifth year with the team. And to this point, Floyd is the only one to have landed a sizable second contract. Pace has had his hits elsewhere in the draft, but three top-10 picks not making it to a second contract with the team that selected them is quite damning.
• I see the Bears highlighted a different member of the 2018 NFL Draft class. Someone who – like Smith – is a standout defender worthy of a modest extension before the expiration of his rookie deal:
🎬: @BNichols98
Pick: 145th overall
Year: 2018 #NFLDraft𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈: Big man has arrived pic.twitter.com/XnddlJWdX7
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 22, 2021
𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐈𝐈: Big man takes center stage pic.twitter.com/ZjSINU0Ky5
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 22, 2021
• Watching Bilal Nichols’ career arc has been a treat. To grow from a fifth-round pick from Delaware into a solid rotational defender doesn’t happen overnight. However, the Bears have done wonders with unexpected contributors along the defensive line. Nichols is one in a line of many. Not that I’m looking forward to a time where Akiem Hicks isn’t wrecking opposing offensive linemen while in a Bears uniform. But whenever he is ready to pass the torch, I can see Nichols being the one to take it and run with it.
• I love how they put Walter Payton in some Jordan 1 Hyper Royals, which are one of the hottest Air Jordan releases of 2021. True G.O.A.T. on G.O.A.T. action:
No social media in '75? No problem.
Da 🐐's draft day reimagined… 💭 pic.twitter.com/EgnjllJxoT
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 22, 2021
• Prayers up for Mongo:
This is a tough one.
Bears legend Steve McMichael has been diagnosed with ALS and is declining quickly.
"Say a prayer" for #TeamMongo.
Inside McMichael's new existence.https://t.co/arvWFcxMUy
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) April 23, 2021
• Way to go, Jimmy:
#DaBears TE @TheJimmyGraham visited w/ Bryant who was hit by a stray bullet & told he would never walk again. After assistance from @SupportD4D, the @ChicagoBears 2020 Community All-Pros grant recipient, & a lot of hard work Bryant is walking again. pic.twitter.com/eF87VuPwmT
— Chicago Bears (@BearsOutreach) April 22, 2021
• It’s never too early to look ahead to who is available at a position of need:
It’s Time We Take a Look at the Upcoming Free Agent Point Guardshttps://t.co/BuBFi8cZfv
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 23, 2021
• Here’s a tweet I never thought I’d see:
Thank you, @DetroitRedWings https://t.co/ulRYFisprh
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) April 23, 2021
• Over at BN Cubs, Brett celebrates a bunt:
I almost never celebrate a sac bunt, but I gotta give some love for David Bote's oh-crap-this-is-gonna-hit-me last night, which ultimately set up the opportunity for the walk-off win.
Apparently Bote hadn't had a sac bunt in five years. Bonus thanks to Alonso for the slip. pic.twitter.com/kJm6QYE7pT
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) April 23, 2021
