NEWSLETTER
Maury Povich’s elite run of daytime talk show paternity test shares is coming to an end after 30 years. The Maury Show has gotten me through sick days, lazy summer afternoons, rainy days, and plenty of what would’ve been dull lunch hours without his content. Part of me feels like I need to experience that show in person to close the loop.
• The quarterback market continues to explode:
More about the Rams locking up QB Matthew Stafford with a $160 million contract extension:https://t.co/MPZeohPO6R
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2022
• Here’s a fun contract quirk: Matthew Stafford’s total contract value ($160M) is more than Aaron Rodgers’ ($150.815M). Who saw that one coming?
• The Bears have a while before they have to make a decision on paying Justin Fields this kind of money. Just know that if Fields becomes the quarterback fans want him to be, he’ll be getting this type of pay day, too:
There are now six QBs making at least $40M/year.
1. Aaron Rodgers: $50.271M
2. Deshaun Watson: $46M
3. Patrick Mahomes: $45M
4. Josh Allen: $43M
T-5. Matthew Stafford: $40M
T-5. Dak Prescott: $40MAn exploding market.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 19, 2022
• And to think, players like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert will potentially change the quarterback market in the coming years with their potential extensions. Things could look even more ridiculously bonkers when Fields, Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance are eligible for extensions. Get your popcorn ready, friends. Things are gonna get wild(er).
• Speaking of Fields, I see his getting in his workout routine with some notable quarterbacks:
Colin Kaepernick is training with Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Josh Dobbs today 🏈 . #colinkaepernick #justinfields pic.twitter.com/2SszEjm7Ch
— TopFanTV (@TopFanTV) March 18, 2022
• Hey, now! Maybe Colin Kaepernick could give Fields a tip or two on beating the Packers. After all, Kaepernick is 3-1 in four starts against the Packers. Two of those wins came in playoff games. And one of those was a win at Lambeau Field. Kaepernick has three wins in four starts against the Packers since 2013. The Bears have three wins against the Packers in 18 games in the same span of years. Just saying, it’s OK to share the secrets with Justin, Mr. Kaepernick.
• It is nice to see Fields working with QB coaches and through drills at various points of the offseason to this point. We applauded when Mitchell Trubisky did this ahead of what turned out to be his final year with the Bears. That Fields is doing this in his first offseason as a pro is a good look from an optics perspective. Love the assertiveness. And I’m digging the go-getter life. Now, how about the Bears go get him some receiver targets.
• I’ll admit I was bugging out when the Titans acquired receiver Robert Woods in a trade from the Rams for just a sixth-round pick. However, I felt a sense of relief that the Bears were a team in the mix. But judging by the framing of Michael Fabiano’s tweet (which is included in our updated post), it sounds like the Rams were sending Woods to wherever his preference was — which is admirable, I suppose. Think of it less as Woods choosing to catch passes from Ryan Tannehill instead of Fields. Instead, look at it as Woods picking a team that is a virtual playoff lock (based on Tennessee’s recent run and projected trajectory). But seriously … get Fields some HELP.
• For all the chatter about the Bears changing their defensive front to feature four DL instead of three, we should probably discuss more about what that means for the back end of that defense. The default position for folks is three linebackers. But modern football features more three receiver sets than ever. And even though that nudges more three-corner packages, NFL offenses will counter by attacking CB3 with the ground game soon enough. Hence, it would lie nice to have a player who is versatile enough to hold it down in coverage, while also supporting against the run. This is where someone like DeAndre Houston-Carson – who is back on a one-year deal – can be surprisingly valuable.
• In 2021, Houston-Carson lined up at four different defensive positions. He was mostly used in the box (179 snaps), but also spent time at free safety (142), slot cornerback (83), boundary cornerback (4), and even along the defensive line (11). Again, that versatility could be immensely valuable if utilized correctly.
We often describe Houston-Carson as a core special teams contributor. But have you ever stopped to think about what that means? Well, let’s do that by exploring Houston-Carson’s snap splits on special teams:
⇒ Field goal/extra-point blocks: 59
⇒ Kick returns: 56
⇒ Punt coverage: 50
⇒ Kick coverage: 43
⇒ Punt return: 30
Taking all of that into consideration, the Bears did well in bringing him back.
• Did you know that DHC had PFF’s 10th highest grade among safeties? And that his 80.4 coverage grade was the 11th best among players at the position. Sure, it is worth pointing out that DHC’s 420 defensive snaps is the second fewest among those qualifying for inclusion on the leaderboard. But talk about making the most of your playing time!
• The Bears made it officially official with Byron Pringle, and his position coach is digging it:
https://twitter.com/CoachTykeT3/status/1505566720274178053
• Cleveland makes it officially official with Deshaun Watson:
OFFICIAL: We have acquired 3-time Pro Bowl QB Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Texans
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 20, 2022
• This is particularly juicy:
The Deal That DIDN'T Happen: Brandon Hagel and Marc-André Fluery to Toronto – https://t.co/RMi05Y670P pic.twitter.com/9cXlPmrFXe
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 20, 2022
• Trevor Story signing with the Red Sox is a little less weird than Carlos Correa going to the Twins. Nevertheless, it bothers me that the Cubs weren’t in on the non-Corey Seager types of deals. There were five premier free agent shortstops available this offseason. The Cubs had a need, but didn’t sign any of them. It makes me wonder if they value the positionally differently than we would otherwise think.
