NEWSLETTER
Final Four Saturday should be a treat, especially with Duke-North Carolina as the nightcap. I guess I should try to be productive before I plop myself in front of the television for that one.
• Another potential Bears receiver target is off the board with DeVante Parker going from the Dolphins to the Patriots in an intriguing intra-division deal:
The Patriots Are Trading for Dolphins WR DeVante Parkerhttps://t.co/A0DIYLq9RG pic.twitter.com/Ea7rsw0QiP
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) April 2, 2022
• On the one hand, the price feels steep. And to that extent, I’m glad the Bears didn’t make such a deal with the Dolphins. But on the other hand, the Patriots tend to have a feel for good value. And while a Bears version of this type of deal would be asking a lot, it really isn’t from the New England side of things.
• This is the kind of trade only the Patriots can get away with making. A third-round pick for them isn’t that big of a hassle. Not when this franchise collects compensatory draft picks on the regular and trades back in the draft as often as it does. New England probably projects to be getting a third-round compensatory selection in 2023 for losing cornerback J.C. Jackson in free agency. So, in a way, they’re getting Parker at a bargain. The Bears simply aren’t in a place to make that type of trade for that kind of player. Not right now at least.
• Look on the bright side: Maybe the Patriots getting Parker means there is one fewer team picking in the 20s targeting receivers with their first-round pick. That would be beneficial to Ryan Poles’ rebuilding efforts. Thanks (?) Dolphins.
• This question probably doesn’t have a hard and fast answer, but how long does it take to get a team in a position to where it can make a deal like this, knowing that there are compensatory picks coming down the pipeline? Because that just feels like the sign of a healthy organization to be able to cut a trade like this one without worrying if it is giving up too much draft capital for a player who hasn’t been able to reach the heights he met in 2019.
• I certainly have my concerns about how the Bears’ offseason is going, but Maurice Moton (Bleacher Report) takes it a step further by writing the Bears are already failing quarterback Justin Fields. Ouch, babe. In laying out his argument, Moton underscores “convincing efforts” made by the Jaguars and Jets to bolster rosters around rising second-year quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. Of course, the Dolphins are on the extreme end of the ledger when it comes to trying to do right by the QB on his rookie deal:
✔️secure the offensive line
✔️retain Ogbah and Gesicki
✔️surround Tua with talent
✔️re-sign Xavien HowardDolphins have hit on every major roster goal this offseason
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) April 2, 2022
• This could be really cool if it works for the Dolphins as they expect, but seeing it laid out like this makes me bummed that it isn’t the Bears. But even if it doesn’t, Miami has done a ton to help itself in the quarterback evaluation process. The Dolphins have positioned themselves to figure out if Tua Tagovailoa is The Guy. If he is, then the investments will look great. But if he isn’t, at least the team is in a place that looks attractive for a quarterback on a rookie-scale deal to be named later. Or possibly even the next disgruntled quarterback who wants out of their current situation. This is definitely a situation worth monitoring, as it is a significant data point in analyzing team building efforts around the league.
• There was probably a happy medium to be found here for the Bears. But they simply haven’t found it just yet. This offseason should have been less about targeting specific players, and more about finding the right deals for types of players.
• Is it wise to pivot from the Ryan Pace way of doing business? Absolutely. Was there a way to do so while doing right by Justin Fields? Probably. Have the Bears succeeded in finding the middle ground? Not really. Chatter around the Bears has gone from targeting free agents in the second and third wave who could fill out the roster with a competitive edge to putting the eggs in the NFL Draft basket. That feels like a large ask to me.
• Set aside the big fish that the Bears were maybe never in the market to reel in when it came to free agency for a moment. I still struggle to grasp how the Bears haven’t plugged more depth holes to this point. They have the fewest rostered players and have about 30 roster spots to fill. Even if they piece together their six picks with 10 UDFAs after the NFL Draft, we’re still looking at 14 more veteran free agent signings to round out the roster. If that feels like a lot of work, it is.
• For what it’s worth, this B/R mock draft has seven first-round receivers and 10 going in the first 38 picks before the Bears go on the clock. I’m curious to know how fans would you feel if the Bears’ first three draft came out like this: Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce (2-39), Minnesota EDGE Boye Mafe (2-48), Chattanooga OL Cole Strange (3-71).
• Knocking off receiver and offensive line needs would be nice. Although, the pass-rusher pick would be curious (unless Robert Quinn was suddenly dealt before the draft). The Bears passing on an offensive tackle such as Tulsa’s Tyler Smith would raise some eyebrows. But it would also give us an idea of how the team feels about Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom. Leaving cornerbacks like Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant or Auburn’s Roger McCreary on the board might not sit well with those who want secondary upgrades. Same can be said if they sidestep selecting receivers like Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore, Purdue’s David Bell, or Alabama’s John Metchie III. However, it would make for some interesting discussions on draft weekend.
• In case you were wondering how the outsiders perceive Chicago’s football team, the Bears rank 28th in USA Today’s NFL power rankings update.
• DK Metcalf is my kind of ballplayer:
DK Metcalf’s meal plan:
■ 1 meal a day
■ 1 coffee
■ 3-4 bags of candy@dkm14 we have so many questions: How big is the meal? What type of candy? How often do you go to the dentist? @gmfb | @KyleBrandt | @ShaunOHara60 | @rachelbonnetta pic.twitter.com/YZSYbCj0Lp— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 1, 2022
• Ahhh, memories:
𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗
Bears acquired Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton, two first round picks & a third. He threw 154 touchdowns in Chicago.
What’s your favorite Jay memory?pic.twitter.com/a4dHjZZXFu
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) April 2, 2022
• Way to go, Bears:
This is equity in action💪🏾. Thank you @ChicagoBears for helping me highlight the greatest city on earth 🙏🏿💯. 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/gA48I5Wzl2
— Shermann Dilla Thomas (@6figga_dilla) April 1, 2022
• Is DeMar DeRozan’s first season with the Bulls the best Chicago sports story of the year?
The DeMar DeRozan Story Just Keeps Getting Betterhttps://t.co/kpBh0qzeZO pic.twitter.com/tfmm5vTqVW
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 1, 2022
• There are few players who are as fun to watch play defense as Billy Hamilton:
Billy Hamilton Just Made One of the Most Ridiculous Catches I've Ever Seen – https://t.co/klfTv1n9qA pic.twitter.com/zlYpIG8bY1
— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) April 2, 2022
