Baseball is fun when you get moments like the one in Tuesday’s World Series Game 3, where it appears as if Astros starter Lance McCullers was tipping pitches — and Phillies star Bryce Harper was letting everyone on his bench know about it.
Then again, baseball is less fun if you’re on the McCullers end of things and you’re giving up five World Series dongs.
Ah, well, nevertheless…
Not only are the Miami Dolphins the Chicago Bears’ next opponent, but they also happen to be the team we should be looking at for inspiration. Check out the overwhelming return from what was once known as the Trey Lance Trade:
If you want to dream big dreams, then allow yourself to imagine the Bears sitting pretty in a place where teams are willing to risk it all to move up and draft a quarterback this upcoming April. Envision Bears GM Ryan Poles dangling a highly-placed first-round draft pick and playing a number of teams against each other until someone gives him an offer he can’t refuse. Replicating the Trey Lance Deal in 2023 could net the Bears a bonkers return. One that could send this team’s rebuild into hyper speed. Multiple first-round picks for a trade-up? Sign me the heck up for that NFL rebuild accelerant.
As for the short term, I’m still gushing over the NFL Trade Deadline calamity. It was BUSY. Tuesday saw 11 trades announced 18 future NFL Draft picks change hands and 14 players who will be on new teams starting this upcoming weekend. If you’re looking for a rundown, we’ve got you covered.
The Bears were among the most active teams, cutting two deals ahead of the deadline buzzer. So long, Roquan Smith and hello Chase Claypool! If you were looking forward to seeing what Claypool looks like in a Bears uniform, look no further:
Looks good to me!
There are so many reactions to the Claypool trade and I can’t get enough of ’em. The Athletic (Fishbain and Jahns), Tribune (Biggs), Sun-Times (Finley), and NBCSN (Schrock) are among the more insightful and entertaining reaction pieces you’ll read today.
This vibes with me, especially with the Bears thwarting the Packers’ plans to get Aaron Rodgers some help:
It’s worth noting that The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s latest rankings have just two receiver prospects (Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt and LSU’s Kayshon Boutte) in that range of where the Bears would’ve projected to be picking had they not made the Claypool trade. And with most rookie receivers needing time to acclimate to the pros, we can easily frame this as the Bears using their second-round pick on a receiver. Heck, Claypool is younger than Velus Jones Jr. — Chicago’s own rookie receiver who was chosen last April!
Yes, there is a conversation to be had about whether or not the Bears overpaid. Overpay now or overpay later. Those are your choices. But it is probably better to do that now with a player who has Claypool’s experience, résumé, and upside than to overpay in an uninspiring free-agent market.
Yesterday was full of weird overpaying analogies, so I wanted to chip in with my own. Here’s how I like to think of it: I love the chicken from Harold’s Chicken Shack. But there isn’t one by me. I know I could go to Popeye’s and get some chicken and it’s closer. However, I’m willing to drive where I need to, step into a Harold’s, and order a six-wing dinner with salt-and-pepper, fried hard, and mild sauce on it. Did I have to pay a little extra to get something I was wanting? Yes. Am I going to regret it? Hardly!
Some people like paying what they usually do for national chain fried chicken. It’s safe. You know what you’re getting. It tastes the same every time. And it is conveniently located to pick up on the way home. But some of us have different tastes and are willing to go out of our way to get something we really want. The Bears paid a premium yesterday, and I hope they don’t regret it.
It’ll be nice to have someone who can go up and get ’em on this squad:
Did we know Claypool could play quarterback? Trevor Siemian better watch his back:
As for the Bears’ *OTHER* notable trade, let’s just say this will take some time to get used to:
The simplest explanation as to why Roquan is no longer a member of the Bears:
I hope people don’t think the Bears trading Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith are examples of the Bears giving up on Justin Fields. Because trading for Chase Claypool pretty much says the exact opposite. The Claypool trade was an investment in Fields. Accumulating draft picks is an investment in Fields. And clearing north of $100 million in cap space next year is an investment in Fields. The 2022 season was always going to be a wash. There were going to be bumps and bruises along the way. But the building portion of this process is underway. Giddy up!
Hey, now! They didn’t trade David Montgomery. That, too, is an investment in Fields (kinda).
Don’t sleep on Khalil Herbert:
Pretty wild to see it put like this:
Congratulations are in order:
Happy anniversary!
Things were looking bleak during yesterday’s Bulls-Nets game. And then Zach LaVine happened:
It was the only goal the Blackhawks scored last night, but it was a beauty: