NEWSLETTER
One thing I’m trying to appreciate about this new Bears regime (execs to coaches) is how well they are working hand-in-hand. Not just acting like it, but actually doing it.
We didn’t get that with Ryan Pace and John Fox. The duo was often operating on different tracks. Pace was trying to dig out from Phil Emery’s mess and build for the future. Meanwhile, Fox was coaching every game like he had to win it. Pace and Matt Nagy occasionally appeared to be on the same wavelength. However, there was still enough of a disconnect that prevented them from hitting another gear.
Jump ahead to 2023 and the Ryan Poles-Matt Eberflus dynamic feels different. Maybe part of that has to do with the two coming on board at the same time. And perhaps the Bears’ GM and head coach operating on the same timeline will result in something wonderful. At a minimum, there shouldn’t be a conflict of interest in what the GM and coach want.
But even if there was, the two of them have plenty of time together to hash it all out!
The MMQB’s Albert Breer has Eberflus and Poles on a three-city college tour checking out pro days. Stops at Ohio State, Penn State, and Alabama are on the schedule. Nothing brings bros together like watching football on multiple college campuses:
Like many good relationships, a buddy trip visiting college campuses should bring these two closer together. And as an additional bonus, they’ll be scouting players who could help the Bears this year (and beyond). Oh, to be the third wheel on these trips. Just let me run the aux and I’ll stay out of the way. It’s all I ask.
Ohio State, Penn State, and Alabama Pro Days are a hotbed of talent. With the Bears having 10 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, those three places seem like a good place to start. Plus, having two first-rounders in 2024 means Poles and Eberflus should be taking copious notes about the players they see. Not just the ones who are eligible in this year’s draft, but for the future, too.
So … might be on the Bears’ radar? I have some ideas:
OHIO STATE
- Paris Johnson Jr., OT
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (and Marvin Harrison Jr.?)
- Dawand Jones, OT
- Luke Wypler, C
- Zach Harrison, EDGE
- Taron Vincent, DL
PENN STATE
- Joey Porter Jr., CB
- Parker Washington, WR
- Juice Scruggs, C
ALABAMA
- Will Anderson Jr., EDGE
- Eli Ricks, CB
- Byron Young, DL
- Emil Ekiyor Jr., G
- DJ Dale, DL
- Bryce Young, QB
OK, so I’m joking about the last of the Alabama prospects. There is no Bryce Young-Bears fit. Not with Justin Fields on this roster. And not after the Bears dealt the No. 1 pick in a trade with the Panthers earlier this month. But the rest of the players listed above are among college football’s best. The Bears would be wise to do their due diligence on all of them in their upcoming trips.
OK, but in all seriousness, who is running the aux and what’s first on the playlist?
