NFL Draft Eve, Thankful For Moore, Sanborn Gets It, Rodgers Jets Off to NY, and Other Bears Bullets
The Cubs have pitched five shutouts already this year. We’re still only in April. They’re on pace for something like 30 shutouts. Remarkable!
- We’re almost there! Just one more sleep:
- We’ll have a bunch of content between now and when the first pick goes up on Thursday. And I’m excited to bring it all to you. It’s been a long, tiring road to get to this point. For multiple reasons, really. Not all of these are things we need to discuss at this time. But at the end of the day, I’m happy that we got to do it together as a Bears-loving community. Soon, we’ll get to discuss players, picks, and fits instead of mocks, odds, and pre-draft oddities.
- However, I suppose no one likes talking mock drafts more than Bears fans:
- Who’s better than us? Nobody. That’s who.
- Frank Reich, head coach of the Carolina Panthers team that owns the first pick the Bears once had, says “there is a consensus” and that he is “excited” about the pick. But in detailing the Panthers’ drat plans, he didn’t let the cat out of the bag. That’s fine. Everyone likes a surprise. But if there is a consensus and you still take the full 10 minutes to make a pick, we’re fighting. It’s on sight, Frank. (NFL Media)
- Something to keep in mind knowing that Chicago owns Carolina’s pick in next year’s draft:
- Bet the under? Don’t mind if I do (even if it goes against my theory that no one has ever had fun betting the under).
- Here’s a reminder of what the Bears got from the Panthers to vacate ownership of pick No. 1:
I thoroughly enjoy Tom Thayer’s analysis and breakdowns. And when they’re of high-level players, it makes all the more enjoyable.
- It sounds like a run on receivers will start just after the Bears pick:
The conversation between NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero make it seem like a run will start in the early teens. On the one hand, it fills me with relief knowing the Bears already landed their WR1 by acquiring DJ Moore in March. But on the other hand, the Packers have the first pick of the teens after that swap with the Jets and need pass-catching targets. More than that, Green Bay could look to make a petty pick to get a rise out of us. After not drafting a first-round pass-catcher during Aaron Rodgers’ tenure as QB, taking one with the first pick after his departure would be the type of spiteful move I’d applaud … if it were any other team making the darn pick.
The Packers have all the reasons in the world to arm Jordan Love with the best capable receiving corps it can build. Because nothing would look better on their end than Love looking good with an assortment of new-fangled weaponry.
If the Packers do take a pass catcher, I hope it isn’t Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Mostly because I don’t want to have to take back the nice things I’ve said about him in the pre-draft process. JSN was one of my favorite college receivers to watch and he’s been on our radar as a possible Bears target since the moment the 2022 draft came to an end. Remember how many mock drafts were sending Smith-Njigba to the Bears with a top-10 pick? JSN remains the top WR on many boards. But I’m not sure it’s in the cards for him and Justin Fields to reunite.
- Fields, Velus Jones Jr., Chase Claypool, and DJ Moore are among the Bears players putting in work at Halas Hall right now:
- The villain of our nightmares has landed in New York. Here’s the first bit of fallout from Aaron Rodgers’ move to the Jets:
- Those who get it, get it. And those who don’t, don’t. Which is why I love that Jack Sanborn gets it:
- Jack Sanborn assumes the Packers will have “an NFL-level quarterback” come in and replace Rodgers. Fair enough. However, I’m sure Packers fans felt similarly after Sid Luckman hung ’em up — and we all know how that has turned out for the Bears. (Sun-Times)
- Also: There are times when I wonder if there are 32 starting-caliber quarterbacks in the NFL. So I can’t just assume that the Packers will have one just because they’re the Packers. Aren’t they due for some quarterback misfortune? It would be fun if they had to do the football equivalent of wandering the desert looking for QB help. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander … right?
- Exercising the fifth-year option on Justin Jefferson is the easiest thing the Vikings have ever had to do. (BN NFL)
- How’d we end up like this, Bulls?
- Blackhawks Draft Lottery tracker update:
