While Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus completes his coaching staff, general manager Ryan Poles and the front office are preparing for the NFL scouting combine ahead of a potentially crucial draft with the Nos. 1 and 9 picks.
As he does every Wednesday, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs addresses reader questions in the Bears mailbag.
Do you remember another time when Bears fans have been this split over an existing QB? I don’t believe even Ryan Poles truly knows what he will decide given he hasn’t seen what teams will offer for the No. 1 pick. Agree? — @rgbears69
I try to avoid the back-and-forth over the topic, to be honest with you. I’m not sure the masses are quite as split as some believe. I imagine Poles will receive phone calls, but unless something exceptional happens, I believe he will stick at No. 1 and draft a quarterback. If the Bears arrive at a point in the evaluation process where they have strong conviction on a quarterback at the top of the draft, Poles should decline any calls about the pick.
It simply doesn’t make sense to be at the top of the draft for two consecutive years and have an offense that is so consistently deficient throwing the ball and not take a quarterback. The Bears have a better roster in place than many teams that draft a quarterback at No. 1, and that’s in large part because the selection came from the Carolina Panthers. This sets up to be an exciting, talented quarterback class, and if not now, when? It’s pretty clear to me the Bears will use a first-round pick, and probably the No. 1 selection, on a quarterback.
As I have written a few times, the idea they could trade down and secure the quarterback they want seems far-fetched. When Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and everyone involved reaches a conclusion on the quarterback draft board, eventually they will need to share that information with President/CEO Kevin Warren and ownership. They probably will be asked to summarize what went into their order. They surely will be asked some questions.
How in the world could Poles then explain to Warren and Chairman George McCaskey what went wrong if they came out of the draft without the top quarterback on their board? They have the first pick. Trading out of No. 1 would create an element of risk and they no longer would control the board.
Can you debunk the commentary crediting Ryan Poles with “the most lopsided trade in NFL history”? As things now stand, the Bears certainly have gotten more from last year’s trade of the No. 1 pick than the Panthers (though improvement from Bryce Young could eventually alter that assessment). Credit/blame for the outcome, however, belongs more with the Panthers than with Poles. If the Panthers had taken C.J. Stroud, as a number of wise heads recommended, no NFL GM on the planet (Poles’ press comments to the contrary) would have preferred the Bears’ side of the trade. I suspect that’s true even if you ignore that the Bears wouldn’t have gotten the first pick if Stroud had quarterbacked the Panthers. Elite QB play is priceless and in assessing the wisdom of passing on the opportunity to draft it, consideration should be given not only to the outcome of last year’s trade but to what that outcome could/should have been. — Dennis R.
I haven’t seen much talk about it being the most one-sided trade in the history of the league. Jimmy Johnson might want to have a chat with anyone who says that. He exchanged running back Herschel Walker with the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, involving 18 players and draft picks, and helped the Dallas Cowboys win three championships.
It was a great trade by Poles. He ended up acquiring a top wide receiver in DJ Moore and, with a bit of luck, made a move with a team that performed poorly, earning the Bears the No. 1 pick again this year. I could make a very convincing argument that the Bears would be in a better position right now if they had stayed at No. 1 and picked Stroud. Some may argue that he would have struggled without the assets the Bears received in the trade (Moore, right tackle Darnell Wright, etc.).
I won’t dismiss that, but it’s much easier to solve a wide receiver problem than a quarterback issue. Stroud joined a Houston Texans team that was really bad in 2022 and he quickly turned the organization around. He was throwing to a group of receivers who were, at the start of the season anyway, just a bunch of guys.
What really matters is what Poles does moving forward, not whether we consider if he swindled the Panthers or the Panthers made a blunderous decision. For the Bears to get where they want to go, they have to nail this draft. They need to get their quarterback situation righted like the Texans did with the second pick a year ago. The Bears would be fortunate to get a quarterback as talented as Stroud, and now they have a decent group of offensive players surrounding the position.
For the Bears’ improvement on defense as the season went on, what percentages do you put on the following changes making the difference: (a) Matt Eberflus taking over the reins; (b) the Tez Effect; and (c) rookie improvement? Or any other reasons you can think of. — @thesnowpup
A lot of factors were at play for a defense that was, in many ways, much better than in 2022. Eberflus taking over truly made a difference. In discussions with pro scouts throughout the season who closely observed the Bears, the common opinion was that there was a clear, week-to-week strategy that wasn’t necessarily present the year before. The run defense was great, starting from the beginning of the season, and this can be attributed to several factors, including some offseason personnel changes.
Takeaways started to increase after the trade for Montez Sweat, and we also saw veteran players improve, such as cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The Bears played with much more unity in 2023, partly due to the returning players being more familiar with their roles and partly due to the infusion of new talent, both free agents and rookies. The Bears also remained relatively healthy throughout the season and didn’t face a tough lineup of quarterbacks in their schedule.
The three main reasons for improvement were Eberflus leading the defense, the arrival of Sweat, and the addition of other rookies and veterans, including linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and nose tackle Andrew Billings. I’d say each of these factors was about one-third responsible for the improvements. Now the Bears need to improve against the pass next season, be more consistent in rushing the passer, and significantly better on third down after ranking 29th at 44.1%.
What is the next important news about the Bears that will be announced: Jaylon Johnson getting a new deal, Justin Fields being traded, or something else? — @jtbarczak
If I were a betting man, I’d probably guess that Johnson will be franchise-tagged as the next major news. If Johnson is determined to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league — and that’s what he recently stated — that leads me to believe negotiations could take some time. The Bears can buy time by using the franchise tag to keep him. Teams can use the tag from Feb. 20 through March 5.
What are the chances the Bears will look for a running back in free agency this offseason? If so, which free agents do you think they might have a chance to sign? — @twashington1029
I’m generally against investing a lot of money in a running back. In a passing-focused league, it’s rare to find one who is worth the investment. There are a few, but most years there are only a small number of truly exceptional backs. Some have suggested that this isn’t a great draft class for running backs. I would guess that the Bears will do something at the position with Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson under contract and D’Onta Foreman likely to leave in free agency.
Some have raised questions about Saquon Barkley. He will be 27 next month and has averaged 4.07 yards per carry over the last three seasons. The Giants have struggled on offense, and I wonder if a lot of things around Barkley need to be right for him to be highly productive — and how much production can you expect at this point? Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and Austin Ekeler are also set for free agency. None of them looked exceptional this season.
I would be much more interested in the Bears’ plans at wide receiver. A highly productive WR2 is more important, in my opinion, than a running back. The Bears already have a pair of backs they can succeed with if they improve other aspects of the offense.
What happened with Sanjay Lal? — @mosconml
The former Seattle Seahawks wide receivers coach was a candidate to join the Bears, and his addition would have made sense as he has worked with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Lal reportedly removed himself from consideration for the job. What went into that decision, I don’t know. The Bears are expected to hire Chris Beatty for the position. He has worked in the NFL for three seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers wide receivers coach.
I can tell you that after speaking with a wide variety of coaches around the league, some folks have concern that it might not be the most stable position with Matt Eberflus entering Year 3 and an uncertain quarterback situation. Assistants seeking work might prefer to attach themselves to a head coach entering Year 1.
Is Ian Cunningham still interviewing with other teams or is he sticking with the Bears? — @quikwit25
It looks like Cunningham is out of the running for a GM job after the Los Angeles Chargers hired Joe Horitz. Cunningham and Jeff King, the Bears co-director of player personnel, both interviewed for the Chargers GM job. Cunningham was a finalist for the Washington Commanders GM job that went to Adam Peters. So absent something unexpected, Cunningham will remain with the Bears.
Some people wanted to see him take a GM job elsewhere because it would have given the Bears two compensatory third-round picks. However, high-level front-office staff are more valuable in the long run, so I'm sure Ryan Poles is pleased to still have Cunningham as his assistant GM. He would like to see his friend and co-worker get promoted, but Poles also wants Cunningham to assist him.
If the city truly wanted to work with the Bears on a new stadium, wouldn't it make sense to build the Bears' stadium at The 78, then demolish Soldier Field and build a baseball stadium there? — @halatekhall
I don't have inside knowledge about the stadium situations for the Bears or White Sox. This is just my opinion regarding the Bears' ongoing discussions with the city. ongoing talks with the city conversations discussions with Arlington Heights over land the team already owns. The city probably wants to keep communication open with the Bears to show interest in retaining them.
As for what location is best for what, I'm not sure. I do know that the Bears spent nearly $200 million for land in Arlington Heights, and that space is huge and would offer various sources of income if used wisely. It's difficult to find a 326-acre site like that in the city that's in a desirable area and where the Bears would have control, not the city. a range of revenue streams if developed. Good luck finding a 326-acre site like that in the city that’s in a desirable area and a situation in which the Bears would be in control, not the city.
Who will take Cliff Stein's place? — @stanleyk934
That’s a good question. Matt Feinstein was hired in 2022 as director of football administration, overseeing the salary cap and contract negotiations. He has handled nearly everything in that regard since the beginning of the 2023 season. Stein took the lead on some of that in 2022 and helped Feinstein along. I’m sure Kevin Warren has someone in mind with a legal background to add to the front office. I doubt Warren dismissed Stein without having a plan ready.
Do you think Baltimore’s offensive play (specifically Lamar Jackson) against the Chiefs will affect how the Bears view Justin Fields for the long term? — @stevenhbaumann
Why would it? The current regime has had two full seasons with Fields as the starter and three years (38 starts) in total to assess. Fields struggled greatly in Week 3 in Kansas City. Jackson had a tough time Sunday in the AFC championship game but was exceptional for the vast majority of the season. Fields had ups and downs throughout the season and more downs than anything. I don’t see a connection between the Ravens-Chiefs game and the Bears quarterback situation.
At No. 9 — OL or Brock Bowers? — @bubgallagher
If the Bears stay at No. 9, my bet is a wide receiver would be the most likely pick. There would need to be an early run on quarterbacks and receivers for Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu — the top two offensive tackles — to be available at No. 9. Bowers is a terrific talent and deserves consideration, but I could see the Bears opting for a wide receiver here and truly transforming the position.
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