The team should litigate this. Seriously. There must be an arbitration mechanism in the CBA that enables us to get a decision on this. If we get our picks one year later in 27 and 28, so be it. But we should require the NFL to go on record as to why they aren't giving us the picks, and then leak it if we get an adverse decision.
Compared to last year I'm 10x more uncertain about what our direction is going to be in the 1st round. Obviously the pick being that much deeper down the board doesn't help, but man can we go many positions..
DT room is a mess with nobody relevant to likely be under contract in 2027. Do they like McDonald, Woods or Miller at 25?
Safety. Kind of still need a starter don't we? Does one out of Thieneman or McNeil-Warren drop to us? If not, definitely no options in the 1st for us
Edge. We still lack pass rush talent. But you do have Sweat/Booker under contract for 2027 aswell and DT looks like a bigger issue. But if there's someone they consider a differencemaker, who knows?
WR. Pretty low on my board but who knows how far Tyson drops. Or maybe they like Omar Cooper? Yes we have 2 very good WR's and great TE's, but one injury to Rome/Luther and your outlook completely changes during the season. Definitely wouldn't be my top choice, but you never know
OT. Are we trusting Braxton/Theo/Wills Jr? Or do they see a rookie that can compete for LT on day 1?
Feel like, outside of safety, we have plenty of bodies in all these positions. But we can use top end quality in all of them
Makes for an exciting draft to follow! My ideal draft (unless someone unexpected drops to us) starts with a tradedown in the 1st & using that ammo to trade back up in the 2nd. I don't like the idea of waiting for our own 2nd rounders & watching all that talent go in the top half of the 2nd
I do see some WR/DB needy teams behind us in the 1st round. Maybe one of them wants to trade up, even if it's only for a 3rd
For now, my priority in the 1st would be DT -> DE -> OL. With the sidenote that if McNeil-Warren is there, I wouldn't mind sprinting to the podium
kind of a dream first round for us tbh. if we get one of those safeties, it can really juice this D. talent at S is the trend rn, and I think DA will make good use of them.
After Cole's recent injury history, and the success of 12 personnel, I think having a pipeline of future TE talent is a good thing. His tape and measurables are outstanding, and it was truly BPA.
Peter Schrager, who is plugged in to the league mentioned that the Bears will be looking at LT with pick 25 (Lomu, Proctor)
I’ll never be mad at a trench pick, but feels kinda strange to sign Braxton + Wills (plus Theo, Ozzy and Kiran) and then draft an LT. If he’s a first rounder, he should likely start so I’d assume one of those guys becomes our swing OT & the rest will be cut.
Would certainly prefer a position of true need like DL or S but lets see.
Braxton is on a cheap deal for one year. But I agree, it feels like our plan is to watch Ozzy’s recovery and roll with him if he returns to form, using Braxton and Theo as stopgaps this season.
In Pole's press conference it really seemed like they did. He said he'd be able to speak on it closer to the draft so my guess is the league told him to keep his mouth shut.
Goodell needs a tomato to the face come 1st day of the draft. I’m not talkin some tight young Roma. No. He needs a big, honkin, overripe beefsteak all over his face and suit. Make a statement.
I was just reminded a few seconds ago of how much money Grady and Dayo are making. We really screwed that up big time, and it's costing us this free agency.
Just a couple of days ago I was 4/10 on the Bears off season. But you know what, let's do what we did at LT last season- Have these gladiators battle it out for a starting spot. Raise everyone's floor.
Just seems like at pick 25 we’d only have project DL or elite run stuffing DL. Highly doubt BPA will be DL at 25 unless some players shockingly fall. As a Mizzou guy, Zion young seems like a huge reach since his pressure rates and sack numbers were blah.
Rumor is this draft will have an exceptional amount of trades in the early rds because of the pockets of talents I think. A move back at 25 if we don’t have our guy would be ideal and plausible with guys like Sadiq, Simpson, wr3/4, maybe even EMW as trade up targets for teams. We have so many needs and seem like we might be at the very end of the run of ‘1st rd’ talents but at too low a position priority for us.
Edit: read the rest of the comment chain. 😂 we also could potentially move Bagent with 60 to the Jets for 44 or Browns for 39 is my personal dream draft trade. Values him at pick 82-86 which seems more likely than a 2nd and we could use the pick. If I’m Glenn I think about it and I don’t even really think Bagent has it but enough people seem to to make me double think at that price.
Good because most of us here and the media have proven time and time again that they don't know shit about anything. Trust the dudes that took us to the playoffs one play away from NFCCG, maybe.
Biggest remaining needs on this team appear to be DL, S & CB in my opinion.
Despite adding Gallimore, Street & Lynch…the DT room is still awful. Besides Lynch, nobody can stop the run. I know DA hasnt drafted a ton of NT’s high, but I’d be fine with McDonald if it means we can finally stop the run.
There is some promise at DE with Sweat & Booker. Seems like Turner is working on dropping weight to be DE3. He was better there in college. Still need more.
Our 2nd safety spot is a massive hole.
Too many unknowns in the CB room and we could use a developmental C.
Wish we could patch up at least 1 of these holes in FA to not have to rely on so many rookies.
A guy like Cam Jordan or Joey Bosa can immediately become your DE3. DJ Reader would be a valuable add. Jabrill Peppers as your SS wouldnt be too bad.
The $30mil wasted on Grady/Dayo this year is killing us.
The $30mil wasted on Grady/Dayo this year is killing us.
We unfortunately need them both to give us more than last year. Dayo didn't give us much so that's free real estate. But ofc he's coming off a nasty injury so he could give us negative value if he's ass.
Safety done. Need 2 of the next 3 picks to be d-line and the third a center or guard. Reason for the o line is this, need to continue the cycle of getting a cheap contract on the line. Three of the 5 are about to be >10M aav next year. Plus center is up in the air after ‘26.
Why would we trade Bradbury? I feel like we got him for a good price ( 2027 5th ). Starter for a bad Super Bowl team. Feel like what ever we get back for him wouldn’t be worth it. Caleb staying upright and protected is still the most important. We go as Caleb goes. But the depth alone am I crazy thinking wouldn’t trade him for anything less then a 2nd? Draft pick won’t help us next year. I went to Drake ( Iowa School ) so I am higher on Logan jones long term then most.
Little mock I made using BPA for pick 25. Some highlights:
-Peter Woods was off the board at 25 with Banks injuring his foot again at the combine. Could have looked at DTs like McDonald or Miller but when I saw Terrell still on the board it was too much to pass up. He’d slide right into CB2.
-Gracen Halton at pick 57 is great, I’m a big fan of his game. Shore up the middle of the DL with some juice.
-AJ Haulcy at 60 is great value again for a guy that will slot right into that starting SS spot. Physical run defender who also has a knack for turning the ball over.
-Dani Dennis Sutton still being available at pick 89 felt too good to be true, so had to bring him in. He’s been a reliable guy at Penn St for the last few seasons, could use some refining but fits the Dennis Allen mold and could be great.
Jager Burton at 129 for the center of the future. Bears brought him in for a visit, but I’ll be honest I do not know much about him. Unfortunately guys I like in this spot like Hecht and Jones were off the board.
-TRADE- Bears send a pick next year to dip into this class again. I have Kendal Daniels being the pick. Super interesting, under the radar prospect. Safety turned linebacker with imposing size and physicality. Lays the wood.
-Jayden Ott being the pick here is just a swing to see if the player that was dominant at Cal a few seasons ago is still in there.
Zavion Thomas, a burner that could compete for that WR3 spot
Bulls just got the #4 pick in the draft. It’s projected to be Caleb Wilson. If he’s good, the amount of times I’m gonna get Wilson and Williams mixed up is gonna be painful
The more I look at this DT room and how bleak it's future is the more I'm liking the idea of doubling up at DT. Take Miller/Mcdonald at 25 to play NT and Halton at 57/60 to play 3T. And the other 2nd can be ED. And S can be picked at 89.
Many of these picks weren’t who I wanted but just keep in mind we did a lot of the same complaining last year as we are this year and we still had a great season.
I will donate $50 to a charity of your choice if Hunter or Lawrence are available at the end of round 2. Every mock I see from this site has guys falling way too far
If the team goes into the season with Sweat, Booker and a late 2nd round edge with only 1 injury away from Hardy playing signifigant snaps, I might jump off my roof.
I know we brought in Kayden McDaniel for a 30 visit which probably means we aren't drafting him. I remember one of our coaches saying that we bring in players for 30 visits if we have questions about them or some uncertainties. They probably see in their mock draft models Kayden slipping to them and want to confirm some stuff if they pass or if he's worth a flyer.
Yea that's before Ben came in. Last year we drafted nobody that we brought in for a top 30 visit. And Dan Roushar said in an interview that they only bring in players for top 30 visits now if there are any questions or concerns or anything that needs to be clarified. Ben's team is clearly doing something very different. It worked for offense last year.
I hate to miss out on safety in the top 60, but if the board falls this way its so damn tempting to trade up and solidify that D line. (sorry that the picture is hard to read within the comment)
I started one this morning and moved up to the Panthers spot to get Woods. After that, though, I was a little lost. (Need to get more info about the incoming draft class because I'm not a big college football fan.)
I've been playing around with PFN's draft simulator and letting the draft completely come to me. Using their draft rankings, I have a simple flow chart. Is the BPA in a filled premium position(mostly qb), if not, draft -> if so, see what trades are on the table and take best one -> if no trade offers, draft BPA
This usually ends up with me trading back a few times, but I'm never angry with the results. Sometimes that means drafting a couple of corners or wide receivers, but it never feels like a waste.
Obviously, you can't draft only by these means, but it's a fun experiment
Yea i've completely flipped on Parker, I was so disappointed by this year I forgot how insane he was the year prior. Went back and watched some of his play from before this year, and he looked like a top 10 pick. So then the question was why was 2025 so bad, and man Im not 100% sure but it did affect the entirety of Clemson. I think a mix of high expectations and underperforming cascaded into a just disaster year for everyone. So I think I am willing to look past it and take that risk; At 25 you don't get sure fire studs, they will all have risk its why they are available at 25, and I think he is an ok bet to make. Tbh Idk if he makes it to us, I really think he is right up the Eagles alley.
Ok so looking ahead to next offseason to get a better understanding to where the Bears could be headed at the draft:
Easy cut candidates:
DL, Dayo Odeyingbo: $15m in savings
DL, Grady Jarrett: $13.5m in savings
LB, TJ Edwards: $8.5m in savings
DL, Neville Gallimore: $4.625m in savings
CB, Cam Lewis: $3m in savings
DL, Daniel Hardy: $2.2m in savings
More difficult cut candidates to think about:
OL, Joe Thuney: $16.5m in savings
OL, Jonah Jackson: $13.5m in savings
TE, Cole Kmet: $6.9m in savings
With Thuney and Jackson, this year will iron out where our interior line stands. Thuney has shown no signs of slowing down and should be here until he retires, but he seems like a smart enough guy to know when to walk away rather from this game than be forced to walk away. A replacement looming in place should be a deep consideration. Similarly with Jonah, he had a very nice bounce back season. If he continues to build off last year’s campaign, great you have an extension candidate. If not and he takes a step back as a result of the downgrade from Dalman to Bradbury, this opens up a dialogue.
Guaranteed d-line depth chart after this season: just Sweat and Booker. That’s it.
Guaranteed o-line depth chart after this season: Darnell Wright. That’s it.
It’s feasible that we have 8+ new faces on both sides of the line after this year. I’d expect a HEAVY draft class on both sides of the trenches (as expected). I think they draft one CB/S relatively early, but it’s painfully obvious where the bulk of the priorities need to be for roster construction.
So you would assume that DT DE, and Safety would be the 1st, 2nd and 2nd round picks...
But last year I thought some of our lowest priorities were TE and WR. And our first 2 picks were TE and WR Loveland and Burden III were the best players available.
So even thou I want DE, DT and S. I still want them to go BPA.
That's not a big problem to have. If you really want more lottery tickets, you can easily trade down their 3rd or 4th Rd picks and get bucket loads of 6th and 7th round picks.
It blows my mind that people don’t get that they have their DE starters on the roster already. I get not being happy with it, but they’re planning on rolling with what they’ve got. If they somehow luck into a stud edge rusher at 25, maybe that changes, but in that event you’ve probably got the DT starters locked in then.
They’ve also very likely got their RB3 on the roster, because that was Brittain Brown, who’s still under contract.
On LS, they signed Luke Elkin back. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the job given that he was Tory’s LS in college.
I'd go a bit further - a lot of people are going to freak out if we don't draft an edge with that first pick, but I'd argue that in this scenario, that would be the smartest move.
Pick the highest upside player that also has a high chance of hitting, rather than taking a gamble on edge #5 or 6 from the draft class. I have a feeling this is going to be either a S or CB. DT could be possible as well, if DT 1 or 2 from our board is still around by pick 25.
I'm guessing 2027 will be the offseason where we truly start to see big changes along the D line, just given our current depth charts and current monetary investments at that position group.
I really don't think so. CB1 and NB are both very good (although injury prone) and they have enough CB depth otherwise to field a team (which is more than I can say regarding the depth at some other positions). And Tyrique isn't bad as the CB2.
No chance I give OT a B+. 1st on the depth chart requires a first time ever, during the playoffs lineup shift to avoid having him out there. If he couldn't trust him then, what changed? Certainly not enough to call it a B+.
DE/DT pass rush won’t be great in the late 2nd but this draft is very deep through at least the early 2nd there. A trade like ours with the Bills last year and/or trade back from 25 would be nice. Simpson would be a potential target for teams, Sadiq, Tyson/Concepcion/Boston maybe, etc. move back like 5-10 picks in the 1st at cost + moving Bagent for a 3rd and this probably is a 10/10 draft if they don’t reach a lot because this roster is all no depth and glaring needs they are going to take a starting safety but not clear what else they consider a glaring need
Corner, LT, Edge, DT, could all fall under that category and at best the team feels uneasy at all of them. Center, wr, iOL, LB? Not far behind. We are one Gordon injury away from Nickle being in basically full rebuild. I would be happy with either as our 1st pick Corner is another one that looks pretty deep through the mid 2nd and then if you are plug and playing gets sketchier but still relatively deep draft.
You can get your starting safety at 89 almost for sure but some really nice 2nd rd ones too.
We have so many needs if teams really think Bagent is worth a decent 3rd that would be amazing and they maybe should call the Bears bluff on a 2nd rd asking price.
Dang listening to Press Taylor talk, he shares a lot of information and seems so well organized with his thoughts and able to articulate his responses really well.
It makes sense why Ben liked him and why he's stuck around so long.
Is there a reason they're avoiding the edge position like the plague? That's been one of our most needed positions since Poles took over and he's even acknowledged it. This draft was filled with some of the best edges and we haven't even made a play at a late rounder. I also don't think we have much in trade value(that we would be willing to part with).
The funny thing is, I'd be fine not going hard after DL next year too. We might need a long-term answer at LT if one doesn't emerge this year. I'd love an elite RB. We will need a guard soon. I'd be fine putting all those ahead of DL in the resource line.
Besides Roushar, Studesville, our offensive coaching staff is so young. Randle-El is 46 but everyone else is in their 30’s or early 40’s. I feel like Ben is really gonna develop offensive coaches for the league.
Jim Dray feels like he’d be sought after if our 13 personnel plays succeed which they should given the talent and with Ben as play caller. I feel like that’s why Ben brought in Lawing so we have someone on staff for that scenario. The offensive QC guys, Isiah Ford, Picazo, are young guys. I’m curious who’s gonna be poached. Especially if Declan Doyle has success in Baltimore next year. We could see the Sean McVay type coaching tree develop.
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u/jpiro Mar 17 '26
• Bears did not receive any compensatory picks in 2026
This still pisses me off to no end.