OT: Bears Talk - Justin Fields era begins

[Susan]

Not only did the Bears nail their first two picks, but they seem to have found very good value in their later picks as well. That corner out of Oregon would have gone much higher in the draft had he not opted out this year due to Covid, so he could be a key player. The RB from VT is getting rave reviews, and the slot receiver also has a lot of analysts wondering why he fell that far in the draft. The only two I have not heard a lot of great things about are the lineman they took in the 5th, and the DT they took in the 7th. But I expect at least one them to make the team as well. So from top to bottom, this draft, on paper, looks like an absolute home run for the Bears.

If they hit on the first two picks, that sets the franchise up fantastically for the next 4/5 years because Fields/Jenkins will be value contracts at the two most expensive positions.

There should be room to get ARob to stay longterm and I fully expect Darnell Mooney to take a huge step forward considering Fields' long ball accuracy and his deep speed.

[Susan]

Leno has been cut. At the least this gets us under the cap with the ability to keep hicks. Hopefully some more moves are made

NFL cap seems difficult for me to understand as I'm not an expert in it, but sure feels like there isn't much room to do anything else.

It´s actually easier than the NBA CAP Doug. You can now extend both Hicks (2 year deal with an xtra voidable to extend the amount of years a signing bonus is paid over) and ARob. His CAP hit is 17.8M. With a new contract of say 5/90M you pay him a guaranteed 2M salary for 2021 and a 30M signing bonus which is paid upfront.
Therefore you spread the bonus over 5 year to 6M per. So his 2021 CAP hit is reduced by nearly 10M (9.8M) and that now covers the incoming rookie class salary scale and also gives you about 2-3M wiggle room.
You can cut Graham and get another 7M. Re-doing Hicks contract will net you another 5-6M so you can claw back another 22-23M just from those last 3. And you can cut other vets post June 1 and save more. But with the CAP set to rise to hopefully 205-210M in 2022 (from 182.5M) methinks you will have plenty of room to manuveur.

Good call on Graham - if we can extend ARob this offseason at expense of Jimmy, they have to do it. Giving Fields a legit Pro Bowl WR for the next 4-5 years will ease his development (Hill/Kelce made Mahomes' life easy and Hopkins was Watson's best friend in his first 3 years).

[DJhitek]

If Fields is better, and I mean even marginally better, than he should start. My only reservation is Matt Nagy, and that is something that won’t change anytime soon. I don’t think he is the dude because he simply does not value an identity and running the ball.

[fleet]

I read in a few places that Dazz Newsome does not feature speed. Some folks missed his 40 time.

[RedBulls23]

Fields is the best QB already. I don't think that's the argument. I think it maybe comes down to the offensive line? Do you see how the line looks first, and then play him accordingly?

[fleet]

wow i came into the bears thread and found a whole page on race relations

Haha. Same. Not going to go back and figure out how we got here.

To try and get it back to the Bears. I have NEVER felt this good about a Bears pick or even a whole draft. This is how I wanted to feel about Watson in 2017, but they selected Trubisky. All QBs are going to carry a high bust rate, but I feel great avout Fields and they are damn lucky he dropped to 11. Big tip of the cap for Pace for going up to get him.

This doesn’t excuse Pace’s bungled Trubisky debacle, and it did unfathomable damage, but I have decided to look at the silver lining so I can sleep at night. If Pace had listened to his coach like he is supposed to (Fox liked Watson), we would be stuck with Watson right now, and that’s problematic apparently.

[dougthonus]

Fields is the best QB already. I don't think that's the argument. I think it maybe comes down to the offensive line? Do you see how the line looks first, and then play him accordingly?

I don't know that Fields is the best QB out of the gate. You have two veterans that were great college QBs that have honed their craft for a decade too. I think it's pretty unlikely that Fields is the best immediately out of the gate actually. It's more that you know guys learn the most by doing, and the vast majority of NFL learning comes in the first two years. I don't think guys learn a whole lot on the sidelines personally.

[Jeffster81]

I don't know if it's been posted and I refused to go back into this thread to try to find it because of an unnecessary discussion point in this thread (ie race), but there is a video of Justin Fields facing adversity at the HS level in which he fumbled on two consecutives plays that lead to TDs to other team. Fields asked his father what could he do and his father basically told him to "make your teammates believe". He damned near brought his team back but they lost 45-42. I encourage people to watch it because I am now 100% believer in Justin Fields. He is going to want it.

Justin may not start the season as QB1 but it won't take long before he takes over the position.

[Susan]

https://www.theringer.com/2021/4/29/22407682/trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-nfl-draft-recruiting-rankings-debate

Good article about Lawrence/Fields history with one another. I remember watching the Elite 11 show the year they were seniors.

[chicagoballer]

Fields is the best QB already. I don't think that's the argument. I think it maybe comes down to the offensive line? Do you see how the line looks first, and then play him accordingly?

I don't know that Fields is the best QB out of the gate. You have two veterans that were great college QBs that have honed their craft for a decade too. I think it's pretty unlikely that Fields is the best immediately out of the gate actually. It's more that you know guys learn the most by doing, and the vast majority of NFL learning comes in the first two years. I don't think guys learn a whole lot on the sidelines personally.

agreed. I would say transition him to starting QB around game 6-7. Unless we are near undefeated with Dalton at the helm. In which case it will be hard to change. The team is Justin's eventually, but there is no learning like on the field. and there are only 16 games a season assuming no playoffs

[dice]

Fields is the best QB already. I don't think that's the argument. I think it maybe comes down to the offensive line? Do you see how the line looks first, and then play him accordingly?

I don't know that Fields is the best QB out of the gate. You have two veterans that were great college QBs that have honed their craft for a decade too. I think it's pretty unlikely that Fields is the best immediately out of the gate actually. It's more that you know guys learn the most by doing, and the vast majority of NFL learning comes in the first two years. I don't think guys learn a whole lot on the sidelines personally.

agreed. I would say transition him to starting QB around game 6-7. Unless we are near undefeated with Dalton at the helm. In which case it will be hard to change. The team is Justin's eventually, but there is no learning like on the field. and there are only 16 games a season assuming no playoffs

if the bears are 4-2 w/ dalton playing well you would still hand the reigns to fields?

i said it earlier in the thread, but i think that the single most likely of countless scenarios is fields getting the ball in week 8 with the team sitting at 3-4. then he won't be expected to rally them to the playoffs, but if he does his career gets kickstarted in a big way

second most likely i think is fields starting in week 6 w/ team record 2-3. but i'm looking forward to the schedule coming out so that it gets a bit easier to speculate...

[CobyWhite0]

According to this article, QBs nowadays are much better off being "thrown to the wolves" as rookies

https://www.ganggreennation.com/2018/8/6/17655388/how-rookie-year-playing-time-impacts-a-qbs-future-chances-of-success-new-york-jets-sam-darnold

[TheSuzerain]

According to this article, QBs nowadays are much better off being "thrown to the wolves" as rookies

https://www.ganggreennation.com/2018/8/6/17655388/how-rookie-year-playing-time-impacts-a-qbs-future-chances-of-success-new-york-jets-sam-darnold

That's a case of correlation and not causation.

[dice]

According to this article, QBs nowadays are much better off being "thrown to the wolves" as rookies

https://www.ganggreennation.com/2018/8/6/17655388/how-rookie-year-playing-time-impacts-a-qbs-future-chances-of-success-new-york-jets-sam-darnold

That's a case of correlation and not causation.

exactly. there's really no way of knowing whether they guy who starts from day 1 and succeeds did so because he got the early exposure or because he was GOOD ENOUGH to handle the early exposure and learn/grow. every case is different

[dice]

small town mormon disney star uncomfortable with ja'marr chase flashing gang sign:

https://i.imgur.com/g5tslL8.mp4

Visibly so. He is in for a culture shock. And Chase is an idiot for doing that.

I'm a huge anti-cult type person because of my personal history, but in fairness to that kid, it is a little uncomfortable of a situation. His reaction was understood.

is that actually a gang sign?

regardless, it's a meme-worthy joke. i'm not even sure that wilson is looking at chase's hands when be backs off and APPEARS to be uncomfortable. and if i don't know whether it's a gang sign, he probably doesn't either

[chicagoballer]

I don't know that Fields is the best QB out of the gate. You have two veterans that were great college QBs that have honed their craft for a decade too. I think it's pretty unlikely that Fields is the best immediately out of the gate actually. It's more that you know guys learn the most by doing, and the vast majority of NFL learning comes in the first two years. I don't think guys learn a whole lot on the sidelines personally.

agreed. I would say transition him to starting QB around game 6-7. Unless we are near undefeated with Dalton at the helm. In which case it will be hard to change. The team is Justin's eventually, but there is no learning like on the field. and there are only 16 games a season assuming no playoffs

if the bears are 4-2 w/ dalton playing well you would still hand the reigns to fields?

i said it earlier in the thread, but i think that the single most likely of countless scenarios is fields getting the ball in week 8 with the team sitting at 3-4. then he won't be expected to rally them to the playoffs, but if he does his career gets kickstarted in a big way

second most likely i think is fields starting in week 6 w/ team record 2-3. but i'm looking forward to the schedule coming out so that it gets a bit easier to speculate...

2-3, 3-3, or 3-4 will work without much locker room dysfunction. Having schedule will help as you said. I hope the defense is above average. Assuming our O-line is above average, we could be in for an exciting year of football. Probably won’t go far in playoffs, but will be fun

[Sinistar6]

I am really excited but I am starting to have some anxiety about this pick. I can not believe the only reason he dropped is because of team needs and other QBs excelling. This has been a top 2 QB in his class since high school. Did Zack Wilson really have that great of a year and pro day and does Trey Lance really have that much upside? JF ran a 4.4 40... his metrics on deep throws is off the charts, he had success at a Blue chip college, toughness leader etc. why did he drop? IMO no news about Fields is good news until the season starts. I realize this is delusional just not really used to these things happening in Chitown sports.

[Stratmaster]

Unless Dalton completely outplays him in training camp and preseason which is highly unlikely; or unless Fields just can't absorb the offense quickly enough, which from what I have heard is also highly unlikely, Fields should start game 1.

And I am the guy that preaches bringing rookies along slowly. But that is in basketball.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

[Am2626]

I don't know that Fields is the best QB out of the gate. You have two veterans that were great college QBs that have honed their craft for a decade too. I think it's pretty unlikely that Fields is the best immediately out of the gate actually. It's more that you know guys learn the most by doing, and the vast majority of NFL learning comes in the first two years. I don't think guys learn a whole lot on the sidelines personally.

agreed. I would say transition him to starting QB around game 6-7. Unless we are near undefeated with Dalton at the helm. In which case it will be hard to change. The team is Justin's eventually, but there is no learning like on the field. and there are only 16 games a season assuming no playoffs

if the bears are 4-2 w/ dalton playing well you would still hand the reigns to fields?

i said it earlier in the thread, but i think that the single most likely of countless scenarios is fields getting the ball in week 8 with the team sitting at 3-4. then he won't be expected to rally them to the playoffs, but if he does his career gets kickstarted in a big way

second most likely i think is fields starting in week 6 w/ team record 2-3. but i'm looking forward to the schedule coming out so that it gets a bit easier to speculate...

I don’t think you make Fields a starter if Dalton has the team playing well. A lot of great QB’s have had the benefit of waiting and learning from the sidelines. Because Dalton isn’t anything special I wouldn’t just make him the starter either from day one. Make it an open competition and let the best guy win.

[Sinistar6]

Deleting my post because it is a defeatist attitude and has no substance. -1000 points