GREEN BAY — There’s no questioning how Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus saved issues calm throughout a rocky begin to this season, retaining the day by day give attention to the duty at hand amid turbulence that simply might have tanked the season.
After a 17-9 season-ending loss to the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field, Eberflus’ steadying affect is one thing the Bears have to contemplate within the coming hours and days. But loads will go into their choice, and we’ll begin 10 ideas with Eberflus’ future.
1. It would have been good for Matt Eberflus and everybody concerned if the Bears might have upset the Packers.
Instead they misplaced for the tenth consecutive time and the 14th within the final 15 conferences. As properly because the Bears matched up in opposition to the Detroit Lions — they bodily dealt with the NFC North champs within the trenches throughout each conferences — this was a foul matchup this season.
The Packers managed this recreation up entrance. The Bears didn’t have a solution for Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary and Co., and consequently they couldn’t defend Justin Fields or run the ball. Jordan Love bought the ball out shortly, finishing 27 of 32 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns and negating the latest success of the Bears cross rush. Aaron Jones (22 carries, 111 yards) grew to become the primary operating again to achieve triple digits in opposition to the Bears protection this season.
The victory propelled the Packers (9-8) into the playoffs because the No. 7 seed within the NFC and sends them to Dallas for a wild-card recreation Sunday. What the schedule holds for Eberflus stays to be seen. He mentioned he would conduct exit interviews with each participant on the roster from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. He and common supervisor Ryan Poles sat in Eberflus’ workplace and went by means of that course of final season and located it helpful.
“(Monday) is strictly this,” Eberflus mentioned. “We get suggestions on each side of this system, all of the techniques we’ve in place relative to the efficiency workers, the load workers, the trainers, the cafeteria, the meals, the schedule. That’s been invaluable to us. The journey, how we journey on the highway and all the things. That is fairly exhaustive.
“We get great feedback from the players. That’s how we’re going to improve the Chicago Bears going forward, getting feedback from the players. Those are the ones that matter. The players are our product and we’ve got to do a great job and do everything we can to help them perform their very best.”
Where Eberflus matches into the image past that continues to be to be seen. The crew is required by league rule to carry an end-of-season media session inside one week of the ultimate recreation. The Bears knowingly skirted that rule just a few years again when then-coach Matt Nagy was searching for a defensive coordinator, however I’d count on one thing to be scheduled at Halas Hall later this week. I wouldn’t learn into it both means when it comes to Eberflus’ future that we don’t but have a day, time or record of who will likely be current.
A 7-10 end this season is a four-game enchancment from a 12 months in the past, when the roster was stripped down and the wage cap reset. Considering the place the Bears had been on the finish of the primary month — 0-4 and reeling — it was a good run to complete the slate.
They didn’t face essentially the most difficult schedule alongside the way in which. They prevented large slumps after the poor begin. They had three actually dangerous losses wherein they melted down within the fourth quarter, and people are pitfalls that younger groups can encounter.
I do know it was fashionable to knock the thought of studying tips on how to win a 12 months in the past because the crew spiraled to the No. 1 decide (with assist on the finish from Lovie Smith and the Houston Texans). That No. 1 decide served the Bears properly, no query. They’ve needed to discover ways to win a bit this season, and typically there are some powerful classes alongside the way in which.
Here is what I consider:
- I consider Eberflus has a four-year contract. I don’t know that for a reality, however I’m assured that’s the case. I requested him at his introductory information convention what the size of his contract was, and he declined to say. Some on social media had been essential of the query on the time. I’ve poked round on this these days and have been led to consider it’s 4 years. It’s related whenever you look to the long run. That means he probably has two years remaining on his contract. Since the mid-Nineteen Fifties, the one Bears coach to not get a 3rd 12 months was Marc Trestman, who was fired after the 2014 season.
- I consider common supervisor Ryan Poles has been impressed by plenty of issues Eberflus has completed this season.
“You can go back to the original press conference and things that I was looking for,” Poles mentioned Sunday throughout a pregame interview with play-by-play man Jeff Joniak on WMVP-AM 1000. “One is management and the psychological toughness and the regular hand to actually captain the ship when the seas are tough, and so they bought tough at sure instances. Certainly final 12 months, early this 12 months, there was some sudden change and he was regular on the wheel.
“He fought to get back above water and get things to where they were. His ability to adapt and adjust, really take input from the players to get this thing on the right path was incredible where I think a lot of people would have been in really bad shape and crumbled to the pressure. He got better with the pressure and so did our football team.”
- I consider President/CEO Kevin Warren will play a job within the decision-making course of.
- I consider if Eberflus makes it to a 3rd season with the Bears, he would accomplish that with two new coordinators. My hunch is Eberflus would name defensive performs subsequent season if he’s again, and the offense actually struggled at instances this season and I doubt the blame is positioned solely on quarterback Justin Fields. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy might be in a tough spot. So a query the Bears can have for Eberflus is what sort of imaginative and prescient does he have for his workers in 2024. Does it impress them?
- I consider the Bears higher be very assured of their potential to draw a high candidate at Halas Hall IF they select to fireplace Eberflus. There might be a bunch of openings, and a few groups discover a technique to often be within the hiring and firing cycle.
I by no means would have thought Eberflus would discover a technique to stick round when the Bears had been 2-6 after the primary two months. He has an opportunity. He saved the crew collectively. He saved it taking part in arduous. He oversaw the event of younger gamers on either side of the ball.
But if the Bears are going to reboot at quarterback — and a method or one other, I count on them to draft one within the first spherical — do they need a brand new head coach? I count on we’ll have an replace on Eberflus’ standing quickly.
“Expectation is a future word,” Eberflus mentioned when requested if he believes he’ll return. “For me, I’ve bought to be proper right here, proper now. I’ve these conferences (Monday) and I’ll have conferences after that, later within the week — I don’t know precisely when that’s but — with possession and everyone else. And we’ll determine it out from there.
“The foundation has been set, the standards are set how we operate. I do know that. And I do know the locker room. I do know that for sure. And we’re standing on solid ground. Hard work, passion for the game and enthusiasm for the game, and we’re just going to keep working together to build this thing.”
I didn’t put large weight into the season-ending recreation. Had the Bears received, would you actually really feel that otherwise about Eberflus? A loss would have dropped the Packers to 8-9. Would have been good to beat the rivals. Would have been good to maintain them out of the playoffs. Would have been good to get yet another win on the finish of the season. But the concept a ton was at stake with this one recreation was overblown.
There’s a complete 12 months to guage — two full years actually — and we’ll see which path it goes.
2. Major strikes by the Bears will contain enter from the parents within the group you’d count on to be concerned.
That contains Chairman George McCaskey, fairly presumably different members of the family on the possession degree, President/CEO Kevin Warren and GM Ryan Poles. If the Bears are sensible, they’re going to wish to empower Poles right here.
That’s one factor McCaskey has constantly mentioned since he was elevated to the chairman function after the 2010 season. He has employed soccer folks and allowed them to do their jobs. That all the time has matched up with what these soccer of us have mentioned. McCaskey hasn’t meddled and he has been a sounding board. He will need solutions every so often — all house owners ought to — however he believes in letting the parents he has employed do their factor.
Warren is new to the equation. He has spent an terrible very long time within the NFL working for the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, however he by no means has been one to make soccer hires. He does have a confirmed observe report as a winner in enterprise — simply have a look at a number of the offers he accomplished with the Big Ten — and his NFL expertise and connections make him certified to be on this new scenario. No query about that.
Poles has the Bears in a captivating place. They personal the No. 1 draft decide from the commerce final March and their very own decide will likely be No. 9. The crew’s salary-cap scenario has been rotated. There are some younger gamers on the roster who appear like official constructing blocks.
Not each transfer Poles has made has labored, and no person goes to hit on all the things. As I wrote on Saturday, one component of the Montez Sweat commerce that actually goes underappreciated is that took some actual huevos somewhat greater than three weeks after admitting the Chase Claypool transfer had blown up on him. Poles didn’t enable one dangerous course of to taint how he dealt with a separate course of.
He has the respect of these across the constructing, and also you get the sensation he has completed a pleasant job connecting with folks in all corners of the group. That hasn’t all the time been the case at Halas Hall.
We could haven’t any clue how the sausage is made this week in Lake Forest. When the mud settles, I’d be shocked in the event that they didn’t announce that everybody arrived on the identical conclusion. Funny the way it’s virtually all the time unanimous, proper?
Poles has most likely impressed each McCaskey and Warren. I’d guess they’ve many questions for him — together with the place the method of scouting C.J. Stroud took him and his workers final spring — however in the long run they most likely will lean on Poles to chart a path into 2024.
3. The hot-button matter about what the long run will maintain for Justin Fields and the Bears will rage into the offseason.
There’s little civil discourse concerned if the dialog is happening on social media, that’s for certain.
There are going to be extra methods to investigate the scenario than I can think about between now and the draft. Here’s one factor that caught with me once I spoke to a participant personnel director from one other membership this week.
“If Minnesota re-signs Kirk Cousins this offseason, who knows what the Vikings wind up doing, but if Cousins returns there, the Bears have the fourth-best quarterback in the division,” the participant personnel man mentioned.
I don’t assume you’ll be able to argue in opposition to it. The Bears — after they have matched up in opposition to him — have performed fairly properly in opposition to Jared Goff. But his numbers over the course of this season, and from final season, are a heck of loads higher. The scary factor is the franchise that had Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers most likely has one of the best within the circuit proper now in Jordan Love.
Fields had some electrical video games this season, some wow video games, not simply wow performs. He threw 4 landing passes in a Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos and adopted it up with 4 extra landing passes 5 days later in a Week 5 victory at Washington. He performed very well within the Dec. 10 win over the Lions. He dissected the Atlanta Falcons final week at Soldier Field in a 37-17 blowout.
Fields totaled 5 landing passes over his remaining eight video games. The Bears went with out an offensive landing in two of their remaining six video games and within the loss at Cleveland the lone offensive scoring drive went only one yard.
Blame is to be shared and it might unfold. As I wrote above, if Matt Eberflus returns, I’d assume he’s doing so with a brand new offensive coordinator. It’s potential to say each the coordinator and the quarterback haven’t been ok.
The concept was for the Bears to encompass Fields with extra expertise this season and see how he carried out. He bought a top-10 large receiver in DJ Moore (96 receptions, 1,364 yards, 8 TDs) and the passing offense improved from thirty second to twenty sixth.
Love, who completed the season with 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, was slinging the ball Sunday to Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Jayden Reed and Malik Heath — three rookies and one participant thought of to be in his first season.
Fields confirmed some enchancment all through the season. He began defending the soccer higher when he returned from the best thumb harm that value him 4 video games. Started managing the pocket somewhat higher and made a few good performs right here — he gunned an 18-yard shot over the center to Equanimeous St. Brown on the opening possession. He related with tight finish Cole Kmet for a 27-yard achieve later after escaping the pocket to his left and making a pointy throw downfield. But in the long run Fields was 11 of 16 for 148 yards. He was sacked 5 instances. Fill-in middle Dan Feeney struggled and left guard Teven Jenkins had a poor displaying.
Fields was in an identical spot a 12 months in the past when the Bears additionally had the No. 1 decide within the draft, so it’s not like he’s getting into uncharted waters.
“We had the same topics and stuff last year,” he mentioned. “It’s not like we didn’t have the No. 1 decide final 12 months. It’s going to be the identical factor. I management what I can management. I’m going to get wholesome this offseason, spend time with my household and get higher.
“We went through the same thing last year, we had the No. 1 pick, everybody was asking ‘What if? What if? What if?’ And nothing happened. I’m not saying that nothing might happen (this offseason) cause, shoot, we all don’t know. But I’m not going to let the potential or ‘what if’ stress me from enjoying life and going through my everyday life.”
I give Fields credit score. He’s been fairly balanced by means of the final three seasons and he’s been in some powerful and a few no-win conditions. I believe issues bought higher for him within the constructing after the early-season dialogue about “robotic” play and training. I believe that improved communication and no matter blowback there was, he didn’t enable it to alter how he projected his message each week.
“That decision (on the future) is not in my hands,” Fields mentioned. “All I can control is what I did do. I gave it my all. Whether it’s here or not, I have no regrets. Shout out to you guys for making my job a little bit harder. To the city of Chicago, love ya’ll. Appreciate the fans and the support from all the Bears, you know, and in case this is my last rodeo with ya’ll, appreciate ya’ll for everything.”
4. There is a contingent of fairly vocal of us who consider the Bears must undergo one other offseason of constructing round Justin Fields.
With the draft capital the crew has, there might be some shiny new components, little question.
There’s been no narrative in Houston that the Texans must construct round quarterback C.J. Stroud to present him an opportunity to succeed. On Saturday, Stroud grew to become the fifth rookie in league historical past to cross for 4,000 yards, one thing he achieved in 15 video games as a concussion sidelined him for 2 weeks. The Texans went from being positively terrible a 12 months in the past to profitable the AFC South and Stroud did his half with a forged of gamers who didn’t get a lot consideration earlier than the season started.
WR Nico Collins — Former third-round decide totaled 70 catches for 927 yards in his first two seasons.
TE Dalton Schultz — Had one large season for Dallas in 2021 when he caught 78 passes for 808 yards and eight touchdowns.
WR Tank Dell — Rookie third-round decide measured 5-foot-8, 165 kilos on the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s been on injured reserve since Week 12.
WR Robert Woods — With his third crew in three seasons and in his eleventh 12 months, Woods is a shadow of the possession receiver he as soon as was for the Los Angeles Rams.
WR Noah Brown — The former seventh-round decide entered his sixth 12 months having produced one season with greater than 16 catches and 184 yards.
Bears followers would have accused Ryan Poles of malpractice had he surrounded Fields with a bunch of talent place gamers that resembled this in 2023. The group of men Jordan Love labored with all season was sort of comparable and youthful. For the sixteenth time since 2000, the Bears don’t have a 3,000-yard passer. Rex Grossman (2006), Jay Cutler (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015) and Mitch Trubisky (2019, 2020) are the membership’s solely 3,000-yard passers since Erik Kramer’s days within the Nineties.
The level is Stroud’s efficiency behind an offensive line that has had some shifting components raised the extent of your complete unit. The Texans will likely be a contender within the AFC South shifting ahead as a result of they’ve a star quarterback who ought to solely get higher.
Stroud averaged 8.2 yards per try, third-best within the league, and did it with a mediocre operating recreation that produced 91 or fewer dashing yards in 9 video games. Fields might be poised for extra enchancment with higher teaching and extra gamers round him. Can Poles be the man who handed on Stroud and the subsequent Stroud, whoever that’s?
5. I do see a path to Justin Fields being on the roster in 2024.
It’s means too untimely to say what the probabilities of it going this manner are.
I don’t assume the Bears — GM Ryan Poles and whoever is teaching the crew and operating the offense — will conclude Fields must be the starter subsequent season and the crew ought to go all-in on constructing round him. He hasn’t proven them sufficient.
There is a situation wherein the Bears might maintain Fields and draft a quarterback in Round 1. I don’t understand how a lot of an opportunity there’s for this and I believe it might be tough to drag off for just a few causes I’ll tick off within the subsequent part.
The hypothetical in play right here is the Bears commerce down from No. 1, presumably as a result of they’re not satisfied USC’s Caleb Williams is the man for them, and so they seize one other quarterback with a excessive first-round decide. Ryan Poles would have some additional draft capital, some probably in future years, and would nonetheless have his personal decide at No. 9.
Fields stays on high of the depth chart. The Bears have a rookie behind him. And away the Bears go into the offseason program. We’ll see numerous variations of this concocted over the subsequent few months. Who do the Bears commerce down with? What do they get in return? Which quarterbacks are in play for them after a commerce down?
Personally, this doesn’t appear to be the most definitely situation however when Poles talks, I believe we’re going to listen to him emphasize a methodical course of, one that’s going to usher in a ton of data and kind by means of all the things. If the Bears are trying into all the things, that is one thing they should weigh.
6. There has been some discourse concerning the Bears presumably retaining Justin Fields and drafting a quarterback within the first spherical, maybe after buying and selling down from No. 1.
It would put the Bears able wherein they might gather a windfall through the commerce and nonetheless choose a quarterback, let’s say within the high 5 or so picks for the sake of debate.
I’ve been against this being a official possibility for some time. But perhaps Ryan Poles and the Bears will wish to discover it. Let me clarify some challenges and arguments in opposition to it.
- If Poles had been to make use of a excessive first-round decide on a quarterback — drafting one within the high 5 and even high 10 — it might sign the crew is unsure Fields is the answer for the long run.
- The means NFL practices are designed, the No. 2 quarterback doesn’t get sufficient reps. So if the Bears had been to draft a quarterback and theoretically set him up for a “redshirt” season, there aren’t sufficient reps to develop the quarterback of the long run. Fields could be in a scenario wherein he would wish to play properly and win in 2024, and the Bears probably must take reps away from him to assist carry alongside the rookie. The Bears might say they’ve put intensive planning and thought right into a course of to do it, however the backside line is reps could be shaved from every participant. From a sensible standpoint, this might be a difficulty.
- One motive for drafting a quarterback — it’s removed from the largest however it’s a issue — is the concept the franchise can reset the clock with a rookie and transfer on from Fields. They would swap a quarterback on Year 4 of a four-year contract (with a fifth-year possibility) for a quarterback on Year 1 of a contract of the identical size. In this situation — retaining Fields and drafting a quarterback — they’d be losing a 12 months of the window for the rookie quarterback by “redshirting” him.
- The comparability to the Packers, who had Aaron Rodgers in place after they drafted Jordan Love within the first spherical in 2020, is an apples-to-oranges dialogue. Rodgers was a 36-year-old, two-time MVP and a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the Packers chosen Love. Rodgers went on to win two extra MVP awards. Fields, who turns 25 in March, isn’t in that stratosphere. Plus, the Packers drafted Love at No. 26 after he fell within the draft. They weren’t essentially pushed to pick a quarterback however felt he was too good to cross up contemplating Rodgers’ age.
- My hunch is Fields and his camp would push for a commerce if the Bears had been to draft a quarterback.
- Finally, the Bears should know that utilizing a excessive decide on a quarterback and retaining Fields would create a little bit of a circus at Halas Hall. National media could be there frequently, and if chatter concerning the QB scenario is polarizing now, it might attain new heights with QB1 and QB1a on the roster. Maybe that wouldn’t deter the Bears, however it might be a component they must acknowledge.
As I’ve talked about, there’s greater than sufficient time for each angle to be examined in nice element. The Bears will likely be in no rush to achieve a conclusion because the pre-draft course of is simply cranking up.
7. The Bears need to be ecstatic they made it by means of the season in exceptionally good well being.
They needed to do some shuffling on the offensive line initially of the season and handled some accidents within the secondary, however defensive finish Yannick Ngakoue was the one starter to land on injured reserve with a season-ending harm. Ngakoue suffered a fractured left ankle in Week 14, so he was wholesome for almost all of the season.
Left guard Teven Jenkins, free security Eddie Jackson and operating again Khalil Herbert missed 5 video games, quarterback Justin Fields was out for 4 and proper guard Nate Davis sat out 4 due to harm, however the Bears prevented having gamers endure the kind of points that shut them down for the season.
Fantasy Predictors created one thing referred to as a BUS for each crew. It’s a Banged Up Score, which evaluates the well being of each crew’s place group. It ranked the Bears No. 2 within the league behind the Los Angeles Rams.
Looking across the NFC North, the Packers are No. 6, the Detroit Lions are No. 14 and the Minnesota Vikings are No. 27, with the lack of quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon and large receiver Justin Jefferson for almost half the season with a hamstring harm.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus has been aware of the well being of his roster, tweaking the apply schedule throughout the stretch run. He monitored knowledge supplied by the sports activities science workers that confirmed how a lot operating gamers had completed and the way a lot restoration time could be optimum. That’s useful for soft-tissue accidents.
Football is a violent recreation and accidents occur. The Bears have been lucky in that space, little question one issue of their success within the second half of the season.
8. With the Bears ending in fourth place within the NFC North, their record of 2024 opponents is locked in.
Along with conventional residence/highway video games in opposition to divisional foes, they are going to play the next groups:
Home
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tennessee Titans
- Carolina Panthers
- New England Patriots
Road
- Arizona Cardinals
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- San Francisco 49ers
- Washington Commanders
It’s potential one of many residence video games might ship the Bears elsewhere. It would be the NFC’s season to be the “home” crew for worldwide video games. When there was buzz final offseason that they might be the “visitor” for a recreation in Germany in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs, the vibe I bought was it was extra probably the Bears would play internationally in 2024.
If this occurs — and the NFL has not made an announcement — I couldn’t start to enterprise a guess as to the place they’d be headed. The league is ready to play within the United Kingdom, Munich and São Paulo, Brazil, subsequent season.
The NFL usually doesn’t wish to transfer video games between divisional rivals to impartial websites. The Bears have performed in London twice and had been the “visitor” each instances.
9. The Bears have 16 gamers who will likely be free brokers.
That’s a big discount from the top of final season, when a whopping 30 gamers had been popping out of contract. Fifteen will likely be unrestricted free brokers with the one outlier cornerback Josh Blackwell, who will likely be an unique rights free agent.
The unrestricted free brokers by place (began eight or extra video games in daring):
- QB: Nathan Peterman
- RB: D’Onta Foreman
- WR: Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, Trent Taylor
- TE: Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan
- OL: Lucas Patrick, Dan Feeney
- DT: Justin Jones
- DE: Yannick Ngakoue, Rasheem Green
- LB: Dylan Cole
- CB: Jaylon Johnson
- ST: LS Patrick Scales
Johnson is the massive title, and barring one thing surprising — and who thought there could be a commerce request proper earlier than the deadline in October? — I consider the Bears will lengthen him or maintain him in place with the franchise or transition tag.
A small handful of different gamers might have a chance to re-sign with the crew. That course of will take a while to play out. I wouldn’t count on a lot motion earlier than the beginning of the brand new league 12 months — March 13 — nears. Naturally, what number of return will rely partially on what the crew does with the teaching workers.
10. The Bears had 30 gamers spend time on the apply squad this season.
They had 33 in 2022, 34 in 2021 and 33 in 2020, and the latter two seasons included strikes due to COVID-19. The NFL voted to develop the developmental squad to 12 gamers in 2020 and bumped that quantity to 16 for the final three seasons to make it simpler for groups to navigate the pandemic, with the quantity pushed to 17 for groups with a world participant.
Twelve gamers who frolicked on the apply squad appeared in a recreation: linebackers Micah Baskerville and DeMarquis Gates, tight finish Stephen Carlson, defensive backs Greg Stroman, A.J. Thomas, Christian Matthew and Joejuan Williams, defensive finish Daniel Hardy, quarterback Nathan Peterman, large receiver Collin Johnson and offensive linemen Aviante Collins and Doug Kramer. The Bears didn’t need to lean on any of them for intensive taking part in time, although, partially due to the nice well being I detailed above. Thirteen apply squad gamers noticed recreation time in 2022, 21.in 2021 and 10 in 2020.
Here’s the full variety of apply squad gamers from the final 9 seasons:
- 2023: 30
- 2022: 33
- 2021: 34
- 2020: 33
- 2019: 20
- 2018: 13
- 2017: 27
- 2016: 30
- 2015: 30
10a. The NFL is assembling blended teaching staffs for the Senior Bowl once more this 12 months, so the Bears, with the No. 1 decide, received’t have their workers teaching within the all-star recreation. The crew probably will nominate just a few assistants to take part within the occasion. Given that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was a head coach final 12 months, it’s unlikely the Bears can have a head coach or coordinator, however they might have an assistant or two in Mobile, Ala.
10b. There is somewhat buzz across the league that assistant common supervisor Ian Cunningham will likely be in play for a GM job within the hiring cycle that may hearth up Monday. Cunningham interviewed for GM jobs in Arizona and Tennessee final 12 months and declined a suggestion from the Cardinals. One nugget within the rumor mill is Cunningham and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh might be a match with the Los Angeles Chargers. If Cunningham lands a GM job, the Bears would obtain a compensatory third-round draft decide in 2024 and 2025.
10c. The CFP nationwide championship recreation Monday evening can have intrigue for draft functions with Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. a possible first-round decide and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy a risk to show professional.
Penix, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, has put up large numbers for the Huskies the final two seasons, passing for 9,289 yards and 66 touchdowns whereas taking part in with among the finest large receiver teams within the nation this season. There will likely be medical questions on Penix, who will flip 24 shortly after the draft. He suffered torn ACLs in 2018 and 2020 at Indiana, and his 2019 and 2021 seasons with the Hoosiers had been shortened by shoulder points. But he has been a big-armed playmaker since transferring to Washington.
Penix’s throwing movement is somewhat unorthodox and a few groups are flat-out turned off by left-handed quarterbacks. One longtime scout informed me he discovered from a fair older scout to not give attention to the throwing movement.
“Watch how the ball looks when it arrives, not how it looks when it’s released,” he mentioned.
Penix has been dropping dimes all season, and he couldn’t have a much bigger stage to carry out yet another time in opposition to the nation’s No. 1 scoring protection. Remember, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud elevated his draft inventory within the playoff final season earlier than the Houston Texans selected him No. 2 within the draft.
McCarthy, who turns 21 on Jan. 20 and has been in comparison with Andrew Luck by Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, has yet another shot, too, to present evaluators one thing to contemplate if he certainly opts for the NFL. There are questions on his slender body — he’s listed at 6-foot-3, 202 kilos — however he’s athletic, strikes properly, has a fast launch and has been very correct. Michigan favors a run-heavy offense, and scouts have been hoping to see him drop again and throw extra.
The Bears most likely really feel like they will get essentially the most full scouting report potential on McCarthy. Jeff Shiver joined the Bears as a scout in 1987, the identical 12 months the crew drafted Harbaugh within the first spherical. As I hear it, there may not be a scout within the nation who has a greater relationship with Harbaugh. On high of that, the Bears employed Sean Magee as chief of workers for Matt Eberflus in May 2022. Magee got here from Michigan, the place he was an affiliate athletic director for soccer.
There are different intriguing prospects within the recreation. Huskies large receiver Rome Udunze might be a top-10 decide. Washington large receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, offensive sort out Troy Fautanu and defensive finish Bralen Trice and Michigan defensive sort out Kris Jenkins and defensive again Rod Moore are also value keeping track of.
10d. Jaylon Johnson missed the sport with a shoulder harm. The excellent news is the cornerback informed me he doesn’t consider surgical procedure will likely be required. Earlier in his profession, he had surgical procedures on each shoulders.
10e. Strong security Jaquan Brisker summed issues up in a good style utilizing 5 sentences.
“It feels like we’re moving in the right direction,” Brisker mentioned. “Lot of things going right, going positive. From 3-14 to 7-10. If we want to be honest, we probably should have four more wins and be in the playoffs. That’s a lot of woulda, coulda but that’s how we feel.”
10f. Kicker Cairo Santos went 3-for-3 on discipline targets, connecting from 50, 39 and 35 yards. He completed 35 of 38 (92.1%) for the season, incomes a $500,000 bonus as a result of he completed above 90%. The first kick Sunday hit the left upright earlier than going by means of.
“I thought it was going to sneak in,” Santos mentioned. “Once I saw the initial ball flight I was like, ‘No.’ And then it kept knuckling back inside and I thought it was going to sneak in. It kissed the upright and I was pumped up after that one.”
10g. Here’s an oddball statistic. The Bears had six gamers end the season with a minimum of 100 dashing yards: Justin Fields, Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Darrynton Evans and Tyson Bagent. The final time they did that was 1988 with Neal Anderson, Thomas Sanders, Brad Muster, Matt Suhey, Jim Harbaugh and Jim McMahon.
10h. Keep a watch out for Bears gear supervisor Tony Medlin on the sideline throughout Super Bowl LVIII. He will likely be in command of the sport balls. It’s one thing the league has requested Medlin to do yearly since Super Bowl XXXIII (Jan. 31, 1999) aside from Super Bowl XLI, when he had extra urgent duties for the Bears throughout a rain-soaked recreation in Miami Gardens, Fla.
10i. Thank you for studying this season.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com