Originally Posted by Born2Steel
Post-Tuitt-Retirement-Edit:
DL - Heyward, Alualu, Wormley, Loudermilk, Leal, Adams
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Post-Tuitt-Retirement-Edit:
DL - Heyward, Alualu, Wormley, Loudermilk, Leal, Adams
obi wan gunjobi
So much has happened since I made the initial post. A couple cuts and signings, Tuitt retiring, etc., and the preseason almost upon us... it's time to take another peek and prediction based on the current lay of the land.
Roster Construction:
QB Mitchell Trubisky
QB Mason Rudolph
QB Kenny Pickett
WR Diontae Johnson
WR George Pickens
WR Chase Claypool
WR Calvin Austin III
WR Miles Boykin
WR Kaleb "Gunner" Olszewski
TE Pat Freiermuth
TE Zach Gentry
TE Connor Heyward
RB Najee Harris
RB Jeremy McNichols
RB Mataeo Durant
FB Derek John Watt
LT Dan Moore Jr.
LT Joe Haeg
LG Kendrick Green
LG Kevin Dotson
OC Mason Cole
OC JC Hassenauer
RG James Daniels
RG John Leglue
RT Chukwuma Okorafor
RT Trent Scott
PK Chris Boswell
P Biggus Kickus
LS Christian Kuntz
LDE Chris Wormley
LDE Isaiahh Loudermilk
DT Larry Ogunjobi
DT Montravius Adams
NT Tyson Alualu
RDE Cameron Heyward
RDE DeMarvin Lael
LOLB TJ Watt
LOLB Tuzar Skipper
LILB Myles Jack
LILB Mark Robinson
RILB Devin Bush
RILB Robert Spillane
ROLB Alex Highsmith
ROLB Genard Avery
SS Terrell Edmunds
SS Miles Killebrew
FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
FS Damontae Kazee
LCB Ahkello Witherspoon
LCB Arthur Maulet
RCB Levi Wallace
RCB Cameron Sutton
RCB Tre Norwood
_____
UDFA with an outside shot:
RB Jaylen Warren
OC Jordan Tucker
OLB Tyree Johnson
Outside looking in:
QB Chris Oladokun
WR Anthony Miller
WR Cody White
TE Kevin Rader
RB Benny Snell Jr.
RB Anthony McFarland Jr.
OG Nate Gilliam
OT Chaz Green
CB James Pierre
CB Justin Layne
CB Carlins Platel
SS Karl Joseph
DL Carlos Davis
DL Khalil Davis
DL Henry Mondeaux
DT Doug Costin
EDGE Delontae Scott
EDGE Derrek Tuszka
ILB Buddy Johnson
ILB Marcus Allen
ILB Ulysses Gilbert III
Probable Cuts:
WR Tyler Vaughns
WR Steven Sims Jr.
TE Jace Sternberger
OG Delontae Scott
P Cameron Nizialek
K Nick Sciba
SS Donovan Stiner
FS Linden Stephens
Other UDFA/Minicamp:
WR Tyler Snead
OT Jake Dixon
DL Donovan Jeter
OLB TD Moultry
OG Chris Owens
CB Chris Steele
___
Most notable changes:
-Tuitt's retirement and the signing of Ogunjobi
-Jeremy McNichols signing
-Signing of Trent Scott pushing out Chaz Green
-Tuzar Skipper's triumphant return, displacing Tuszka.
-I want to love Karl Joseph but I can't find space for him with Killebrew around
-A few guys no longer around include Tegray Scales, John Simon, Trey Edmunds, Malcolm Pridgeon, Bryce Watts, Rico Bussey, Daniel Archibong
Biggest needs (imo):
-A bonafide #2 RB. McNichols is a step in the right direction and a nice situational guy. But Alex Collins is still out there... go get him.
-A real backup swing tackle. I'm happier with Trent Scott than Chaz Green but we still need a real presence at backup. Riley Reiff and Eric Fisher are both still available. Reiff would slide in perfectly and we could cut Haeg.
-Perhaps a real center. Very happy with McDaniels and Dotson/Green at guard spots. Cole and Hassenauer don't inspire me at C though.
-Perhaps veteran EDGE depth. Ryan Kerrigan is still out there. Would rather have him than Genard Avery.
-Perhaps a true NT. But I don't know what to tell you as far as prospects. Alualu is fine, even good. But he's 35 and coming off season ending injury rehab. Our system needs solid NT play. Is Montravius Adams good enough?
-Veteran WR to supplant Boykin maybe? Especially if there's a likelihood of this being DJ's last year. I'm actually excited about Boykin's potential. But we're bursting at the seams with WR potential. We could use an ol' reliable to give the room a steady hand over the next couple years, maybe provide leadership to guys like Chase, etc.
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Archibong retired so he can be included in the no longer around list.
Thanks, done. They still have him on the roster list so didn't realize.
This wasn't worth starting a new thread for but the Bears are rebuilding and Roquan Smith asked for a trade.
Then your ILB cadre looks like this suddenly:
LILB Myles Jack
LILB Devin Bush
RILB Roquan Smith
RILB Robert Spillane
With these guys all fighting for a roster spot:
Mark Robinson, Buddy Johnson, UG3, Marcus Allen
I'm guessing Buddy Johnson and Mark Robinson to the practice squad.
We'd suddenly have a nasty interior and the CB1 question is much less of a problem too. I would absolutely trade a first round pick for him. We were going to be looking for an ILB next offseason anyway, with Bush's option not picked up and Spillane being a UFA after the season. We also don't have any major extensions to give out in the next couple years. I would trade for Roquan and give him a nice extension and solve that problem.
We aren't going to use that first round pick on a 2023 QB anyway, at this point.
I would have zero problem with this plan. It is the exact kinda thing that a team should do when they don't have to pay a QB -- or really anyone else on offense for a few more years.
I'm not a fan of trading a first round pick before the season, especially when you're not a true super bowl contender.
If the steelers are awful this year and Pickett plays 10 or more game and he's just awful and he's not an NFL caliber QB and your draft pick you traded is a top 10, you have no chance of drafting a QB ,a thing that would be very painful to watch
It's of course the worst possible case scenario, but I would be very careful to trade the first round pick in the situation we are in!
This would be akin to when we traded a first for Minkah almost. That level impact. No way the team would win fewer than 10 games this season without an historic amount of injuries.
I doubt it happens anyway, but-- the timeline would line up for us and I'd be perfectly fine with it.
Smith wants to be paid, we already have the NFL's most expensive defense.
Matt Eberflus: Ask Roquan Smith why he’s not practicing after he was cleared
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 11, 2022
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus did not sound happy with linebacker Roquan Smith today.
Smith has been cleared from the physically unable to perform list and is healthy enough to practice, but he’s sitting out as he seeks a trade to a team that will give him a lucrative contract extension. Eberflus encouraged reporters today to ask Smith why he’s choosing not to practice.
to read rest of article:
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...e-was-cleared/
another reason to not make this trade!
Got something else to doend the cap space on?
Only "long term" piece they (on paper) are lacking on offense is center and backup RB.
IF they got their evals right, they are set at every other position with someone who is cheap and young.
This is one of those rare vectors where we actually have both the space and the need to make it happen - we comfortably have the cap room while we have Mitchell for cheap and Pickett on a rookie deal, and the cap expected to explode. We're also in a position where we're going to have to spend significant salary and/or draft capital on ILB next offseason anyway. If we have a package that the Bears are happy with (I'll send them a first and Buddy Johnson...) and get a sign/trade done, I think it's a homerun and we have in the middle what we've been looking for since Shazier went down.
Basically we're going to have to spend money/draft on ILB anyway. We'd be giving whoever is our starting QB in 2023 a no-excuses shot of a lifetime to be carried by the defense and skill players.
Plus, if we get him, that means the Ravens can't.
Roquan Smith is looking to become the top paid off ball linebacker in football.
no thanks to an overrated player, PFF gives him only a rating of 47 (they have his run defending rated very low).
https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/ro...inues-to-climb
I dunno if PFF is on point here. I know that early in his career, Smith had some welcome to the NFL moments and got pushed around. Since then? Seems to be flying around in the middle of that Bears defense and making good things happen.
People around the NFL seem to evaluate Smith's play really highly.
Plus we’re desperate at ILB. That’s why we traded up to get Bush in first place. It’s similar to QB position , we don’t like what we got so try and find something better. You’ve got to be excited they are trying at least. Sure beats handing Mason job or Bush /Spillane. I know Spillane has had great camp and he probably beats out Bush, but come regular season he will be a liability if he starts. Great backup.
I don't think the steelers are desperate like last year at this position with the addition of Myles Jack
Imagine they don't pursue Roquan. Because honestly, it's unlikely anyway. That still leaves us in a situation where next offseason both Spillane and Bush are free agents. And we just cut UG3. That leaves our ILB core as Myles Jack, Buddy Johnson, and Mark Robinson.
We're going to have to draft or sign at least two guys anyway. And chances are, one of those guys is going to be a relatively big signing... unless the team banks on filling the starting ILB position opposite Jack, with its first round draft pick. But this team doesn't go into the draft with holes like that.
Here's the drawback. I said we'll have to either draft or pay somebody. Trading for Roquan would cost "both." I concede that point. But I'm happy to do it to get ahead of this issue is what I'm saying. We'll see how the position plays out though.
BUT....for once, they could easily pay the cost and not care.
Cap space is no problem. They are running out of guys to give big money to.
But at the same time....they don't have a lot of roster holes that typically get filled with first round picks. The entire offense seems set. I don't agree with it, but they seem pretty happy with their OTs and guards - leaves center. The skill position is pretty well filled out. On defense, there are questions at DE, ILB, and CB.
But the Steelers don't usually draft C, DE, and CB in the first round. But they DO draft LBs in the first round.
I don't think Smith gets traded. I don't think the Steelers trade for him if he does...but the cost shouldn't be the issue if they decline to pursue a deal.
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If Roquan Smith sits out and refuses to play this year, how much does he cost to sign next offseason? He's playing for roughly $10M this season and is unrestricted after. I don't really see his leverage in this.
He has zero leverage and I think he knows it. But the new Bears regime seems to be kinda adrift. Word is none of the players understand the plan. They don't appear willing to spend much $$$ etc.
I think Smith just wants out.
For the most part,the bears have always been cheap!
Good point. It's a shame to see such a storied franchise so badly run.
Id read that the new GM was well regarded and all that. But Im suspicious of ANY rebuild plan that surrounds the the young QB with not much on the OL and Byron Pringle at WR.
But I don't follow to closely,so maybe it's better than it seems!
Their WR are just terrible right now!
Darnell Mooney is pretty good.
But, besides that…
So 25 year old rookies with only one year of good college production aren't the answer?
I'm only asking about Velus "Velvet" Jones and NO ONE else. Nope. Notthinking of any other player. At. All.
On another note, imagine Justin Fields development alongside the Steelers offensive skill players?
QB: They won't do it based off just one exhibition game, but potential to promote Pickett to QB2? In theory I wouldn't but - besides his beautiful deep ball, Rudolph looked the worst of the three, even if he didn't look that bad. Two passes that should have been picked. I won't lay the fumble on him - Dan Moore did a turnstyle impression on that play. (and I won't fret about Dan Moore. He showed promise last year, and it's the preseason). In a vacuum, one preseason game isn't much to worry about Rudolph with, but the other two guys both looked a cut above.
WR: If CAIII really has a Lisfranc - chalk him up to the IR for the season, and suddenly you have two positions being competed for by three guys: Anthony Miller, Miles Boykin, and... Steven Sims, a surprise entrant but the man is looking like he belongs.
RB: Warren and Teague both looked roughly equally good, but Warren did it against better competition. However - Warren lost the football. I'll go against the grain and say Advantage Teague. We're going to get a lot of looks at both of these guys in the next few weeks because I have a feeling one will be kept and one won't.
We were awful defending the run up the gut. We seem to have a lot of promise at QB and passable Center play, so let's go ahead and dangle that 2023 first , Buddy Johnson, and a sack of chipped ham, for Roquan Smith. I'm telling yinz.
Karl Joseph was a first round draft pick who couldn't stay healthy and I thought a backup position would be perfect for him... and now he's in a cast. Thanks for the memories, Karl. If Kazee and Witherspoon are injured too... maybe it's time to call Joe Haden up.
I really wanted Skipper to be a glorious comeback story but he doesn't seem to have it. Keep an eye on Hamilcar, who did show up tonight.
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I've only seen one tweet on Calvin Austin's injury being a lisfranc sprain. Tomlin said "foot injury". I hope it's not a lisfranc. I like Sims and he looked good on the jet sweep and the punt return. I see Sims as that PS guy and the first to be called up. If CA3 is out for a while then that helps Sims. Also like the way Gunnar played. Got some YAC. Wonder why he wasn't in on returns though.
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