Smith representing himself is probably the worst case scenario for the Bears. Throwing Pace under the bus and asking the McCaskey family to take over negotiations is lunatic shit… Hopefully we can get a nice draft pick back from the trade.
Lockdown CBs, elite edge rushers, and Aaron Donald. Anything else on defense is replaceable. I don't see how you can justify paying an inside linebacker that much money when there are so many other holes to fill over the coming years. But it's still a bad look for the org, which sucks...but their rep can't get much worse (aside from the legal/league issues in other orgs)
I agree on where you want to invest $ into building the roster. You also have the added uncertainty of him moving to OLB in 4-3. I think he will be fine but you don't know till you see it live. His statement reads as if he's looking for #1 LB in the NFL money... His play doesn't justify that figure. If you could pay him top 5 I think thats fair but his comment about needing to help the position group take a step forward doesn't make it seem like he's going to take that type of offer.
What does a thinning WR market have to do with Smith. You can't make rash decision based on what if's.
He's not going to be able to make a big impact on a team with as many holes as the Bears We need to keep adding picks
I don’t really agree with the point, but it’s basically assuming that they’re going to overpay lackluster wr’s in free agency and that money would be better used to extend roquan. Hopefully they’re overpaying (not egregiously obviously) any and all legit linemen in free agency.
Yeah I see that point but he clearly mentions that money isn't and wont be an issue moving forward. I think this comes down to Pace understanding the team is a total shit show and you might not really be a playoff contender till 2024 so how willing are you going to be giving Smith a deal that will make him the highest paid LB in football. I'm with you, I'm investing in OL and DL this offseason via free agency if the market allows. I would draft the talent to go around Fields. Because at this point they need 2 WRs and a TE.
Sure, it's not an either or situation. Clearly Smith is trying to set the market and Pace isn't willing to. Are you trying to pay him Fred Warner money? Because Smith seems to want to be above 5/95
i haven’t seen him wanting above 5/95 but I think he should get something in that neighborhood. Of course it really comes down to guaranteed cash. The only specifics I’ve seen about the contract was
He just said it in his statement. "the deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself, and the entire LB Market" This kind of sums it up for me...
Hicks, Nichols, and Goldman are all gone I don't think he'll have another year like he did last year playing behind this Dline
i bet he’ll have an even better one as a weakside linebacker in a 4-3 as opposed to a middle linebacker in a 3-4. He’s going to be a faster lance Briggs
After reading all the reports earlier this morning I was thinking he’d just resign and it was posturing. Now reading these ILB deals and some of the takes in here I’m on the fence. I will say this, Poles has to be very careful about throwing away too many years in his rebuild. You’ll get 2 years grace in the NFL and then in year 3 his seat will get hot regardless if the record isn’t there. I’d be real careful if I were him just pissing years away.
Agreed but that 3rd year will be a warm seat if he’s 5-12, 6-11, and then that 3rd year is probably make or break, You better be damn close to making the playoffs. He’s going to have to overpay next year to build this team at the rate we’re going, I’m not sure if trading away your top player gets you closer to a 4th year.
The hardest thing to do in sports is get a star player. Right now the bears have 1. If poles is an amazing GM and in 2 years the bears are so good they have so many star players they can’t pay them all then you can start prioritizing keeping star players at positions that are not as easily replaceable.
Star? No. Top 5 player at his position in the NFL? Yes. If that’s the case you probably sign the guy now because it’ll be a good deal in 2 years after others resign.
He fucking tossed Poles under the boss and told owner ship to go above the man they just hired to run the organization. What did anyone expect. If your going to represent yourself in contract talks you must have the ability to not get emotional about the talks. Clearly Smith isn't/wasn’t and now it’s a shit show.
If a legit 1 was on the table he would be out of Chicago at this point. I don’t see a roster that would be willing to give that draft capital up AND reset the LB market on a new contract like Smith wants.
He just needs to get an agent so he quits pulling dumb shit. He has absolutely no leverage here. Chi either gets an above market offer and trades him for more than he’s worth or he signs long term or his football career is done. Sucks for the players but the team has the leverage, if he had an agent I’m sure they’d explain that point. And what did he hold out for as a rookie? He wanted to wear a different helmet or something like that? Another dumb decision.
3 and out (featuring a Fields sack) and then let them march down for an easy TD. Great start. Bring on that top 5 pick.
Drive fell apart after the nice Mooney play. If the Bears never run 5 wide again I think I’ll be a happy man, seems to never work. So far it looks like we either have no talent at WR or fields is struggling with making reads….probably a little of both.
Would have liked to see Fields get the whole half, looked like he was starting to get comfortable more on his last drive.
I noticed that they took Braxton Jones out the same series they took out Fields. I think he’s locked down the starting role already.