***Official Free Agency Thread***

[Grahamburn]

You know he won't be anything more than a backup. The only way he fulfills that is if Russ gets hurt early on

May 2nd will be very telling. The Steelers have to decide whether they want to exercise his 5th year option or not. It's a fully guaranteed $25.6mil option.

I doubt they will but if I were them I think I would.

[Navybuc]

Remember the hype around the 2021 qb class?

Three years later, Trevor is the last one standing.

Zach Wilson designated to a backup-3rd string role
Trey Lance a 3rd stringer
Mac Jones traded away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Justin Fields trades away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Kyle Trask barely a backup
Davis Mills a backup

And I don’t even know if Kellen Mond or Ian Book are still in the league anymore.

The only hype around this draft class I remember was Trevor Lawrence. Everyone else was regarded as tier(s) below him. A bunch of athlete QBs with potential to be good.

Same thing with last year’s class. Ar15, mayo guy, young, stroud. Tons of questions. Wouldn’t be surprised if they all end up in a similar boat to that 2021 class.

They were still considered a high tier, especially Trey Lance. The 49ers gave up a lot to move up and get him. You don’t have a qb class go 1-2-3 if they weren’t all expected to be superstars. Even Trevor hasn’t materialized yet the way the Jags hoped, even though he’s still been solid. But to get to the next level they need more out of him

[Doctor]

Yeah, QB goes 1-2-3 but it totes wasn't a hyped class. Okay.

[Snake]

For casual retards, yes.

[Doctor]

Yet all the same people are hyping up this class...

[Doctor]

[Grahamburn]

Keep on tanking.

[Digital_Damage]

I remember at the beginning of the season all the shills on ESPN were talking about how Fields had a shot at MVP... LOL..

[Noles1724]

We should restructure Godwin's contract because he has not done jackshit for three years. As Bootz pointed out, ranking between 5th and 10th in cap hit for wide receiver

Homer alert.. wouldn't be opposed to trading Godwin for draft equity to finagle getting Coleman.

I love Godwin but I can't see him on the roster 2yrs from now

[Four Verticals]

You know he won't be anything more than a backup. The only way he fulfills that is if Russ gets hurt early on

May 2nd will be very telling. The Steelers have to decide whether they want to exercise his 5th year option or not. It's a fully guaranteed $25.6mil option.

I'll be shocked if they exercise it.

[kaimaru]

I can take a shit and get a sixth round pick out of it.

Talk about a huge waste. They invested a high first round pick and did nothing to help him with receiving targets and O- Line protection.

If he balls out in Pittsburgh, the Bears GM needs to be fired

It's probably the last season for that staff anyway. Chicago has a tradition going. Draft a QB high, fire the HC and/or GM the next season. Drafted Mitch Trubisky in 2017, fired John Fox next season. Drafted Justin Fields in 2021, fired Matt Nagy & Ryan Pace next season. They'll draft Caleb Williams, will probably suck, and will fire at the very least Matt Eberflus next year. I'd let Poles go too.

Trust me Caleb will suck

[kaimaru]

And the jury is still out on Trevor Lawrence.

The jury may still be out. But TL said before the draft football is a game to him, not his life. Brady became the GOAT bc football was his life. TL doesn't have that fire. He doesn't have that desire to better himself for his craft. I think he fails bc of that

[kaimaru]

Remember the hype around the 2021 qb class?

Three years later, Trevor is the last one standing.

Zach Wilson designated to a backup-3rd string role
Trey Lance a 3rd stringer
Mac Jones traded away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Justin Fields trades away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Kyle Trask barely a backup
Davis Mills a backup

And I don’t even know if Kellen Mond or Ian Book are still in the league anymore.

So Trask might be the best of the bunch, heh?

Honestly? That class sucked. TL has no passion for football. Mac Jones was NFL ready with no upside. Trey Lance was a project, and we know how projects at QB pan out. So was Zach and Mills. Trask was old school QB. I wish we didn't waste pick 64 honestly

[kaimaru]

Remember the hype around the 2021 qb class?

Three years later, Trevor is the last one standing.

Zach Wilson designated to a backup-3rd string role
Trey Lance a 3rd stringer
Mac Jones traded away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Justin Fields trades away for 6th rd pick to be backup
Kyle Trask barely a backup
Davis Mills a backup

And I don’t even know if Kellen Mond or Ian Book are still in the league anymore.

The only hype around this draft class I remember was Trevor Lawrence. Everyone else was regarded as tier(s) below him. A bunch of athlete QBs with potential to be good.

Same thing with last year’s class. Ar15, mayo guy, young, stroud. Tons of questions. Wouldn’t be surprised if they all end up in a similar boat to that 2021 class.

This, it was a bad year to need to draft a QB. And TL has no heart

[kaimaru]

We should restructure Godwin's contract because he has not done jackshit for three years. As Bootz pointed out, ranking between 5th and 10th in cap hit for wide receiver

3 straight years of 1000 yards receiving is jackshit?? You need to be Baker Acted

[Sdbucs]

The only hype around this draft class I remember was Trevor Lawrence. Everyone else was regarded as tier(s) below him. A bunch of athlete QBs with potential to be good.

Same thing with last year’s class. Ar15, mayo guy, young, stroud. Tons of questions. Wouldn’t be surprised if they all end up in a similar boat to that 2021 class.

This, it was a bad year to need to draft a QB. And TL has no heart

2024 - Caleb is generational
2023 - Question marks all over the QB room
2022 - No hype whatsoever
2021 - TLaw above everyone else, question marks all over
2020 - Burrow is generational
...
2012 - Andrew Luck is generational

[13F11B]

This, it was a bad year to need to draft a QB. And TL has no heart

2024 - Caleb is generational
2023 - Question marks all over the QB room
2022 - No hype whatsoever
2021 - TLaw above everyone else, question marks all over
2020 - Burrow is generational
...
2012 - Andrew Luck is generational

Sounds like the QB position in college is trending in the wrong direction.

[Central_Buc]

It's probably the last season for that staff anyway. Chicago has a tradition going. Draft a QB high, fire the HC and/or GM the next season. Drafted Mitch Trubisky in 2017, fired John Fox next season. Drafted Justin Fields in 2021, fired Matt Nagy & Ryan Pace next season. They'll draft Caleb Williams, will probably suck, and will fire at the very least Matt Eberflus next year. I'd let Poles go too.

Trust me Caleb will suck

I actually feel bad for Chicago. Last time they had a QB was Jim Harbaugh (imo) but most would say Jim McMahon.

So I hope Caleb is a Lamar because that organization is long overdue.

Plus I think.it would be good for the league to have the oldest rivalry GB vs Chi to get more hype for the next 10-15 years

[Doctor]

They should've kept Fields and drafted MHJ. They may have had a shot.

Now they are set up to have a man child yelling at one of the most respected veteran WR in the league under a lame duck head coach overseeing a divided locker room.

They've brought this upon themselves.

[Bootz]

They should've kept Fields and drafted MHJ. They may have had a shot.

Now they are set up to have a man child yelling at one of the most respected veteran WR in the league under a lame duck head coach overseeing a divided locker room.

They've brought this upon themselves.

Their GM is playing checkers. You outlined the situation 100% correct. Eberflus won't survive a 3rd straight losing season.

[Doctor]

My questing is what did he want? Did he want out of Fields or does he want to pivot to Caleb?

[Bootz]

It doesn't seem as if the Bears have a plan. They completely fumbled the Field situation. Conflicting reports that they misjudged his trade value but also that they didn't take the best offer because they wanted to set him up in the best situation possible to succeed. What that says to me is they know they didn't put him in the best situation for success and likely never wanted him to begin with. Now less than a week into FA they've added new talent at all skills positions.

GMs & HCs clearly don't pay attention.
Rookie QBs don't save jobs when you try to make them a savior. If Caleb Williams doesn't have the Bears at least over .500, Eberflus is toast. Poles might be as well.

[Sdbucs]

2024 - Caleb is generational
2023 - Question marks all over the QB room
2022 - No hype whatsoever
2021 - TLaw above everyone else, question marks all over
2020 - Burrow is generational
...
2012 - Andrew Luck is generational

Sounds like the QB position in college is trending in the wrong direction.

QB classes have been pretty garbage over the past decade or so and teams/draft analysts have been pretty bad at picking the winners from the losers(Mitch Trubisky over Mahomes, lol). The "generational" picks seem to be pretty certain, but otherwise its been a crapshoot.

[Snake]

Luck was the only one who I was convinced there was a better chance he would be elite than not. Truly generational.

[Grahamburn]

They should've kept Fields and drafted MHJ. They may have had a shot.

Now they are set up to have a man child yelling at one of the most respected veteran WR in the league under a lame duck head coach overseeing a divided locker room.

They've brought this upon themselves.

I think you may have gone a bit extreme on the whole "avoid a young QB at all costs" mantra. They traded the #1 last year and missed out on a young QB to back Fields. He failed that test. Honestly, he had another chance at the end of the year to cement himself as a Bear by wrecking GB's season. He failed that test to the tune of 9 total points.

Trading him and drafting Williams is the right move.

[Bootz]

Luck was the only one who I was convinced there was a better chance he would be elite than not. Truly generational.

And he wasn't.

[Buc2]

Luck was the only one who I was convinced there was a better chance he would be elite than not. Truly generational.

And he wasn't.

Yep. Maybe he could have been, but he didn't.

[Grahamburn]

You have to be so bad to get the #1 pick. Obviously. The Bears are in such a unique position after trading it away last year. They have stockpiled picks and already have some really talented players. They were 7-10. It's a unique opportunity for an extremely quick turnaround for them by adding Williams and another top 10 player in one draft.

It sounds like they gave Fields some professional courtesy in letting him go to the Steelers. I can respect that. I don't think they've mishandled this situation at all.

[Jonny]

They should've kept Fields and drafted MHJ. They may have had a shot.

Now they are set up to have a man child yelling at one of the most respected veteran WR in the league under a lame duck head coach overseeing a divided locker room.

They've brought this upon themselves.

Doesn't matter what track record of previous #1 overall QBs is, if you as a GM or a HC or a Owner believe that Caleb Williams is going to be elite if he is put in a good situation and developed properly, you part ways with your bad QB that shows flashes every now and then, but cannot sustain good QB play for any meaningful stretch.

The Bears likely went with the best offer or something pretty close to it. Why would any team trade even a 4th for a QB that is guaranteed to hit the open market by end of 2024 season and will likely struggle to beat a Gardner Minshew or a Tyrod Taylor or a Jacoby Brisset all of whom could have been signed for a cheaper salary without a draft pick involved?

Also WTF does drafting MHJr do to a QB that stares at receivers running open and cannot throw with anticipation to save his job? Who cares if that receiver is Darnell Mooney or MHJr?

[Doctor]

Well yeah.
If you are convince one way or the other you absolutely do what you must. I'm assuming positions of conflict in the FO.

Teams get convinced off a guy all the time. See Trey Lance. They get convinced into guys all the time too, again, see Trey Lance.

If you got convictions, go with them, its what you're here for. But if you don't. If you look at all these guys with objective suspicion and want to be methodical about it, that's an option as well.


This is assuming the position of someone being a Fields fan to begin with, which I never was. But if say it was a QB I do like like Tua or Herbert or even a revisioned Baker, who happen to have an injured year that led to the top pick, I'm stick with those guys over this class.

[acmillis]

My questing is what did he want? Did he want out of Fields or does he want to pivot to Caleb?

If he “wanted” fields, he must not have “wanted” a job anyway.

[Bootz]

My questing is what did he want? Did he want out of Fields or does he want to pivot to Caleb?

If he “wanted” fields, he must not have “wanted” a job anyway.

If Caleb Williams doesn't hit a HR in the 1st inning he'll be out of a job anyway..

[Grahamburn]

Chase Young to the Saints for one year and $13M.

[Doctor]

The saints are what our fans think we are.

[Phantom]

49ers signing Josh Dobbs QB to one year deal. Championship? nahhh