Mike Williams Is The Perfect Receiver For The Bears
February 9, 2022, 7:37 PM CST
One of the Bears biggest needs this offseason is Wide Receiver. Darnell Mooney and Dazz Newsome are the only two receivers basically guaranteed back for at least preseason. Oh yeah, and Jakeem Grant should be resigned as well, as he works great as a punt returner/gadget guy. Other than that, we don't have receivers that can be on the roster for multiple years. Free Agency and the NFL Draft are where I believe we can get talent as receiver. Prospect Analysis' will be focused heavily on the WR, CB, and OL positions. But I'm not here to talk about the draft today. I am here to talk about my personal #1 choice to sign this offseason at Wide Receiver. That person is Mike Williams. What I think the Bears should do is swoop up their new contested catch guy (ARob's Replacement) in Free Agency and grab a third receiver in the draft. That is what I am going for with a Williams signing. Williams is a 6'4 receiver who can make those contested catches. Not only that, he is still only 27 and could be here for the next 4-5 years.
This past year, Williams put up 1,146 receiving yards on 76 receptions. He also logged 9 touchdowns. This is with a fully healthy Keenan Allen on the team as well. If Williams wants a guaranteed WR1 spot, he will likely test the market and the Bears should be all over him. He should also want to come to the Bears too, with Justin Fields the highlight attraction in the Windy City to lure players to Chi-Town.
Mike Williams
3 Mock Trades To Make Pre-Draft
March 29, 2022, 9:53 PM CDT
Ryan Poles mentioned how the Bears are going to build their team through the draft. However, we only have a few picks, and none in the first round. So we are going to need to find ways to acquire more picks. And how do we acquire more picks? While there are the compensation picks, we have none of those. So the only way we can get more picks is by trades. And I am going to propose three potential trades we could make before the draft to add more picks.
Trade Package 1:
Bears Receive: 2022 7th Round Pick (229), 2023 6th Round Pick
Seahawks Receive: QB Nick Foles
Yesterday, members of Bears press got to talk to Ryan Poles and ask him some questions. One of the things he did mention was that they were trying to trade away Nick Foles, as they feel Trevor Siemian better fits the offense. A team that I could see coming in for him is Seattle. They need a veteran presence behind Drew Lock, and Foles could be that guy. He has proven success as a backup in a game in tough Seattle conditions, and he could be that mentor that Drew Lock may need to get his career back on track. In return, we get a couple of late round picks that could be good value for the future.
Trade Package 2:
Bears Receive: WR DeVante Parker
Dolphins Receive: 2022 5th Round Pick (150)
We may, actually probably, would have to give up another mid or late round pick for Parker, but I believe this could work. The Dolphins, after acquiring Tyreek Hill, are reportedly open to trading Parker. He is the type of guy we are looking for, a guy who can make contested catches. While he may not be prime Allen Robinson good, he's still a guy who can play WR1 for us and give Fields a reliable target to throw to.
Trade Package 3:
Bears Receive: 2022 Second Round Pick (43), 2 2022 6th Round Picks (190, 213)
Falcons Receive: RB David Montgomery
Am I overvaluing David Montgomery? Maybe. But this is the Falcons, they could get desperate. Currently, they don't have a true RB1. Cordarrelle Patterson can do everything, but they need a true runner. As much as I am against trading Monty, we don't know how Ryan Poles evaluates running backs. If he doesn't value them much, then I believe we may not see Monty in a Bears uniform next year.
Nick Foles against the Seahawks last year
Should The Bears Sign Robert Griffin III?
May 5, 2022, 12:42 PM CDT
Yesterday, some interesting news surfaced relating to the Bears. Robert Griffin III is interested in joining three teams, one of them being the Chicago Bears. He said he believes it is a good situation to step into the QB room and mentor Justin Fields. The other two teams, by the way, are the Cowboys and Falcons. The sudden interest in Griffin comes after he ran a 4.48 40 at Rich Eisen’s charity event. Oh yeah, he said he would be interested in the Bears on the Rich Eisen Show.
A Move Like This Makes Sense For The Bears
Although we signed Trevor Siemian, he probably won’t be the greatest mentor to Fields as he doesn’t have a similar skillset to him. Although Griffin would likely remain behind Siemian on the depth chart, his skillset is very similar to the one Justin Fields has. Griffin would be the perfect mentor to Fields, even if he doesn’t get into any games.
Robert Griffin III with the Ravens
Why Fans Shouldn't Be Concerned About Bears Losing Practice
June 7, 2022, 5:27 PM CDT
The Chicago Bears were supposed to begin their final round of OTAs today. A practice originally supposed to be open to the media, it was soon announced it would be a closed practice, confusing many. Then, news broke that the Bears had lost the ability to practice today as punishment from the NFL for having practices in May with contact. In my opinion, this rule should not exist. As a matter of fact, I like that the new regime did this. They are sending a message to the other teams in the division and league that they are not afraid to get physical. It also helps out the coaching staff, as they can evaluate players with this. Then, they can decide which players can fill holes on the roster, and which players are expendable and can be replaced before Training Camp in July. Rookies get experience against veteran players, helping them to better transition from college ball to the pros. I am willing to sacrifice a June practice if it means better play from the players on the team. However, the team must tread carefully with situations like this now, they can't do it again. Doing so could result in fines and potentially a loss of draft picks. But I must say, 4 of the last 5 teams to get caught with physical OTA practices have made the playoffs. So maybe, things will work out for the Bears this year and they can squeeze into the postseason for the first time in the new regime era.
Bears players conditioning during 2021 Training Camp
The NFL Needs To Implement A USFL Idea To Replace Pro Bowl
June 20, 2022, 6:05 PM CDT
It's been a little while since I've done an opinionated article. But this is an opinion I've had for a while now that I noticed the USFL implemented. The Michigan Panthers and Pittsburgh Maulers played yesterday, both of whom were 1-8. So this game would decide who got the first overall pick. And it wouldn't be the loser, it would be the winner getting the first overall pick, along with the first pick in all rounds of the draft. Michigan won the game, 33-21. Pittsburgh actually beat the Panthers earlier in the year for their only win this season, but Michigan takes the first pick with the game that actually mattered. This got me thinking, why can't the NFL implement this idea? The league has been trying to find ways to change/remove the Pro Bowl after the lowest viewership in many years of the game this past year. Many view the game as boring and unnecessary, as nobody tries in the game. So my idea, and the USFL's idea as well, is to replace the Pro Bowl with the two worst teams in the league playing. The winner would get the first overall pick. Why would this be good for the league? First, the teams would actually try because there is something on the line. Second, it prevents teams that could've lost on purpose from getting the first pick, as they would have to win a game against a team that could've tried. Finally, it keeps the teams fanbase excited as they have another game to play that is actually meaningful, and fans tired of losing know that there is something to play for. For example, what if the Bears and Steelers had played a game for the first pick instead of a coinflip deciding Pick 1 in 1970? If that happens, and the Bears win, they get Terry Bradshaw. The Bears would not be seen as a place QBs go to die, and the Steelers dynasty may never happen. The past cannot be changed, but what can be changed is the future. Make it happen Roger Goodell.
Former NFL QB Paxton Lynch with the Michigan Panthers
Putting A Roof On Soldier Field Won't Fix Stadiums Problems
July 6, 2022, 3:12 PM CDT
So the new discussion on Bears Twitter today is the fact that Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago, wants to put a roof on Soldier Field in an attempt to incentivize the Bears to stay in the city, rather than move to the suburb of Arlington Heights. If I am the Chicago Bears ownership/business operations team, I am taking this with a grain of salt, and not staying just because of a roof. Now, why am I not staying, a roof would be great for the harsh winter climate in Northern Illinois. Yes, but it only fixes a minor problem that hasn't deterred fans from coming to games in the late season. The major problems of the stadium are the following: location, capacity, and current stadium ownership.
Location
It's not unusual to see stadiums in the city, but it's also not unusual to see stadiums outside of the city teams play in. The Bears are currently located at the very edge of the city, right next to Lake Michigan. First of all, it's a complete eyesore out there, with some occasionally calling it the 'Monstrosity of the Midway'. It's very hard for people from the suburbs to get to the stadium as well. Making the trek to the city isn't bad, but the city traffic combined with a horrible parking situation makes it an even longer journey. Don't even get me started on the traffic getting out of the stadium, it is absolutely horrible. With a new stadium in Arlington Heights, the team has the opportunity to improve the parking situation for fans coming to the game.
Capacity
The city of Chicago houses about 2.699 million people, 3rd highest in the US. The "Chicagoland" area houses up to 9.459 million people. Despite all this, the capacity of Soldier Field is 61,500, which is the smallest in the NFL. Compare that to our little brothers up north, the capacity of Lambeau Field is 81,441, second highest in the NFL only behind MetLife Stadium (coincidentally, they also don't play in their "home city"). Yet, Green Bay houses 104,508 people, the smallest market in the NFL. It's so small that if they lost just 23,068 people, the stadium capacity would be larger than the town population. It's not ok for the Bears to be that far behind, we need something. I'll talk about another hindering reason next, but Arlington Heights gives the Bears a clean slate to build an 80,000+ capacity stadium to house Bears fans on Sunday. The space is big enough to make it the largest capacity stadium in the NFL. It would help the atmosphere at games, and also it would make the team more money than if they were to stay at Soldier.
Current Stadium Ownership
The current ownership of the stadium is the last and maybe biggest hinderance on the team. The stadium is not owned by the McCaskey's, rather, it is owned by the Chicago Park District. Any changes the Bears want to make to the current stadium must be approved by the CPD. And they seem to not be the biggest fans of that idea. It's always been a problem for the team, in the 80s and in 2002, when the team first made renos to the stadium. It took a lot of convincing to make the CPD approve the changes, which ultimately failed as the stadium looks worse and has a lower capacity. So, say the Bears wanted to go through with Lightfoot's plan to add a roof. Well, the CPD has to first approve it, which they may not risk doing. So if the Bears move to their own stadium, not only will they not have to worry about getting changes approved by the CPD, but they have complete ownership over all revenue made by the new stadium. Including possible naming rights being sold, however, some fans prefer the team to stick to a traditional name like Halas Field.
Overall, I think the Bears need to move out of the city to Arlington Heights. You have a clean slate to build up a new stadium, and you won't have to deal with some of the problems I listed above. Let's not forget that the team likes money, you now generate all of the revenue and can also get even more money because now we have the chance to host a Super Bowl, which I did not discuss above but I will bring up now. The Super Bowl will generate a bunch of revenue for the team, and the city isn't super far away. Finally, a brand new stadium would bring the team valuation up, which could be a smart move for the McCaskey family should they sell the team, which is rumored to happen when Virginia passes away.
Soldier Field