OT: Bears & NFL Talk 103

[Ben Grimm]

Jordan Reid wrote these draft predictions for New NFL mock draft: Predicting all 32 first-round picks, with Tennessee on the clock

1. Tennessee Titans (3-14) - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
2. Cleveland Browns (3-14) - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
3. New York Giants (3-14) - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
4. New England Patriots (4-13) - Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) - Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
7. New York Jets (5-12) - Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
8. Carolina Panthers (5-12) - Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
9. New Orleans Saints (5-12) - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
10. Chicago Bears (5-12) - Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU

 

[GIADF]

Jordan Reid wrote these draft predictions for New NFL mock draft: Predicting all 32 first-round picks, with Tennessee on the clock

1. Tennessee Titans (3-14) - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
2. Cleveland Browns (3-14) - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
3. New York Giants (3-14) - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
4. New England Patriots (4-13) - Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) - Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
7. New York Jets (5-12) - Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
8. Carolina Panthers (5-12) - Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
9. New Orleans Saints (5-12) - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
10. Chicago Bears (5-12) - Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU

10th pick is going to lead to a great pick, but I'd probably have been a bit nervous if we were even 11th.

Guys who I think are an absolute lock to go before us would be Ward, Sanders, Hunter, Johnson, Carter, and Graham IMO. I'd also be pretty confident that McMillan goes before us too.

I think we'll be left with who hasn't been taken out of Banks, Campbell, or Williams at that point and I'll be thrilled for any of the 3 to join the Bears... With a bias towards it hopefully being one of the OL.

 

[plasmonresonance]

The M MacCarthy interview isn't much of a shock considering his ties to the Trace Armstrong group. And I don't care who the Bears interview, any clown who could provide relative information is fine. Just make sure when pen hits the paper they got the right guy.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Jordan Reid wrote these draft predictions for New NFL mock draft: Predicting all 32 first-round picks, with Tennessee on the clock

1. Tennessee Titans (3-14) - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
2. Cleveland Browns (3-14) - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
3. New York Giants (3-14) - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
4. New England Patriots (4-13) - Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) - Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
7. New York Jets (5-12) - Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
8. Carolina Panthers (5-12) - Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
9. New Orleans Saints (5-12) - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
10. Chicago Bears (5-12) - Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU

Honestly Titans would be dumb to take a QB this draft

They have other needs more pressing and 2026 draft looks better for QB's. Trade down (Raiders would be likely team wanting to jump up with how awful they were at QB and I can see push for Sanders because Raiders still are all about attention/etc)

 

[Romang67]

Honestly Titans would be dumb to take a QB this draft

They have other needs more pressing and 2026 draft looks better for QB's. Trade down (Raiders would be likely team wanting to jump up with how awful they were at QB and I can see push for Sanders because Raiders still are all about attention/etc)

I don't think the 2026 QB class looks impressive at all. All the top ranked QBs are eligible for more years in college, and none of them has put up anything near the numbers a top QB usually would have a year or so before college. You'd be betting on someone having a Daniels level season to have a sure bet at the top QB being clearly preferable to Ward.

None of them were Heisman candidates this season, and Allar is the only one of the current top ranked ones for 2026 who even cracked 3000 yards (and he barely did so). And he might not even come back to college if Penn wins it all.

If you have options, I don't think it's ever a good idea to punt on your QB and hope you have a chance at:

1. Draft early enough to have your pick of QBs in the draft.
2. Actually draft a QB from a good draft class.

 

[GIADF]

I don't think the 2026 QB class looks impressive at all.

I think with so many transfers at the CFB level it is going to crush the development of QBs. I think it's going to be harder than ever until they fix the transfer portal to find a good QB.

It's probably the hardest position in sports to play and playing one year and moving to a new school and system isn't going to give these kids enough time to develop into quality QBs.

 

[Romang67]

As to the coaching search, the only name I'd like to see on there that I haven't yet is Liam Coen. Other than that, I'd want them to bring Carroll in the room and see if he has anything worthwhile to say, even if he has no chance at getting the job.

Top OC->HC candidates:

Johnson (interviewing)
Coen (no word on him yet)
Monken (interviewing)
Brady (interviewing)
Petzing (interviewing)

Previous HC candidates they're interviewing

Vrabel
McCarthy
Smith

Top DC->HC candidates:

Glenn (interviewing)
Flores (interviewing)

I might be forgetting some super hot DC names, mostly because I haven't paid attention to that group. I would say that Flores and Glenn are the hottest DC names in the league who are potential HCs.

They're casting a wider net than might seem necessary, but I don't particularly care unless they get to round 2 and are interviewing Kafka, Flores, and Shaw.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

 

[TLEH]

Press conference shows why nothing will ever change. Biggest f***ing moron running the show. I could do a better job. I promise.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Press conference shows why nothing will ever change. Biggest f***ing moron running the show. I could do a better job. I promise.

What did I miss?

More "Leader of Men" nonsense?

 

[StreetHawk]

Honestly Titans would be dumb to take a QB this draft

They have other needs more pressing and 2026 draft looks better for QB's. Trade down (Raiders would be likely team wanting to jump up with how awful they were at QB and I can see push for Sanders because Raiders still are all about attention/etc)

Raiders have just as many holes as the Titans. Really not in position to give up anything other than a day 2 pick to flip to move up. Now, the Titans have fired their GM. HC is going to be in limbo, though Callahan is supposed to be included in the GM search which is kind of odd. Really hard to say what they opt to do.

26 draft, unless people are including Arch Manning, I don't see it. Not a big NCAA follower but I don't know too many true SO or RS FR that played well this season that you'd expect them to be at the top of the draft board in 2026. Allar at PSU has said he'd return but see if he wins the next 2 games, which may change his mind. If Arch was truly interested in making it to the NFL asap, he would have left Texas for a starting role in 2024 so that he could get 25 plus starts by the time he was draft eligible in 2026. Think he plays the long game and sticks around in 2026 to go for the 27 draft.

 

[TLEH]

What did I miss?

More "Leader of Men" nonsense?

He doesn’t think one of the most important things in the entire process is a factor.

 

[Romang67]

This is what he actually said. Not particularly insightful, but nowhere near as bad as the tweet by CHGO.

CHGO has turned into complete trash, and the fact that they got rid of their only consistent reporter at Halas Hall in Moreano the other day tells me that they are planning to go full time into the rage-and-meathead-takes-for-clicks business. Which, while certainly a lucrative business, isn't one worth spending a dime on.

Hopefully, at some point, Adam Hoge realizes that and abandons ship. He's wasted on that garbage.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Raiders have just as many holes as the Titans. Really not in position to give up anything

Yeah, but it's the Raiders

They do dumb shit all the time especially in pursuit of attention

Trading up to draft Deion's son is exactly type of stuff one would expect of Raiders

And we saw last year Raiders GM/Ownership allow the players to force HC hire and that was disaster

 

[Romang67]

In case someone hasn't had enough leafy greens this week, here is a word salad:

 

[GIADF]

I have disliked Warren ever since that stupid article about his 20 hour workdays or whatever when the first 6 hours aren't even work.

Every quote of his I've seen since makes me dislike him even more. I just can not stand him at all.

 

[TLEH]

This is what he actually said. Not particularly insightful, but nowhere near as bad as the tweet by CHGO.

CHGO has turned into complete trash, and the fact that they got rid of their only consistent reporter at Halas Hall in Moreano the other day tells me that they are planning to go full time into the rage-and-meathead-takes-for-clicks business. Which, while certainly a lucrative business, isn't one worth spending a dime on.

Hopefully, at some point, Adam Hoge realizes that and abandons ship. He's wasted on that garbage.

Seems like the same exact thing with way more words. Just because no candidate has outright said it doesn’t mean jack shit. Maybe that’s why they keep getting all the wrong candidates. He said I don’t think that’s a factor because no one has told me it’s a factor. It doesn’t take a genius to know that it’s a factor.

I have disliked Warren ever since that stupid article about his 20 hour workdays or whatever when the first 6 hours aren't even work.

Every quote of his I've seen since makes me dislike him even more. I just can not stand him at all.

He’s a con man. Word salad, BS artist. Was that way at the Big 10. Wouldn’t believe a word he says.

 

[StreetHawk]

Yeah, but it's the Raiders

They do dumb shit all the time especially in pursuit of attention

Trading up to draft Deion's son is exactly type of stuff one would expect of Raiders

And we saw last year Raiders GM/Ownership allow the players to force HC hire and that was disaster

Well, can't put anything past the Raiders. They have Crosby saying he doesn't want to rebuild, but Davis has already screwed up the past 3 seasons since they made the PO and moved off Rich B. Carr was mid, but better than what Jimmy G and Minschew were even at $40 mill cap charges.

But, I don't see either QB being great. I have no idea how much influence Brady will have despite all of the talk from Mark. Whether Brady has any bias towards Sanders or whether he truly sees the roster for what they are like when he was looking for a new team himself to see, yeah, TB has a good roster. With me and OT in Wirfs at the draft, we can win it. Similar to Young, I could see drafting him if he was there for me, but I wouldn't trade up for him. Same applies to these 2 kids. Hoping that both clubs at the top just take them.

Now with the new GM in Ten have no clue what they will do. CLE needs a cheap option at QB too.

 

[Crow]

Yeah, but it's the Raiders

They do dumb shit all the time especially in pursuit of attention

Trading up to draft Deion's son is exactly type of stuff one would expect of Raiders

And we saw last year Raiders GM/Ownership allow the players to force HC hire and that was disaster

They are such a joke franchise. Even worse than the bears imo. At the same time I wouldn’t hate coaching for them over the bears. They will throw a shitload of cash at some idiot candidate who can get fired / paid to do nothing for 7 years when the team sucks. Alternatively you can do the same thing for the bears but get less years and money.

 

[Romang67]

I have disliked Warren ever since that stupid article about his 20 hour workdays or whatever when the first 6 hours aren't even work.

Every quote of his I've seen since makes me dislike him even more. I just can not stand him at all.

He's making me want to buy a ticket a the new stadium for no other reason than that I won't actually believe the new stadium exists until I've been inside it.

 

[Romang67]

Patriots getting through the process quickly. Fired Mayo Sunday, got through the Rooney Rule interviews today, interviewing Vrabel and Johnson this week.

If Vrabel is their main target, I'd he'll be their HC by the beginning of next week. I don't really see a reason why they'd rush it that much if Johnson is the target, since they can't officially sign him until after the Lions' season is done, which doesn't happen until at least the 19th.

Seems like the same exact thing with way more words. Just because no candidate has outright said it doesn’t mean jack shit. Maybe that’s why they keep getting all the wrong candidates. He said I don’t think that’s a factor because no one has told me it’s a factor. It doesn’t take a genius to know that it’s a factor.

I'm not saying he's a smart man. He sounds like a nepo-baby who doesn't know what he's doing because that's what he is. It's a waste to have him do press conferences unless all the questions are some variation of "will you give the team enough money to do what they need to do?"

I think the full quote is that from his experience, no HC has turned down the "opportunity" to work with the Bears because the GM isn't on the same timeline. The shortened quote just sounds like a complete dismissal of the idea.

At the end of the day, I don't think it really matters, other than that a non-alignment between the contract length of GM and HC means they don't necessarily need to sign them to the same length contract. I still don't believe even the Bears are incompetent enough to have a HC search to pair with a lame-duck GM. If Poles stays, he's getting extended.

 

[TLEH]

BTW I definitely agree that CHGO is terrible and Hoge needs to get out of there if he is serious.

 

[StreetHawk]

They are such a joke franchise. Even worse than the bears imo. At the same time I wouldn’t hate coaching for them over the bears. They will throw a shitload of cash at some idiot candidate who can get fired / paid to do nothing for 7 years when the team sucks. Alternatively you can do the same thing for the bears but get less years and money.

What Mark says vs what he actually does, has never aligned. Will say he wants to win, then quickly changes to say the process will take time. Guy doesn't care. He has recently sold off most of his ownership stake in the Raiders. Started at around 47% this season and sold to Brady and 2 Equity companies. So long as he has the controlling interest, he calls the shots even with minimal ownership stake.

Now, his mistakes will be mostly covered by his partners. Like paying McDaniels still.

 

[Romang67]

I think that's an interesting quote from a person with a finger on the pulse for the Patriots. Certainly not denying the idea that the Patriots are rushing through the process, which I would guess he would do if this were just happenstance.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Hoge is a douche