There’s a new Chicago Bear in town! As yesterday evening wound down, Ryan Poles sent a 5th round pick to Buffalo to get IOL Ryan Bates, the same Ryan Bates that Poles tried to sign to an RFA tender just two offseasons ago.

https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills/status/1764837047926145227

Bates brings with him athleticism (check RAS below) and experience at all three interior positions, most recently working at Center. Does that mean he’s Chicago’s future starting Center? Or is he a depth handcuff for Teven Jenkins (health) and Nate Davis (health & poor play)? We’ll find out next year, but either way I think the move works.

Cost wise, a 5th round pick isn’t nothing… but it’s not worth making a meal over either. The Bears’ latest 5th round pick (Noah Sewell) played a grand total of 27 defensive snaps as a rookie last year, a reminder of how hard it is for late-round rookies to contribute on the field quickly.

Assuming that Bates is slated for either the OL’s premiere backup role or a starting position at Center, this move suggests to me that Ryan Poles has prioritized the upcoming 2024 season — given Bates’ cheap 2-year contract, I can get behind that. Regardless of whether the front office rolls with the incumbent Justin Fields or a newly-drafted rookie QB, Chicago has lost the privilege of betting the health of their line’s interior on an inconsistent right-guard, an oft-injured left guard, and what is currently a gaping hole in the line’s center.

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The latest episode of Bear With Us is out — give it a listen below!

In it, we talk through:

• Standout performances from throughout the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
• Which players do (and don’t) fit the Bears? Why?
• Robert’s reasoning for why either Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers will be available at #9 Overall
• Thoughts on Caleb Williams’ medical info decision, general impressions from the weekend
• And much, much more

Check it out and let me know what you think!

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The latest episode of Bear With Us is out — give it a listen below!

In it, we talk through:

• The effects of the 2024 NFL Salary Cap’s ~$13 Million rise over expectations
• What the NFL Scouting Combine’s rumor mill does (and doesn’t) mean for the Bears
• Takeaways from Ryan Poles’ Combine press conference
• Comparing & contrasting Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Justin Fields, and the rest of the Bears’ QB options
• Which defenders we’re most excited to see run, jump, and drill in this weekend’s events
• And much, much more

Your Turn: Who are you excited to watch in this weekend’s drills?

A few months ago I walked through Caleb Williams’ Notre Dame game & Drake Maye’s Georgia Tech game — it’s a great stream if you’re looking for a review of the presumed top 2 QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft Class.

I’m working on a few draft breakdowns this week, so we’ll be back with more content tomorrow. In the meantime, check this out if you missed it.

We have hit the point of the offseason where we are tracking whether the Chicago Bears’ current QB follows the team on his Instagram account. Nothing epitomizes the fanbase’s current state of limbo quite like this becoming a story last night.

https://twitter.com/zachknowsball/status/1759751423380644058

I understand why it blew up — us fans will chase any crumb of insight into the 2024 Bears’ QB plan — but the speculation feels like a major reach to me. We aren’t long removed from Kyler Murray unfollowing the Arizona Cardinals (admittedly during a contract dispute) before re-signing with the team, but beyond that we’ve had much stronger intel recently tell us that Fields is likely on the move.

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If Luke Getsy’s offense was like a finely-tuned orchestra, with every aspect of each play meticulously planned & each game script dependent on all 11 offensive players consistently doing their jobs, Shane Waldron’s offense is more like a jazz band.

“Here’s a general idea of what you’re doing, but at the end of the day go be a football player.”

It’s a fun pivot towards an offensive coordinator who empowers his best players to be field-tilters & difference-makers, but don’t let the idea of simplicity fool you — Waldron uses concepts like motion & formation shifts to his players’ advantage well. Below I walk you through a nice example of Waldron baiting out Cincinnati’s 3-by-1 defensive check before then motioning out of that 3-by-1 and forcing plenty of defensive communication, which both allows the Seahawks to identify a key Bengals’ check early in the game while still exploiting the defense and picking up a first down.

It’s a pretty design. Give it a look.

https://twitter.com/robertkschmitz/status/1757886362097754301

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Your Turn: Who are you interested in at #9 Overall?

Final Senior Bowl practices just wrapped up for both the National & American Team. I spent the day watching DBs and Wide Receivers, and here’s what I saw:

National Team Practice

Did Not Practice: Florida WR Ricky Pearsall, Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell, Michigan WR Roman Wilson

Very Good: Notre Dame CB Cam Hart, Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley, Rutgers CB Max Melton, Oregon State SAF Kitan Oladapo, Oregon SAF Evan Williams, USC WR Brenden Rice, Ohio State Safety Josh Proctor

Redeemed Himself: Washington State CB Chau Smith-Wade

I Wanted More: WR Devontez Walker, Penn State CB Kalen King, Oregon CB Khyree Jackson, Rice WR Luke McCaffrey, UCF WR Javon Baker

Notes: This isn’t a Copy/Paste list from yesterday — on the American squad, the cream has simply risen to the top. Cam Hart had another strong day, Max Melton took advantage of the extra reps, Kitan Oladapo flashed athleticism all day, and Brenden Rice separated with his feet on a day where he needed to do exactly that.

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Once again, Senior Bowl practices just wrapped up for both the National & American Team only hours ago. I spent the day watching DBs and Wide Receivers, and here’s what I saw:

National Team Practice

Dominant: Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell

Good: Florida WR Ricky Pearsall, North Carolina WR Devontez Walker, Michigan WR Roman Wilson, Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley, Notre Dame CB Cam Hart, Rutgers CB Max Melton, Oregon State SAF Kitan Oladapo, Oregon SAF Evan Williams, UCF WR Javon Baker

I Wanted More: Penn State CB Kalen King, Oregon CB Khyree Jackson, Rice WR Luke McCaffrey

Notes: Quinyon continues to stand out, no two ways about it… Pearsall looks like a fun option in the 3rd or 4th round — he’s big enough to handle a jam, fast enough to separate after initial contact, and competitive at the catch point… Roman Wilson stayed fast.. Tez Walker looked much faster today than yesterday but he couldn’t seem to catch the ball. He did the hard part, but I’d love to see him finish tomorrow…

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Senior Bowl practices just wrapped up for both the National & American Team only hours ago — I spent the day watching DBs and Wide Receivers, and here’s what I saw:

Bear With Me on these columns — time is short in Mobile, Alabama, so I’m stuffing as much as I can into this article. Organization will ebb and flow.

You need to hear about this Corner from Toledo

Quinyon Mitchell is a corner I haven’t personally had an easy time getting film on, but his play in Mobile stood out to the point that he was probably the best player on the field across both practices. He has beautiful, efficient footwork, physical during his route stem, and natural when tracking his man down the field. Made plays in both man and zone coverage. He’s assuredly out of the Bears’ league, but he’s fun nevertheless.

Nobody’s gotten much going against Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell today — he’s physical, plays with clean footwork, and manages space really well.

Here’s a great rep with an early jam and late contest. Pretty work. pic.twitter.com/VpTwYhCXWS

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) January 30, 2024

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