Category: Offseason

Minneapolis Miracle duo reunited after Stefon Diggs trade

With the blockbuster Stefon Diggs trade, Diggs is again reunited with his Minneapolis Miracle partner, Case Keenum

ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell this morning, reporting that former Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs had been traded to the Houston Texans.

Buffalo sent a package of Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick for a 2025 second-round pick. Houston had acquired that second-rounder from Minnesota in exchange for the No. 23 overall pick in this draft.

While most will be worried about the synergy that Diggs will have with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, what may go overlooked is Diggs’ connection with another quarterback in Houston’s quarterback room.

On Jan. 14, 2018, one of the more improbable finishes ever to a playoff game occurred between the Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Minnesota quarterback Case Keenum threw a prayer toward the Vikings sideline, hoping Diggs would catch it and get out of bounds.

Instead, two Saints defensive backs ran into each other and left nothing but green grass and purple elation for the Vikings faithful to celebrate “The Minneapolis Miracle” forevermore.

Diggs and Keenum have reunited again in Houston, hoping that the Diggs-Stroud connection can mimic just a sliver of the magic that occurred on that fateful January day.

Caleb Williams met with Bears front office and current players in Chicago

According to Marc “Silvy” Silverman of ESPN 1000, Caleb Williams dined with the Bears on Tuesday night, which included some current players.

Caleb Williams was in town last night as part of his top 30 visit with the Chicago Bears and met with more than just the front office.

According to Marc “Silvy” Silverman of ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show, Williams was in town on Tuesday evening and had dinner with the Bears brass—including some current players.

During the NFL owners meetings last week, the Bears indicated Williams would be coming in sometime this week for his official visit. The twist, however, is that he was meeting with and getting to know current players during this dinner. “They had him not sit with the Bears executives, who were there, by the way,” Silvy said. “But he sat and ate with current players on the current Bears roster.” It is not known which current players were in attendance.

Prospects dining with front office members during the pre-draft cycle is nothing new and is normally part of the process for teams to get to know them, but hearing that Williams was with current Bears players is notable. It’s yet another indication that Williams will be the quarterback chosen by the Bears at No. 1 overall when the draft takes place in a few weeks, barring a major upset.

Williams isn’t the only high-profile prospect coming to town this week, however. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze will be visiting Halas Hall on Thursday for his top 30 interview. Odunze is one of the top receivers in the draft and is a popular target for the Bears to select with their second first-round selection at No. 9 overall.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Bears legend Steve McMichael hospitalized

The McMichael family is asking for prayers.

Chicago Bears legendary defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, his family announced in a statement that was shared via WGN’s Jarrett Payton. McMichael was admitted to the hospital and is undergoing tests. A few hours later, Payton shared an update that McMichael has a urinary tract infection and will be returning home.

McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in 2021 and has been in and out of the hospital the last couple of years. Most recently, McMichael was admitted to the hospital in mid-February and was diagnosed with MRSA. He was released a few days later after undergoing a blood transfusion.

The former Bears great spent 13 of his 15 seasons in Chicago, becoming one of the key cogs of the 1985 Super Bowl champion defense. McMichael racked up 95 sacks over the course of his career to go along with 847 tackles. In February, he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 and will be enshrined in Canton this August.

Bears land dynamic duo in Field Yates’ latest mock draft

The Bears have a perfect first round in Field Yates’ new mock draft, where they secure a dynamic duo for the future.

ESPN’s Field Yates unveiled his latest two-round mock draft, which featured a favorable scenario for the Chicago Bears with their pair of top-10 selections.

In what will come as a surprise to no one, Chicago selects USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall selection. It’s as close to a lock as you can get at this point, following the Justin Fields trade and the extensive time the Bears have spent with Williams during the pre-draft process.

We know the Bears will use the first overall pick on a quarterback — they traded Justin Fields to the Steelers last month — and Williams is a safe bet to be the answer under center. His dazzling playmaking ability will travel to the NFL, and he’d be set up for early success with an enviable wide receiver duo of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Chicago might even be able to further improve his supporting cast with its second top-10 selection at No. 9. Either way, this pick concludes the stress-free portion of the draft, as things get interesting from here.

The No. 9 pick is where things will get interesting for the Bears. With the expectation that four quarterbacks will be selected in the top five, Chicago will have options at several positions come the ninth overall selection.

In this scenario, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze falls right into the Bears’ lap, giving Chicago a potent 1-2-3 punch at receiver along with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.

This pick projection really excites me. Odunze ranks sixth on my board, meaning he’s a value pick at No. 9 and a great get for the offense, which will be led by a rookie QB. The idea of Odunze alongside DJ Moore and Keenan Allen is tantalizing, as Odunze tied for the most contested catches in the FBS last season with 24. His combination of 6-foot-3 size, great body control and high-end instincts makes him a threat at every level of the field.

If Odunze isn’t available, one of offensive tackle Joe Alt or edge rusher Dallas Turner (both considered the top prospect at their respective positons) will be available for the Bears at No. 9. General manager Ryan Poles could even elect to trade back and acquire more capital in what’s a top-loaded draft class. It’s a win-win scenario regardless.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Kirk Herbstreit: ‘Get ready because the Bears are coming’

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit believes the Bears are going to be a very good team in short order.

The Chicago Bears are one of the most intriguing teams this offseason. They have already made some big moves via trade and free agenc,y but now it’s time to start thinking about the 2024 NFL draft.

If they do well with their four selections (all in the first four rounds), they could be a very good team next year and beyond. They are going to begin the draft on night one with Caleb Williams as the number one overall pick and then they will make another selection at number nine.

Ryan Poles has been a master at this since taking over as general manager in 2022, but this is the offseason that he can define his legacy. If Poles does well, he will be known as a top GM in franchise history. If he doesn’t, he will be just another in a long list of disappointments.

One popular football commenter, Kirk Herbstreit, seems to think that the Bears are going to be a very good team in short order.

“You better get on the Chicago Bears right now,” Herbstreit said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show. “Get ready because the Bears are coming.”

One of the biggest takeaways from his segment were his comments on head coach Matt Eberflus. Herbstreit sees the players on this team playing hard for the head coach despite the narrative that surrounds him. That is something that could help them win in the near future.

Herbstreit also had high praise for Chicago’s defense following the trade for edge rusher Montez Sweat, which means that a new quarterback playing well could mean good things for the team as a whole. If the defense is supplemented by a good offense, they will in turn win more football games.

It’s refreshing to see the media’s positive praise about the Bears. While Chicago still has work to do, they aren’t a laughing stock right now, which is different than the last couple of years. If Chicago becomes a top team, they could be a big focus in overall NFL conversation because of how important they are to the league.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Bears stressed flexibility along interior offensive line this offseason

Bears GM Ryan Poles said the lack of flexibility along the interior offensive line was something that bothered him for a long time.

The Chicago Bears have been busy shoring up important needs on offense for incoming rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, which included the additions of wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett.

General manager Ryan Poles said the lack of flexibility along the interior offensive line was something that bothered him for a long time. Which is why Chicago also made a couple of swings along the offensive interior this offseason.

The Bears traded a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Ryan Bates, who Poles signed to an offer sheet in 2022 before Buffalo matched it. Bates, who served primarily as a guard, also has experience at center giving Poles that versatility he desired.

“With Bates coming in, I feel like we’ve created some depth there and versatility,” Poles said, via The Athletic. “It’s something that’s really bothered me for a long time, just in terms of the lack of flexibility we’ve had in the past, it stresses you out from week to week. I feel like we have more versatility now and competition.”

That competition involves fellow newcomer Coleman Shelton, who was signed during free agency to battle for the starting center job.

While there are questions along the entire interior — as Teven Jenkins has yet to play an entire season and Nate Davis’ first-year struggles in Chicago — center was the one glaring hole. And, until the Bears get production from the position, it will continue to be the biggest concern.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

How Bears are preparing for decision with No. 9 pick

The Bears should have several options with the No. 9 pick. Here’s how GM Ryan Poles and his team are preparing for different scenarios.

The Chicago Bears have two top-10 draft selections in the 2024 NFL draft, where they’ll be able to land a couple of top prospects.

While trading back is certainly an option — especially given Chicago currently has just four picks — it sounds like the Bears are planning on staying put at No. 9 and landing a top prospect.

General manager Ryan Poles has employed an interesting strategy when it comes to preparing for a decision at ninth overall, where there could very well be top prospects at several premium positions.

The Bears will have different teams representing a specific position group, where they’ll run simulations to determine the best fit.

“One team is going to talk about, ‘The tackle position is the best to go after’ [or] ‘the wide receiver’s the best’ [or] ‘the defensive end’s the best.’ — and use factual information to kinda spit that out,” Poles said, via the Sun-Times. “And we’ll have a debate in terms of what’s more impactful for our football team, short-term and long-term.”

The Bears’ biggest need among the groups is defensive end, where the team is looking to pair someone with Montez Sweat off the edge. After not addressing the position in free agency, it certainly seems like it’s on the board in the draft, where top options like Dallas Turner, Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu should be available — be it at No. 9 or in a trade back scenario.

While Chicago traded for Keenan Allen this season — pairing him with DJ Moore — if a top receiver like Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers falls to them at ninth overall, it would be hard to pass on him. Plus, adding weapons for a young, incoming rookie quarterback like Williams is never a bad thing.

If the Bears can’t add a top wideout, the next best thing would certainly be shoring up protection for your rookie quarterback. Given quarterbacks are expected to dominate the top-five, could there be a situation where Joe Alt falls to Chicago at No. 9? If not Alt, Olu Fashanu and Taliese Fuaga are other options at tackle.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

PFF names three areas of need for Vikings after free agency

With the main portion of free agency over and the NFL draft less than a month away, PFF names the areas of need for the Minnesota Vikings.

The bulk of the NFL’s free agency period is behind us, and the 2024 NFL Draft is just around the corner. The Minnesota Vikings did a lot of work in the free agency period, but most of that work centered on filling out the back half of the roster and ensuring that the 2024 team has some good depth to it.

That means that there are still a number of areas that need to be addressed heading into the 2024 NFL draft. The team over at PFF has identified three of those needs, highlighting QB, G, and CB as the three areas of biggest need for the Vikings.

With two first-round picks in hand, the Vikings are well positioned to find their next franchise quarterback. In the meantime, the team has primarily focused on bolstering its defense, adding Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel in the process.

Minnesota could use some help at guard. Dalton Risner is still a free agent, while Ed Ingram remains but has struggled during his first two NFL seasons. Cornerback is likely a priority on defense after that group ranked 24th in the NFL in coverage grade last season. Mekhi Blackmon was a nice pick in last year’s draft, but the team should continue to search for more talent.

While it’s assumed that the Vikings will use at least some of their draft capital to move up for a quarterback — whether that’s Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, or someone else remains to be seen — it will be interesting to see how they address the other needs.

If Minnesota is able to keep their second selection in the first round, that could be a great spot to address the cornerback position with someone like Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins, or Kool-Aid McKinstry. The need at guard may be a little more complicated. As PFF points out, Dalton Risner is still on the market, and Minnesota could opt to use a mid-round pick at the position as well.

[lawrence-related id=92591,92580,92570,92564,92554,92530,92541,92517,92523,92519]

Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze are most popular players mocked to Bears

Most people have the Bears landing QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze in PFF’s mock draft simulator.

The Chicago Bears are sitting in a prime position ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, where they have a pair of top-10 selections. While they only have four total picks, they have three in the top 75 selections.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze are the most popular picks for Bears fans conducting mock drafts on Pro Football Focus‘ mock draft simulator.

Williams is the presumptive No. 1 pick, and he’s essentially a lock to land in Chicago at this point. Bears brass spent extensive time with Williams ahead of his pro day, and they’ll get to host him for a Top 30 visit next week, where it sounds like he’ll get a head start learning Shane Waldron’s offense.

While the No. 1 pick is far from a mystery, it’s the No. 9 selection that could get interesting depending on how the board falls. When listening to general manager Ryan Poles, it sounds like wide receiver, edge rusher and offensive tackle are all options at ninth overall.

If Odunze somehow fell to the Bears at No. 9, it should be an easy decision for Poles to land a top receiver who would’ve been the top wideout in any other draft class. While Chicago already has DJ Moore and newcomer Keenan Allen in place, adding Odunze to the fold would make the Bears offense absolutely electrifying and set up Williams for immediate success as a rookie.

As for Chicago’s third round selection (No. 75), the most popular pick on their mock draft simulator has been an edge rusher. While this isn’t a super deep edge rusher group, the Bears need to shore up their defensive line opposite Montez Sweat.

How Bears’ offer for Keenan Allen compared to another team’s

The Chargers had plenty of interest for Keenan Allen, who was ultimately dealt to the Bears. But how did Chicago’s offer compare to another?

The Chicago Bears made a splash when they traded for Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, sending a fourth-round pick (No. 110) to the Los Angeles Chargers.

It’s a move that helped shore up one of the team’s biggest needs at wide receiver, providing a true complement to DJ Moore ahead of the arrival of presumptive No. 1 pick, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, the Bears weren’t the only team who made an offer for Allen. The Houston Texans, armed with their own young quarterback, also made an appealing offer. The New York Jets also showed interest for Allen, but it’s unsure if they made an offer.

Hortiz engaged with interested teams, including the Houston Texans — who offered a package that included a 2025 third-round pick and pick swap, according to a team source — and the New York Jets.

At first glance, it looks like the Bears got a steal for Allen, as it only cost a fourth-round pick compared to the third rounder and pick swap offered by the Texans.

Essentially, it sounds like the Chargers elected to have an extra pick in this year’s draft than a future selection, even if Houston’s offer was technically better. This is a deep draft class, so the Chargers are positioning themselves to land an additional impact contributor this year. Plus, it certainly helps getting Allen out of the conference.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts