Tag: 2023 season

Dan Graziano believes Justin Fields, Saquon Barkley would be ‘explosive’ duo for Bears

ESPN’s Dan Graziano pitched an idea for Giants RB Saquon Barkley to join Justin Fields and the Bears’ top rushing attack in 2023.

While there are still six games left this season, Bears fans are already looking  ahead to an important 2023 offseason.

The expectation was never for Chicago to be contenders this season; it was all about development. And the most important development has been second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who’s emerged as one of the NFL’s most electrifying players.

This offseason, GM Ryan Poles will have an opportunity (and plenty of salary cap space) to build around Fields heading into a pivotal Year 3. The Bears will have north of $100 million to spend, and there are a lot of needs to address, particularly on offense.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano pitched an idea for one playmaker to join Fields in 2023 — Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who’s set to hit free agency this offseason.

“I threw out the Bears because you have Justin Fields already there,” Graziano said on Get Up!. “Imagine the two of them together [Fields and Barkley] and what that run game would look like and how potentially explosive.

“I think when people speculate on Saquon – if he’s not back with the Giants, they’ll want to put him on the top offenses, as an accent piece in Buffalo, or in Kansas City a place like that. But, it would be interesting to see him in a place like Chicago if they want to build it out from the run game and lean on that with Justin Fields as he develops.”

It’s safe to say running back isn’t a pressing need on offense, especially not when compared to the need for offensive line and receiver help. But assuming Poles addresses those needs (be it in free agency and/or the NFL draft), he could certainly look to add a playmaker like Barkley to the roster. He’s certainly got the money to do it.

David Montgomery is set to hit free agency this offseason, but the Bears do have Khalil Herbert, who’s been an explosive addition. Still, Herbert is no Barkley, who’s second in the league in rushing with 953 yards.

Right now, Fields doesn’t have a lot to work with in terms of talent at skill position players. The addition of Barkley could be a game-changer for this already explosive run game.

While the Giants will likely look to keep Barkley in New York, it’s a fun thought to consider.

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Falcons take Cordarrelle Patterson’s shirt too literally, trade Calvin Ridley to the AFC

Falcons take Cordarrelle Patterson’s shirt too literally, free Calvin Ridley in a trade with the Jaguars — who will visit the Saints in 2023:

Oh no. The New Orleans Saints won’t have to worry about Calvin Ridley anymore — the Atlanta Falcons traded their suspended wide receiver to the Jacksonville Jaguars hours ahead of the 2022 NFL trade deadline, dealing an embattled superstar to a team in a whole other conference.

Ironically, and painfully for Falcons faithful, this comes just days after Ridley’s teammate Cordarrelle Patterson was seen patrolling the Atlanta sidelines in a “Free Calvin Ridley” shirt advocating for his friend’s suspension to be lifted. Ridley was suspended for an entire year after a gambling scandal in which he was accused of placing bets on games including his own team while inactive with an injury. It looks like the Falcons took Patterson’s message too literally.

And the return Atlanta is getting for trading Ridley is kind of complicated. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that if Ridley is reinstated before a specific date, the Jaguars will give up a 2023 fifth rounder (otherwise it’s a sixth-round pick). But if Ridley is on the roster in 2024, Jacksonville also sends out a 2024 fourth rounder. That pick becomes a third rounder if Ridley meets certain incentives for play time and performance. If he signs a long-term contract extension with Jacksonville, the Falcons will receive a 2024 second rounder.

So there are some hoops to jump through here, and the ramifications of this trade won’t be felt for quite some time (Ridley won’t even be eligible to play this season). At the end of the day, it just means that Ridley won’t suit up against the Saints twice a year anymore. New Orleans will host the Jaguars in 2023, but there’s a chance Ridley’s suspension won’t have even been lifted by then. It’s a storyline to watch out for over the next few months.

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Bears GM Ryan Poles says his job is to build for the future

Bears GM Ryan Poles on trading Robert Quinn: “My job is to do what’s best for this organization not only now, but in the future.”

Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it clear from the start that he’s building for the future. Unfortunately, that’s included parting ways with expensive, aging veterans, who have been mainstays on the roster.

Defensive end Robert Quinn is the latest to exit Chicago after the Bears traded him to the Eagles on Wednesday. Chicago received a fourth-round pick in exchange for Quinn, which gives the Bears seven draft picks heading into the 2023 NFL draft.

Poles said it was extremely difficult to make the trade.

“These decisions, they’re really, really tough because it’s not a transaction, it’s deeper than that,” Poles said, via NBC Sports Chicago.

“There’s the emotional side, the human part of it that you know you’re affecting not only a man but his family. You’re kind of shaking that all up and I don’t take that lightly at all and I’m sensitive to that.”

On top of that, Poles said it was difficult to mess with the locker room culture in trading a defensive leader like Quinn. But he also understands that his job isn’t to just worry about the team right now. It’s about the future.

“I value – I think I’ve talked about that a lot – the locker room and what it means and the culture and it sucks to mess with that, to be completely honest with you,” Poles said. “But again, my job is to do what’s best for this organization not only now, but in the future. I felt like that was the best move for us to make.”

With the Bears coming off a dominating 33-14 victory over the Patriots, Poles understands trading a captain in Quinn could have a negative impact on the locker room. But, when considering the future, it felt like an obvious move.

“That’s really where you have to compartmentalize those two different areas,” Poles said. “You know, for the future I think it’s going to give us the ability to continue to grow and build our foundation that we’re trying to build. That is the exciting part.”

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How the Bears trading Robert Quinn impacts the salary cap in 2023

The Bears are trading Robert Quinn to the Eagles. Here’s how it impacts the salary cap in 2023:

The Chicago Bears made a splash trading star pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

It’s not a surprise with the Bears in the middle of a rebuild as general manager Ryan Poles continues to retool the roster while acquiring additional draft capital.

But one of the benefits of the Quinn trade is the impact it has on the salary cap in 2023, where Chicago already had north of $100 million in cap space before the move.

While the Bears will take on most of Quinn’s remaining salary, which is around $7.9 million, the trade frees up $18.2 million in additional cap space in 2023, per OverTheCap.

For those keeping track at home, the Bears will have $134 million in salary cap space heading into the 2023 offseason, which gives Poles plenty to work with as he looks to address areas of need.

Chicago could’ve opted to cut Quinn after this season, which would’ve freed up $10 million in cap space. Instead, the Bears free up an additional $8 million while also acquiring a fourth-round pick in the trade with the Eagles.

As for the impact on the salary cap for the remainder of the 2022 season, Chicago cleared up $12.9 million in cap space with a $4.2 million dead cap hit.

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LSU announces full 2023 football schedule

Here’s the Tigers’ full slate of games next fall.

On Tuesday night, the SEC announced its full slate of conference games and dates for the 2023 season. With non-conference matchups already contractually set, we now know the Tigers’ full schedule next season.

It will begin with a rematch against Florida State, this time in Orlando. Other non-conference opponents will be Grambling, Army and Georgia State. It will be the first time LSU has faced Grambling or GSU, and only the second time it has faced Army (and the first since 1931).

As far as conference matchups go, in addition to facing the SEC West and Florida, LSU will also face Missouri out of the East. There are some quirks in scheduling as the Tigers will face Arkansas in September for the first time as well as hosting the Gators in November.

Here’s LSU’s full schedule for the 2023 season.

Bears players currently set for free agency after 2022 season

Here’s a quick look at the Bears’ free agents following the 2022 season, including Roquan Smith and David Montgomery.

The Chicago Bears are in the final phase of the 2022 offseason program, but the 2023 offseason is already shaping up to be a big one for new general manager Ryan Poles.

The Bears are slated to have 32 free agents following the 2022 season, per Spotrac, which isn’t a surprise given Poles signed a lot of one-year, prove-it deals this offseason. Chicago is currently slated to have north of $90 million in salary cap space for the 2023 season.

But there are also some key players who are entering contract years in 2022, most notably linebacker Roquan Smith and running back David Montgomery. While Poles has already made it clear that locking down Smith is a priority before the start of the regular season, Montgomery’s future with the Bears is less clear.

Here’s a quick look at those Bears currently set to hit the open market in 2023:

Bears target defensive playmaker in this way-too-early 2023 mock draft

In The Athletic’s too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land their three-technique of the future in Georgia’s Jalen Carter.

The 2022 NFL draft wrapped last week, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft. For the Chicago Bears, they’ll have a first-round selection for the first time during general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure.

This year, Poles focused on a major weakness in the secondary with the selections of cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker with Chicago’s pair of second-round picks. Could the Bears target defense with their top pick again?

In The Athletic‘s way-too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears find their three-technique of the future in Georgia rising star Jalen Carter with the sixth overall pick.

As evaluators fired up the tape to check out Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt on the Georgia defensive line, how many times do you think this phrase was uttered: “Wait, who is this No. 88?” That would be Carter, who is entering his true junior season and was arguably the best player on the national champion’s defensive front last year.

While Carter didn’t receive a ton of recognition, it was for good reason. He was overshadowed by three members of that Georgia defensive line — Travon Walker, Jordan David and Devonte Wyatt — all of whom were drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. But there are some that believe Carter could be better than all of them.

Chicago lost three starters from the defensive line this offseason — Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols. While the Bears attempted to sign Larry Ogunjobi to serve as the three-technique, he failed a physical that forced Poles to pivot to sign Justin Jones. But looking to the future, Carter would be exactly what Matt Eberflus’ defense needs.

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Bears land playmaking wide receiver in early 2023 mock draft

In Draft Wire’s too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land a WR1 for Justin Fields in Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The 2022 NFL draft wrapped just a few days ago, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft. Especially for a Chicago Bears team that currently has a first-round selection after not having one three of the last four years.

General manager Ryan Poles used the 2022 draft to shore up the secondary with the selections of cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker and the offensive line with four picks. But could 2023 be the year when the Bears use their first-round pick to land a top playmaker at wide receiver to help quarterback Justin Fields?

In Draft Wire‘s way-too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land a playmaker at wide receiver in Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the ninth overall pick, which should give Fields another dynamic wideout.

Justin Fields finally gets his WR1, and it’s a familiar face. Smith-Njigba has the explosiveness and big-play ability to be an instant star at the next level, especially if he’s catching passes from his old quarterback.

Smith-Njigba would reunite with Fields in Chicago, although the two played sparingly together during the 2020 season. It was the 2021 season where Smith-Njigba had a breakout year with the Buckeyes, hauling in 95 receptions for 1,606 yards — both team highs — and nine touchdowns.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Darnell Mooney and rookie Velus Jones Jr. are the top wideouts currently under contract. Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown signed one-year, prove-it deals this offseason.

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Former Saints coaches Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips now leading XFL teams

The XFL announced its eight head coaches for the 2023 season, including former Saints coaches Jim Haslett and Wade Phillips:

This is cool: the XFL announced their eight head coaches for the 2023 season on Wednesday, including two coaches with New Orleans Saints ties. Jim Haslett worked as Saints head coach from 2000 to 2005, and he’s joined on the XFL’s roster by Wade Phillips, New Orleans’ defensive coordinator from 1981 to 1985 and whose Saints run ended as interim head coach. We don’t yet know whether the XFL is returning to the same cities as last time, or which teams each coach will be running.

The other six XFL head coaches include Bob Stoops, Terrell Buckley, Hines Ward, Rod Woodson, Reggie Barlow, and Anthony Becht. Of that group, only Stoops returns from the XFL’s first relaunch back in 2020. The start-up spring league did well with national broadcasts on FOX and some crossover appeal through sideline reporting from Saints star Cameron Jordan, but the COVID-19 pandemic put an early stop to it. The XFL has since changed ownership and is now being managed by an investment group headlined by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.

As for Haslett: he guided the Saints to the franchise’s first playoff victory in his first year on the job, going 45-51 as head coach before his dismissal after the 2005 season – which the Saints played entirely on the road in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Over the years Haslett has worked as a defensive coordinator and position coach in the NFL, most recently joining the Tennessee Titans as inside linebackers coach in 2020.

Phillips first arrived in New Orleans as defensive coordinator for his father, former Saints head coach Bud Phillips. He went on to work as a defensive coordinator for seven different NFL teams with stops as a head coach for the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys, with interim looks on the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans. He’s accomplished an 82-64 record in the regular season but just 1-5 in the playoffs. We’ll see where Phillips and Haslett end up coaching and how often they’ll be running up against each other once the XFL shares more details.

How the Bears trading Khalil Mack impacts the salary cap in 2022 and beyond

Trading Khalil Mack is a move for the future. Here’s how it impacts the Bears’ salary cap in 2022 and, most importantly, beyond.

The Chicago Bears made a splash trading star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2022 second-round pick and 2023 sixth-round selection.

While the draft compensation was surprising to most, it’s the impact Mack’s trade has on Chicago’s salary cap that might be an indication as to why they only got a second-rounder and sixth-rounder.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers are taking on the three remaining years of Mack’s contract, which totals $63.9 million. Chicago gets $6 million in cap savings for the 2022 season. Unfortunately, the Bears will still have to eat $24 million in dead money this year.

With that said, the Mack trade provides a more favorable salary cap outlook in 2023 and beyond. According to OverTheCap, the trade clears $28.5 million in salary cap space in 2023, which is huge. It also explains why the return for Mack was so low.

Mack’s cap hit with the Bears was slated to be $30.2 million in 2022, $28.5 million in 2023 and $26.3 million in 2024. With the Chargers taking on the entirety of his contract, it frees up plenty of cap space in 2023 and beyond as Poles looks to build his roster around quarterback Justin Fields.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Bears get an additional $28.5 million in cap space, which moves their 2023 cap from $92.9 million to roughly $121 million for the 2023 season, per OverTheCap. Granted, there are only 18 players currently under contract in 2023. Still, it allows Poles the freedom to build his roster moving forward.

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