The Bears have made some quick moves within a week of the end of the season, on the offensive side of the ball. The defense started out as trash but with some huge improvements in personnel and Eberflus taking the reins of the defense they greatly improved to the point they were in the running for the playoffs. There isn't so much to improve on that side of the ball except depth. There is still a passionate discussion about whether to keep Justin Fields. For a franchise that hasn't had a "Franchise Quarterback," since Sid Luckman. I'd watch the Bears offense and it looked so clumsy. Nothing like an NFL offense at all. People wanted to blame Fields as he started to look un-interested and wanting out of Chicago where he was the most sacked qb in the league which is a wonder why they didn't get rid of the offensive line coach. His looks were probably because his handlers didn't know how to deal with him. Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator is who I blame for ruining fields if he continues to struggle. They fired the quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, running backs coach (which is a head scratcher because the running game was one of the bright spots on offense), and the tight ends coach. It is a wonder if these guys were from the previous regime. I like the way the Bears are doing things with the coaches and front office. Desist with this loyalty where if the head coach is fired so is everybody else. A chance to get the right guy in the right place not tie him to the Head Coach. This is showing the Bears are serious about being contenders for a while. Everyone is expendable including Ryan Poles a former practice squad member with the Bears. I've not been a big fan of a man who never smiles. Though the last gm Ryan Pace always had a smile on his face but some would say quarterbacks were not his forte if Fields whom he drafted does not get better. I'll hold my full opinion on Ryan Poles depending on what he does in this draft. I'll say what I said last year. If Justin Fields is your quarterback then let it be known and not have him waiting until draft night to find out he's being replaced. G©

     

Everyone is so hot to get Justin Fields out of Chicago. Considering what other teams and many teams including Chicago had to use backup quarterbacks. Minnesota Vikings had to use at least four since Kirk Cousins went down. Quarterback play this season has been terrible especially among the teams who drafted quarterbacks in 2023. I am of a mind that if you draft a quarterback you should sit him to let him know the speed of the NFL. If the Bears do draft a qb with the first pick it would be a bad idea if they think any quarterback they draft will be ready to play on day one which is why the play at that position was so bad unless you're Lamar Jackson. 

The Bears have two picks in the first round and most mock drafts I've seen says the Bears will draft a qb with the first pick they traded away last year to Carolina who drafted a qb and now it's coming back to the Bears. If they do draft a qb they should keep Fields to prepare the kid for the league. 

I remember when the Bears Drafted Mitch Trubisky in 2017 they had the plan to sit him to let him learn the position. Only they signed Mike Glennon who was complete trash so Trubisky had to learn sooner than planned and quarterback is one of the hardest positions to learn and the easiest to destroy a career if you don't have the right coaches. 2017 was a great quarterback class which included Patrick Mahomes. Everytime I see him play it makes me mad because the Bears could have had him. Someone told me that if they did draft Mahomes they would have ruined him. We've already seen David Montgomery walk to a division rival and is doing well and Roshaun Smith was Traded to Baltimore where they're looking like a Super Bowl team. Can it be said that Chicago is a place where football careers come to die with all of the hall of famers we've had? So what is the point of drafting another quarterback when to me it is clear that the coaches we have now have no idea how to coach up a talent like Fields. So drafting a quarterback no.1 and letting fields walk is not a good idea. I say trade out of the first round altogether because the Bears don't draft again until number 9 or 10. I say trade the pick and get a package of players and picks and find your studs in the later rounds where you can find the diamond in the rough. Stop relying on the draft and losing so we can get a high draft pick who isn't going to accomplish much but find his way out of Chicago. And then we're back where we started.  G©

   

  

I remember years ago on New Years day the plan was to turn on football and not move off the couch unless necessary. Those days there were no playoff games and bowl games had were based on conference v.s conference matchups by contract or the hottest teams of the day because they would draw the biggest crowd or the most eyes if you were not able to go to the game. Even then there was talk in those days the way you played in the bowl game affected your draft status. Even then there was talk of paying players because of the amount of money the school made off football and bowl games. For close to thirty years the NCAA has tried to put the two best teams to decide which is the Champion. And they have done, as they say the road hell are paved with good intention. With the transfer portal because players should be able to switch schools like coaches and NIL deals where players are getting paid for their talents and the movement of the conferences towards the Midwest and southeast, college football isn't going to look anything like it did in the nineties and the early two thousands. 

But what is grinding my gears right now is the players opting out because people are in their ears on and off social media that they are going to be first round picks and make crazy money. Being a Bears fan I've heard people talk about getting rid of Justin Fields which is ridiculous looking at all the backup quarterbacks that have been used this year like 4 in Minnesota. Justin Fields is not perfect but neither is the talent around him. From the offensive line to the backs and receivers. They may get a player here or there but it is clear the Bears are not building around Justin Fields to put the Bears on the level of other competitive teams. I digress.

What if you paid your money for tickets and airfare to travel to see your favorite team in a bowl game only to find out your favorite/best player has decided not to play. 

Georgia demolished No. 5 Florida State 63-3 in what was the largest margin of victory in bowl history, topping the Bulldogs' 58-point win over TCU in last season's national championship game. But the lopsided score was due, in part at least, to a host of opt-outs and injuries for the Seminoles.

According to Georgia's Head Coach Kirby Smart, "People need to see what happened tonight, and they need to fix this," Smart said, lamenting the flood of opt-outs and portal entries on teams playing in non-playoff bowl games. "It needs to be fixed. It's very unfortunate that they have a good football team and a good football program and they're in the position they're in."

The Seminoles played without their top two quarterbacks, top two running backs, top two receivers, starting tight end, three starting defensive linemen, two of three starting linebackers and three starting defensive backs. They were down 29 scholarship players in all.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell strongly intimated that the College Football Playoff committee's decision to leave a 13-0 Seminoles team out of the playoff in favor of two one-loss teams -- Texas and Alabama -- motivated a significant number of his team's opt-outs. 

As they say don't hate the player hate the game. Love of football will never wane but love of college football the way they're heading you might as well turn it into NFL light or a version of the G-League. I remember when it was a big thing to note how many college athletes especially football and basketball players were graduating. They touted the academics of the players and awarded them for their talents off the field. Now it isn't spoken of and loyalty has gone out the door as players who have had stellar years are transferring possibly to put themselves into a position to get drafted. 

According to ESPN: Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter, who helped the Flames to their first league title and New Year's Six bowl appearance, is set to enter the transfer portal, a source confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

Salter, the Conference USA MVP, informed the coaching staff of his intent, the source said.

Salter had 2,876 passing yards with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions this season, completing 61% of his passes. He also ran for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns, ranking 36th nationally and third among quarterbacks behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU and Boston College's Thomas Castellanos. 

Enough said. G©