chw42

So they are shopping Fields, they just haven't liked the possible returns.

It's basically a mid 4th rounder if you calculate the difference in pick values. So you've got Howell going for a comp 3rd and Pickett going for a mid 4th. If the Bears truly aren't shopping Fields yet, I think that's like the floor for his value. If they have been shopping him and either nobody is biting or they haven't liked the returns, then I'm not really sure what you'll get for him with the number of backup spots dwindling. I guess it's possible that spots can open up after the draft, especially with New England possibly trading out of #3. And I know this sounds insane, but if Rodgers somehow actually decides to run for VP with RFK Jr., I doubt he'll be able to play football at the same time.

Wow Aaron Donald retired. That was out of nowhere.

Minnesota will trade up to #3 or #5. If they trade to #3, I don't think it affects the top 10 order much. But if they trade to #5 and take JJ McCarthy, the Giants would be forced to take a WR or OT. If the Titans take Alt or Fashanu, and Atlanta takes Turner, then you're looking at a WR at #9. I honestly do not foresee Alt making it past the Titans. Regardless if Odunze or Nabers are available at 9, I think they're trading out of that spot. They're going to be looking to hit at ED/DI/C and WR in the first 2 rounds. Word is that the Bears are still interested in KJ Osborn after the Allen trade. So it could be that they don't take a WR at all and are looking strictly at ED/C/DI.

Atlanta does too, I bet Bears can trade down and get Chop Robinson or Verse and get a 2nd rounder to draft a guy like McConkey.

Giants could still take JJ.

They can recoup a 2nd if they trade down to the mid to high teens.

Yes I will happily eat crow for my Poles criticism. This was much needed to make this off-season make sense.

News of the Chiefs signing Marquise Brown broke like 30 minutes after the Allen news. You'd have to think they were gonna be in on Allen and the Chargers probably did not want to trade him to them or have him reach free agency to go to KC.

I wonder which 4th rounder it was for. Was it the Bears' or the Eagles'?

Now we know what Poles was saving his cap space for. Allen will get $23 million this year.

Holy fleece. Allen has a lot of dead money so I don't think the Bears would actually be paying him a ton.

If they're keeping Fields, they'd be loading up in FA. Because Poles, Fields, and Eberflus would be playing for their jobs next year.

I think he'd be fine as a spot starter or 2 inning reliever. Although if you're paying him $10 million a year, you're better off using him in high leverage relief roles. He throws 97-100 as a 1 inning reliever. 93-95 just doesn't work for him since his control is shoddy and he's basically a 2 pitch pitcher.

Is it a coincidence that they started to play better after the Cease trade rumors started up again?

The fact that Clevinger pitched fairly well last year and nobody wants him should tell you what other teams really think of him.

Curtis Samuel just signed with the Bills. There goes an option for slot WR.

If you add the trade values of the picks, the difference amounts to the 95th pick in the draft. This at least gives you an idea for Fields' value. The problem is that the longer they wait, the less spots they can trade Fields to.

Ryan Poles really asleep at the wheel. No signings for the defensive line with a bunch of cap space. Sam Howell effectively got traded for a top 100 pick and he's apparently not even bothering to trade Fields.

I'd be interested in what his extension numbers are. He's 6'4 so he's a pretty tall guy with long arms. Sometimes having elite extension hides lack of fastball velocity. See: Lucas Giolito and Triston McKenzie.

Yeah that looked really bad. They said it's a hip problem. Hopefully it's not too serious.

Just watched some videos on Thorpe and the Giolito comparisons don't just stop at his repertoire. He has a short arm action delivery just like Giolito. Giolito probably has a better fastball (especially when he had the high spin rate that gave his fastball ride), but Thorpe's control and larger array of secondary pitches could make him less reliant on velocity.

Thorpe's profile actually reminds me of Giolito after everyone started complaining that he doesn't throw hard enough or had inconsistent velocity.

This is pretty close on Baseball Trade Values FWIW

If this is after a bidding war, what was before it?