If you’ve followed the media blitz ahead of the draft, one notable headline keeps popping up. That is the Chicago Bears taking a wide receiver at #9. Rome Odunze is the most popular name for such an event. He’s already had a throwing session with Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, and D.J. Moore. You couldn’t telegraph the connections anymore if you tried. It is getting to a point where people assume the Bears are taking a receiver at #9. It is a foregone conclusion.
Or perhaps that is exactly what they want everybody to think.
Jordan Schultz, one of the top national NFL insiders in the field, had some interesting comments on the subject. After reaching out to multiple contacts, he’s not convinced the Bears are focused on wide receiver at all. They might be angling for help on the line of scrimmage.
“Bears aren’t married to WR at 9 — OT and EDGE are also options, while trading down remains a possibility as well.”
The curious part is that some other proven insiders, including Benjamin Allbright, Jeff Hughes, and Daniel Jeremiah, have predicted an offensive tackle goes at #9—not a receiver. Either the Bears make the pick, or a team they trade down with does. This makes you wonder if the organization is feeding the Odunze buzz to keep eyes away from their real intentions.
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This is exactly what the Chicago Bears did last year.
People have forgotten, but last April, the entire media landscape was obsessed with the belief that Chicago planned to draft Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The odds are favorable that he would be available, and the fit was obvious. Multiple people reported the Bears would take him if he got there. Then they swapped picks with Philadelphia and took Darnell Wright at #10. It was a clear sign GM Ryan Poles understood how to manipulate the media into looking in one direction while operating in another.
It could be happening again. The Chicago Bears want everybody thinking wide receiver. It serves two purposes. There is a possibility someone trades up in front of them to get Odunze. That improves the odds of another player the team may want at offensive tackle or defensive line being available at #9. It also gives them an avenue to move down with hopes one of those players will still be on board after scooping up an extra pick or two. Everything about this Odunze/receiver hype feels orchestrated.
This report by Schultz provides some confirmation.
Sorry, that was kinda from memory. It would be a $44.15M cap hit plus $63.5M in dead money per ESPN. So, we can foreclose that possibility. Herbert is staying and Harbaugh is looking for O-line and probably hoping to trade down to get more than one early in the draft.
@Gator Joe you’re right, my comment wasn’t researched. The cap hit is actually like $129 million. Lol, definitely not happening.
It is possible that Poles is masking his true intentions. If so, kudos to him. That’s his job as GM. Play chess while others move checkers.
To me, WR is not the biggest hole. Edge and Center are. DT, WR, Safety and OG are depth needs.
With Draft Day here, I’m praying Poles makes some noise and pulls off a Kevin Costner move. But when all is said (and a lot has been said!) and done, I just want Da Bears to take a step forward and compete for the division this year.
Can I get an “Amen”?
First off, Harbaugh is not trading away Herbert. The bolts take a $41 million cap hit if something like that happens so NO, not happening. I see Alt right there or a trade down with the Viqueens coming up for JJ. Odunze is the “safe” pick if the Bears can’t move down. Poles would love to drop 3-5 spots and grab Murphy or even Verse plus nab another pick. Will it happen? Maybe. If JJ is sitting there (unlikely) then it’s possible. Or somebody has to want to pay the price to move ahead of the Jets for Bowers or… Read more »
If Ordunze is there, take him (the other WRs are flawed.) You need to build behind Allen. The Bears did lineman last year. If Ordunze is gone, trade down and you can get a good lineman and some defense with that