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NFL.com Leaves Mitch Trubisky Off the Most Laughable QB Rankings Ever

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

The Chicago Bears are used to their quarterbacks getting no respect. Most of the time it’s fair because the bulk of them have been horrible. Still, it’s one thing to be thought of as not good, it’s another to be forgotten entirely. Somehow that happened to Mitch Trubisky, the #2 overall pick in the 2017 draft.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com isn’t known for being the most respected expert among the national pundits. Still, when he writes for such a prestigious site one would think he’s not let the insane side of him show too often. Yet that’s exactly what happened courtesy of his recent list ranking the 32 best quarterbacks in the NFL.

It starts off innocently enough. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers occupy the top two spots, as is customary these days. It was only as the slots unfolded that one begins to realize this man has clearly lost every bit of sense he has. If people need proof, there are three rankings in particular that paint a clear picture.

Mitch Trubisky fails to make the Rosenthal rankings, and that’s okay

#12 – Jimmy Garoppolo

 

“If the 49ers can make him the highest-paid quarterback in football after five starts in San Francisco, I can rank him this high. It’s not like coach Kyle Shanahan is going anywhere, and the surrounding talent at Jimmy G’s disposal is only going to improve.”

Let’s get this straight. A guy who threw seven touchdown passes and five interceptions and started a total of five (5!!!) games in San Francisco is suddenly the 12th best quarterback in the NFL. He beat out Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr and Alex Smith. Those guys are actual Pro Bowlers. Somebody needs to contact Rosenthal and get him to change pot dispensaries.

#26 – Patrick Mahomes

 

“At the NFL Scouting Combine, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Mahomes was “one of the best players I’ve ever seen” based on tools and practice showings. The limited snaps from Mahomes’ first preseason and his Week 17 start against Denver offer a clue to what Veach meant.”

Wait, what?

Mahomes not only made the list but he placed 26th? He started one, count them, ONE game. He threw one interception and no touchdowns in that game while running for a score. Trubisky threw seven touchdowns, ran for two more and threw seven interceptions. Yeah sure that stat differential clearly indicates Mahomes is superior.

#29 – Teddy Bridgewater

“This is a projection. No one knows how Bridgewater will be different after his knee injury, but his first two seasons as a starter compare well with plenty of the young top-20 starters above.”

Oh, come on. Now you’re just being petty, Gregg. Rather than put a quarterback who started 12 games and won four in 2017 he chose to put one who hasn’t started since January of 2016 on the list. Bridgewater was a good quarterback but the NFL is supposed to be a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. Rosenthal put him on the list despite indications he may not play again in 2018 if the Jets indeed plan to draft a QB at #3 overall.

For those wondering? Yes, Rosenthal has been a Trubisky critic since he was drafted. So honestly, these rankings were never fair.

Debrincat Makes Blackhawks History With Hat Trick

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Alex Debrincat has had one of the best rookie seasons in Blackhawks history and added quite an accomplishment tonight. The Cat tallied his third hat trick of the season. A feat no other Blackhawks rookie has ever reached.

It was the fourth multi-goal game for Debrincat who is one of only 6 NHL rookies to have 3 or more hat tricks in their rookie season over the last 30 years. The impressive list includes Teemu Selanne (5), Joe Nieuwendyk (4) Patrik Laine (3), Eric Lindros (3) and Tony Granato (3).

Debrincat is currently tied for second in goals (25) with Winnipeg Jets player Kyle Connor. Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks leads all rookies with 29.

Boeser has been out the last couple weeks, so if The Cat can ride a hot streak out of this game, he might have a chance to catch him and grab the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter more Blackhawks news and musings. 

New Calculations on the Mitch Trubisky Trade Reveal Pleasant Surprise

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace draft trade

The New York Jets jumpstarted the 2018 draft hype train following the conclusions of the peak free agency period. This came when they traded the #6 pick and three second round picks to the Indianapolis Colts for the #3 pick. It’s obvious what their intentions are. They’re going after a quarterback. The Chicago Bears can relate. Just last year they conducted a similar maneuver with their Mitch Trubisky trade.

An interesting question to ask is exactly how much did the Jets or Bears give up in their respective deals? Is there a number that can be calculated to offer an idea of what the teams are paying in draft capital to get their QBs? The website Football Perspective created a unique calculation system to figure this out.

It’s based on the famous draft value chart created by former Super Bowl-winning head coach Jimmy Johnson who wanted to assign a numerical value to every single pick in the draft. It soon became a widespread tool for many teams and experts. So how did the Jets end up making out in their deal?

Mitch Trubisky trade proving to be cheaper than other recent blockbusters

“The price to play it safe and ensure that the Jets would get one of their top three options at quarterback was not cheap. In return for the third pick (worth 27.6 points in the Football Perspective Draft Pick Value calculator), New York gave up the sixth pick (worth 23.2 points), the 37th pick (11.6 points), the 49th pick (9.8 points), and a 2019 second round pick. If we assume the 2019 second round pick to be, say, the 40th pick overall, that’s another 11.1 points. Discount it 10% for having to wait a year to lose it, and we can approximate it as worth 10 points.

That’s 27.6 points received in return for trading 54.6 points, which is a whopping 198 cents on the dollar.”

That certainly sounds like a lot. Indeed it is. The only notable trade in recent memory to surpass that in cents on the dollar was the infamous Robert Griffin III deal in 2012, going for 209. In 2016 the Carson Wentz and Jared Goff trades were almost identical at 165 and 164 cents respectively. So how did the Bears make out on Trubisky?

Better than they did. The Bears reportedly spent 158 cents on the dollar when they gave up two third rounders and a 4th rounder to San Francisco to move from #3 to #2 last year. Some will say they still gave up too much, but GM Ryan Pace at least managed to mitigate as much damage as he could in order to secure the Bears’ future at QB.

With the arrival of Matt Nagy at head coach and Allen Robinson at wide receiver, the team is aiming to make sure the high price was money well-spent.

Willson Contreras Hits One Of The Longest Home Runs Of Spring Training

By
Aldo Soto
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If you were in Mesa on Sunday, watching the Chicago Cubs play the Kansas City Royals you better have ducked for cover if you were out on concourse in left field. Willson Contreras continued to flex his muscles against the Royals, destroying a pitch for a two-run home run, one of the longest hit during spring training.

Just take a look at this baby.

Oh and that bat flip. Beautiful.

The Bulls Almost Upset Cleveland Thanks To… Denzel Valentine?

By
Patrick Mooney
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With Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn sidelined with mostly pretend injuries last night, the Bulls trotted out a starting five that would probably lose close to 75 games over an 82 game season.

Well, that certainly is a.. um.. a lineup!

Jokes were flying all over the twitter machine about the starting five before tip-off last night, but we, as a Bulls twitter community, need to give credit where credit is due. The young bunch battled back from a 17 point halftime deficit to tie the game up with 4:13 to go.

They eventually fell to the Cavs 114-109, but the effort displayed by the short-handed Bulls caught the attention of their coach, especially the effort/performance from Denzel Valentine.

The 34 point performance is a career high for the second year guard, who added seven rebounds and six assists without committing a single turnover. Valentine’s confidence has been growing throughout the year.

“I believe I’m a starter in this league,” Valentine said. “I believe I can be an important piece of an NBA team. But whatever my role on the team is that they want me to do, the organization wants me to do, I’ll do. But personally, I believe I’m a starter and I can contribute in major ways. I just got to keep working and keep getting better.”

I’ve been pretty hard on Valentine in the past, and one great night isn’t going to change how I feel about him. But the Bulls brass seems to be confident in him, so I guess we should be hoping for him to succeed. I’m still skeptical that a 6’5 small forward with bad knees is going to be able to carve out a role on a competitive team, but the Bulls aren’t competitive so right now we’re stuck with him.

He’s going to keep getting opportunities with the way this roster is constructed, and odds are he’ll still have a role next season. Hopefully, he can prove the doubters such as myself wrong.

 

 

Kyle Long Explains The Method to Ryan Pace’s Roster Building Madness

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle long
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 11: at Soldier Field on August 11, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Broncos defeated the Bears 22-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

There are plenty of opinions surrounding what Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has done through his tenure thus far. Some think he’s doing great. Others feel he hasn’t done enough. One thing can’t be argued though. From the beginning, its been clear Pace had a series of goals in mind. He wanted to build this team through the draft, using free agency merely as a way to plug holes and finally settle the quarterback position. However, guard Kyle Long believes the construction goes deeper than that.

One of the things that tore the Bears apart back in 2014 was inter-locker room divisions. The roster was overrun by several players known for their selfish attitudes. Tight end Martellus Bennett and wide receiver Brandon Marshall being two of the most prominent names to fit that description. The team crumbled and has since endured one of the toughest stretches in franchise history.

Long applauds Pace’s vision to get away from those days by going out of his way to target players more interested in the success of their teammates than themselves.

Kyle Long is a perfect example of Pace’s goal of an unselfish team

Few men on the team can understand this mentality better than Long. From the beginning, the three-time Pro Bowl guard made it clear his personal gains did not matter. He was in it for the success of the Chicago Bears. Just look at what he’s endured since he was drafted in 2013. He was asked to play three different positions from left guard to right guard and right tackle.

If that weren’t enough, how about what he’s put himself through this off-season? Long has endured three different surgeries to repair his battered body including ones to his shoulder and neck. He’s putting himself through this and the rehab to follow in order to get himself ready to put that body through even more.

Why? He wants to win football games and be there for his teammate. It’s not a coincidence that Pace moved quickly to make him one of the highest-paid guards in the NFL. Players like him set the tone for the rest of the team, demanding others follow his lead. Knowing such a core is coming together with guys like Trubisky, Howard, Hicks, and Jackson has to get people excited about the future.

Trubisky In The United Center Repping Chicago, Maybe? Benny The Bull Takes it Personally

By
Matthew Milakovich
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Mitchell Trubisky, second-year quarterback for the Chicago Bears is wasting no time embracing the city which drafted him second overall in last years’ NFL draft. Or is he? Trubisky, an Ohio native, grew up a Cavaliers’ fan and thus, is obviously a self-proclaimed huge fan of LeBron James. At any rate, tonight on St. Patrick’s Day, he is joined courtside by teammates Kyle Long and Zach Miller at the United Center.

Tonight the Bulls play host to a Cavaliers squad which only has nine active healthy players on its roster after a grueling six-game stretch. However, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down the Cavs, who are currently beating a Bulls squad missing their core young triumvirate of Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markannen by double digits.

Also… Benny the Bull may or may not be attempting to take the young quarterback’s life. Why Benjamin? Apparently, he is worried there’s a fake fan in his midst.

Realistic Scenarios For Bears Landing Their Most Coveted Draft Targets

By
Erik Lambert
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bradley chubb

The Chicago Bears draft targets list will include all names. That’s how this goes. However, most fans are well-educated on this process by now. With free agency all but done, the Bears’ list of roster needs has narrowed. They also know who the top talents are in this 2018 class. Given the present look of the roster and how the seven picks ahead of them at #8 are shaping, fans have gotten their hearts set on two particular prospects.

They are edge rusher Bradley Chubb of N.C. State and guard Quenton Nelson of Notre Dame. Most experts have them ranked among the top five prospects in the class and both would fill a glaring roster need for Chicago. Leonard Floyd is currently the only proven starter they have at edge rusher, and he’s coming off a torn ACL.

Josh Sitton was just released at guard while Kyle Long endured three different surgeries this off-season. The Bears could really use a talent infusion at either position. The problem? It’s hard to find scenarios where Chubb or Nelson fall to #8. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. So to paint a picture, here is a realistic scenario for each player where that could happen.

SCENARIOS FOR NABBING TOP BEARS DRAFT TARGETS

Bradley Chubb (EDGE, N.C. State)

  • #1 – Browns take a QB
  • #2 – Giants OG Quenton Nelson
  • #3 – Jets take a QB
  • #4 – Bills trade up and take a QB
  • #5 – Broncos take a QB
  • #6 – Colts take RB Saquon Barkley
  • #7 – Bucs take DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

Chubb is definitely the more difficult of the two to attain because pass rushers always go high in the draft. Thankfully the Bears are aided right off the bat by so many teams needing a quarterback and the class being strong in high-end depth. Thus the Browns, Jets, Bills, and Broncos all get one. The Giants seem intent on building around Eli Manning for one more run. They tried to sign top guard Andrew Norwell in free agency but failed. it would make sense that they target Nelson at #2.

The difficult sells are the Colts and Bucs. Why would Indy take Barkley at #6? Easy. They have no starting running back. Their two options are Marlon Mack or Robert Turbin. Not ideal. Perhaps they could wait until the second round for that, but none of the other backs in this class can touch Barkley’s skill.

As for Tampa Bay, their need to draft Chubb may have cooled a bit by their signing of veteran defensive end Vinny Curry. They have a pressing need still present though at safety. Their current projected starters are Chris Conte and Justin Evans. Minkah Fitzpatrick has a level of ability that is beyond them and he could also help the Bucs out at cornerback too. He’s that sort of talent.

Thus Chubb slips to #8 where Chicago is waiting.

Quenton Nelson (OG, Notre Dame)

  • #1 – Browns take a QB
  • #2 – Giants take a QB
  • #3 – Jets take a QB
  • #4 – Browns take EDGE Bradley Chubb
  • #5 – Bills trade up to take a QB
  • #6 – Colts take RB Saquon Barkley
  • #7 – Bucs take DB Minkah Fitzpatrick

There are a few key differences this time. It starts with the three QBs going right off the bat. The Giants might be projecting the idea they won’t go there, but can they really ignore this rare opportunity to get a top quarterback who can eventually take over for Manning, who is likely done in the next couple seasons? This will force the Broncos to avoid going quarterback and instead they allow the Bills to come up and do so instead.

After that, it’s the same finish as the Chubb scenario except for this time a little more believable. The Colts would likely prefer a game breaker with elite traits like Barkley while the Buccaneers don’t have a pressing need on the offensive line. Thus Nelson should fall into the Bears’ laps, fixing a nagging problem up front for them.

Overlooked Free Agents Who The Bears Should Move To Scoop

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears free agency

It feels like the Chicago Bears free agency run has peaked. Their initial rush through the first couple days couldn’t have gone much better. They secure two tremendous wide receivers in Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. Both of which offer different styles that should compliment each other. Trey Burton adds zest to tight end. Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller are back on long-term deals. Even Cody Parkey seems like an upgrade at kicker.

The salary cap situation for the Bears isn’t suddenly bad, but it’s unlikely they do any more big deals this year. Not with so many roster spots left to fill. Odds are GM Ryan Pace will see if he can start scooping up some potential bargains. Players who might be getting overlooked for one reason or another but can help the team as either depth or short-term starters at key positions.

Here are some names still out there who could end up being quality contributors.

Bargain Chicago Bears Free Agency Targets

Charles Sims (RB)

It really feels like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers forgot how to utilize the talents of Charles Sims properly. He was an outstanding reserve back in 2015, posting 500 yards both rushing and receiving, showcasing his unique versatility. He was often compared to Matt Forte during the draft. Since then though the team never tried hard enough to use him more save as a pass-receiving back. Matt Nagy might be able to find a place for him.

Jack Mewhort (OG)

There’s typically a reason good players last long on the free agent market. They either have some off-the-field issues or health concerns. For Jack Mewhort it’s the latter. Otherwise, he would’ve been nabbed long ago. After staying healthy for the most part through his first two seasons, Mewhort has missed a combined 17 games between 2016 and 2017 with various injuries. That’s such a shame too because when he’s good to go, he’s a quality blocker both in pass protection and on the ground. He’d make great competition at guard this year.

Kony Ealy (EDGE)

Ealy is such a frustrating case. It looked like for two-straight seasons in 2015 and 2016 he was almost on the cusp of breaking out as a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers. His three-sack performance in the Super Bowl is a perfect example of this. Yet he couldn’t quite reach that next level and then injury slowed him in 2017. He’s still just 26-years old. The Bears are desperately thin at edge rusher, even after signing Aaron Lynch a few days ago. Ealy could help ease that problem further.

NaVorro Bowman (ILB)

This is a familiar name for Vic Fangio. When the two were last together, Bowman was ranked as one of the top inside linebackers in football. Then he tore up his knee. By the time he got back Fangio was gone. Since then the veteran moved on to Oakland where he had a decent year in 2017 helping to solidify the Raiders run defense. He made 89 tackles, and also had 1.5 sacks and an interception. If the Bears aren’t sure about their inside linebacker position, he could be a big help on a short-term deal.

Jay Bromley (DT)

Losing Mitch Unrein wasn’t a surprise, but it does potentially hurt the Bears depth at defensive line. Akiem Hicks played way too many snaps in 2017. They have to work towards easing his load somehow. Jay Bromley was a capable reserve at defensive tackle the past few years for the New York Giants. His ability to get up the field as a pass rusher and also hold against the run is underrated qualities. He’s likely not a starter but if you want someone who can give Hicks a blow for a handful of snaps he can.

Tre Boston (S)

This might be one of the most confusing and fascinating players on the market. Tre Boston had a breakout year in 2017 as one of the best coverage safeties in the NFL, snagging five interceptions. He’s had seven the past two years. At age 25 one would think he’d be off the market in a blink. So what’s the problem? Namely, Boston is a liability against the run. Many times he’s been caught on film taking terrible angles to the football. So any team signing him would have to keep that in mind. Fangio would want him on the field for obvious passing situations where he can add more ballhawking skill to that secondary.

Big Moves By NFC North Rivals Makes Bears Draft Target Clear

By
Erik Lambert
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bears draft

Roster needs will likely drive how the Chicago Bears draft plans materialize in April. GM Ryan Pace has done a great job in free agency to this point knocking off key needs. Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel solve their receiver issues. Trey Burton adds more depth at tight end. Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller both return on long-term deals, stabilizing cornerback. Suddenly the picture is coming into focus.

However, needs aren’t the only thing that tends to alter the thinking for a draft. It’s not just their own moves the Bears have to consider. It’s that of their biggest rivals. The teams they have to play twice a year. If there is one theme that has come to pass about the 2018 off-season to this point, it’s that the rest of the NFC North has loaded up on the defensive line.

It began when the Green Bay Packers secured veteran Muhammad Wilkerson to join the tandem of Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark on their new defense under Mike Pettine. Then it was the Minnesota Vikings who fired the biggest shot, locking up interior pass rush specialist Sheldon Richardson to a one-year deal.

In doing this those teams may have helped make the Bears’ draft decision for them.

Chicago Bears draft plans might need to consider early O-line

The Bears have made it clear their top priority in 2018 is surrounding quarterback Mitch Trubisky with as much talent as possible. Their investments at wide receiver, tight end, and the revamped coaching staff were all a means to this end. It seems though there is one area they’ve neglected to this point. That’s the offensive line. Now those moves by the Packers and Vikings underscore this problem and who Chicago might have in mind at #8 overall.

Quenton Nelson is considered the only offensive lineman in the 2018 draft who is worthy of going in the top 10. The Bears are considered one of the primary landing spots for him next month and with good reason. He has a connection to their new offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, who developed him at Notre Dame.

Adding to this idea is how the Bears released veteran guard Josh Sitton. Together with the questionable health of other guard Kyle Long, the interior of that offensive line is starting to look shaky. To say nothing of the ongoing lack of top performance at the tackle positions. Nelson is believed by many to be the best overall prospect in the draft. Olin Kreutz even predicted he’s destined for a great career.

Nelson would be a plug and play starter and somebody who can help counteract those defensive line upgrade made by the rest of the division. This is the sort of chess match that happens every year, a big reason the off-season is no less compelling than the actual season. Will the Bears follow this game plan?

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