Month: March 2025

THE BEARS SEEK THE HELP OF A MAN THAT HAS HELPED TWO HATED DYNASTIES WIN MULTIPLE SUPERBOWLS

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The Chicago Bears are Trumping up their offensive walls to keep out the opposing defenses’ migrants. Maybe General Manager of the Bears Ryan Poles got a good fence guy recommendation from Donald Trump. The Bears pulled off a monster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to give Chicago a true pillar on an offensive line that gave up more screws than a whorehouse last season. The Bears acquire left guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs for a 2026 4th round draft pick. Thuney has been the protector of Tom Brady back in the New England dynasty and has given protection to Patrick Mahomes for several seasons and this current Chiefs dynasty. Thuney has won 4 Superbowls in his 9 year NFL career, which 2 of them came from the Patriots and the other two the Chiefs.

Joe Thuney is 32 years of age. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL draft in the 3rd round 78th overall from the University of Carolina. His first 5 seasons was with the Evil Empire Patriots. His last 4 seasons he was down in Kansas City joining another hated franchise. Don’t let the age fool you as Thuney has only missed two games in his entire career. He played in all 17 games last year for the Chiefs. He has 146 games under his belt in the NFL. He is a 4x All-Pro and was selected to 3 Pro-Bowls in 9 total seasons. Last year he played 895 snaps at the left guard position. Then he was asked to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side at left tackle due to an injury. He played 217 snaps at left tackle. In the last two seasons he has had the highest pass block win rate of 97.8% in the entire league.

So why did the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly make Joe Thuney expendable? The Chiefs’ best offensive lineman Trey Smith recently got the franchise tag and is a guy younger than Thuney. Trading Thuney to the Bears will free up 16 million dollars off the Chiefs salary cap. Smith is only 23 years old and with a franchise tag would be paid in the neighborhood of 23.5 million which is the going rate out of your top protectors in the NFL. The Chiefs coming off their Superbowl loss will look to retool their roster but also get younger in the grand scheme of things.

For the Bears it’s simple, they have to protect their investment number one pick from last April’s draft in Caleb Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season which almost broke David Carr’s single rookie season he had in his first year with the Houston Texans. In 2002 Carr was sacked 76 times. This is the second move by the Chicago Bears in a matter of days. Both moves to improve their offensive line have come through trades. The first trade was with the LA Rams which landed them a 315 pound moose in Jonah Jackson, an X Detroit Lion who has ties to newly hired head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears have three free agents from last year who were fixtures on that terrible O-line they had who they will most likely let walk away instead of re-signing them.

Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator for the last several years had success because of the guys in the trenches. The Detroit Lions had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL the last few seasons. They ran a well-balanced offense with a two-headed monster at running back that opened up the play action pass for Jared Goff. Johnson turned Goff into a serviceable quarterback that can help your team go deep into the post-season. The experts think Caleb Williams has all the star-studded tools of being a top NFL quarterback in this league. Williams now will have protection in the middle of the line in these first two moves of the off-season by the Bears landing a pair of guards. Obviously Johnson still has to work on Williams’ mechanics and help him get rid of the ball quicker to avoid those types of sacks in which Caleb found himself doing his rookie season. Now it will appear he will get that time after these two trades.

As many expected, the Ben Johnson era will be a carbon copy of what the Lions needed to do to resurrect that franchise from the dead. The Bears are now investing heavily into the offensive line as Joe Thuney will get 16 million next year as he finishes a 5 year extension he got in 2021 by the Chiefs that was worth 80 million. Rumors are swirling that Thuney may get an extension even before putting on the shoulder pads. The Bears will be paying Jonah Jackson 17.5 million who’s in his second year of a three year contract he signed with the Rams. I don’t expect either deal to be a one year try out. If the Bears don’t give Thuney the extension, they can let him ride out the end of his deal and call it a day. For Jackson the Bears could cut ties with him before next season in his final year which would not cause problems for the salary cap. I think Johnson and Ryan Poles think these two guards will be here longer than one season. For Jackson who only played 4 games last year for the Rams, it is a move right now I will question. I give Johnson the benefit of the doubt as they have connections. I do like the Thuney trade. He is older but looks like a guy that still has thread on the tires and we know he plays that way. He’s been a part of elite winning programs like the Chiefs and Patriots. I like he comes from colder climates such as Kansas City and New England, so he should feel right at home in Chicago. I like Thuney able to play either tackle or guard. The Bears may need one more guy for that O-line to get the full makeover. Now they can address that in the draft or through free agency. All of the moves the Bears have made on offense the last two seasons are for Caleb Williams. Williams will be the final piece of the puzzle if this franchise will contend for years to come. Winning the off-season does not win Superbowl titles.

ANOTHER BEARS BLUNDER NOT RE-SIGNING SANBORN

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The Chicago Bears organization’s best comparison is a teenager who constantly makes bad decisions. It does not matter who’s in charge at the top. Does not matter who is the head coach. Somehow the Bears will make a blunder which will leave you scratching your head in disbelief. The latest is non-tendering strong side linebacker Jack Sanborn who’s a local kid and a player that has thrived the last three seasons since being signed as an un-drafted free agent from the University of Wisconsin. Sanborn was a restricted free agent and the money to keep him on this team is chump change which tallies to 3.263 million. Now Sanborn is a free agent and can sign anywhere he wants to. Some say the madness of this Bears move was to re-sign Sanborn for his services at a cheaper price. I have to believe some team will come in and scoop up a talent and want Sanborn’s services in the upcoming season.

Jack Sanborn is only 24 years of age and signed with the Bears as an un-drafted free agent in the 2022 season. That year he cracked the starting line up and made six starts for the Bears. In three seasons with the Bears he has played in 48 games and has made 19 starts at linebacker. Last year he played in all 17 games and tallied up 17 tackles while registering 1.5 sacks on the QB. Sanborn is a tackling machine as he has been involved in 164 tackles in three NFL seasons which 110 of those were solo. He has racked up 14 tackles for a loss of yards while defending 5 passes. He has one interception while racking up 4.5 sacks. He grew up a Bears fan and is from Lake Zurich, Illinois. Former Bears coaches say Sanborn is a versatile player, intelligent, a hard worker, and a guy that can play in nickel situations on third downs. You have to like his motor as he keeps going until the whistle blows. He can back up all the team’s linebacker positions. If not a starter, Sanborn would give any team depth on the roster.

The Bears have a new head coach in Ben Johnson who is here to fix the team’s offense and develop the quarterback. Johnson hired former Saints/Raiders head coach Dennis Allen who will be bringing in a different style of defense than what Matt Eberflus had the last few years. The Bears have invested heavily in linebackers through free agency by signing former Eagle T.J Edwards and former Bill Tremaine Edmunds before the 2023 season. Both Edmunds and Edwards might not be the linebackers in Allen’s defensive scheme. The Bears will be looking for guys that can pressure the quarterback is my guess and that made a guy like Jack Sanborn expendable for this new regime.

One team that may scoop up a guy like Jack Sanborn is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have a new D-Coordinator and it is Matt Eberflus who definitely knows what his defense needs and will know what he would be getting if they ink Sanborn to a free agent contract. Sanborn should have multiple suitors for his services. I know he was not drafted, but he played defense in the Big Ten at the University of Wisconsin. Big Ten manufactures linebackers and solid defensive options like a factory. It’s a conference that plays defense still. Many of these un-drafted free agents play with more heart than most of these guys that were drafted. Sanborn seems like that guy that a coach would say, “If I only had 11 Jack’s out there, what this defense could do.” That defense would play hard. That defense would not shoot themselves in the foot and play smart. Whoever signs Sanborn will get a better version of Jack because he will be even more motivated to be better if that is even possible. I’m not going to lie. I hate seeing the Bears give up on a local kid that was doing well. He is only 24 years of age and has not even hit his prime of his football career. I wish him the best of luck. I really do think the Bears have made another blunder which is the norm for this franchise and for all the teams in the Chicago Sports landscape.

IS J.J. GOING TO BE DYNAMITE FOR THE BEARS OFFENSIVE LINE NEXT SEASON?

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The Ben Johnson era in Chicago starts off with a move that several past General Managers for the Bears used the band aid method on over the last two decades. You could even throw the current GM Ryan Poles under a bus for not knowing what an offensive lineman looks like. The Bears pull off a trade with the LA Rams to land a veteran guard and one of Johnson’s old disciples from back in the Detroit days. The Bears acquire 28 year old left guard Jonah Jackson from the Rams for a 6th round 2025 draft pick. Before you make your Superbowl plans for the Bears, it comes with a cost of 17.5 million on the salary cap. The Bears will take on the entire length of Jackson’s contract – a guy that only played in four games last year. This sounds more of a Bears-like move.

Jonah Jackson was originally drafted by the Lions in the 2020 NFL draft, as he was selected in the 3rd round 75th overall from Ohio State University. Jackson has 5 seasons under his belt as he has started 61 NFL games. In 2021 Jackson was named to his only Pro-Bowl, by far his best season in the NFL. Last year the Lions chose to let Jackson walk out the door in free agency as he signed with the Rams on a 3 year deal worth 51 million. His lone season in LA was not worth remembering as he missed most of training with camp due to a injury. He did return to line up for opening week then in week two a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve. He would return late in the season and play in another two regular season games. In Jackson’s first two seasons in the NFL, he played in 16 games in back to back years. In 2022 he played in only 13 games. In 2023 he played in only 12 games. Last year he played in 4 games. The Bears hope he can stay healthy this upcoming season and have a bounce back year.

Last season the Bears GM Ryan Poles improved the offense by adding all the fancy play makers and new offensive coordinator. Like past Bears General Managers he did not address that offensive line and it was like putting make up on a pig. Poles’ number one pick, Caleb Williams, paid the price in almost breaking David Carr’s rookie record of being sacked the most in NFL history. Williams made mistakes as a rookie that did not help the guys the Bears had protecting him. He would hold on to the ball way too long. Most of the games, the Bears offensive line caved in like a house of cards as defenders would blow up the middle of that line each week. The Bears coaching staff had no answers and no adjustments as Williams is lucky he is still in one piece by the end of another miserable season on the gridiron for Chicago. Williams’ first season was like Mitch Trubisky’s & Justin Fields’ first season with the Bears. Quarterbacks selected in the first round come in with a shaky line and a coaching staff that is doomed from the start. Then after that year, all three quarterbacks have to start over with another head coach and offensive coordinator. This go around the Bears kept Poles as he convinced ownership they need to spend the big money to hand the reigns over to Ben Johnson. He’s that hot shot offensive coordinator who did wonders in Detroit the last few years. Can Johnson avoid what happened to Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus who ruined Trubisky and Fields? It looked like the Commanders who picked second overall in last April’s draft and selected Jayden Daniels, which made the better choice for now after one season. Will it continue?

The Bears will need more than one move to solidify their offensive line this off season. The Bears will not resign Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton or Matt Pryor who all played on the offensive line last season. They are set to become free agents and other teams’ problems. The Bears could address their line issues with free agency, the draft, or by trade, like they did with their first significant move of the off-season. This first move is indeed interesting. Jonah Jackson and many others in the NFL worked very hard to get that first pay day and after they get it, their performances drop off the map. Jackson got the big deal and after year one has not lived up to it. Injuries happen in football. Ben Johnson knows Jackson very well working with him for years so I suspect they think he will bounce back and the shoulder problems should not linger for years to come. You have to give head coach Johnson the benefit of the doubt because he knows what an offensive line man looks like over the yahoos who have failed at finding the right big guys to protect your asset which is the quarterback. Hopefully Coach Johnson can develop the quarterback as well. Which the Bears brass have not figured that out for quite some time. Keeping the QB upright is the first step which is basic Football 101. Jackson is a 315 pound beast the Bears are adding at left guard. He can play some right guard as well. He should help prevent the opposing defenses from caving in the middle of that line. He’s getting the big bucks so he better be worth it. The Bears have some space in their salary cap which will not be an issue making other signings. In the third year of the contract which will be the 2026 regular season, if Jackson is not worth keeping he would not cost much against the cap to cut ties with next off-season. His track record raises red flags for me as his career goes on, the less he plays. The Bears did not give up a lot for him. You are not getting a starting offensive lineman in the 6th round of this April’s draft. The pressure will be on Ben Johnson as he is getting paid well and this is his guy. Right now this move will be a wait and see. It could be dynamite in either way. Bears fans hope it does not explode against them like most of their front office moves they have seen for years.

BUFFALO BILLS NEED A GAME WRECKER ON DEFENSE

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The NFL is a copycat league like in all sports. Once the recipe is out there in the football world for how to prevail against your enemy, suddenly your own team gravitates to some changes. When the Philadelphia Eagles defense gave the Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs a beat down in this past Superbowl, you better believe it that general managers around the entire league took notice. Especially Brandon Beane, the GM of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills can’t clear that final hurdle to the Superbowl which is the Chiefs. It may not be the extra weapon Josh Allen needs on offense to get the job done versus the Chiefs. What Allen and the Bills need most is a guy that can help disrupt the flow of Mahomes and that Chiefs offense to put up another disastrous performance like he did last month. Could a game wrecker be possible for the Bills this off-season in a trade with Cleveland for defensive end Myles Garrett? Could the Bills simply sign Khalil Mack who is available in free agency? Would either one of these guys be the key to getting by the Chiefs?

Myles Garrett is unhappy in Cleveland and has demanded a trade. Garrett is 29 years old & has 8 seasons in the NFL all with the Browns who drafted number 1 overall in the 2017 NFL draft. In 117 games in the NFL Garrett is one of the best at killing the QB, as he racked up 102.5 sacks in his career so far. Last season he had 14 sacks in 17 games with 40 solo tackles and 3 forced fumbles. Garrett has been named defensive player of the year multiple times from different outlets over his career. He is also a six time Pro-Bowler. Khalil Mack was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft in the first round 5th overall. Mack is 34 years of age and has 11 seasons under his belt with the Raiders, Bears, and Chargers for the last few seasons. He has played in 167 career NFL games and has racked 107.5 sacks. Mack is a 9x Pro-Bowler and also has won multiple defensive player of the year awards. Last year he had only 6 sacks in 16 games and 20 solo tackles along with 2 forced fumbles. Mack has only 5 playoff games under his belt in his career as he tallied up 3 sacks in post-season play. While Garrett has one sack in three post-season games.

I would love to have Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett on my defense rushing from opposite ends. With Garrett you get a younger guy that has more octane in his tank than the old Mack truck. Garrett is like a crazed animal out there on the field and he can easily wreck your game plan. Only one time he used the quarterback’s helmet as a weapon of mass destruction on the the QB he took it from. He is not that guy who will cost you a game for losing his cool as he did that night with Mason Rudolf when he played for the Steelers. Garrett was drafted in 2017 and Josh Allen was drafted in 2018 which means the Bills’ top two guys on their respected units are about the same age. Allen is 28 while Garrett is 29. I remember when the Bears first landed Khalil Mack from the Raiders as he had no pre-season action and helped the Bears get back to the post-season. The Bears had one of the best defenses in the league. The Bears got there with Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback and they have moron Matt Nagy as the head coach. Mack was unstoppable that year as he had 12.5 sacks in his first season in a Bears uniform. Mack is a streaky kind of guy. Some years he can have monster numbers and some years like last year, he only had 6 sacks. It’s not like he has less effort as he could be getting double teamed. When you take on double teams, it should free up someone else on that defense that can create the havoc that week.

The bottom line is how much is it going to cost you to land one of these guys? Brandon Beane has pulled the trigger on landing a big player before. Right before the 2020 season Beane got Josh Allen, one of the top play makers in the league with Stefon Diggs. That trade was a bowl of mixed nuts for the Bills as they dealt Diggs to Houston before the 2024 season started. For the Browns who are being handcuffed by the biggest flop of a trade in NFL history they made by acquiring Deshaun Watson from Houston. They will certainly will ask a lot for a Myles Garrett. It will cost the Bills trade capital and chunks of salary cap to get Garrett. Other teams could drive the price up for Garrett as well. For Khalil Mack it is about how much does he want in his bank account. Will Mack take less at his age with a chance to go further in the post-season with the Bills than any other team he has played for in his career? Mack played his college ball with the University of Buffalo where he dominated. Could that be enough to entice him to come back and play in the cold weather after a few seasons in the LA sun?

These moves are always a doubled edge sword which can cut your own team more than help. When the Bills went out and signed Von Miller in 2022, it was supposed to be “MILLER TIME” in Buffalo instead of the normal Lablatt Blue. Last year Miller tallied up six sacks in 13 games as a guy who is 35 years of age. Giving Khalil Mack a big contract or big money next season at the age of 34 kind of makes me nervous. Miller should be a salary cap casualty coming up which will give the Bills more money to spend on the open market. The biggest question is does one guy make that much of a difference? The Eagles used the legs of Saquon Barkley to ride them all the way to the Superbowl. At the end it was the Eagles defense who won that Superbowl. The Eagles defense did it as a unit. If I had to pick out of Mack or Garrett, put me down for Myles over Khalil. Age makes a difference on the football field. If the Bills could land two impact free agents for the one price on that defense, then sign me up for that. I think Sean McDermott and the Bills may be heading to a different philosophy on the defensive side of the ball with some of the new hires as coaches on that side of the field. I would like to see some new horses in the trenches. I would like to see a shut down corner back as well. This Bills defense is not terrible. They already have some solid pieces in place. The Eagles defense has some of those names you probably heard the first time because of the Superbowl. Let’s keep the draft capital. Let’s invest in multiple needs for the entire roster and not put all our eggs in the single basket.