Four years after Ryan Poles assembled his first draft class as Bears GM, @kfishbain.bsky.social and I have done a deep dive to assess every pick.
(We also retroactively included grades for the picks made by Phil Emery and Ryan Pace — 2012-2021.)
ANALYSIS
www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...
Ahead of the NFL Draft … big Athletic event this afternoon/evening in the city.
The first 100 fans who show up starting at 4 PM will get a hard copy of The Beast, and a chance to ask draft questions.
Plenty of good insight to be had. Matt Forte as the headliner.
🗣️🎙️🏈👂📺
😕 Grote has edge rusher anxiety.
🌟 The Bears draft opportunity is intriguing.
⛳️ A short Masters review.
And much more …
TAKE THE NORTH
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsz1...
March was a real slalom course for Bears GM Ryan Poles as he dealt with a surprise retirement, two trades, the signings of nine newcomers and the exits of 12 players who started at least once last year.
Now: the draft.
The challenges just keep coming.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/719...
Of all the exhilaration that the 2025 Bears season provided, George McCaskey might have been the most delighted fan in Chicago.
His thoughts on all the magic, all the viral content and that “F—- the Packers!” punctuation in January.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/717...
Ryan Poles, George McCaskey and Kevin Warren recently visited Roger Goodell in NY to state their case for the comp picks they believe they deserve for Ian Cunningham's hiring as Atlanta GM. As of right now, they don't believe a final ruling has been made.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...
Ben Johnson spoke with reporters at the league meetings in Arizona. Story from @danwiederer.bsky.social on what what the Bears head coach had to say about the offense’s room for improvement, a new center and next steps for Caleb Williams
🏈 Coby Bryant: “trained killer”
🏈 Complacency and entitlement: NO ENTRANCE
🏈 Draft opportunities are coming
🏈 “We still have Al Harris.”
📝 Nuggets from the NFL spring meetings 🏜️
www.nytimes.com/athletic/716...
G’morning from AZ 🌵
From O-line flux to a focus on fundamentals to another push for Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson is eager to propel the Bears offense forward again.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/715...
Ben Johnson on the missed catch moments for Rome Odunze in '25: "That’s something we’ll talk about. I don’t think that was a thing for him coming out. I don’t want to speak that into existence. That’s something we’re going to emphasize in the spring: getting back to basics."
Asked Ben to expand on Coby Bryant's play style ...
"The best defenses usually have two or three trained killers who are tone setters who can really elevate the play of everyone around them. ... If he sees somebody, he's looking to light them up."
Ben Johnson has had limited exposure to new safety Coby Bryant but has already identified the "it factor" in the headliner of the Bears free agent class.
"The way he plays the game is what we want our defense to look like."
More Ben on DJ: "We had to make some decisions in terms of the salary cap and things of that nature. I think the best thing for him is, he’s going to a great situation. He’s got a history with Joe Brady. I think he’s very excited to play with another talented quarterback in Josh Allen."
Ben Johnson, this AM, on the DJ Moore trade:
"Shoot, I got a little emotional when the trade happened. He came in and he made his rounds saying goodbye to the coaches and Ryan (Poles) and his crew. It hurts because I viewed him as one of the leaders. Yet the business is the business. (cont.)"
The menu of options at No. 25 continues to be promising.
Another mock draft offers the Bears a look at another defensive standout.
Have a look …
www.nytimes.com/athletic/712...
What's up with the Bears? @danwiederer.bsky.social breaks it down in his latest free-agency reset.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/710...
There were introductions Thursday at Halas Hall …
Bryant, Bush, Raymond, Gallimore.
(And Bradbury over Zoom.)
Talk a little, learn a lot. Bears.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...
A costly INT. Two intentional grounding penalties. More operational sloppiness. Red zone hiccups. Only one TD drive across nine possessions.
Sunday was not Caleb Williams’ finest hour leading a sputtering Bears offense.
With a basket of readymade excuses, the Bears’ defense didn’t choose any after Sunday’s loss. That group also didn’t make enough plays to secure win No. 5 … From Kevin Fishbain.
Chicago Bears Intel …
— What to make of the fourth down hiccups through six games.
— Are the stumbling Ravens one punch away from toppling?
— What’s next for Ozzy Trapilo?
In a lot of ways, Sunday afternoon felt like an identity win for the Bears. From the continued takeaway surge to the punishing running game to the whole team’s success in resetting in a short week after an emotional win.
More from inside Halas Hall …
December 2008.
The last time the Bears beat the Saints. Caleb Williams was 7. Ben Johnson was working as a software developer.
What a peculiar 8-game skid this has been.
Will Sunday reverse the voodoo?
“Some people might shy away from the opportunity. Our mindset is ‘F—! How good is this?’”
Something significant seems to building for an arrow-up Bears team with a sense of direction, a passion-filled Type-A head coach and evidence of competitive grit.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
A play in disarray became a game-changing moment. And a breakout night from D’Andre Swift contributed to a potentially season-changing win.
@kfishbain.bsky.social narrates the scene from Landover.
Amid the intense focus of an NFL season, players don’t go out of their way to meet the practice squad kicker. On Monday night, they were carrying him off the field.
*Hi. Jake Moody. Damn glad to meet you.*
What a moment. What a league.
WEEK 4 REVIEW
The unofficial Caleb Williams report card of his 45 called passing plays vs. Raiders
🌟— 1 play (star power)
👍🏼— 11 plays (very nice)
⭕️— 24 plays
👎🏼— 8 plays (substandard)
🤢— 1 play (gross)
(Includes three scrambles, two penalty “no plays” and two fumbles)