NFL Draft Watch Week 8: Ryan Poles Under The Microscope; Latest Buzz
Monumental decisions are on the horizon in Chi-Town, while top signal-callers continue to jockey for position in a potential star-studded 2024 NFL Draft QB Class
THE STATE OF CHICAGO BEARS IN DISARRAY
If the 2024 NFL Draft were held today, the Chicago Bears would hold the first two overall picks due to their porous record and first round acquisition from the equally inept Carolina Panthers (part of the Bryce Young trade). In addition, Chicago will also have the most cap space ($95M) of any NFL team this offseason. These type of organizational decisions are the kind that will alter the trajectory of this franchise.
Ownership must now ask themselves, do we have the right man for the job? There has been plenty of whispers within the NFL community that the Bears may have been too quick to anoint 38-year old Ryan Poles as general manager. Let’s examine the track record during his brief tenure thus far.
The first notable move made by Poles was shipping off Khalil Mack in exchange for second (Jaquan Brisker) and third round picks (traded back to Chargers). In the 22 games since the trade, Mack has totaled 73 tackles, 15 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. During that same span, Brisker leads Chicago with four and a half sacks.
In his first draft class in 2022, Poles made three selections in the top 100. They include Kyler Gordon, Brisker and Velus Jones. Gordon missed four games this season due to a broken hand, while Jones has made minimal impact. Brisker was a smart selection, as he has emerged as a solid starter.
On day three, Poles made a whopping eight selections (Braxton Jones, Dominique Robinson, Zachary Thomas, Trestan Ebner, Doug Kramer, Ja’Tyre Carter, Elijah Hicks and Trenton Gill). Of the eight, four still remain on the active roster. With 11 total selections, Poles was able to find just one reliable starter of the bunch. The 2023 draft class remains under review; of the 10 total selections, Chicago netted one starter (Darnell Wright) and several minor role players.
During the trade deadline last year, Poles would make several more questionable decisions. Dealing off their 2023 second round pick (Joey Porter Jr. - No.32 overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Chase Claypool (later packaged with a seventh round pick in a trade with the Miami Dolphins for a sixth round pick) was downright bad business.
Next, Poles dealt All-Pro Roquan Smith, in exchange for a second round pick (Gervon Dexter Jr) and fifth round pick (Noah Sewell), plus AJ Smith. The 26-year old Smith is clearly still in his prime and has since recorded 159 tackles in 15 games with Baltimore. To help off-set the loss, Chicago signed TJ Edwards in free agency for more fully guaranteed money ($50M), then the contract doled out to Smith ($45M) by the Ravens. The penny-pinching allowed them to also sign Tremaine Edmunds but this all came at the cost of sacrificing supreme talent, which is NFL team-building 101.
While the cap space looks great, a defense with Mack, Smith and Porter Jr. would appear to be much better!
However, it’s the decision to bypass the aforementioned Young, along with CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson, in favor of Justin Fields that could ultimately cost Poles his job. Fields is now 6-25 as a starter (60% completion percentage) and sidelined once again, as undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent from DIII Shepherd University gets set for his NFL debut this Sunday.
The clock is ticking and the Bears find themselves in the same predicament of finding a franchise quarterback—something they’ve struggled with mightily in the past.
Can ownership feel comfortable with Poles calling the shots on the first two overall selections and spending nearly $100M in free agency? Or will another organizational reset be on the horizon in the near future?
These are the questions that must be answered if the Bears want to prevent history from repeating itself. Tick, tick, tick…
NFL DRAFT BUZZ
While Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. may have won the battle against Bo Nix and Oregon last weekend, did he really win the war? Despite a magnificent performance, which showcased his laser arm, pinpoint accuracy and keen decision-making, there are still plenty of NFL scouts who share reservations.
The arm strength has come up in the past but this most recent performance should have squashed any apprehension there. However, when you examine the mechanics of Penix Jr., it’s a bit unorthodox—his upper and lower body are not always in sync. Plus, you have three season-ending injuries during his time at Indiana that must be factored; a pair of ACL injuries and shoulder injury. How Penix Jr. checks out medically at the combine could be the major determining factor on his draft slot.
One must wonder though, when does pure talent and performance trump all concerns?
The debates surrounding Penix Jr. inside NFL war rooms is sure to make for fascinating conversation. Surely, with so many QB-needy teams (ATL-CHI-MIN-NE-TEN) and plenty more organizations expected to take a wait-and-see approach (ARZ-DEN-GB-LVR-NYG-NYJ-TB-WAS), there will be one heady GM willing to believe what our eyes are telling us.
In terms of Nix, he has done a masterful job of running the Ducks offense, displaying great improv ability and taking what the defense gives him. He remains entrenched in the first round conversation, along with the likes of JJ McCarthy (Michigan), Drake Maye (UNC) and Caleb Williams (USC).
Speaking of Williams, he was exposed in a major way for the first time since his arrival to Southern California. The Notre Dame defense placed him under constant duress, resulting in errand forced throws and interceptions. In five games against Top 25 opponents, Williams is completing just 51% of his passes (76-148), for 860 passing yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.
While the Pac-12 isn’t known to have world-beater defenses, USC does have upcoming games against ranked opponents, including this week versus defending conference champs in No.14 Utah. The Trojans November stretch run will be the final gauntlet for Williams, as they are scheduled to face No.5 Washington, No.9 Oregon and No.25 UCLA. Did Notre Dame set the blueprint for how to conquer the consensus No.1 prospect in the country? We’ll begin to find out this Saturday.
One of the more prominent draft prospects eligible for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft is Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. The All-American suffered a left high ankle sprain last week and his future with the Bulldogs remains up in the air. According to reports, Bowers elected to have tightrope surgery to repair the ankle, a procedure that involves using surgical thread, rather than metal screws to help accelerate the recovery. The typical timeline of rehab for athletes who have had this type of surgery is usually four-to-six weeks, which would put Bowers on track to return to action in time for the College Football Playoffs—if he chooses to opt in. With nothing left to prove, will Bowers (a projected top five pick) want to run the risk of another injury in an attempt for a historic three-peat national championship run? Georgia head coach Kirby Smart hopes so but the business of the NFL may prevent that from happening.
It has been a trying year for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Earlier this season, they lost top tight end prospect Luke Lachey due to a right ankle injury, which required surgery. He joined starting quarterback Cade McNamara on the infirmary report, who fell victim to a torn ACL. Now, fellow tight end Erick All (considered a Day 3 prospect) has also suffered a torn ACL. All three players are expected to miss the remainder of the season. For Lachey, who boasts an impressive combination of size and athleticism, he’s expected to be ready in time for draft season and appears to have maintained a top 100 overall projection. Meanwhile, All, who stepped up in a big way and was leading the Hawkeyes in receiving, likely won’t have an opportunity to perform for NFL scouts prior to April—a major disappointment, as he was expected to have some of the top measureables for his position. McNamara, who joined All as a transfer from Michigan, could get an opportunity as an undrafted free agent. Despite the slew of injury woes, Iowa remains 6-1 with five winnable conference games on the docket.
GAME OF THE WEEK: No.7 PENN STATE at No.3 OHIO STATE
The marquee matchup of the college football Week 8 schedule takes place in Columbus, with a rivalry that dates back to 1912, as No.7 Penn State (6-0) visits No.3 Ohio State (6-0). The Buckeyes enter this contest on a six-game win streak over the Nittany Lions, the longest such streak for either team during the past 111 years.
Despite recent trends, many observers believe that this is the best Penn State football team ever under head coach James Franklin, who is 1-8 all-time against Ohio State. Led by flawless sophomore sensation Drew Allar (zero interceptions this season), the Nittany Lions boast one of the youngest backfields in the nation with runners Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen—all three players will be eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, that’s not where their strength lies. The mighty Penn State defense lines up a slew of heavy-hitters, including four potential first round picks on that side of the ball, which should make for a tremendous matchup.
For Ohio State, there has been plenty of shine for legacy wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. and probably not enough for his quarterback Kyle McCord, a player that NFL scouts need to start paying more attention to. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day (undefeated versus PSU) is ‘hopeful’ for the return of his other superstar wideout Emeka Egbuka, who was out last week— as were running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. To make matters worse, cornerback Denzel Burke left the Maryland game with an undisclosed injury. With the Buckeyes banged up, the opportunity for Penn State to pounce has never been more ripe.
In a contest that Day said is destined to come down to the fourth quarter, we couldn’t think of a better way to kickoff Saturday action! Below is a list of players that NFL evaluators will be keeping close tabs on:
Penn State Nittany Lions Draft Watch
#74 Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, 6062, 320, 5.11, rJr, Rd1
#4 Kalen King, CB, Jr, 5106, 190, 4.46, Jr, Rd1
#23 Curtis Jacobs, LB, 6014, 235, 4.50, rJr, Rd1
#44 Chop Robinson, DE, 6030, 255, 4.70, Jr, Rd1
#20 Adisa Isaac, DE, 6044, 249, 4.62, rSr, Rd2
#84 Theo Johnson, TE, 6060, 262, 4.60, rJr, Rd4
#73 Caedan Wallace, OT, 6051, 328, 5.18, rSr, Rd6
#1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR, 6003, 186, 4.42, rJr, PFA
#8 Dante Cephas, WR, 6002, 195, 4.50, rSr, PFA
#3 Johnny Dixon, CB, 5112, 196, 4.44, rSr, PFA
#99 Coziah Izzard, DT, 6025, 295, 4.99, rJr, PFA
#18 Tyler Warren, TE, 6055, 256, 4.65, rJr, PFA
#25 Daequan Hardy, CB, 5086, 180, 4.49, rSr, PFA
#77 Sal Wormley, OG, 6032, 324, 5.18, rSr, PFA
#16 Khalil Dinkins, TE, 6036, 246, 4.68, rSo, PFA
Ohio State Buckeyes Draft Watch
#18 Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, 6032, 205, 4.44, Jr, Rd1
#2 Emeka Egbuka, WR, 6006, 207, 4.39, Jr, Rd1
#74 Donovan Jackson, OG, 6036, 320, 5.00, Jr, Rd1
#10 Denzel Burke, CB, 5116, 190, 4.47, Jr, Rd2
#91 Tyleik Williams, DT, 6022, 295, 4.97, rSo, Rd2
#51 Michael Hall Jr., DT, 6021, 285, 4.95, rSo, Rd2
#6 Kyle McCord, QB 6027, 218, 4.72, Jr, Rd2
#44 JT Tuimoloau, DE, 6042, 270, 4.68, Jr, Rd2
#33 Jack Sawyer, DE, 6036, 267, 4.60, Jr, Rd3
#35 Tommy Eichenberg, LB, 6022, 240, 4.72, rSr, Rd3
#8 Cade Stover, TE, 6040, 253, 4.70, rSr, Rd3
#32 Traveyon Henderson, RB, 5096, 214, 4.45, Jr, Rd4
#55 Matthew Jones, OG, 6036, 315, 5.25, rSr, Rd5
#4 Julian Fleming, WR, 6016, 210, 4.50, Sr, Rd6
#10 Miyan Williams, RB, 5085, 225, 4.54, rJr, Rd7
#22 Steele Chambers, LB, 6005, 232, 4.62, rSr, Rd7
#41 Josh Proctor, FS, 6016, 205, 4.55, rSr, PFA
#14 Ja'Had Carter, SS, 6006, 206, 4.55, Sr, PFA
#8 Lathan Ransom, SS, 6000, 220, 4.54, Sr, PFA
#58 Ty Hamilton, DT, 6026, 295, 5.00, rJr, PFA
#56 Xavier Johnson, WR, 6010, 212, 4.55, rSr, PFA
#4 Lorenzo Styles, CB, 6005, 195, 4.40, Jr, PFA
Catch Ric Serritella on ‘Sports Rage’ with Gabriel Morency every Tues 10p ET SIRIUSXM Ch.159
VIDEO: Tune-in for more thoughts on the 2024 Draft Class, NFL QB Carousel & Latest Buzz!
While reading this I could have sworn you'd been listening to Chicago's Sports radio stations and this is the Transcript!!! You hit all the salient points, but I'm not sure they really matter as the biggest issue is the George McCaskey requiring Poles to Hire Eberflus, who is woefully overmatched as a Head Coach, although he makes a nice Defensive Coordinator.
Getsy is dazed and confused, the DC got the heck out of Dodge after only a few weeks leaving Eberflus holding the bag and proving once again that George McCaskey always seems to hire people that fit perfectly into the Peter Principle!!!
Poles should keep his job and start over with a new HC and Coordinators, and let them decide if Fields is salvageable, or maybe Tyson Bageat proves to be the answer over the next few weeks.