Week 18 is in the books, meaning the top 18 draft slots are locked in going into the offseason. The Commanders, Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers all lost. Only the Bolts changed positions, by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Eagles. The Giants, however, only dropped one spot through their home win.
The Falcons and Saints’ efforts to upend the Buccaneers in the NFC South did not pan out, with Tampa Bay beating two-win Carolina in its regular-season finale. This will keep Atlanta and New Orleans in much better draft positions. Despite finishing 8-9, Tampa Bay now cannot move past No. 19 without a trade.
While the Bears’ seminal decision — Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, seemingly, with all the trade and contract factors that go along with this forthcoming choice — will headline the leadup to this draft, the Commanders have secured the No. 2 selection and will have their own call to make. New owner Josh Harris showed he will help drive his front office to moves that will load up draft capital, as the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades showed, and he is all but certain to hire a new regime in the coming weeks.
The draft’s second-best quarterback will be available to Washington, which saw its Sam Howell wire-to-wire season fail to solidify him as the team’s surefire long-term QB. Will Washington become closely connected to Howell’s North Carolina successor (Drake Maye)? The Commanders’ call will help shape how the Patriots proceed, unless New England — which is also all but certain to move on from Bill Belichick and start anew — completes a trade-up effort.
As the postseason determines the bottom 14 draft slots, here is how the top 18 look after the regular season:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Washington Commanders: 4-13
- New England Patriots: 4-13
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
- New York Giants: 6-11
- Tennessee Titans: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Chicago Bears: 7-10
- New York Jets: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 8-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
- Green Bay Packers: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
- Miami Dolphins: 11-6
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Detroit Lions: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
- Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
Carolina has no pick but hey, atleast they got 5 foot nothing bryce young.
Sure there were protection issues but what is that term – oh yes, rag armed. Young seems to lack velocity and touch.
A QB shouldn’t be lobbing the ball outside the hashes; in doing this Young suffered from pick-six rashes…
Time for an article about what the next Love contract is gonna look like. Hasn’t quite shown enough to warrant Hurts/Herbert type money, and you probably can’t risk more than a 4/5 year commitment at this point. Young man is impressing though.
It would be foolish for Green Bay to do anything other than franchise Love, unless they can get Love to sign a team-friendly deal. He’s looked good in the second half of the season, but since this season is virtually the only time he’s played in the NFL (other than one game), more observation of his play is necessary.
Is it time to pull the receipts from people on here saying Houston was going to be in the running for the worst record in the league after they traded to get Anderson?
I’m still trying to figure out what would be the problem with the Bears trading down from 1 and drafting a guy like Jayden Daniels and keeping Fields at least for 1 more season. If all they’re going to get is a second round pick it would be stupid to trade him. Hire Ben Johnson, then get him another WR with the 9 pick. Let them fight it out. You can always deal Fields at the deadline depending on how it’s going.
You risk fields playing better than the rookie and still have to extend him or get nothing for him like what happened to the chargers with Brees and Rivers. If fields is you guy you use all available assets and build around him. If he’s not your guy you use every available asset and build around whoever is your guy.
How can Fields playing BETTER lessen his value? Competition brings out the best in people. He’s basically been unchallenged since he got here. He still has 2 more years at reasonable money and team control. If he’s worth a 2nd now and plays better then he’s surely worth a 1st then.
he’s just, I assume, creating a 2 headed monster scinario. draft a top QB for competition but then not giving enough support to Fields to prove his worth. I’m sure they’ve already broached the trade subject on Fields and we aren’t privy to what those others actually are. Honestly you want to make a decision before the draft and maximize your value in picks. if you believe in Fields trade a ransom for Williams and then support him with a ton of cheap talent. on the other hand trade fields during the draft hopefully for a 2 next year to start the deal and some other back end picks and use your 2nd top ten pick, ideally, to trade down again hoping a team has a QB need that happens to be on the board at 9. that would be another perpetual bears rebuild but what else is new, also their coach and gm would probably be fired as well after next year. wash and repeat…
I think Poles will definitely trade down, as the rebuild will take longer than three off-seasons which he stated last year. Eberflus is def returning, not sure about Getsy. Their FO seems to value Fields’ tremendous makeup & star potential, which as you point out, is worth more than a 3rd. Fields 4th & 5th years are still cheaper than the 1st pick would make in two seasons. Going another year doesn’t commit them to $50M/yr.
Adding a backup to Fields to compete with Bagent would be a great idea, but not with their top pick, wherever it lands. It’s almost a certainty, in my mind, that Poles targets a top OT to pair with Wright. Alt would be my choice…hoping it lands at #3 when NE trades the Bears their 1st, 2nd and next year’s 1st. Odunze or Bowers at #9…
Yeah but if you take an OT with the 1st pick and I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, Then you set up a situation where one of your best OL is sitting on the bench. It would have to be an OT who could maybe play RG for a season and be available to play T in case of an injury. Jones isn’t G material and neither is Alt. It would have to be Fashanu in that case. I would try to trade both down and get more picks. They still have a lot of holes to fill. they need 2 C’s a RG and backups and an edge and a S. That’s a lot of needs to fill with 2 1st’s and 1 3rd. When they resign JJ they’ll be down to like 50 million, Which sounds like a lot but it can go pretty fast when you add in it will take like 10 million just to sign their draft picks.
Here’s my thinking. I’m assuming a trade out of #1, which is very ikely imo. That will add a second and a third, plus a 1st next year, maybe more. The haul could be epic. They might use #9 or trade down for a QB and deal Fields if they can get a 2nd. I’m leaning towards this scenario.
Also, $24M will be freed by designating Whitehair & EJackson post June-1 cuts, both highly likely. That will leave $88.4M in cap room for 2024, plenty for JJ & a star FA EDGE and a very good starting Center (eg Biadasz or Cushenberry, whom DAL & DEN cannot afford this off-season).
Bears’ roster is now decent but really thin in places with O-line weakest position group & essential to upgrading the O, followed by WR which in 2024 draft has exceptional depth. I believe Poles will lean toward upgrading the Oline.
Alt or Fashanu at picks 3-6 would be an immediate upgrade at LT where Braxton Jones is not nor will ever be an AllPro. Jones could move inside, where his pulling speed would be nearly league best, though he’d have to bulk up to compete there or be a swing T. His long term future is at G imo. Jenkins could play LG or RG, but has only one year left before FA, not assured of being resigned imo. Nate Davis didn’t perform well in passpro and was unreliable, becoming expensive backup to Jenkins or Carter or another draft pick. However, Davis won’t be back for year three ($2M out). Center will be a vet FA imo, plus another in the draft.
WR could easily be addressed at #9, getting any type of instant starter. Any trade down from #1 or #9 would likely bring back a high 2nd round pick, where a starting G or FS could be drafted (Tyler Nubin!), an EDGE or another WR. 3/4/5 could be used to add depth at G, WR, C, DL, TE, DB, RB.
Yeah but you’re forgetting I already expected them to cut those guys. So that 88 million , Sweat is already getting 24 and JJ is gonna get around 20 So your 88 is down to 44 plus 10 million for draft picks. More if you get more picks. Signing two top ten #1 picks is going to be pricey. We’re stuck with Davis 11 million for next year so they can’t even cut him. So your money is flawed. And Jackson is horrible and needs to be replaced. He’s the one who got burned on every long TD pass this year.
Matt Prater deserves a bonus!
We’re both wrong by half. According to Overthecap, as of today w/ Sweat and Santos deals included, Bears stand at $51M w/ both Whitehair and Jackson still rostered. Their post June 1 savings of $24.4M added puts it at $75M. JJ at 20 plus 10 for the draft leaves it at $45 not 35. At least one premium FA should be possible.
Or, maybe that expensive acquisition comes through trade. A trade down with Raiders to include #14, a day 2 pick, two future firsts and Max Crosby @ $18M could be an interesting opportunity for Poles to “finish” the D line while giving Fields another year backed up by capital to get another QB if it doesn’t work.