Three Major Insights Regarding the Bears after the NFL Owner's Meeting
The NFL owner's meeting came to an end last week in Phoenix, which means only one thing. Rumors and gossip are starting to make their way around the 32 NFL Teams.
Here are three things Bears fans should retain from last week's meeting:
1) Four genuine bids were received by Poles for the top draft pick.
The Chicago Bears' general manager Ryan Poles revealed that the team had received four strong offers for the coveted No. 1 overall draft pick. Ultimately, they decided to trade the pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for some juicy draft picks and talented wide receiver DJ Moore.
What set the Panthers apart from the other offers was their unwavering commitment to paying what it would take to secure the top spot. Plus, they sweetened the deal by including Moore, a young player with a track record of consistent production. Poles was thoroughly impressed with the Panthers' package, saying it "really kind of took it over the top" for him.
Now, Poles and his team are working tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming draft, which kicks off on April 27th. Stay tuned for more updates as the excitement builds!
2) Eberflus absolutely smitten by his new linebackers.
Bears' head coach, Matt Eberflus, had his eye on linebacker Tremaine Edmunds back in 2018 when he was coming out of Virginia Tech. However, during that draft, Eberflus' Indianapolis Colts ended up selecting offensive lineman instead. Who would have thought he'd get his guy five years later as the head coach of the Bears?
Edmunds has just inked a massive four-year, $72 million contract with the Bears in free agency. Eberflus couldn't be more thrilled to have him on board, citing his imposing 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame as a key asset in the middle of the defense. He's confident that Edmunds' size and length, coupled with his range as a pass defender, will deter opponents from throwing the ball in that area.
Edmunds will be teaming up with T.J. Edwards, a Lake Villa native and former Eagles linebacker who the Bears recently signed. Together, these two linebackers are sure to take the Bears defense to a whole new level.
3) Shedding some light around the new stadium situation.
It's been quiet on the stadium front since the Chicago Bears closed on the 326-acre Arlington Heights property back in February. There's been a lot of speculation about what happens next, but the Bears have been clear that just because they closed on the property, it doesn't automatically mean they'll build a stadium there.
Enter Kevin Warren, the Bears' new president and CEO, who officially starts his new job on April 17. Warren has experience going through this process once before with the Minnesota Vikings and U.S. Bank Stadium. He'll be leading the charge when it comes to analyzing the Arlington Heights land and determining whether or not the team should continue to pursue a stadium there.
According to team chairman George McCaskey, this analysis needs to be thorough and thoughtful. There's no set timeline for when a decision will be made, but McCaskey is confident that Warren's experience will be a huge asset as they navigate the ups and downs of this process. So while it's still unclear what the future holds for the Bears and a potential stadium in Arlington Heights, they've got a seasoned pro leading the way.
As seen on - Four things we learned about Chicago Bears at NFL owners meetings
