I was in Denver this Labor Day weekend, spending some quality time with friends. I'm a morning person, but after a particularly late Friday night, I didn't set an alarm for Saturday morning. So I didn't catch the news about the
Chicago Bears' blockbuster trade to acquire Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders until some time later.
I didn't have a lot of time before Saturday activities began to write my immediate thoughts, but I did get some celebratory "OMG" tweets in before signing off for the rest of the weekend. I'm sharing a few of them below to recreate the scene and the palpable excitement:
Here's one:
And another:
One more:
And here's one final one, for good measure.
Chills, am I right?
After getting a chance to let the new reality marinate for a bit, I now have some thoughts to share about this trade and what it means for the Bears going into the 2018 season. I'm sure others have probably shared similar thoughts already, given I'm writing this three days later. But here goes:
1. First off: WOW! Ryan Pace saw an opportunity to acquire one of the five best defensive players in the entire league (in his prime), and took it. Khalil Mack changes the complexion of this team, especially considering he shores up what was the weakest position on the roster. Add this trade to the list of massively bold moves that Pace has taken the last two offseasons to right this Bears' ship. Of course, everything hinges on Mitch Trubisky panning out, but Pace pushed all of his chips in and declared that he believes the Bears are ready to compete. Right away.
2. To build off the point above, the only way the Bears will really miss those first round picks that they traded to Oakland is if Mitch Trubisky is bad. Because if he's bad, no matter how good the defense is, the Bears will be bad. And they won't have the ability to grab a top quarterback until at least 2021 if that's the case. Sure, they could mortgage their future further to grab a QB earlier, but it won't be Ryan Pace in charge anymore, that's for sure. Like I said above, everything hinges on Trubisky, and this trade signals that the Bears truly believe they have their quarterback. In fact, this trade is essentially doubling their bet. If Trubisky is good, the Bears are Super Bowl contenders. If he's average, they're playoff contenders with a *chance* to make some noise. If he's not ... *shudder*.
3. I think it's amazing how Pace stuck it to the Green Bay Packers this offseason. He re-signed Vic Fangio, whom the Packers were interested in hiring. He matched Green Bay's offer sheet to Kyle Fuller, securing their best cornerback for four more seasons. He signed Allen Robinson, whom the Packers were rumored to have interest in. And now he brings Mack to Chicago instead of letting him get away to Green Bay. It's been a total clinic of shrewd execution. Of course, all of these moves may not work out -- But it's difficult to disagree with almost anything that Pace has done this offseason. And the fact that the Packers not only lost each of these pursuit battles, but now have to face those players twice a year as well, is delicious icing.
4. One player who has to be thrilled about this acquisition? Akiem Hicks. You can say goodbye to those constant double-teams. Hicks has dominated the last two seasons despite being one of the only few consistent pass rushers on this entire team. This just makes his job easier.
5. This is great for Leonard Floyd, too. This is a big year for him, as he's been inconsistent as a pass rusher in his first couple of seasons. And then, he broke his hand in preseason, which means he was going to be limited. Adding someone like Mack across from him takes the pressure off quite a bit, and should help him get to the quarterback more consistently.
6. Check out these interception statistics -- they will blow your mind. In fact, Prince Amukamara said himself that he's feeling better about his season's goal of snagging 10 interceptions on his ow. Shout out to Erik Lambert of SM for compiling this:
7. I really don't have any qualms about the contract the Bears gave Mack. I think Aaron Donald is a better defender than Mack, but the market is such that Mack was going to receive a higher pay day no matter what. And it's pretty funny that some folks (Packers' fans) are trashing the trade because the Bears are paying him "QB money". I know how markets work, but I would much rather pay big money to someone like Mack, who is one of the best defenders in the game and a future Hall of Famer, rather than pay big money to someone like Kirk Cousins.
8. BIG props go to Ryan Pace's bosses for getting this done: Ted Phillips, the McCaskeys, everyone. This is an all-in move, and them approving it shows they're ready to win, come what may on the risk side. This tweet summed it up best:
9. I watched Mack's press conference before writing this -- and I'm so impressed. He's well spoken, he's thoughtful, he's humble, and fun to listen to speak. He understands the pressure that comes with his contract, and you can tell that he's itching to get back on the football field and hit someone and prove that he's worth it. I don't know how much he'll play against the Packers. But he'll play. And he'll be effective.
10. Thank you, Agent Jon Gruden.
11. Then again, I really feel bad for Raiders' fans and their players. WTF is happening with that franchise? How do they rebound from something like this? Glad I'm not a fan, or I'd be pissed off with the season on the horizon.
12. I don't know how good the Bears are going to be this year. But I do know that they're going to be entertaining as hell to watch. The offense, the defense, the coaching staff, everything. I literally cannot wait for this season to start.
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