Any self-respecting Chicago Bears fan is well aware of Pro Football Focus. The analytics-based company considers itself one of the most respectable and irrefutable when it comes to knowing the true depths of football. In truth, there is a lot of division in the NFL community on whether PFF is actually worth anything at all. They had some serious hot take opinions over the years, many of them proving to be remarkably false.
Keep in mind this data-driven entity rated Mitch Trubisky ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
So it was pretty interesting when they put forth an article informing the Bears of what they would be better off doing than trying to win in 2020. They need to be focused on tanking for Clemon's Trevor Lawrence instead.
"Nick Foles immediately emerges as the odds-on favorite to win the starting quarterback position for the Bears after being traded from Jacksonville. Foles had the perfect contract to take on, as it contained a guaranteed salary in 2020 with only a $5 million roster bonus thereafter, according to OverTheCap.com.
This gives the Bears the opportunity to evaluate Nick Foles, and if he plays well, the Bears could keep him for two more seasons. If he doesn’t play anywhere near the 2018 Super Bowl MVP level he has flashed, the Bears can move on from him and hopefully be in a position to draft Fields or Lawrence in 2021."
Chicago Bears should know tanking solves nothing
One would think that by now people might understand that tanking in sports is a misguided endeavor. Philadelphia fans celebrated for years that the 76ers embraced this style of think a few years back. While it did lead them to multiple high draft choices, it also hasn't delivered on what was promised. The 76ers aren't a great team and nobody considers them a threat to win the NBA championship.
Tanking is the equivalent of a tonic being sold by a snake oil salesman. A miracle cure that doesn't actually work.
Besides, this idea that the uncertainty at quarterback puts them in prime position to tank is ridiculous. Did PFF even watch 2019? They played that entire season with Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel looking below average and still finished 8-8. Why? They have one of the best defenses in the NFL. A defense that may have just gotten even better with the arrival of Robert Quinn.
Any team that wants Lawrence will need a top 5 pick just to be in the conversation. Barring a ridiculous string of injuries or the team quitting on head coach Matt Nagy, which seems unlikely, then this entire idea feels like a pointless waste of words.
