Yesterday, when Tom Brady officially left the New England Patriots, en route to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, discussions were triggered all over social media about what athlete looked the strangest in a jersey of “another” team. By “another” think of Michael Jordan as a Washington Wizard, Joe Montana as a Kansas City Chief, Johnny Unitas as a San Diego Charger etc.
One of the more clever reponses was Mitch Trubisky in a Pro Bowl uniform. It’s funny because it’s true, and it’s clear the Chicago Bears will need a new QB1 if they are to do achieve anything while having this stellar defense that they have in place going for them. So the Bears have made moves, trading a fourth round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Nick Foles.
Chicago inherits the final three-years of Nick Foles deal, which pays a base value of $50 million. The Jaguars will take on a dead cap charge of $18.75 mil for 2020.
Foles becomes the new starter (or he’s not and then this deal is really stupid because they just spent a ton of money on a backup), as he is literally a Super Bowl MVP. Meanwhile the Jaguars add another draft pick as they transition to the Gardner Minshew era. Meanwhile the Bears also traded away their backup QB, Chase Daniel, yesterday.
Daniel, who beat the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day last season, reached agreement with the Lions on a three-year, $13.05 million deal that includes a voidable clause. So with all that stuff going on in the past 24 hours, it’s time to talk about it. Especially now, with all actual sports totally shut down for the foreseeable future.
Yes, collecting tweets and putting them into a post is the laziest form of…well, it’s so bad, you can’t call it journalism.
I don’t know what it is, but here we are. There are no more press conferences and media interview availabilities for the time being (it’s not exactly “social distancing” now is it) and with that in mind, we do what we can. We start with the reactions to Nick Foles, and the takes on General Manager Ryan Pace’s job acumen.
Let’s roll.
If you want to feel better about $21 million guaranteed for Nick Foles, the Bears did pay $18.5 million guaranteed to Mike Glennon three years ago.
Or maybe that doesn’t help, I don’t know. https://t.co/f1tyyutUbI
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) March 18, 2020
#Bears pic.twitter.com/nl7gCLpFoL
— The Tomfoolery of Professor John Frink (@Frustrated_Fan) March 18, 2020
I've been a Ryan Pace fan for a while, but seeing how he's handled the #Bears' QB situation, he should be fired if they don't make the playoffs.
I'm willing to give Nick Foles a chance. But Pace's track record shows he can't evaluate the most important position in football.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) March 18, 2020
It’s one thing to miss on the QB you trade up for. It’s another to turn around & trade a somewhat valuable draft pick for a dude that lost his job to a late round pick last year.
Ryan Pace has dug his grave (if this doesn’t work out) & has no one to blame but himself. #Bears
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) March 18, 2020
3/9, 2017: The #Bears sign Mike Glennon to a 3-year $45M deal.
4/27, 2017: The Bears trade a 1st, two 3rds, and a 4th to move up 1 spot to draft Mitch Trubisky.
3/18, 2019: The Bears trade a 4th for Nick Foles.
Ryan Pace is playing chess while everyone else playing football. pic.twitter.com/xA8PvWCfiY
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) March 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/WordspaceAce/status/1240349255535075330
Ryan Pace and passing on good black quarterbacks for bad white ones, a timeless tradition. https://t.co/52Z321yW4g
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) March 18, 2020
Ryan pace and Matt Nagy rn plotting to make Bears fans suffer once again pic.twitter.com/bls0YS5KvD
— Matthew Solis (@kiddymateo24) March 18, 2020
We now move from the Nick Foles tweets to the Chase Daniel material.
Chase Daniel is my hero. Made over 30M and started 5 games in his career. https://t.co/dcar6bpixV
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 17, 2020
Lions sign Chase Daniel and tell the world they aren’t drafting Tua at #3 overall. Ruining value and power of that pick. ?
— Mike Sullivan (@MikeSullivan) March 17, 2020
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.