Chapter 1: What is discussed at the start of this section?
This hour is brought to you by Vasectomy Clinics of Chicago. Rahimi Harrison-Grody. 10-2 on 104.3 The Score. In my snoopings, I noticed that the Lions on the player survey, the offensive coordinator got a C. Do you think Ben Johnson knows that?
Looked it up and has pinned it up? Maybe just on the refrigerator with a magnet on there?
Just a C? Grade C? Because you know he's still pissed off about that 50 burger. There's no way. He got swept. He was also really upset about the last game of the regular season.
Can you say a simpler game plan? Hold him back at all?
Nope. Come on, Ben. What do you think about that? Huh? Taking your shirt off at the Bulls game? You think this is funny? No. You think this is some kind of game? I'm sorry. Making jokes about your quarterback?
What do you think this is? He's saying, you want a piece of me? I could drop you like a bag of dirt. You want a piece of me? You got it!
I imagine he's going to get Cubs season tickets this year, which will be a blast to see him with his shirt off in the left field bleachers. Why do you think he's in the left field bleachers? Absolutely. Right field sucks. Good, bad, or best.
It's over, Denver. South Park whooped your ass. You better shut your mouth before I shut it for you.
What do you want to do, huh? I think Ben Johnson's having fun. Flashes the camera at the Bulls game. He's outside. He's telling people how much he loves Tyson Bajent. He's driving around from Indianapolis back to Chicago for the Combine. He's just out here. He's doing things. When does he go back to being that dude, though? The scary dude. Training camp. Yeah. OTAs. So, OTAs. Maybe minicamp.
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Chapter 2: What are the Bears' chances of trading for Maxx Crosby?
And the most expensive. That's a tough thing to marry together, right? You underperformed as a unit. Also, we invested as much, if not more money, into this part of the football team than we did anything else. And I understand injuries happen. I get it. Grady Jarrett had to have surgery. Dio Dingbo out for the year. I understand all that.
But the reality is, if you're going to win in the National Football League today, you have to have a well above average defensive line. And here's the other part about what polls had to say. There are some things you can do. You've seen that before. You all have seen that before I got here. You can accelerate and then after it goes away pretty quick. So you've got to balance both.
Unfortunately, that's not reality in terms of picking it. And you do want to go all in and hurt yourself. Do you want to go all in and hurt yourself down the road? So he said that. Our mindset is to do both. Win now and then be able to sustain that and have flexibility. It's not going to be easy. Hey, Layla. So the GM said it himself. He's not willing to put all the chips in.
He's not worried about the 20-32 Cubs, but he kind of is. Who do you have as the gold standard as far as general managing in the NFL? Howie Roseman. Does he seem like he's worried about the future when he makes all his deals? You know what makes him able to do things in the way that he does? Because he drafts really, really well. That's it.
He drafts well, and he's not signing players to contracts like that either. And so what I'm saying is... He's like a Montez Sweat deal. You've got two different paths here. Three if you want to count trades. But free agency in the draft to build your team and make your team better. He's got elite three technique on his rookie deal. And we know the story behind that, don't we? Yeah.
It should have been a warning now that I look back at it. Well, so my point is, Ryan Poles is telling you this is the way I have to do it. And no, I'm saying to Ryan Poles, no, this is the way you're choosing to do it because you don't know how to do it the other way. And that is the concern. Well, I think there's also different mechanics.
The Eagles have had private equity take a stake of their team, right? So they have had that buy-in. The Bears board is still comprised of family. They've kept that in-house. So outside of Pat Ryan. So... Based on that alone, it's a different setup entirely. There's no better way to view that than when you've seen what they do at the stadium.
But your GM, who's in charge of all of this, basically said that he didn't say he's not going to do it, but he leans toward not doing that in his statement that he made. would it surprise you at this point if he did it? That's the question. Well, and then here's, here's the other part that he said. So let's listen to Ryan polls in his entirety.
When he said, I hope eventually to have a quarterback situation where we've got to pay a young quarterback. So that comes into play as well. I think we're getting closer and closer to clarity on that side of things, which helps us to start build those models to,
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Chapter 3: How does the Bears' defensive line compare to other teams?
We know that that was a game changer as far as what we thought their division win total was going to be. Had he been healthy, how would that have looked? Miles Garrett is here to tell you that the Browns beat the Packers with Micah Parsons. But... Given that the Bears have, I think, more weapons. They had more. They won the season series. They beat them in the playoffs.
I know it took everything they had, but so do most NFL games. When you consider how the Bears are on the upswing and you consider that we haven't seen the realized Caleb Williams yet. We saw Colson Loveland in his rookie year. Luther Burton in his rookie year. All the tools and the weapons the Bears have. How much of a difference would Max Crosby make?
I think it would be the same type of conversation if he were on this team. Now, they've got four safeties that are all out of contract now. They are likely getting Tremaine Edmonds out of the building and releasing him for a cap casualty. TJ Edwards isn't healthy. There's a lot of issues with the defense right now. But does that change how you feel about him on this team?
Doesn't change how I feel about it. Look, I'm being very blunt. If you have a chance to get a game wrecker to pair with a quarterback who's not getting paid as much, you do it.
And by the time the quarterback is getting paid, some of this other, I won't call it dead weight, some of this other weight that's heavier and more dense than it should be at some of these other defensive line positions can be gone from your team. How about that? Is that a better way of putting it? When people are talking about the 2027 cap hits, that doesn't apply. Crosby's available now. Yes.
If he's still available in 2027, then it's a different discussion. But this is what the scenario is in front of you right now. And the reality is, if you don't go get him, and someone else goes and gets him, guess what? He's no longer available to you. You better pray it's not in the division, and you better pray it's not in the conference.
Brian Baldinger added to the drama yesterday when he was on our afternoon show with Spiegel and Holmes. Listen to this comp. I feel like Max is worth anything, like everything. Like that guy is just a difference maker. He's just a culture builder. Like he sets the tone every day in practice from the day, you know, from the moment he walks into the building.
I do the SAC Summit every year in Las Vegas. I'm around him a lot. Like it's just, you know, I mean, he watched – Jordan's show during the pandemic, and he changed his entire life. He wants to be Michael Jordan. He wants to be the best that's ever done it. He just has that level of commitment. I guess The Last Dance is what it was, right? Yes. He watched that thing.
His life changed in those 10 episodes. And he wants to be Michael Jordan. And... To do it in Chicago, I mean, you know, I went to school in Michigan. You know, that would be, I think that would be a great fit. If you could make something like that happen, I see that the general manager, John Spitek, is shooting all these rumors down, but the rumors are out there.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Maxx Crosby's potential trade?
Cole, welcome to the party, pal. Well, thanks for having me. I heard it was a big day, so naturally I dropped everything I had going on today. You've complained a lot through the years about not being able to hear the score on the 670 AM dial when you're inevitably cruising around downtown. And now that we have an FM signal, Cole, you can now hear the score all day, all the time, all you want.
You can hear all the Bears hot takes you want. Well, that's perfect. I'll make sure I blast that in the locker room. Rahimi Harrison-Grody. Midday's Tindall 2 on 104.3 The Score. 312-644-6767 is our number here on 104.3 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody. The Bears are now the favorites to land Max Crosby. According to DraftKings, that number moved overnight.
The Raiders aren't even the favorites to keep Max Crosby. The Bears are number one. The Raiders are number two. So let's go to our phones. And Anthony in Plainfield. Anthony, you're on the score. Hey, guys. Thanks for taking my call. Good morning to you. Yeah, so the Bears have finally accomplished something that we haven't seen here in decades, right?
And that's the combo between quarterback and head coach. I think we can all agree. That's the most important step. From here, we now have a window of the two years, at least on the rookie deal, and then an extension moving forward. You have to take advantage of the two years. And players like Max Crosby, not just the player, but the position and the top three at the position, don't grow on trees.
They don't become available often. As far as a cap standpoint, you losing Edmonds, you losing DJ Moore, you're basically... breaking even with bringing in Max Crosby as far as the dollars are concerned. After the 26th season, and I think one of the texters kind of hit on it earlier, those three big contracts on your D-line, Dial, Montez, White, Grady Jarrett,
They combined, okay, for maybe $12 million in dead cap space if they were to get released after the 26th season, and you save roughly $50 million if the three of them are released. The cap problem is not an issue after this 26th season. And again, like I explained, you get rid of Edmonds and you get rid of Moore. you're basically where you're at now. And then you have the ability to restructure.
Well, there's a couple guys on the line or whatever to fill your holes. I don't know why you would not go for it right now. Like, it's time to win. If there's a season to do it, why would it not be now? Well, and I think that's the question, right? Anthony is trying to figure out is how much they would take it on the chin this year. I understand the 2027 numbers. It does get better.
But the problem is he's here now, like he's available now. So how much can they move around now to make that happen? And you don't want to get stuck extending people who you don't want to extend. And that's what makes this tricky, too. No, I think that's a good point, Layla. 708 asks on the text line, how do you feel without a first rounder for two years?
If I have Max Crosby, I feel just fine, especially when my picks should be in the late 20s or early 30s. So we got into this yesterday, Marshall. The fact that Ryan Poles said to Todd McShay that he has fewer players on his draft board than he's had in previous years. And the problem with picking 25 is sometimes you've got to have like 10 or 15 players.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of Kenneth Walker III becoming a free agent?
I got you. Guys, I went to Venice and I went to the water and I didn't expect there to be so much water. It's so inauthentic. Like, welcome to learning what sea level rising is. Welcome. No, I'm kidding. All right. Five on it is next.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Seattle Seahawks are not expected to tag running back Kenneth Walker III, who is now poised to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens on Wednesday, March 11th at 3 p.m.
Chapter 6: Should the Bears consider trading DJ Moore for Max Crosby?
Chicago time. Here's the question. Should the Bears be interested in this year's Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III? I think that any team should always do some research on a Super Bowl MVP whose contract is up. But as far as Kenneth Walker III, I still think that, not to use the phrase, and this is just a colloquialism, but you know what you would say to your parent, I would like my McDonald's.
They're like, we have McDonald's at home. I'm still team, I'm good with the Bears running back room right now. I know that you can save money with DeAndre Swift, but I don't think that you wouldn't be spending money signing a reigning Super Bowl MVP free agent running back. Like we just found out Brees Hall is getting the franchise tag and it's 14 and change. 14 point like roughly $3 million.
That's a big deal. So if he's going to get that, what do you think is going to be the case for Kenneth Walker III? And furthermore, who actually needs him? I think that that's a big part of this too. You know, the Kansas City Chiefs have been reported as a team that might be interested in his services. So the price goes up.
You know, you're talking about a team that probably still thinks it's in its window or at the end of its window to try to contend for a Super Bowl. The Giants are a team that has been rumored to want Walker services or could be a team that could be connected to him. So.
I don't necessarily think that this is a case where the Bears should... Running back is a low-level priority for me on the Bears. They are doing the things I need them to do. I don't necessarily think that that's where I go to try to mix it up. Listen, Kenneth Walker III's 1,309 yards from scrimmage, impressive.
The durability, the fact that he rushed for 46 first downs, the fact that he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. I just think that your McDonald's money, that's a real thing. Also, I wanted to double check just to make sure I had the number right when it came to the Vikings. So I did some more over the cap deductions or searches.
Truly, the Vikings are, according to over the cap, $46.485 million over the cap. That's a lot of money.
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Chapter 7: What are the financial implications of Drew Dalman's retirement for the Bears?
Cowboys are 56.6. Jerry's just going to wave a magic wand and figure that one out. Chiefs are 6.6 over, so I don't necessarily know how that works out. They're going to have to cut another offensive lineman, I think. Or get rid of one like they did with Joe Tooney. They're in a bad way. But that's real bad. That's what happens when you have to pay your quarterback large sums of money.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Bears are in the middle of the pack. They're 7.46. They're actually toward the lower half. That's very manageable. Yeah, that's not 46 million. I was like, the Vikings are 46 million. I was like... You know why? What?
Chapter 8: How does the Bears' cap situation affect their offseason strategy?
Because Caleb Williams isn't making $50-plus million yet, let alone $70 million or whatever quarterbacks are going to make by the time he gets his extension. The Vikings have a rookie quarterback contract right now with J.J. Vikings also have pretty good defense as well. But back to Kenneth Walker III, there's just no reason to do this.
He's going to cost more than you would think $15 million per year on a long-term deal. That's not what you do if you want to maximize your Caleb Williams rookie contract window. DeAndre Swift, Kyle Menungai, could they ask more through the draft? Absolutely. And guess what? It won't cost as much as Kenneth Walker III. Not about Kenneth Walker III...
Being good or not, it's just a matter of where you are and what your priorities are. Number two. FanDuel proposed the following trade scenario on X, asking the question, who says no? The Bears receive pass rusher Max Crosby. Max. Shout out to all my Maxinistas out there. In return, the Raiders receive the Bears 2026 first round pick, number 25 overall.
The 2026 third round pick, number 89 overall. And receiver DJ Moore, would you give this trade the green light or the red light? Okay, so here's where I want some clarification. There's been a lot of commentary about the Bears media, in quotes, wanting to trade DJ Moore, or they can't get him out of the building fast enough.
And while I understand why that is a comment, the only way I'm trading DJ Moore... The only way is if it is for somebody like a Max Crosby, because he would be a talent that the Raiders would want. Would Fernando Mendoza want DJ Moore as his WR1? Probably. Do I still think, though, that DJ is the WR1 of the Bears? Yeah, I do. I still think DJ Moore is your WR1.
Until people prove me otherwise, I will love to see the proving process happen. DJ Moore is still that dude to me. However, I do think that he provides the most enticing possible trade package for the Raiders. And we knew it was going to be multiple picks. Now, we had heard, Ray, that it was going to be two first round picks, not a first and a third.
So by that logic, perhaps it would be a better deal. If you can trade for Max Crosby and you're the Bears and you can somehow make it work under the cap, you try to figure out a way to make it happen. Green light. Green light. Green lit. Green litty. Shout out to John Legend. However you want to say this, make it happen. It's a great song. It's not even first, first and DJ Moore.
It's just a first, a third and DJ Moore. Yeah. And what's Ryan Pulse going to do with a third round pick anyway? You know how I feel about it. I think the Bears should do what they did last year and avoid the third round altogether because you guys have not earned my trust in the third round. Again, trade the pick and the player. And again, I'm the same way.
I'm not trying to get rid of DJ Moore, but I am trying to address Bears' needs. How about that? Because you know what? Bears needs need to be met. And Max Crosby can meet their needs. They put themselves in this position. I understand. So now you got to get yourself out of the position. People put themselves in bad positions every day. Yes, I do. Yeah, exactly. I do too.
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