The Raiders made a really big mistake. Funny how it took Mack getting traded for a lot of people to fully appreciate how good he is. Maybe it was playing on the West Coast or people just not really knowing, but they know now.
That's two prime time national games he's gotten to play in now. Secret is out.
From what I recall in that draft, a lot of teams liked Trubisky a lot. Only one gets to be saddled with getting it right with him now, and that's the Bears. This dude hasn't really played in a lot of games, which is concerning, but he looks like he could be good enough to get them somewhere with a defense like the one they have right now. Often that's all you need in the NFL. Plus, they're not letting QBs get breathed on now, which can only help him.
If you look at Greg Cosell's scouting report on the kid and what we've seen of him so far in the last two weeks, it's pretty spot on. There is work to do with the kid, but not all hope should be lost just yet.
The stupidity of the Biscuit move is in the inability of the organization to do anything with the QB position for decades. Now they expect to the right guy is going to overcome all of their offensive shortcomings? Its like they want to be the Browns or something. They didn't need to take that risk - get a higher probability dominant player at #3 and keep your draft capital for other myriad needs. IMO - he will be a lesser NFL QB than Mahomes and Watson, they picked the worst of the three and moved up (bidding against themselves) to do it. Perfect year to drop down and still get a good QB prospect instead they do the opposite
The Mack move is going back to your roots and building a dominant defense. He makes everyone else on that line better too - entire D for that matter. My issue is I think they can build a great D from the draft and need that cap space for buying established offensive players.
From there you cobble together a serviceable offense. Start with a dominant OL and a running game and you will have FA QBs interested in playing for you. Why try to teach someone on the job when you have exhibited zero proficiency in QB development or just recognizing talent in that position for that matter? Look back at Chicago first round picks and recognize where they hit more than they miss.
1995 #21 overall Rashaan Salaam - bust RB
1996 #13 Walt Harris - stud DB
1997 no pick traded #11 for Rick Mirer - bust going for a QB
1998 #5 Hurt'is Penis - RB bust
1999 #12 Cade McNown - bust QB
2000 #9 Brian Urlacher - all world LB
2001 #8 David Terrell - bust WR and F Michigan
2002 #29 Marc Colombo - T bust injury bug then resurrected at a Cowboys
2003 #22 Rex Grossman - QB bust
2004 #14 Tommie Harris - DT stud
2005 #4 Cedric Benson - RB bust
2006 #26 traded to Bills for #42 & #72 overall
2007 #31 Greg Olsen - TE stud
2008 #14 Chris Williams - OT bust
2009 #18 Trade with 2010 (plus Kyle Orton and 2009 3rd round pick) to Broncos for Jay Cutler
2010 #11 Cutty trade - Expensive QB move but he wasn't a bust
2011 #29 Gabe Carimi - OT
2012 #19 Shea McClellin - DE
2013 #20 Kyle Long - OT
2014 #14 Kyle Fuller - DB stud
2015 #7 Kevin White - WR bust but could blame injury
2016 #9 Leonard Floyd - LB
2017 #2 Mitchell Trubisky - TBD
2018 #8 Roquan Smith - LB
8 defensive players and 13 offensive players drafted with three more picks thrown at QB fixes. Essentially 2:1 offense drafted over defense with next to nothing to show for it beyond some OL talent, Greg Olsen and Jay Cutler - maybe a 35% hit rate if you credit for Cutler. On defense they hit Urlacher out of the park, Harris x 2, Fuller and Floyd for 62.5% right there and easy to see 75% with Smith TBD.
Why not stick to your draft proficiency and trade off some of that defense for established offensive players? As harsh as I was at the time on the Cutler trade - it looks better than them trying to pick a QB themselves in retrospect. As flaky and expensive as he is/was he is still the best QB we saw for decades.
