Funky Cold Luda

it’s been gloom o’clock since november 2024 (give or take)

DJ Moore Trade Fallout: Why Did the Bears Make the Deal? 2026 Salary Cap Update, What's Next? It isn't a surprise that the Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore. But that doesn't mean it doesn't sting a little. Moore was a solid player during his three-year stin

Inside Thursday's DJ Moore trade:

🐻 Why did they do it?
🐻 What does their cap situation look like now?
🐻 Who will they target with their cap savings?
🐻 Which picks do they have in the 2026 NFL Draft?

My latest at @bn-bears.bsky.social

I wrote this instead of watching SIU basketball, so humor me with a click, share, repost, like, or whatever...

(1) if that place ever catches fire and burns down, you know who their No. 1 suspect will be
(2) if they ever tear that place down, i will throw a party — i’ll even make cookies!

SIU has 0️⃣ points at the first media timeout. #ThisIsArch

WELP, it’s time for SIU to decide my mood for the rest of the day. #ThisIsArch

#LockThemUp

I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK

ONE LAST THOUGHT:

DJ Moore leaves behind a notable void. Even with a decline in production, DJ was someone teams had to account for on the scouting report & on game day. Having a DJ allowed Loveland, Rome, and Luther to have extra breathing room.

This offense could use another attention-grabber.

- Bears now have a WR need & they need to fill it at a good price.
- Finding budget FA WRs hasn't been a strength of GM Ryan Poles (Pringle, Zaccheaus). Hopefully, Ben Johnson knows a guy.
- Will eventually dig into NFL Draft-eligible WRs because I think that's where they find DJ's replacement.

SOME QUICK DJ MOORE TRADE THOUGHTS

- I'm happy for DJ. Doesn't take a pay cut *AND* gets to catch passes from an MVP-caliber QB in Josh Allen. Good landing spot for him.
- It's a bummer to lose a guy like that because seeing him buy into a winning program was neat. What a career arc!

So long, old friend.

May the Force be with you...

On that note, I'm gonna make a quick dinner (hello, canned chicken noodle soup!) and take some drugs (cold medicine yay!) and re-think some things. The Bears offseason just got incredibly interesting — unfortunately, not in the way any of us were expecting. ✌️

Maybe I'm out of pocket (my therapist and I will discuss this ... and more tomorrow!) but I think — based on what we saw from the Bears last year — that the powers that be at Halas Hall can unearth a league-average left tackle easier than they can find the ideal fit at center.

What the LT spot looked like last yr:

- Braxton Jones, coming off an injury & not looking like his old self
- Ozzy Trapilo, a rookie whose development at LT was slow (remember his early-season healthy scratches?)
- Theo Benedet, undrafted 2nd yr player who was a late entrant to the competition

You're probably wondering why I wouldn't prioritize LT over C. Well, in addition to what BJ said about the C's importance, I think Ben did well scheming around the shortcomings at the LT position last year. My hottest Bears take rn might be that I think Ben can scheme around a less-than-stellar LT.

Looking ahead, in my ideal world, the Bears would give Tyler Linderbaum the bag. Is $20M aav a lot for a center? Sure. But the powers that be at Halas Hall *CLEARLY* value the position. And because QB Caleb Williams is the thing that makes this go, protecting him is the No. 1 priority. Full stop.

Ideally, the Bears would draft a guy who could fit between vets like Joe Thuney at LG and Jonah Jackson at RG. Because of that veteran presence, you'd think that CHI is equipped to take on a young center. But based on what Ben Johnson said, I can't bring myself to think a rookie would be Plan A.

Ben Johnson Explains Why Drew Dalman Will Immediately Improve the Bears’ Offensive Line You've gotta hear what Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson has to say about center Drew Dalman.

Here's the @bn-bears.bsky.social post on that (if you care to read)

www.bleachernation.com/bears/2025/0...

I can't stop thinking about what Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson had to say about the center position in March 2025 after the team signed Drew Dalman:

Bears Already Eyeing Drew Dalman Replacements: Tyler Linderbaum, Tyler Biadasz
www.bleachernation.com/bears/2026/0...

this offseason has officially been thrown for a loop.

a quick glance at things - it looks like the Bears could get $10-$14M worth of cap space back this season.

I did *NOT* see this coming.

there’s a mouse in my pocket, randall

The candy heir vs. chocolate skimpflation The grandson of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups creator has launched a campaign against The Hershey Company, which owns the Reese's brand. He wants them to stop skimping on ingredients.

Now, THIS is my kind of content.

Tuesday's @bn-bears.bsky.social notebook:

🏈 More Khalil Mack chatter
☝️ One sneaky free-agent target the Bears should consider
🎰 What oddsmakers are saying about a potential Maxx Crosby trade to Chicago — and why it doesn't matter
🐻 And more...

www.bleachernation.com/bears/2026/0...

a man in a black sweater and white shirt stands in front of a fence ALT: a man in a black sweater and white shirt stands in front of a fence

the year is 2026 and we're still doing the "oddsmakers list the bears as favorites to get this player via trade/free agency" like it matters. and unironically, too?