WHO’S UNDER CONTRACT?
Akiem Hicks has been a standout defender for the Bears since 2016. After an injury-shortened 2019 season, Hicks came through to play all but one game in 2020. The results were mixed, as Hicks collected just 3.5 sacks, but his 21 quarterback hits were a team-best. Near-misses at the quarterback can be annoying to watch. But just imagine how the QB feels when he’s getting smashed by the 6-4, 352-pound Hicks. Those hits add up over time.
Bilal Nichols has been a heckuva draft gem for Bears scouts. The 24-year-old Delaware product collected a career-best 5 sacks, tacked on 7 tackles-for-loss, and posted 13 quarterback hits. In a different time, I’d be banging the drum pitching a Nichols extension. But it’s tough to drill that when there is (1) already so much money spent on defense and (2) uncertainty about how to go about fixing the offense. Perhaps that’s a bridge we’ll cross later in the offseason.
• When Brett sent me this tweet, I stared in awe and found myself dumbstruck by its ridiculousness. Hence, I’m sharing it at the top of today’s Bullets. Because if I had to see it, so do you:
#EaglesTwitter: Would you do this trade?
Carson Wentz to Chicago Foles makes $4 million, 1 year left No QB competition Foles would be backup to Hurts
• Imagine giving up a first-round pick as the cost of doing business to take on an awful contract of a player who’s been injury prone in recent years. The only thing more mind-blowing is that around 50 percent of respondents have said no. I imagine a healthy chunk of Bears fans have weighed in with an answer. But I don’t think it’s enough to swing it that much. In other words, there’s a healthy amount of #EaglesTwitter that wouldn’t accept a first-round pick and a cost-efficient backup QB for Wentz. That’s wild!