The 2019 Bears are not who we thought they were

and saw their post-season aspirations die at the hands of the Rams last Sunday night. However bad this season has been Charles Leno Jersey , they still have an opportunity to evaluate talent on the roster with the last half dozen games on the schedule. First up are the New York Football Giants, a team that has had a worse 2019 than the Bears, sitting at 2-8 on the year. The Giants transitioned over to Daniel Jones from Eli Manning early in the year, a good thing in my opinion, and are battling for third place in the NFC East with Washington. I reached out to my counterpart at Big Blue View to get some answers to some of my questions about this Giants squad and Ed Valentine was kind enough to give Bears fans hope that the Bears can notch their fifth victory of the year. Windy City Gridiron: Last year we talked about whether or not the Giants made a mistake by taking Saquon Barkley in what seemed to be a QB-rich draft when the need to replace Eli Manning seemed clear. The Giants did end up taking a quarterback this year in Daniel Jones from Duke. The Giants made the switch early and “Danny Dimes” has a full 8 starts under his belt already. How’s he looked, what does he do well, and what does he need to improve on to lift the Giants back into a playoff team?Big Blue View: Jones has looked like you might think a rookie quarterback would look. Lots of really good “wow” moments and plenty of “oh my God, that’s awful” moments.In truth, Jones looks like he has a chance to be a really good NFL quarterback. He throws a nice ball, he has mobility, he’s smart http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-joel-iyiegbuniwe-jersey , he’s tough. His biggest issue has been ball security, with 13 fumbles. It’s not that he’s fumble prone, it’s that some decision-making and hesitation in the pocket has left him vulnerable to taking hits and sacks he shouldn’t have had to take, resulting in fumbles that shouldn’t have happened. If he can develop better pocket awareness and the Giants continue to build around him he can be an excellent player.WCG: Evan Engram has been a bright spot when he’s on the field but unfortunately has had injury issues throughout his career. He’s currently dealing with a foot sprain and has him listed as questionable for this matchup. Any status update on Engram and if he can’t go, what’s the pecking order for Danny Dimes in this passing game?BBV: I don’t know at this point if Engram will play Sunday. Personally, I doubt it. He just got out of a walking boot on Monday with a mid-foot sprain. Sterling Shepard (concussion) hasn’t played in several weeks. You’ll see the ball thrown mostly to Golden Tate, Darius Slayton and Saquon Barkley if those guys don’t play.WCG: The Giants defense so far this year has been, well, pretty bad. Currently ranked 27th in DVOA, the Giants are at least league average at stopping the run. With the Bears unable to do anything of note in the passing game and the Giants unable to stop any passing attacks, we’ve got a rare opportunity to witness a totally resist-able force against an easily moved object. Which side prevails?BBV: Wait Womens Nick Kwiatkoski Jersey , is that a trick question? Is there really an appropriate answer? I refuse to express any confidence in the Giants’ pass defense on the grounds that Giants fans might have me committed.WCG: The only unit on the field with consistent success for either side so far this season has been the Bears defense. They’ve been good (not great) against the pass but have struggled at times against the run. What’s your guess for the number of carries Saquon Barkley stacks up in this one and is running the ball the best hope for a Giants win in this one? In other words, what’s the game script for a Giants W?BBV: I really don’t know how heavily the Giants will lean on Barkley the rest of the way. They are 2-8 and he hasn’t been anywhere near fully healthy since his Week 3 high ankle sprain. I just don’t know how smart it is to ride him hard at this point. That’s really just adding mileage to his body that isn’t going to get the Giants anything more than a meaningless victory or two.As for recipe for a Giant victory, that has to start with not turning the ball over. The are -12 in takeaway/giveaway ratio, 31st in the league. That has to stop. They have to prevent big plays in the passing game. They have to try not to play themselves out of the game in the first quarter, which they have done a bunch of times this year. If they can do those things, maybe they have a chance.WCG: Given that both teams currently sit in 3rd place in their respective divisions, these two teams may square off again in 2020. What changes need to be made between now and that hypothetical 2020 game? Free Agency, the draft, coaching changes, new throwback uniforms, etc.?BBV: Well Prince Amukamara Jersey , the Giants need to continue adding defensive talent. They just don’t have any real game-changers. They could use a wide receiver. Maybe a young offensive tackle. I’d expect some alterations among assistant coaches, at the least.Thank you to Ed and Big Blue View for the info! The bruiser is taking his talents to Philadelphia as the Bears begin their quest for a new tailback."When it comes to Jordan Howard and trade rumors, the writing has been on the wall for what seems like an eternity. After Bears head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that Howard was on the trade block at the NFL’s owners’ meetings earlier this week, many felt it was only a matter of time before the 24-year-old would be calling a new city home. On Thursday night, those suspicions were confirmed. The Bears have traded Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2020 sixth-round pick reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The selection has a chance to become a fifth-rounder based on unspecified conditions. The Howard era in Chicago — where he ran for 3,370 yards in three seasons as one of the lone bright spots of John Fox’s tenure — has officially come to a close. It’s no secret the Bears have been looking for a more versatile tailback to fit Matt Nagy’s offense. Where players like Howard and Tarik Cohen are productive in their own rights, they have their individual limitations. The difference with Cohen is that the Bears effectively value his propensity for explosive plays that much more than they do Howard’s bruising style. For the Bears to completely take the next step as an elite offense, they know they have to have a less predictable back to deploy as necessary. Howard’s trade is but another major signal of their ambitious overall goal.Of course there’s always a certain peril when trading proven players for late round draft picks, and especially to direct NFC competitors. To make a move of any kind with your own productive player means not being comfortable with his overall skill-set as it pertains to your system. Nagy’s offensive scheme needs more of a versatile tailback to thrive on all cylinders. Through 778 carries and 44 starts, the Bears feel they possess enough information to know Howard doesn’t fit their profile and they moved on accordingly. Howard does fit somewhere else in the league. Being the fastest in Bears history to 10 100-yard rushing efforts — faster than Walter Payton of all people — is an example of what Howard’s capable of when an offense is tailored around his strengths as a specific bell cow. He can wear a defense down if given the chance and the touches in strategic moments. The issue is that the Bears and Nagy no longer had a vested interest in accommodating Howard in such a fashion. However, Nagy’s friend in Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is a testament to carving out a specific goal line and power role. Just ask LeGarrette Blount and his Super Bowl LII ring. If I were to grade this trade off of its immediate merits with no games played — often a foolhardy prospect — I’d say the Bears and Eagles came out with the rare win-win. Philadelphia needed a situational runner such as Howard http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-adam-shaheen-jersey , and the Eagles’ coaching staff has experience in integrating such players into an offense. The Bears meanwhile salvage some measure of value for a player in the last year of his rookie contract. A player many surmised they would’ve released before the open of the 2019 season anyway. If there were a better offer, general manager Ryan Pace and company would’ve readily snatched it. What is also abundantly clear is that Howard’s eventual #RevengeGame against the Bears in Philadelphia next season should be a doozy. Running backs are still valuable in the modern NFL. They can play a role in a successful and diverse offense if used properly. But teams like the Bears are increasingly treating them like a dime a dozen. If you can find a Howard in the fifth round, like the Bears did and so many organizations do every April, you can assuredly try, try again. The Bears move forward with Cohen, newly-signed Mike Davis, and one gaping hole they’re more than prepared to fill at the end of next month. Robert is the Editor-in-chief of The Blitz Network (subscribe here!), the managing editor of Windy City Gridiron, and writes for a host of other fine publications. You can follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.