Hope everybody had a nice weekend off. It provided opportunities to check some things off the to-do list and time to accomplish enough to justify doing absolutely nothing on Sunday afternoon with the Bears and Commanders face off.

I was at a youth baseball tournament last weekend, enjoying concession stand fare, games with oh, so many walks – that’s the joy of 9u baseball, right there — and probably too much Fun Dip for someone my age.

RELATED CONTENT:

• Bears at the bye: D’Andre Swift, Caleb Williams and offensive performance through six games
• Bears at the bye: Why Chicago’s defense has been so tough
• Bair Mail: On D’Andre Swift, Maxx Crosby, Cole Kmet and letter grades
• Overreactions: Elite Bears defense, Cole Kmet as underrated and Caleb among top 10 QBs

Now it’s time to lock back in to Bears football and a second act where Chicago must keep stacking wins before things get tougher down the road.

Chicago has the Commanders, possibly without Jayden Daniels, Cardinals and sad sack Patriots up next, a stretch that simply must produce (at least two wins). While Daniels missing the Bears in Week 8 would drop the entertainment value of that game, if should help Bears odds of victory. That would mean Chicago could keep good times rolling, what with the Bears entering their bye on a three-game winning streak. Continued success adds to the overall record and Bears confidence levels, which must be high when facing some of the tough teams ahead.

Let’s get down to your questions, heading into Week 8, in this Wednesday edition of Bair Mail.

Before we do, a quick reminder to join the conversation by emailing questions to mailbag@marqueesportsnetwork.com or DM-ing @ScottBairNFL or @MarqueeBears to get involved with future mailbag installments.

Do you think Ryan Poles made the right choice picking Caleb over Daniels? Jayden has looked really good so far. (from Zane Stephens, via X)

In short, Zane, I do. It’s a close call between two dynamic players capable of great things at the NFL level. You never really know how NFL draft prospects will pan out, but Caleb Williams seemed to be a consensus No. 1 overall pick due to his combination of physical skill, smarts, competitiveness and overall demeanor. He can do most everything well, as we’ve seen in flashes to this point.

It’s also fair to say that Jayden Daniels has been better in the early going, especially with shorter throws that set up some downfield bombs. His stats have been great, and he has brough an energy and excitement to Washington that has been missing for some time now.

I don’t think there’s a right answer, but I would say that watching Williams practice and playing every single professional snap provides confidence making claims that the USC product will be one of the really good ones, maybe even great if health and circumstance and offensive scheme stability aligns.

While there aren’t tons of examples of the Nos. 1 and 2 picks panning out, these guys don’t seem to be heading down the Manning-Leaf trail. Williams and Daniels have real potential to make some noise in the NFL.

All that is why Sunday’s game between the Bears and Commanders carries so much hype that might not be realized if Daniels can’t go due to injury. All that said, comparison is the death of joy, as the comparison goes. Both QB-starved franchises should feel good about their guy and their prospects for the future.

Do you think the Bears could be buyers or sellers at the NFL trade deadline? (from Andrew Cantrell, via X)

It’s possible the Bears do both. The roster has some talent that isn’t in the flow of their position group, with enough depth to survive that individual’s loss. Veteran guard Nate Davis is the most obvious candidate, with starting experience that could help another team and free him from the bottom of the depth chart, where he’s behind starters Teven Jenkins and Matt Pryor and reserve Bill Murray. And Ryan Bates might be back at some point, creating an easy exit for Davis.

The same could be said for Khalil Herbert, who isn’t getting carries behind Roschon Johnson and D’Andre Swift. That would dip into their injury protection, so there’s more leverage for Poles there than at the guard spot.

So that’s the selling part of it. Buying could be an option with defensive line depth, though a blockbuster there seems a bit too much. We talked about Maxx Crosby last week, but that seems like a real longshot. Prying Za’Darius Smith from Cleveland could be intriguing if the price is right. Adding depth there couldn’t hurt if the Bears are truly in go-for-it mode. Notice how I didn’t say Myles Garrett? Like Crosby, that seems too pie-in-the-sky to even dream about.

Can the Bears keep up in the NFC North? I think they’re better, but the whole division is really good. (via Rob Blake from X)

It’s going to be tough, though not impossible with a defense like this one and dynamic talent at the skill spots. It’s clear the Detroit Lions belong at the top of the league, and the Minnesota Vikings are competitive as heck. The Green Bay Packers are also deep and talented, and eventually the entire division will start beating each other up. That implies that at least one team will get left out of the playoff mix.

I do think the Bears will keep up with the other NFC North teams, even if they might be a year away from division title contention. That said, I’m not placing a ceiling on Williams when backed by such a difficult defense to beat.

You wrote in a recent story that Rome Odunze was a concern. I don’t know if I agree with that. (Jeff Hay via X)

Maybe that was overstated, Jeff. I’m not concerned about Rome Odunze in the long-term. I’m not concerned about his ability to produce this season, either. He’s in a unique spot as a top 10 pick with two No. 1 receivers already on the team. Normally receivers of his draft status don’t have such options already in the pattern, so we can lower expectations a little bit. Odunze and Williams understand that they’re going to form a long-term partnership and putting extra practice effort into getting right. Odunze’s a producer who can make big plays. Patience should be observed, maybe more of it than I implied in my “Bears at the bye” breakdown of Chicago’s offense, and over time he’s going to be just fine.

Let’s put in one more call for you to join the conversation by emailing questions to mailbag@marqueesportsnetwork.com or DM-ing @ScottBairNFL or @MarqueeBears to get involved with future mailbag installments.