Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Getting Rome Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick would be a dream come true for the Chicago Bears. But draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks at least one team might complicate that dream. On one hand, thank goodness no one is asking what the Chicago Bears are doing at the quarterback position anymore. Following the trade of Justin Fields and the continued revelations about the rest of this NFL Draft class, all roads lead to the Bears taking Caleb Williams, the clear best quarterback in this year’s draft in this writer’s opinion, with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The new big question: what do the Bears do with their second first-round pick at No. 9 overall? The dream scenario, of course, would be to somehow land one of the top three receivers in the draft should one fall to No. 9. That would much more likely be Rome Odunze over Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers. Even though the Bears would only have two draft picks after that, you could say they got tremendous value with their blue-chip picks and helped their young quarterback even more. But NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks the Bears might have some competition for the likes of Odunze should he slip to the bottom of the top 10. On a pre-draft call with reporters, Jeremiah highlighted the Jets, who own the 10th overall pick, as a team that might want to move up for a top receiver to build around veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Should the Jets be unable to hit a home run and trade up for Harrison Jr., for example, Odunze could be the next best thing, according to Jeremiah. “If Odunze—we talked about him potentially being in Chicago — if he gets to 8,” Jeremiah explained, “I could make a strong argument that the Jets could make an easy, painless flip with Atlanta, where Atlanta goes back to 10, they could leapfrog Chicago and take Odunze, and it wouldn’t cost them much. You give them your 3(rd-round pick), they give you a 4.” For fans who would absolutely love to see the Bears grab Odunze, who should fit in well with the likes of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, this would feel like a gut punch. And yet, it feels as if the Bears would be better off allowing another team to trade up for a receiver than to give up one of their two remaining draft picks (at that point, at least) to move up themselves. The only realm in which a trade-up in the top 10 would make any sense is if you could do it by giving up a 2025 third-rounder to make it happen. That would hurt less because the Bears have an extra second-rounder next year (from the Panthers trade) to play with. If the Bears miss out on a receiver, the other options feel a bit murkier. Chicago could simply take a top offensive tackle prospect like Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu who could lock down the left side for years to come and either move on from Braxton Jones or move him to another spot. Maybe they’d consider edge rusher Dallas Turner if he was available, but Turner doesn’t quite fit the mold of a 4-3 defensive end. Meanwhile, Jared Verse fits the bill more at that position, but taking him at No. 9 might feel a tad rich. Trading down could be the play at No. 9, especially if a quarterback like J.J. McCarthy is still available there or if someone really wanted to grab Michael Penix that high. That could even yield the kind of draft capital the Bears want (e.g. a second-round or extra third-round pick this year). But the value of such a trade-back depends on the player the other team wants — a non-quarterback won’t net as much of a return — and the players that would be available to the Bears in the teens, which is as far as it makes sense to move back. Bottom line: it would just feel so much better if the NFL lets Odunze fall into the Bears’ hands at No. 9. It would just be too good to pass up, and I’m not ready to buy that the Bears would trade away the rights to draft him if he fell to them. So hopefully the Jets don’t see Jeremiah’s comments and start thinking that jumping the Bears to get Odunze is a great idea.

The longtime restaurateur is known for spots like Mia Francesca, which has undergone a fresh renovation.

Bar La Rue brings a more casual feel with French accents to Fulton Market. | Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago Bar La Rue debuts this week along Fulton For a city that loves bars as much as Chicago, seeing more bars open is not only a sign of warmer weather, but also a sign of pandemic recovery. Bar La Rue, the new venue opening this week on the ground floor of the new 800 Fulton Market tower at the northwest corner of Halsted and Fulton, provides a shining example. The entrance lies west of the intersection at the corner of Green and Fulton, around the corner from DineAmic Hospitality Group’s French restaurant, which opened in March — La Serre. But Bar La Rue is a bit more casual. There are huge windows ideal for people watching as characters make their way up and down Fulton. The customer video displays blend into the aesthetic. But what sticks out in the decor, meant to evoke a French streetside bar are the flowers. So many faux flowers. They’re hanging from the ceiling. They’re on the wall. Chicago’s climate is far from tropical and flowers aren’t cheap, so it’s understandable. There is a newly planted real tree growing outside the door. Come wintertime, Bar La Rue’s colorful bouquets, real or not, may provide an escape from Chicago’s wintry mix. DineAmic founders David Rekhson and Lucas Stoioff say brunch will also eventually play a big part in the space’s plans. Bar La Rue occupies 3,000 square feet. Even more remarkable than the botany is another passion for Rekhson — fondue: “When is it not a good time to dip something in cheese?” he says. “In the last two years, he’s been very pumped about that,” Stoioff adds. Sharing cauldrons of hot and bubbly cheese was another pandemic no-no. DineAmic staffers and Stoioff know how worked up Rekhson can get, talking about how hard the culinary staff has worked on perfecting their cheese blend: “It’s got this perfect, you know, the perfect garlic kind of fragrance that first coats the bowl and a really nice blend of kind of gruyere and sharp cheddar,” Rekhson gushes. “It’s just… it’s creamy.” Fondue is a big deal. Patio pounders and classic riffs on French drinks make up the recipe. Beyond the fondue, Bar La Rue’s menu sports “bougie chicken tenders.” It comes with a creme fraiche ranch which melds Midwest and French sensibilities with a scoop of caviar. A server wearing white gloves will present the tenders to the table. A smash burger on brioche made with beef from Slagel Family Farms arrives in a bowl of melted cheese for dipping. There are also kale and apple salad with French feta and a champagne vinaigrette. Their version of a Caesar salad comes with British croutons. The cocktails are light, a blend of French classics and patio pounders with drinks like a French martini with fresh chamomile and blackberry and a rum punch. Visitors will find a DJ booth, a hallmark of DineAmic’s projects, hidden in plain sight. Late-night food service, perhaps until midnight — is upcoming. They’ll slowly extend hours depending on demand: “As the night goes on, you know being on a very busy corner, we’ll see this cocktail forward, heavy, indoor-outdoor bar space unfold,” Stoioff says. Walk through the space below. Bar La Rue, 820 W. Fulton Street, opening Thursday, April 18, hours are 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Monday through Thursday; 11:30 am. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; 5 p.m. on Sunday with weekend brunch coming soon at 11 a.m. Yes, that’s a real tree. The bar, with a zinc top, wraps around with seats for 25. There’s plenty of ample seating in this corner space. The floor tile is meant to feel like a streetside French bar. The windows will be a big draw. So many flowers. DineAmic has worked for months on the perfect cheese blend for fondue. Not everything comes with melted cheese. Yes, that’s a smash burger in a bowl of melted cheese. The lobster roll is also meant to be a highlight. The French Martini comes with fresh chamomile and blackberry. The Rosemary Paloma. Rum Punch

We're of the belief that more Blackhawks' first-round picks should score goals in their NHL debuts.