You’re used to Bair Mail installments on Tuesday mornings. This one’s a few days late. It didn’t make tons of sense to have one on NFL trade deadline day, so we pushed it back this week only to make sure we got your questions on the Bears actions at this pivotal point in the NFL calendar.

And they came in strong, with inquiries on the player acquired – defensive end Joe Tyron Shoyinka came in from Cleveland at the deadline – and those they didn’t. We address all that in this special Friday edition of the Bears mailbag.

Then another issue cropped up late this week that y’all want to know about, involving typically drama-free receiver Rome Odunze.

Let’s get to all that in this post-NFL draft deadline, pre-New York Giants installment of Bair Mail:

Seth Richards from Aurora, Ill.

What do you make of all those tweets from Rome Odunze’s dad, criticizing the Bears? Is there an issue here.

Bair: I do not, Seth, think there is. Receiver Rome Odunze is as easy going as they get and isn’t upset with his involvement in the Bears offense. I spoke to his personally about his high target share heading into that Bengals game, where he had zero catches on three targets.

His father James emphasized a tweet after the Bengals game that the Bears should trade Odunze to a team that will throw to him.

There were a series of follow-ups to that defending the stance and stats supporting his case that the Bears should target Rome more often.

As a counter, Odunze had been targeted on 25.46% of his routes run heading into the Bengals game, which was No. 17 overall in the NFL. The Bears also have plenty of options in the receiving game, including star DJ Moore and No. 10 overall pick Colston Loveland.

And, after a game where he wasn’t targeted much, the Bears put out a video highlighting his blocking for an explosive Bears run game.

Rome Odunze handled the issue with grace on Thursday, saying that he addressed it with his father in a conversation he wanted to keep private.

“I don’t make a big deal out of it,” Odunze told reporters. “Obviously, he has his opinions and I have mine. And he feels like he needs to voice those things on social media. That’s his prerogative. But he speaks for himself. I speak for myself.”

When asked directly about his feelings toward the Bears and his current situation, Odunze had this to say:

“Oh man. I’m happy,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my job within this organization as a leader as a person as an individual and then as a football player. So trying to excel at a Hall of Fame level in those aspects. That’s all I’m focused on.”

Rome Odunze has been a stand-up individual since he joined the Bears, so it’s fair to take him at his word and close the book on this mini dustup.

[READ: Bears practice report: Montez Sweat ramping up pass-rush production]

Ron Jeffrey from Huntley, Ill.

Why do the Bears expect Tryon Shoyinka to be better with the Bears than he was with previous teams?

Bair: That’s a fair and somewhat layered question, Ron. The most straightforward answer. There’s great belief in the staff, from the position coaches on up, and its’ ability to develop players. Improvement from Austin Booker and pre-injury Dominique Robinson provide evidence of that on the defensive line.

Position coach Jeremy Garrett will be charged with getting Joe Tyron-Shoyinka up to speed and on the right track quickly, in hopes of the former Tampa Bay defensive end contributing on defensive. He has the traits and physical skill you look for at his position. The Bears need heft and edge-setting ability in the run game first and foremost, and he should be able to provide that. They need rotational bodies there as well, so he’ll have to step up quickly.

[MORE: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka shares thoughts on NFL trade-deadline deal to Bears]

It’s fair to be wary of that, but consider the price point. They gave up a sixth-round pick and got a seventh-rounder for Tryon-Shoyinka, so this is more of a flier than anything. General manager Ryan Poles explained his rationale on retaining top picks and it’s sound.

The hope is that Tryon Shoyinka’s fresh start can propel him forward in a positive manner and he can contribute. The expectations for him should be relatively low, especially early on, but they’ll need him to contribute with opportunities he didn’t earn with Cleveland earlier this year.

[READ: Ryan Poles explains Bears’ 2025 NFL trade deadline approach]

Al Hardin from Denver

After watching a 40-year-old Joe Flacco throw for 470 yards against us, I need some reasoning on why we didn’t do something ANYTHING to help our CB room.

Bair: There are a few reasons for that, Al. As mentioned in the question above, Poles didn’t want to part with high-value draft capital at the trade deadline, with an eye on the Bears’ present and future.

There’s also a belief that the Bears can upgrade naturally at cornerback, as C.J. Gardner-Johnson gets more comfortable at slot cornerback after signing with the team last week. His snap count, split with Nick McCloud in Cincinnati, will naturally go up.

Head coach Ben Johnson also expressed hope that Kyler Gordon’s stint on injured reserve will be just the four-game minimum, so he could be back in shorter order. That’s an instant upgrade in the slot or possibly outside.

Also, Nahshon Wright and Tyrique Stevenson haven’t been perfect but also haven’t been bad this season. Trying to cover Bengals receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase is a problem for any cornerback, and those guys went off in Week 9.

There’s also a possibility the Bears are still hunting for upgrades. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last week that defensive back Asante Samuel, returning from a spinal fusion procedure, is scheduled to visit the Bears at Halas Hall on Tuesday as part of a meeting tour. Whether they acquire Samuel or not, it’s a sign that the Bears continue to evaluate their cornerback situation moving forward.

Submit your questions below for inclusion in the next Bears mailbag!!

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