The board owed the Bears one, and it paid up: Josh Newton, the No. 59 name on the board, sitting there at slot 146 like a gift left on the doorstep. Just about everything broke right, and the A- follows.

The phones were where this weekend was really won. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. The veteran additions, Justin Jefferson chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.

Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 3 of 8 of the wish list covered.

Bottom line, they left the weekend a clearly better team, and they earned every bit of it.