dawhizz

I would think WR is squarely in play at #7. We got an edge rusher in McPhee. If we can land Knighton you have your NT. You get Cooper at #7, you have Jeffery and Cooper with Royal in the slot and Wilson in 4-receiver sets.

Bears seem committed to not get in any bidding wars. Seems like a reasonable approach.

Now sources saying he's just visiting, not yet signed.

Sounds like a done deal. Graham and a 4th for Max Unger and a 1st.

To me, Allen is the guy without a home. Houston seems like a good fit at 3-4 DE and I like Young as a possible OLB (and even if not, he has value and his guaranteed money is pretty low, as I recall).

I was hesitant when I saw just 27 tackles last year, then I saw his snaps and sack total and I'm cautiously optimistic. If we could land a dependable NT, we could really go anywhere with that first round pick.

Peter King says Knighton likely to Washington or Oakland.

Per Jayson Braddock on Twitter. Bears have called, as have Eagles. Surely we would have to throw something else in in a Kaep for Cutler trade?

Ian Rapaport says McCourty back to NE.

Agreed. One other name worth consideration in that sense is Michael Crabtree.

I think this is just the "negotiating period" and deals can't be announced/signed until Tuesday.

Britt is about the same as Nicks as far as I'm concerned (no thanks to both). I'd rather have Nate Washington, who seems like a steady and underrated guy every year.

Hopefully Gore and Maxwell puts the Eagles out of the running for McCourty. They were considered to be one of the favorites for him.

4/$40 million per Schefter, so you can cross him off your FA wish lists.

Not a fan of Coates personally. Even in the highlights, he catches with his body almost all the time. I get a real Stephen Hill vibe from him.

It's hard for me, because I think with both WR and rush LB, I like most all the first round guys and not a lot of later guys. My preference at this point is to trade down a few spots and pick up and extra 3rd and still be in position to get one of the top guys. Right now, my offseason would be: Sign Hartline and Lance Moore for WR depth. I don't think we can afford Cobb and the other upgrades we need to make. Like you, sign Moore and Searcy at S (I don't like the safeties in the draft much). Get a CB who has been good for Fangio in the past. Cox would be fine as would Tarell Brown. Sign Dan Williams to start at NT Get one experienced 3-4 LB. Someone like Brooks Reed or O'Brien Schofield. Draft (trade down to the early teens and pick up an extra 3rd) 1) Vic Beasley, LB, Clemson (or whoever is left) 2) Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami - Leader at ILB. If Jaelen Strong is here, I grab him because I love him, but I don't think he will be. 3a) Nelson Agholar, WR, USC - Can work in the slot or outside and help immediately in the return game. 3b) D'Joun Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic - There's nothing to be excited about behind Fuller. 4) Ladrious Gunter, CB, Miami - See above 5) BJ Finney, C, Kansas State - Big C prospect. 6) Xavier Williams, DT, Northern Iowa - Big DT to spell at NT 7) Donatella Luckett, WR, Harding - Big, fast, physical WR to develop.

I like the second round WRs more than the 2nd round rush LBs, so my preference is to target Fowler/Gregory/Ray/whoever in the first (or may be even trade down a bit), and then look at guys like Strong, Coates, Dorsett, and Smith in the second.

Sounds like it was just a 5th for Marshall. The trade all depends on what they do with the cap room. As it stands, the Bears are pretty barren at WR.

My choices, by type of player I'd like to see the Bears add during the offseason and in order of preference: - NT - Terrence Knighton, Dan Williams, maybe Barry Cofield. What the Bears do here should inform what they are looking to do in the draft. If they add Knighton or Williams, I think you have your NT starter for the foreseeable future and Shelton is an unlikely pick. If they opt for a stop-gap/veteran like Cofield, that suggests Shelton is more in play. - LB with 3-4 experience - Brian Orakpo, David Harris, Brooks Reed, O'Brien Schofield - I'd like to see at least one veteran LB with 3-4 experience who has had success in the past to help with the transition. Harris makes sense from a leadership standpoint, but I'd like to see if Orakpo can regain some of his past effectiveness. - CB - Kareem Jackson, Perrish Cox - Notwithstanding the resigning of Louis-Jean and Hurst, we need some more talent at CB beside Fuller (I'm not convinced Jennings won't be cut at some point). Cox did well with Fangio's defense last year. - S - Rahim Moore, Da'Norris Searcy - A young safety would is good would be nice. While I don't consider it a big need, I'd want to look into versatile O-linemen (someone like Orlando Franklin would be a godsend) and a veteran speed WR with some return experience (Harry Douglas, Jacoby Jones).

Why? He's been less productive than BM on an offense and would be in a similar situation on the Bears as he has with the Texans (he's taking a backseat to a younger WR), which is why he's leaving the Texans in the first place.

I was trying to think of outside the box ways to improve our defense and thought of Brown. He's a guy a lot of us wanted (and were surprised the Bears didn't take) over Jon Bostic. He hasn't seen the field much for Baltimore, partially because of injuries and partially because he's behind CJ Mosely and Daryl Smith, but he's had two years to absorb the 3-4 in one of the best places you can learn it. Wonder if it's worth calling Baltimore and offering a future pick whose value is dependent on games started/tackles/whatever. It would be interesting to see a young LB corps with Jones/Bostic/Brown/Young with a stud pass-rusher in the draft, Allen and McClellin in the mix, without having to spend money or give up a current asset.

Hell, I'll give it a shot. In mine, no trade back in the first. FYI, we don't have our 5th rounder this year from the trade to get Vereen last year: 1. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington - I'm not sold on any of the current players as a good fit at 3-4 NT, so get the best one in the draft. 1. Cameron Erving, C, Florida State - Shore up the O-line starting with the weakest link. Might also fit at OT (the other weak link). 2. Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA - Need a young leader going forward at ILB. 2. PJ Williams, CB, Florida St. - Future starter with Fuller. 3. Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford - A much-needed enforcer on the back end 3. Lorenzo Maudlin, LB, Louisville - Pass rushing OLB for the 3-4. 4. Tre McBride, WR, William & Mary - Versatile - can line up in the slot or outside and return kicks. Reminds me a bit of Moncrief 6. Lynden Trail, LB/TE, Norfolk State - Another body at LB and possible developmental/red zone TE 7. John Crockett, RB, North Dakota State - If we're trading Forte, we need another body at RB.

Hoping these great performances by the WRs (Parker, Cooper, White) push the top defensive players down to Bears.

He also talked about Jeremiah Ratliff as someone he could build around in the 3-4. Worth noting since he is generally seen as a NT, which is the same position you would project Danny Shelton to, a player a lot of people are mocking to the Bears at #7. However, Ratliff isn't nearly as big as Shelton, so maybe you could have a front of Ratliff-Shelton-Sutton, rotating in Houston and Ferguson (or something). As expected, he said in the 3-4 they would see Young and Allen as LBs, which suggests to me we've seen the end of Allen in Chicago.

Brandon Marshall seems to be in favor: @BMarshall: Congratulations to my guy Adam Gase. It was good catching up and laughing with him today about the Denver Days. Excellent hire. #BearDown