dawhizz

Seems like it would make sense to make a play for him if he would come cheap. He brings some of the same things you had with Thomas Jones. He's certainly had his problems, but who hasn't running behind the Lions' O-line?

I also kind of wonder if Angelo is waiting to see what happens with Shaun Alexander before moving on a FA RB.

I'm not even sure it would take that much. Abdullah was tendered the lowest tender (about $970,000 I think) and the Bears would only have to lose a 7th round draft pick (the round where Abdullah was drafted). Add in the fact that the Broncos seem to be preparing to move on without him, since they signed Marlon McCree and Marquand Manual this summer, and seems like a reasonable offer would keep the Broncos from matching. It would make particular sense because the safety class this year in the draft is looking particularly bad.

Doesn't seem worth it to me. You might as well just draft the best guard in the draft in the 2nd round, which is probably where he'll go, whether it be Albert, Rachal, Young, whoever.

I think it makes the most sense. He's going to be fairly cheap. If Benson works out next year, it's still money well spent for one year of insurance. If he doesn't, we have someone who can at least theoretically carry the load. Plus, it would let us focus on other needs in the draft.

Seems about right... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Angelo

Or you could just draft Adarius Bowman. Everyone seems to be caught up in the fact that he's had bad workouts and not great 40 times and so he's slipping. but it's exactly the same things people were saying about Boldin (who went lower than most people expected). Peep this: Size: Boldin - 6'1" 216 Bowman - 6'3" 223 Junior Year Stats: Boldin: 65 recs, 1,011 yds, 13 TDs Bowman: 60 recs, 1,181 yds, 12 TDs (67, 1006, 8 last year) Profiles: Boldin (from CNN/SI): BIO: Junior entry who leaves school a year early after winning second team All-Conference Honors, leading Florida State in all receiving categories with 65 catches, 1, 011 yards and 13 scores. Sat out the 2001 campaign after suffering a season ending knee injury during pre-season drills. Ranked third on the team as a sophomore in receiving with 41-664-6. Performed terribly at the Combine, running poorly and struggling during pass catching drills. Has been used sporadically at QB. Recently ran a 4.59 during Pro-Day workouts in Tallahassee. POSITIVES: Nice-sized wide out who consistently makes positive plays for the offense. Extends and catches the pass away from his frame, boxes out defenders and effectively runs after the reception. Adjusts to the errant throw, reaching back to catch the ball without breaking stride. Settles into the open spot on the field, looks the pass into his hands and pulls the throw out of the air. Displays focus, concentration and timing. NEGATIVES: Not quick off the line of scrimmage, lacks sharpness running routes and overall quickness. Does not have the second gear or have separation downfield. ANALYSIS: Not as bad as he looked at the Combine but his draft ranking will suffer none the less. A viable possession receiver at the next level who sneaks it downfield on occasion. Bowman (from NFL Draft Countdown): Strengths: Has excellent size with a solid frame and long arms...Very athletic...Terrific leaping ability...Very strong...Runs well after the catch...Has big, reliable hands and he will make the spectacular catch...A decent route runner...Tough and a hard worker...A big play threat...An outstanding blocker...Offers some versatility...Very productive. Weaknesses: Doesn't have great timed speed..Had some off-the-field issues and character may be a concern...Needs to improve his concentration...Will struggle to separate...Not real elusive...He lacks explosiveness and a burst...Might have to change positions. Notes: A top recruit coming out of high school who began his career at North Carolina but was dismissed from the team after he was cited for marijuana possession..Is also being looked at as a potential H-Back or Tight End...The speed factor will hold him back as a pro prospect but he's an impressive physical specimen...If teams weigh his workout numbers too heavily in their evaluations this guy could turn out to be a steal for someone..May never be a star but he absolutely has starting potential. With all the talented WRs available in this draft, I would really like to see Bowman as a Bear.

Good point. It would be so much better to take the 2nd (or some say 3rd) best RB to run behind the 3rd worst offensive line.

Lovie Smith's interested too (from the Trib): Extra points Ryan Clady, a junior offensive tackle from Boise State, impressed during a personal workout at the school Monday. According to the Idaho Statesman, Bears coach Lovie Smith is headed to Boise for a private workout with Clady. The Bears have the No. 14 overall pick and could use it on an offensive lineman.

I assume some part of that is meant to be sarcastic, but I honestly don't have a clue what you're talking about. I assume this is another in your long line of "Let's draft Rashard Mendenhall" arguments? I fail to see why Mendenhall is such a sure thing in your mind. He's coming off one good year (except for a good game against Penn State in 06) where he racked up most of his yard against Indiana, Wisconsin, Ball State, and Minnesota (ranked 102nd, 34th, 103rd, and 92nd in rushing defense respectively). He had great numbers in the Rose Bowl against a good USC defense, but the game wasn't particularly close at any point. He's coming from a spread-option that doesn't exactly translate easily to the pro-style offense. And you want him to run behind a line that clearly did not open up holes for its runners last year. I don't see how that's recipe for success.

Like Eddie said, "I like where your head's at." I'd like see us move Ogun for a 4th round pick (DE is a luxury position for us right now, and we can't really afford luxuries) and do something like this: 1) Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt 2) Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State 3) Matt Forte, RB, Tulane 3) Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego 4) Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina 4) Craig Steltz, S, LSU 5) Fernando Velasco, C/G, Georgia 6) Keilen Dykes, DT, West Virginia 7) Adam Bishop, TE, Nevada 7) Bryan Mattison, DE, Iowa

Time to party like it's 2002!

I'm hoping Josh Beekman is that guy, given how much we need O-line help. It's not hard to see him winning a startng job. It would also be nice if they gave Mike Hass a decent chance.

You've been wrong all 816 times. Max Starks was NOT franchised by Pittsburgh. He got the "transition" tag, with a one year tender of just under $7 million and the right to match any offer, but any team who signs him would not be giving up any draft picks. So it's certainly difficult to make a deal work, but not nearly as impossible as it would be if he was franchised (Steve Hutchinson was transitioned by Seattle and the Vikings managed to make it work).

Makes sense. Ayanbedjo is a fine ST player, but that's about it. After signing Briggs, you end up putting Williams & Okwo on special teams instead of protecting them since they would be competing for a starting job. So Brenden becomes expendable. I have no problem with it.

Just wondering what people think of him in general. I always thought he was pretty overrated, but I don't watch a ton of ND games. The reason that I ask is he seems like exactly the kind of player the Bears would draft, like they did with Garrett Wolfe last year, where he's a guy who has got a ton of attention in the area and has a high "name recognition" value at a position we are obviously hurting at. I would not be shocked to see Angelo draft him at the end of the third round. Is he as overrated as I think he is, or am I missing something?

I'd rather see if we can trade for Jerius Norwood.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...e022908.article Not a big deal, as far as I'm concerned. I'd just use a pick in the 6th/7th to get the best remaining blocking TE available. They don't tend to go early.

Which makes the first and second OT & what?

Josh Johnson in the 3rd.

I don't want them. And it's not financial (or, at least, not just financial). As for Moss, you say he's "pretty much sure to produce". How quickly we forget: YEAR TEAM G REC YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST 2004 MIN 13 49 767 15.7 82 13 43 1 1 2005 OAK 16 60 1005 16.8 79 8 46 0 0 2006 OAK 13 42 553 13.2 51 3 29 0 0 He quit on the Raiders. He did. What makes you think he won't do the same thing with Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, or a rookie throwing him the ball? Because if we pay big money for Moss, you aren't going to be able to sign a big name QB if one becomes available. As for Johnson, he's only going to be available via trade. Are you prepared to trade your next two first round picks for him, or your first and second this year? My guess is that's what it's going to take, and someone will probably pay it or close to it (Jacksonville makes a ton of sense to me). Plus he'll want an extension once he signs. If you think spending a big part of our salary room, giving away two premium draft picks, and similarly keeping the team from being able to add much else in free agency is worth it for Johnson, I'd love to hear your case.

I would disagree with that definition myself. I would agree that a true sleeper can't be widely considered a first day pick (like James Hardy in the original list), but I don't think they need to be non-division FBS players. I think they can just as easily be a guy buried on the depth chart of a good school (like Matt Cassel from a couple years ago) or who is from a big school, but has been too injured to show what he can do on a consistent basis.

PFW isn't exactly Derek Flint by finding out Jerry Angelo is targeting offense heavily in the draft and most likely with the first pick, considering he told everybody that last week: "We're going to look at offense real hard and in all likelihood, it could be [the first pick]," Angelo said. "But we're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into saying one side or the other. We won't know for sure until we know what cards are dealt." http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...1,4336029.story

Problem is, it doesn't look like there's going to be a DT worth taking at 14. Sedrick Ellis and Glenn Dorsey will both go before that, and after that you have late 1st-early 2nd guys like Kentwan Balmer and Pat Sims. If they think they need a DT, get one in the 2nd or 3rd, not in the first.

I just finished up, and I personally can't imagine the draft going much better for us than this, with the exception of safety, which just isn't a great position this year, and guard, which is also kind of weak. Here's the breakdown (4 rounds): 1) Jeff Otah, OT, Pitt - As I mentioned before, Clady went #5 and Kenny Phillips went right before me. I decided to pass on QB, figuring it wasn't a big need for a lot of the rest of the teams, and I went for the best potential LT on the board. Good thing too, because there was a big run on OL at the end of the first, beginning of the second, where Williams, Baker, Cherilus, & Nicks all went off the board before my second round pick. Smart move on my part because: 2) Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville - Not that it's actually going to happen, but how about this good fortune? Neither Woodson nor Brohm got selected in the first (the Ravens took Ryan). The Falcons took Woodson in the second, and when the Panthers took Carl Nicks right before me, I couldn't make the Brohm pick fast enough. 3a) Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State - Heading into the middle rounds, I wanted a big WR, a safety, and was comfortable going BPA after that between OG and RB. The 3rd seemed like a good time to go WR, so I took the one with the biggest upside in Thomas (passing on Earl Bennett, Andre Caldwell, and DJ Hall). He was pretty dominant last year for the Spartans and could easily be a 2nd round pick in the actual draft. Pretty happy with this pick. 3b) Craig Steltz, S, LSU - Probably the only pick that might be considered a bit of a reach, but I really wanted a big safety who can TACKLE and Steltz definitely fit the bill. Plus, I wanted a guy with big-time college experience, not another Central Missouri State Tech A&M guy who would have a hard time adjusting to the NFL (see: Roosevelt Williams, Daneil Manning, etc). Steltz had a great year for LSU and has the size I was looking for (6'2" 210). 4) Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia - I was pretty set on BPA here. I was hoping a decent OG would fall, but it didn't happen (though I considered Chilo Rachal from USC), and I thought hard about Trevor Laws, the DT from Notre Dame. In the end, Slaton was far and away the best player left on my board (perhaps due to some confusion by the other GMs over whether or not he declared) I just don't trust our RBs and I couldn't pass up Slaton's pure speed. Someone in that backfield has to step up. So, there's your first round rounds of the Bears draft. If pressed to go on, I probably would have gone OG in the fifth, DT in the sixth, and who cares in the 7th. If anyone's interested in how the whole draft went, I can post the list.