bradjock

I heard Cutler couldn't finish the proposal and Caleb Hanie had to fill in for him.

Agreed. Can you believe there's all this buzz about quarterbacks flying off the boards? For better or for worse, it's nice we have our franchise guy. This could really help the Bears if as many as 5 quarterbacks go in round #1. Hell, PFT has a report that the Titans might take Andy Dalton at #8. That means somebody is going to fall. It also helps the draft is deep with d-linemen and o-linemen, the two positions the Bears are most desperate for. I maintain that if a top player falls, like Corey Luiget, Pouncey, or Carimi, we jump all over them. If we're depating between Marvin Austin & Derek Sherrod, we look to trade down.

Go Bulls! Damn they're fun to watch. I'm actually hoping the Blackhawks lose so the SCORE will have more time to focus on the Bear's draft.

Sherrod might be a slight reach. ESPN has him at #41, just ahead of Cannon who's #44. Everything I've read has him listed as the 5th best tackle, and likely a RT. You can't reach in the 1st round. If we think Corey Liuget is the 13th best player in the entire draft, and he's there at #29, you draft him. I'd be THRILLED with Smith, Castonzo, Solder, Carmini, or Pouncey. I'd be thrilled with Liuget. We're often linked to Sherrod & Marvin Austin in the mocks. If they are a slight reach, I hope we're able to trade down

I'm personally tired of storing these undrafted FAs or busts on other teams on our roster. While I agree, we don't even have other teams busts. All our guys weren't supposed to be good to begin with. Asiata, Johnson, Horn, and Edwin Williams can all walk as far as I'm concerned and can take Lance Louis with them. We've been very careful about keeping Lance Louis protected so we must like his potential. The other guys all spent time on the practice squad. That being said, Louis sqandered a golden opportunity to win the job. If he can't make it as a guard, why not groom him to replace Manumaleuna? If it's me, I draft a starter at T/G within the first two picks, draft someone who can push for a job in the next three, and sign a FA starter. For instance, sign OG Marshal Yanda, draft Orlando Franklin, OT/OG, Miami in the second round, and David Arkin, OG, Missouri State in the middle rounds. Agreed.

Unless I'm mistaken, they are now operating under the old agreement. I wonder if this has any impact on the guys being drafted or if it's still completely depends on what the union negotiates. If it's under the old deal, a guy like Cam Newton will get like 40 million guaranteed if he goes #1. If there's a rookie wage scale it won't be close to that.

I'd preface that by saying I still want to know, if Martz wants finesse guys and Tice wants beef. Who wins? That being said, those who stay: Kreutz--I want to see him retire as a Bear Garza--I hope he has one more year left Chris Williams--Remember when Tom Thayer declared he was the best LT in the NFC North? How/when did he lose his job? He'll be back. J'Marcus Webb--I'm skeptical, but we ain't cutting him Omiyale--it depends on how much we owe him but I like him off the bench Cut the rest. That doesn't include practice squad, or if a guy shows improvement. We'll sign a starter and draft two.

Why do I get the feeling it will be 3 hours into the draft, Goodell comes up with the #29 pick in his hand and says, "We have a trade . . . " I wouldn't be surprised if we don't make a pick Thursday.

I hope to see all of you in the chat room & message board on draft days. This site has been extremely slow and I'm sure the lock-out is responsible. Regardless, I love the draft. Since the notorious Cedric Benson draft, I annually take an "Al Bundy Vacation" sy this time. This is where I tell my family not to speak to me. I bunker down in the garage in front of the TV's and the lap-top and immerse myself in the draft, while enjoying copious amounts of Bud Light. While the dates are readily listed, I had trouble finding the start times for the draft each day. Based on Chicago time: Thursday, April 28--7:00 Friday, April 29--5:00 Saturday, April 30--11:00 Can't wait!

If the top talent is gone, it makes sense to trade down. For example, at OT, if Solder & Carimi are gone (I'm assuming Tyron Smith & Costonzo are LONG gone), the mocks have us taking Sherrod. In terms of talent, he's close to Marcus Canon & Ijalene. At OG, after Pouncey & Danny Watkins, there is a slew of 2nd tier guards available. Likewise at DT, after Luiget, there's a glut of comparable 2nd round DT's. There's a top level, and a definite 2nd level. I'm not saying we pass on a top talent that's available, I'm just saying if that top talent is gone, we'd be stupid not to trade down if possible. We were in comparable positions in 2006 & 2007. We did it both ways that sort of worked out in our favor: 2006--#26 pick we trade down to draft D Manning & Dvoracek. Not great picks, but at #26, John McCargo's a bust, and if you look back, there's no great player we'd have taken: http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft...nd=round1#round Nick Mangold's the pick, but it wouldn't have happened with Kreutz. 2007--At #29, JA said he had trade offers, but he stayed to draft Olsen who was projected to go in the early teens. I think we'll take the same philosophy now that we did then. I'll be pissed if someone like Solder, Pouncey, or Liuget's available and we trade down. If there is no premier talent available at #29, we're better off going for quantity. On a side note, I really thought Dvoracek would have been a helluva a player if not for injuries.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/interactive#/primetime Monday, October 10--Bears @ Detroit Sunday, October 16--Bears vs. Minnesota Monday, November 7--Bears @ Eagles Sunday, December 25--Bears @ Green Bay

Teams like Cleveland & Tennessee make sense since they are AFC teams who are fairly close to Chicago. Why travel far for pre-season? Nobody really gives a damn. Last year the Bears didn't win a single pre-season game, and the most compelling position battle was Asiata vs Lance Louis. We wound up winning our first 3 games and benching both those guys.

I'd have been furious if we'd lost a home game. It ought to be interesting. I'm looking forward to this.

It seems like we've placed a heavy emphasis on bringing in DT's and OT's. I noticed a trend in recent years where we'll target a guy before the draft (like Hester & Forte) and draft them and other years we bring players in and don't draft them . . . in other words, who knows? In my mind there's no doubt we need a WR, but it's of secondary importance. I'd love to see us draft a guy like Hankerson in round #2. Heck, I'm convinced this year will be a repeat of 2004 when we drafted a defensive tackle with our first 2 picks. We go running to the podium if Liuget's available in round #1, and Terrell McClain might just be too good to pass up in round #2. After that I'd say it's a literal crap shoot. I read one draft guide last year that listed Wooton as the #1 DE and had him going in the first round. Who would have thought he'd still be there in round #4? It's cliche', but you always take the best player available.

I think if OT Carmi, Solder, or OG Pouncey are there at our pick they we take them. Agreed. If one of them are available and Luiget DT or Paea DT are there also, then who will we pick? Is Paea that good? It just seems like he falls into the category with Jurrell Casey, Christian Ballard, Terrell McClain and Marvin Austin. With the exception of Austin's potential, there doesn't seem to be a big gap between any of these guys. There's a good chance one of those guys will be there when the Bears pick at #62. IMO we jump on Luiget if he's available. If both DTs or OLs are at that pick we want, which way will we go in the first round? OL because we have a better chance that a Nevis DT or McClain DT wll be there in the second? Or a DT and hope that a D. Love OT or Ijalana OT will be there in the second? I havent figured out if we get what we want in the first, which way we will go. My guess is DT because that's the greater need. I think we're much happier with a combination of Chris Williams and J Webb starting as our offensive tackles, opposed to Melton and Adams (assuming he's resigned) starting at DT.

I think Austin's a definite possibility but I'm skeptical about him going in the 1st round. Again, it seems like there's about 20 first round talen players and then 21-60 get kind of mixed together. I could EASILY seeing us trading down. Based on Angelo's history, he likes to take a safe pick in round #1 or trade down. In round #2, all bets are off. Austin seems like an ideal round #2 guy.

I'm anxious to see if Henry Melton can take it to the next level. Dan Pompei had an article in the Trib saying we'd like to start him and that he's up to almost 300 lb's now, the ideal playing weight for a Lovie DT. Of course last year at this time we were hearing great things about Marcus Harrison. Either way, we're seeing the trend that we're looking hard at DT's and o'lineman. For what it's worth, walterfootball.com has McClain going in the 4th round, 111 overall to the St. Louis Rams in their mock. ESPN insider has him ranked as the 58th player overall. Here's what they say about him: Production 2 2007: (12/0) 8 total tackles, 4 TFL, 1 PBU, 1 FR. 2008: (12/9) 32 total tackles, 3.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 FF. 2009: (13/11) 25 total tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF. 2010: (13/13) 24 total tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 sacks. Height-Weight-Speed 3 Has a wide trunk and is about an inch shorter than the average DT at last three combines. But possesses adequate-to-good bulk for his frame and above average speed for the position. Durability 2 Started 33 or 49 games played at USF. Intangibles 3 Comes from a strong support system. His mother, Lynn, is in the Navy. Some scouts have raised concerns regarding his mental toughness. Also question whether or not effort/production increased in 2010 because it's a 'contract season'? 1 = Exceptional2 = Above average3 = Average4 = Below average5 = Marginal Versus the Run 2 Can be a disruptive run defender. At his best when on the move (slanting, twisting, etc). Consistently gains positioning with quick get-off step and can beat the reach block. Has long arms and does a good job of using quick hands to help establish positioning and to gain penetration. Shows good closing burst for size and can be a big hitter. Has a wide trunk. Displays adequate but not ideal strength at the point of attack stronger lower body than upper body. Can stack initially and flashes ability to get off of blocks and pursue. But can be late finding the ball at times and the longer he's engaged with OL the less interested he becomes in finishing. Pass Rush Skills 3 Production is below-average -- only 4.5 sacks in last two seasons as a starter at USF (2009-'10). But has better pass rushing potential than production indicates. USF takes him out of game or moves him to different position (LDE in a 3-man front usually) on third-and-long situations. He shows good first-step quickness and can jar OL initially. Also shows good closing burst to QB if he gets a lane. But if OL is able to reset after initial move, McClain does not have much with which to counter. He does not possess overwhelming power to drive OL back into QB. Also lacks explosive quickness in second-move to regain the edge. Does not always fight hard enough versus the double team. Quickness (hands/feet) 2 Shows good short area quickness. Fires off the ball quickly and can consistently generate penetration when snap awareness is on point. Has long arms and generally is effective with hand usage. Not as violent as some other top DT's but quick and efficient with rip and swim moves. Toughness/Motor 3 Don't have a problem with his motor. In fact, he appears to have good stamina and will pursue all day long. Also makes plays when chasing from behind. But there are some reasons on tape to question his toughness. The times we see him quit on a play are when he is stuck in a physical phone booth battle.

While I'd be happy with Liguet, Hudson is a reach at #1. He seems to be regarded as a late 2nd rounder. Scoutsinc has him ranked at #70 and nfldraftcountdown has him going #57 to the Seahawks. That being said, I could easily see Angelo trading down. When you look at first round talent, there are 4 offensive tackles (Smith, Solder, Costonzo, Camrini), 3 DT's (Dareus, Fairly, Liguet), and 1 guard (Pouncey). If those 8 guys are gone by the time we pick, I could easily see us dropping into the 2nd. I'd have no problem with this as there doesn't seem to be a huge drop between #29 and #50. The fun part is, you never know how the draft will shake out. Two of Angelo's best picks were Tommie & Olsen. Both those guys were projected to go much higher but fell to the Bears.

But at the time we picked J Webb, the "experts" were saying there were better/more talented players available and that we could have signed J Webb as soon as the draft was over. Not to mention, you rarely see a rookie have success at the offensive tackle position, not to mention one who was drafted in the 7th round. I would have guessed that any guard we had drafted in the 7th round would have had a better chance of making the team. I'm still skeptical about how good J Webb will be.

When you say tier 2 type FA's, I think of a guy like Robert Gallery who might be the best offensive guard available. He's going to be expensive, but he's no where near a signing like Julius Peppers. Offensive line is really the only position where I see us signing a player who will immediately start. While Angelo talks about guys who are really special and getting paid, aren't most of these guys franchised already? I don't see Peyton Manning hitting the FA market.

You submit your projected 32 first round picks which is your 1st round mock draft. Feel free to steal from experts. I was just reading nfldraftcountdown.com, and they have Blaine Gabbert going #1 to Carolina and the DT from IL going at #29 to the Bears. I say feel free to steal since in the past, I've noticed that the expert picks are just as bad, or even worse, then my own. It is a crapshoot. Your picks will stay the same regardless of team. Then you'll submit your Bear picks numbers 1-6. (Your #1 for the Bears may not necessarily be the same player you picked going at #29 . . . you may assume the Bears will trade down to pick up a slew of 7th round draft picks.) On a side note, how many people frequent this site currently? With the lockout looming it seems like less then a dozen. Not to mention, NFO hasn't been adding his 52 posts per day. Did NFO die? That dude was a machine going back to the old bearstalk site. You'd submit a post and he'd respond with 10,000 words in less then 10 minutes. While I'm being a facetious smartass, I really do hope he's just taking a well deserved break and that he'll be back soon.

FYI, I swore it was a waste of resources to draft J Webb in the 7th round when had Omiyale (please hold your vomit) Chris Williams, and Shafer on board to play offensive tackle. J Webb would have been an UFA and would be a candidate for the practice squad. No way a bad rookie beats out a bad veteran. I'm highly skeptical of J Webb. But the truth is, you take the best player available. It's cliche', but thats what you better do. If we think this guy is the real deal, you draft him, and everything will sort itself out later.

That's great to hear him doing good things. As for our fans who rip the guy, it's like we're so used to having bad quarterbacks, we're trained to complain about them. I've always loved Cuter coming to the Bears. That being said, he needs to be more successful. Nobody gives a damn if he's Mother Teresa.

Thanks for that. I'll add that I always enjoy going to nfldraftcountdown.com . . . they also have the Bear's taking Liuget. They go as far to explain that the o-line is a greater need, but within there mock, no offensive lineman is worthy of going this high. I maintain that we'll pay a king's ransom for an o-linemen, draft one in rounds 2 or 3, and take a DT with our first pick.

Helluva a good point Tom. I continually lament the amount of time and money I spend being fanatical about football. For me & the wife to go to a game it's typically a $400.00 day. I spend an incredible amount of time watching, blogging, and talking about football. Not to meniton the $$$ I spend on Bear's stuff. Football far too often equals drinking beer for me and the season almost always ends in dissappointment. I'd be better off spending this time with my kids & being productive. While I know these things, I ain't never going to change. So let's get this deal done!