bradjock

Maybe it's because I'm a Bear fan, but two of the things I enjoy most about football are: 1--Crushing the QB, 2--the return game While I'm all for player safety, this is a contact sport predicated on tackling your opponent. While you're at it, why not make boxing a non-contact sport? I was furious at a few of the "roughing the QB" calls this season that went for and against the Bears. Too many rules diminishes the game.

Assuming that there's more then 3 of us and we have this contest, how about these rules: 1 point for first round picks (for instance, correctly predicting the Panthers will draft Cam Newton = 1 point For Bear players picked, you get the points for the round they were drafted (for instance, last year if you'd predicted we'd take Dan LeFevor in the 6th, you deserve 6 points . . . hell, somebody should give you a job if you're that good. Not to mention J Webb in the 7th . . . ) 2 points if we pick that player in any round

HAHA. Nope, Omiyale did nothing to me personally. He does, however, represent what has bugged me about this franchise for quite some time. The problem is twofold. First, they simply haven't addressed the OL like it should have been. I don't know if this is due to philosophy or what, but as a former thread pointed to, we've ALL said that OL is a priority for 3-5 years. For me it comes to to picking your poison. We've ignored the o-line & WR's while the focus has been on defense. Every team has a weakness. **Can we replace the entire line? Obviously not. Do I want them to? No. But I would LOVE to see 2 of the first 3 rounds spent on OL. In fact, I think if 2 of the first 3 rounds are NOT spent on OL, it's a mistake. What if we just draft the top guard (Gallery?) and use either our #1 or #2 on the line. Would that be enough for this year? (that's what I think we'll do . . . ) 1) I don't like Webb, but there is no way he's worse than Omiyale. I could get a sack off Omiyale. Webb has potential, maybe. It seems the Bears now have high and low rated OTs (Williams and Webb) who just might be better suited to play Guard. Either way, Webb has a much higher floor than Omiyale, in my opinion, and he showed promise in the running game on multiple occasions. I hope you're right about Webb. Here's why I'm skeptic: The Bears find, target, and make something out of a guy every other team in the league didn't want to touch. Hell, he was considered a reach in the 7th round. I hope he's the next Big-Cat but I'm afraid he's the next Q-Mitchell . . . 2) I don't know if Williams can be a good OT, much less a LT. The problem is, other guys sucked so much that Williams had to move to help out the team. This tells me he's the best lineman on the team. If he's good enough to switch positions and still be better than the backup, then he's pretty damn good. For what it's worth, I don't think he played that poorly last year. Then again, maybe he was overshadowed by Omiyale and Webb? Man if he could solidify a tackle spot, that would be huge. 3) Good question. I think Tice (i.e. Webb is not a typical Martz player) wins, and it hurts the Martz offense. I can just see them in a draft war room, Tice drowning out everyone else because of his size and voice. What I hope happens is that Tice wins, and then Tice and Martz get together to make it work for the Bears offense by making the offense versatile running and passing. Don't you think that one of these guys has to go for it to work? If we hadn't passed the ball 80 times against the Packers on the last game of the season, they might never had the chance to win the Super Bowl. Thanks for the insight.

Count me in! I predict that with our 7th round pick the Bears will select Harvey Unga . . . does that count?

Sheesh Jason, did Omiyale kidnap your dog & sell him to Vick? As Defiant pointed out, I love Omiyale as a swing tackle, which I meant to imply back-up. As Defiant wondered, who in this league has a good back-up tackle? Most teams can't find 2 good ones . . .. or in our case, 1 good one. I know you've indicated the entire line is horrible. Do you really expect us to replace the whole damn line? Right or wrong, you have to concede it ain't gonna happen. So I'd love to hear your opinion on the following: (If you've spoken to this already I apologize i missed it. I typically only frequent when there's no football) 1. Is Webb worth a damn? I know the scouts love him. His feet are SLOW. For what it's worth, I think he's worse then Omiyale. 2. Can Chris Williams play LT? Nobody can explain how he went from being the LT for the next 10 years to being a guy playing bad out of position. 3. Martz wants quick o-lineman who can sustain blocks forever. Tice likes road-graters. Who wins this argument? There are two questions I won't ask since I know the answers: 1) Can Kreutz & Garza be mediocre for one more year? (we'd better hope they can) 2) Why did the staff try to convince us all those bad guards could get the job done? (we were too cheap/stupid to get anybody better) You mentioned I like DT or DB early. Ultimately, I don't give a damn what position we draft as long we get difference makers. For better or for worse, we'll spend all summer bitching or gloating about the pick, but none of it matters once the season starts.

The more I read about him, I have to agree with you. A few websites had him listed as a under tackle, same as A Adams would play, but his stats show he can be a disruptive 3 t. True. While he can play the 3 technique, we want guys who can get to the QB. What Scout's Inc says, "Lacks explosive burst through the hole and shows below-average change-of-direction skills. Doesn't show many counter moves. Needs to develop his swim, rip and club moves. All three sacks in 2009 came in one game (UCLA). However, he can be disruptive as a pass rusher, primarily as a straight-line bull rusher." http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/playe...14/stephen-paea That's not ideal for what the Bears want to do. I dont think Williams will be around if we bring in a quality tackle, Omiyale beat him out last year, and Webb showed enough promise to keep developing him. He would have to improve drasticly to start at LT, and I dont think he has it in him. Was Chris Williams moved because he was bad at tackle or because our guards were so bad? I don't think Omiyale ever beat C Williams out. C Williams left the Dallas game in week #2 with an injury. He wasn't healthy until week 6 vs. Seattle. By week 6 Roberto Garza was too injured to play & we'd determined Asiata & Lance Louis were worthless. We were starting Edwin Williams, a guy who wasn't even on the team a few weeks earlier. While you can't believe everything the Bear's say, they said they made the switch because they thought it was the best combination. Seeing how desperate we were for a guard, I have to believe them. Before the injury, we were still being told Chris Williams would be our LT for the next 10 years. I didn't see anything in the Detroit or Dallas game to change that. All we know is that he's not good at guard. If Williams can stilll be our tackle of the future, that drastically changes our needs. To me it's more prudent to sign a top-shelf guard and draft 2 more to eventually replace Kreutz & Garza. Sims-Walker drops a lot of passes and whines when he doesnt get the ball. Him and Rice both have some down time with injuries, but Rice with a good quarterback will shine, as he did with Brent, Walker will be cheaper, but why did Jauguars get rid of him when they are hurting at WR? True. It's my thought we'll go after WR's to compete & push Knox & Bennett, not to replace them. Sims-Walker would be competition while Rice would start. I think we will take the highest rated DT or OT with that first pick and pick the opposite with the 2nd round. That's what most people think There's a good article in the Sun Times where Kipers says you can get a good DT in round #2 but you can't get a good OT in round #2. I still think we're might be satisfied with our OT, and guard will be the priority. Ultimately, JA LOVES drafting D-linemen. Its possible Watkins could slip to the #2 pick and that would be awesome, or a Boling/Geo and possibly Ijalana/Vill at that spot. What do you think about Alex Linnenholt/Ore State? I think he sounds like a perfect fit to replace Olin in another year and could be had with a 4th or 5th round pick. We'll likely have to take Watkins/Boling/Ijalana in the first round if we want them. I don't know much about Linnenkohl but it does seem strange to replace one of the best centers to ever play the game with a 5th round pick.

Good idea. I'd like to expand on it though. How about we project the Bear's picks and have a competition for the entire 1st round. I say this because the odds of accurately guessing who we will take becomes damn near impossible after the 1st round. Last year the majority of us would have been 0 for 5 in predicting who the Bears would take. Major Wright was considered a bit of a reach in the 3rd round. Corey Wooton was predicted to be long gone by round 4 and Dan LeFevour was projected to go in the 3rd. J Webb wasn't supposed to get drafted at all. Josh Moore?? I'd say we each have a 10% chance of predicting who the Bears will take in round #1. If someone could guess that AND another pick accurately, they might as well play the lottery. We've had 1st round draft contests on here before . After months of scrutiny and reading countless mocks, I predicted 3 first rounders accurately. It's not easy. As soon as one guess is taken earlier then expected or falls, it changes the dynamic of the entire draft.

If they have a bunch of former players I'd still be willing to go (even though I've never been). Roll out Butkus, Hampton, McMahon, Bafone . . . it wouldn't be the same but it would be worth attending. What kind of interaction do guys like Cutler & Urlacher really have at those things? I see them at training camp and they won't even make eye contact with the fans.

Looking at Thompson's statement at chicagobears.com, I don't think he ever said players will be at the Fan Expo. His quote was, "We still plan to host fan events this offseason starting with our “Ultimate Weekend” which includes our Draft Party and Bears Expo at Soldier Field." I'm guessing it will be a heavy dose of Lovie, Martz, Tice, Joniak, etc . . . they'll probably roll out the '85 Bears as usual. I'm at least looking forward to the draft.

As you've mentioned, there are several good offensive linemen available via free agency. JA has a history of wanting to sign o-lineman & draft d-linemen. The Bears weren't even in the top 10 in player salaries last year and we front loaded contracts heavily, meaning we can be major players in free agency once again. We'll resign Kreutz & Adams. Both will get average/moderate deals. The only other guy I see us worried about signing is Brad Maynard . . . This is redundant from a previous post, but I see us spending big $$$ on a free agent o-lineman and I can't see us getting rid of Omiyale or Williams & we love J Webb's potential. In other words, we have all kinds of options with the o-line. Who would we sign for the d-line? We desperately need a 3 technique tackle and the best available is Tommie Harris. We have to get better production from our defensive ends not named Peppers. The only way Idonije gets 8 sacks is if he's lined up opposite Julius. I think we'll take a defensive tackle with our first pick because: a) That's the only way we'll be able to improve the position Angelo LOVES drafting d-lineman On a side note, I look for Corey Wooton to be a consistent difference maker this year.

Yes, we needed a big-time WR like Mike Williams/Troy Williamson or a shut down corner like Pac Man Jones. I'll bet that's easily the worst top 10 draft of all time http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft...d=round1#round1

Based on what PFT says, I blame the owners. If they are accurate and the owners met the players half-way, why not get a deal done? Players come and go but we continue to be fans of the Chicago Bears. By the players playing hard-ball, they are hurting the image of the NFL and thus hurting their ability to make money.

Agreed. Every year the Bears sell out for the entire season in 10 minutes. I almost wish the Bears would jack the prices up more to create less of a demand. So many people buy those tickets just so they can sell them at a profit. The day after tickets go on sale, the e-bay market is flooded with $70.00 seats going for $150.00. If you're not a season ticket holder and you don't have connections, if you don't get through in the 1st 10 minutes you're pretty much screwed. Having 2 small children & living 3 hours away, I can't justify spending the time & $$$ to be a season ticket holder. I have thought about spending the $200.00 (for 2 seats) to get on the season ticket waiting list so I can buy single game tickets the day before they go on sale. Does anybody on here have experience with this? I was just wondering if it's worth it.

I like the positions you took where there took them,but in the second round we need to address a 3 technique tackle, of which Paea is not. Mike Mayock on Paea: "He lifted 225 pounds a record 49 times at the combine, and the best part about those reps is it translates to functional strength on the field. He's a 3-technique player who can really get it done." http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/09000d5d81e...s?module=HP_cp2 Walker sucks, we need to sign Rice/Min or Smith/NY. Much better wrs. Are you talking about Steve Smith from the Giants? (I assume you don't mean Brad Smith . . . ) I just don't see him being much better then Mike Sims Walker. I'd love to get Rice, but I wonder how much he'll cost. I can't see us breaking the bank for a WR when we're happy with the progress Knox & Bennett are making. Especially when he only played 6 games last year and caught for 280 yards. If Mike Sims Walker is fairly cheap, I'd love to get him and let him compete. Would like him to be, not sure Carimi will be there. The top 4 OTs are worthy of being picked that high, but probably wont be there. Sherrod is now being rated more of a early second rounder. If the tackles arent there, I would love to Watkins/TCU/OG. He is nasty and physical, will be a starter till he retires. Could possibly play OT at the next level. Everyone assumes we'll draft an OT cause we're so bad. The signs indicate that Chris Williams will move back to OT. Omiyale is a nice swing tackle and an ideal back-up, while we're thrilled with J Webb. I can't see us getting rid of one of those guys. I look for us to start Williams & Webb at Tackle. There are several good offensive guards set to be available via free agency. I look for us to sign a guard, and take a DT in round #1. There are simply not many 3 technique tackles available via free agency. Tommie Harris would be the pick of the litter . . .

So basically they are saying, "Until we lose money, you won't lose money."

Agreed with drafting Hankerson. He'd be a steal as a late 2nd round pick. As for your thoughts on the 1st round pick, I can't imagine we'd go for a corner. When you look at what's available via free agency, we ought to be able to sign an offensive lineman. I expect we'll use our first pick on a defensive tackle.

If you really look at it, every team in the league have tons of misses when it comes to drafting. Not to mention that some of the teams appear to do better in the draft simply by forcing draft picks into action on really bad teams. The Bears have done this themselves a few times where we applaud them for drafting a guy who is starting, and the next thing you know, they are off the team and out of the league. When you look at successful drafts, I don't think you can look at the number of guys who remain on the team or possibly even starting, but you have to look at the guys drafted that are consistently considered very good players in the league. Angelo hasn't dialed up that kind of success much. Going to nfl.com and looking at the draft history for the Bears, in the last 5 years, the only guys the Bears who have drafted that have been consistently good are Forte, Olsen and Hester. Admitedly, some of the guys we have drafted could still develop. You really have to look at these over time. Hell, 2005 looks like a pretty damn good draft for the Bears considering we picked Benson, Orton, and Chris Harris. Does Angelo get credit for drafting Benson? He's turned into a good running back, although he was a tremendous bust for the Bears.

Having Floyd on my fantasy team drove me nuts. He'd do practically nothing for weeks and then go off for 213 yards. The fact he only finished with 700+ yards with Phillip Rivers throwing him the ball tells me he's inconsistent & mediocre. As 6-5, how's he different then Olsen? How bad could Sims-Wallker be that Jacksonville released him? I take it Jacksonville is loaded with so much offensive talent they didn't need him anymore? Wow that list is depressing. Granted the offensive linemen might be good but I've never heard of them. I'd thought maybe we restructured Peppers deal thinking about doing something big. After seeing that list, I doubt it.

To me this signifies the Bears continue to be in the "win now!" mode. For a few years there, it seemed like everytime Angelo made a move, he was very concerned about the future. IMO, now the future means, "by 2013 and I'm done." While there is no CBA, teams seem to be confident that there will be a salary cap and at least some form of restricted free agency. Last year we made the biggest splash in free agency, yet we weren't even in the top 10 in spending because we'd front loaded so many contracts. I look for us to be major players in free agency again.

Moon gets it? He wants to sign Plaxico, R Williams, or B Edwards. Williams & Edwards have done nothing but underachieve while Plaxico's been locked up. We have mediocre receivers on this team so we don't need to add another one that thinks he's god. Why not add TO or Chad Johnson? I can't argue with adding a WR, but to hell with the guys he mentioned. The bad part is, that's likely the best available. As for O-line, that's a given. I'm anxious to see what we want to do & how we co-exist when our OC & O-line coach have opposite philosphies. In a previous article Moon mentions Webb should play LT. Has anyone noticed Webb moves his feet like a sumo-wrestler? That's not what you want protecting the blind-side.

Good points on Cutler being better! It's refreshing to hear the positive on the guy. All things being equal, I'd take Cutler.

Thanks for posting that. I read the Times and the Trib today, and I missed that nugget. I'm wondering how much of a better offer Manning will get then 3 years 6 million . . .

Tommie was a $$$ issue, but it does surprise me we've seem to "cut ties" indicating we won't resign him. On a defense predicated by a quick DT who can get to the QB, he's the only guy we've got that fits that description. Who do we replace him with? While the draft is an option, you can't count on a rookie. It'll be interesting to see what we do. On that note, HH & Shaffer didn't fit, but those guys were always class acts who took care of business.

A year ago we viewed Chris Williams as our LT of the future. He gets injured in week #2 and doesn't play again until week #6 where he emerges as the starting LG. Can anyone tell me if he was moved because he sucks at LT or because we wanted to get our top 5 o-linemen on the field, which includes Omiyale? I've read LT is his most natural position. If he can be a solid starting LT, everything on the line becomes so much easier. Kreutz & Garza can still play (although not for long) and everyone seems to love J Webb. That leaves LG as the major gaping hole. Should Pouncey be there at #29 . . . I write this with the assumption Kreutz will resign. Both sides want to make it happen. I also write this with the assumption we may not be able to sign another starting o-lineman. I say that because we don't know when/if free agency begins and who will be available. On a side note, I'm still wondering what the hell our o-line philosphy is. Tice craves maulers while Martz prefers quick guys who can sustain a long pass-block.

2 problems with the trade: 1. Is Cutler better then Palmer? Palmer has issues and is on the decline, but he put up better numbers last year (albeit for a bad team). Cutler's stock is not high now. 2. The #4 pick is worthless unless there's a new CBA which changes the money top picks receive. Washington gave last year's #4 pick Trent Williams 60+ million with 37 million guaranteed. For that much money we could sign Percy Harvin & have enough left over to sign another player. One of the reasons we were able to afford Peppers was because we didn't have to spend money on top picks. I'll take the proven veteran over the expensive/unproven rookie any day. To hell with the top 10 picks.