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Alaskan Grizzly

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Posts posted by Alaskan Grizzly

  1. 11 hours ago, Pixote said:

    It was announced on NFL.com that 13 players have accepted invitations to attend the draft.

    An impressive list:

    Table inside Article
    Name College Position
    Terrion Arnold Alabama Cornerback
    Jayden Daniels LSU Quarterback
    Marvin Harrison Jr. Ohio State Wide receiver
    J.C. Latham Alabama Offensive tackle
    Laiatu Latu UCLA Edge rusher
    Drake Maye North Carolina Quarterback
    Quinyon Mitchell Toledo Cornerback
    Malik Nabers LSU Wide receiver
    Rome Odunze Washington Wide receiver
    Darius Robinson Missouri Edge rusher
    Brian Thomas Jr. LSU Wide receiver
    Dallas Turner Alabama Edge rusher
    Caleb Williams USC Quarterback

     

    Let me add two notes.

    Before anyone complains, this was a copy-and-paste; I did not choose the order in which they were listed! It appears they chose to go in alphabetical order and not by projected draft ratings.

    I'm reasonably sure others may be added to the list before the draft. Please add them when announced.

     

    Found an article that explains the NFL wants to keep the invitees to a minimum (no more than 15) to avoid anyone having to linger in the Green Room.  So your list appears to be near complete. 
     

    https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-didnt-project-bo-nix-michael-penix-jr-among-top-15-to-20-selections

  2. 1 hour ago, BearFan PHX said:

    oh please, you are cherry picking. The vast majority of analysis about Williams is extremely positive, even if these issues are ALSO true.

    I see.  So I should only “cherry-pick” all the positive stuff … even (as you say) if this analysis is accurate?  
     

    You know having a separate viewpoint than your own is ok right?  It’s what makes the world go around and TalkBears what it is.  Or am I being too “inane”?  “arguing against taking Walter Payton” …seriously?  

  3. 12 minutes ago, adam said:

    Super wild how accurate Brugler was on Fields in terms of the projection, not what he did good or bad in college, but what he needs to do in the NFL to fulfill his potential:

    "but he must speed up his target-to-target progression reads and improve his urgency when the initial target is taken away."

    "if he can quicken his reads and process."

     

    So the projection on Williams remains to be seen in the NFL?  

    "Holds the ball loose from his body, and ball security is a major concern (in the pocket and as a ball carrier)"

    "guilty of bypassing singles and doubles as he searches for home runs and asks too much of his offensive line (240 of his dropbacks the last two seasons lasted 4-plus seconds)" - One of the points AZ mentioned

    "can get stuck on reads too long, and eyes need to be more efficient and manipulative … pressure will speed up his process and lead to negative results(see 2023 Notre Dame tape)"

     

     

  4. 13 hours ago, AZ54 said:

    From a career standpoint Poles might survive drafting Williams if he fails.   Draft anyone else and that’s not likely unless it’s a home run.

    Speaking as a fan of trading the #1 overall allows him to choose more potential "blue chippers" than putting all in on the one "potential generational" pick.  To me that's by far less risky.  

    I'm seeing more and more people say they don't expect great things from Caleb in year one but should do better in year two. While also saying most of the other QB prospects need at least one year on the bench (etc) before they will see results.  If what we hear and read is true and Poles and Waldron are building this great offensive machine, why couldn't any of the top 3-5 QBs succeed if they are also given that same year of growth?  

  5. His analysis of Fields in 2021. Who he had ranked 4th overall (at QB) after Trey Lance and Zach Wilson:

    STRENGTHS: Well-strapped together athlete who takes care of his body…moves with the fluid, composed feet of a former shortstop…shows a natural feel for timing, touch and accuracy on throws within structure…strong arm and shows the ability to drive the football, especially when he steps and torques through his hips…sturdy in the pocket…recognizes defensive back assignments and places the ball away from trouble on his throws…above-average stride speed and flashes a burst when he [7] tucks and runs…noteworthy toughness to finish through contact and play through pain (see the 2021 Sugar Bowl vs. Clemson)…even-keeled play personality and shows the same steady focus on each play…voted a 2020 team captain…self-assured competitor who inspires confidence in his teammates (Ohio State head coach Ryan Day: “The mindset of a young man of that age is so impressive”)…outstanding production at Ohio State with a career 67-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio with 19 rushing touchdowns…finished with a 20-2 record as the Buckeyes’ starter (only two losses came in the College Football Playoffs).

    WEAKNESSES: Undeveloped field vision…locks onto his preferred read and doesn’t consistently find his second and third options (sometimes by design)…needs to be quicker eliminating things post-snap…stares down reads and doesn’t play with a consistent sense of urgency…needs to be better taking what the defense gives him instead of forcing throws…his passes lose life when attempting to throw off-balance…ball security needs work: holds the ball loose in the pocket and as a runner (12 fumbles over the last two seasons)…needs to do a better job of avoiding hits…benefited from an all-star cast around him (both players and play-calling).

    SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Ohio State, Fields was one of college football’s best players the last two seasons in Day’s multiple spread offense. With Jake Fromm blocking him at Georgia, he transferred to Columbus in 2019 and needed only 21 games to reach No. 2 in Ohio State history in career passing touchdowns (67). He twice earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors. Fields has had the spotlight on him for a long time and he hasn’t wilted while displaying the confidence and competitive toughness that teammates rally behind. He shows excellent tempo when the play is on-schedule, but he must speed up his target-to-target progression reads and improve his urgency when the initial target is taken away. Overall, Fields’ decision-making is more methodical than spontaneous, but he has high-ceiling traits with his athleticism, accuracy and intangibles. He projects as a high-end NFL starter if he can quicken his reads and process.

  6. 17 hours ago, AZ54 said:

    I'm so far off the consensus mock because I'm still the only fan here who will trade back to #2 and take Daniels and the picks. 

    Just so you know you're not alone, I stand with you in solidarity. I'm all in on the idea of trading the #1 but not as sure on who the QB should be.  Daniels is definitely a consideration.  

    FWIW in friends that I talk with who know football (not necessarily Bears football) seem to all agree that Williams isn't the guy.  So there are a few still out there.  

  7. 3 hours ago, adam said:

    For the guys in the article, I would rate them in this order coming out, by tiers:

    Luck / Williams, Burrow, Lawrence / Goff, Newton, Mayfield, Murray / Winston, Young

    Young was not the consensus #1, either was Winston as Mariota went right after him. I feel like Mayfield and Murray were brothers from another mother. Newton was seen as a dual threat QB, but there were passing concerns. Lawrence was the consensus #1, so was Burrow, which feels very similar to Williams.

    When you say "consensus pick" how does one qualify?  You mention that neither Young nor Winston were "consensus" because in the case of Winston, he had Mariota picked right after him.  In theory if Williams is picked #1 and Daniels is picked #2 would that title still apply to Williams?  

    Secondly I'm intersted in how you broke up your tiers especially with Mayfield and Murray being in the same one (or third tier if I'm reading correctly). Both those guys, and Williams, having been products of the Lincoln Riley offense. 

    In fact here's how they all did:
     

    • Mayfield (three years at OU*):  808/1157 12,292 yds (69.8 pct)  10.6 YA  119 TDs 21 INTs  189.4 rating
    • Murray  (two years at OU**):    278/398    4,720 yds (69.8 pct)  11.9 YA   45 TDs   7 INTs   203.3 rating
    • Williams (two years at USC):    599/888     8,170 yds (67.5  pct)  9.2  YA   72 TDs  10 INTs  169.2 rating

    * Riley was the OC/QB coach for OU from 2015-16 then HC starting in 2017 (overlap with Mayfield)

    **  Murray overlapped with Mayfield in 2017 (at OU) so his sample size is smaller as a starter for the one year he was (2018)

  8. 22 hours ago, adam said:

    That is an interesting way to look at it but it is the RB position group, which is completely devalued anyway. Also, Roschon was a backup his entire collegiate career, so he would not compare PFF rating-wise to starters. 

    This was more as a "for example" especially how subjective (aka guessing game) this all is.  Sure I get that RBs are "devalued" but apparently enough "experts" think highly enough of them to rate them based on their raw abilities.  Similar to how last year you reminded us of how the volume of throws that Bagent while in college should be considered in how he would do in the NFL.

    Interestingly, the subjectiveness is enough that sites like Sporting News and CBS Sports (links below) both rank MHJ as the number one player available over Caleb.  CBS Sports even goes a step further and ranks the positions overall in comparison to their group.  For example:  DE Khalid Duke for Kansas State is ranked #1 in the position but #262 overall on their "Big Board of 390 players available.  

    Wouldn't it be something if Poles bought into the idea of MHJ being enough of a prospect that he'd go with him over Caleb?  😈  

    https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-draft-prospects-2024-top-100-rankings-best-players/9a5959cd101d2a8c439568a0

    https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospect-rankings/

  9. Interesting take, that is if you use PFF as any sort of reliable ranking.  

    Their 'Top 300 picks' show RBs as low as #227 on their list with a rating of 94.9.  
    Compare that to Roshon Johnson (picked #4 at 115 last season) held a PFF rating of "80+ all four seasons"

    Samples of this year's group at RB:

    • PFF #71     Jaylen Wright - HB Tennessee  Rating:  91.0
    • PFF #207  Frank Gore Jr - HB Southern Miss   Rating:  88
    • PFF #227  Isaiah Davis - HB South Dakota State  Rating:  94.9

    https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl-draft-profiles-top-200-draft-prospects

  10. 36 minutes ago, adam said:

    I didn't realized they selected so many with a private visit. From 2023's draft, the Bears selected 4 players from the Senior Bowl, and 1 from the EW Shrine Game. Here is the breakdown:

    Wright - Visit + Senior Bowl
    Dexter - Visit
    Stevenson - Visit + Senior Bowl
    Pickens - Senior Bowl
    Johnson - Senior Bowl
    Scott - Visit
    Sewell - NONE
    Smith - EW Shrine
    Bell - NONE
    Williamson - NONE

    So out of 10 picks, 7 were in one of the categories, and 7 out of 8 if you exclude 7th rounders.

    I am going to see how many of the planned visits played in one of the games. Both Wright and Stevenson met multiple criteria.

    The one most intriguing to me is the Yale (OT?) kid.  With him being Ivy League theres no doubt he’s not on anyone else’s radar but for some reason he strikes me as a ‘Poles’ pick.  And that he was on the list early on is also telling.  

  11. 2 hours ago, killakrzydav said:

    Top 30 invites so far:

     

    CW 
    RB Dylan Laube, New Hampshire (Destin Adams, A to Z Sports)
    T Kiran Amegadije, Yale (source)
    WR Rome Odunze, Washington (Brady Henderson, ESPN Seattle Seahawks reporter)
    CB Elijah Jones, Boston College (Ryan Fowler, The Draft Network)
    CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame (Justin Melo, The Draft Network)
    C Zach Frazier, West Virginia (Fowler)
    DE Dallas Turner, Alabama (Tom Pelissero, NFL Network)
    CB Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn (Melo)
    TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (Tony Pauline, Sportskeeda)
     

    Was looking at the Top 30 invitee list from last year to see any trends.  Found they invited 20 players that played either Oline or Dline (if you count Edge Players). Of that 11 were Offense and 9 were Defense.  That group included Jaylon Carter (Dline Georgia), Tyree Wilson (Edge-Texas Tech), Paris Johnson (Oline -OSU), Broderick Jones (OT- Georgia), Jervon Dexter (DT - Florida) and Darnell Wright (OT-Tennessee).  There were three(?) invitees that were defensive backfield (to include Tyrique Stevenson - Safety Miami) and four WRs to include Tyler Scott (WR-Cincinnati). 

    Another interesting nugget is evidently they can invite another five "local" players. Of that group they invited QB prospect Aiden O'Connell from Purdue (he ended up on the Raiders if I recall). 

    NFL draft: Bears hosted these prospects for Top 30, local visits (usatoday.com)

  12. 14 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

    You were giving Fields more benefit of the doubt right up to the end of this third season, so I think you can spare a little grace for a rookie. or dont, I dont care. It's where he ends up that matters, not how he starts.

    The casual fan will expect more.   They will want to see a return on why you let go a fan favorite so quickly.  Is it fair, no but is it expected?  Yes. 
     

    For as many people critiqued Justin for his faults the same, if not more, agree he wasn’t provided the same opportunity that Caleb (or whomever they choose) will have with this new team.  I suspect there will be struggles but by the middle of the season I would expect the team to at least be .500 and make the playoffs at the end.  I agree with Stinger that the Bears are in more ‘win now’ mode (or will be) with the selection of Caleb.  

  13. I’d guess it’s sheer speculation if at all.  Didn’t see anything about it.  But did see some mention of him (as a suggestion) to go to Raiders and Broncos.  

    There were some rumblings I saw a few weeks back of the Bears possibly being interested in Justin Herbert.  But I think that was more bored sportswriters than anything. 

  14. 4 hours ago, OmahaBear said:

    s I don't think they have had a meeting with Williams either.. or have they?

    I believe the next known meeting is the "Top 30" one scheduled where Williams (so far not Daniels) and others will come to Halas Hall.  I have read elsewhere that speculation is that McCarthy may get an invite too.  So far the list only has three players listed on it but obviously will grow more in the coming days.

    image.png

     

  15. Agreed with making it a part of the game instead of an afterthought. I think why the changes occurred before had to do with player safety due to 'high speed impacts' etc.   But the NFL may have over compensated in this instance.  Glad to see they adjusting accordingly.  

  16. 56 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

    I'll continue to think what i think, and if that upsets people, then they will just have to find a way to deal with that.

    Fair enough.  And when you receive a contradictory response, you can’t take it personal and go out of your way to call it “dumb” or “inane”.  Talking football sometimes is like playing it, you gotta get dirty to do it right. 😎👍

  17. 41 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

    Poles isn't perfect but he doesn't have to be to get us to a winning team. In the third year , he's put us in the position o be a winner for the next few years. 

    Wasn't quite sure what you meant by this but assumed you meant Poles doesn't necessarily have to get the Bears to 'winning' by his third year.  I would disagree...a little...in that after the team went 7-10 and 4-3 after Justin returned, the team would certainly have to show some form of improvement and at least start the season .500 or better in the first half.  IMHO. 

  18. 1 hour ago, BearFan PHX said:

    So its not like I have some secret sauce that makes me better than anyone. Im just seeing that Williams is clearly the best prospect. Because he just is.

    He is the best prospect, as you say.  There have been other 'best prospects' in the past, some have worked out, some have not. Right now and unequivocally, he's not the best NFL QB ever. Could he be? Sure, but right now he's not. 

    1 hour ago, BearFan PHX said:

    But on this board Im reading weak stuff about Williams crying, and McCarthy might be the better QB prospect and lots of other dumb stuff. I think it's still left over Justin emotional stuff.

    This is the "stuff" that causes you to get cross-threaded with a few here. Myself especially.  When you excuse my opinion of how I see another prospect not named Williams you right away assume its some sort of left over Justin "stuff" and that it's "dumb".  As I had said a few days ago, each of the top 3-4 QBs all have individual qualities that the others do not, and some have more than all the rest.  Nothing wrong with looking at our potential franchise QB candidates through varying prisms.  

    1 hour ago, BearFan PHX said:

    was early on that bandwagon because I watched the tape rather than read writers, but now the media narrative has solidified, and caught up to where I was.

    And this is where the divisiveness starts to seep in.  Again, you suggest you were early on the bandwagon and now all the writers are 'catching up to where you are'.  Sure, you are in the majority but you're not the one that discovered Williams nor probably are you the first to cast Williams in the positive light here on this board.  

     

    1 hour ago, BearFan PHX said:

    FACTS:
    Justin is not a good NFL QB
    Williams is the best QB prospect in the draft, and the best seen in a while
    No one can predict what the future holds for Fields or Williams
    Williams is a much better bet than Fields right now

    These are not in fact..."FACTS".  Actually you contradict yourself by saying "No one can predict the what the future holes for Fields or Williams" and then declaring Williams is better than Fields "right now" because again, Williams has yet to play an NFL down. And truthfully, just because Fields struggled with our team doesn't mean he will always struggle.  And until Justin retires, the book on his NFL career isn't finished yet where Williams' is just beginning.  

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