jason

This would be a bad move for a variety of reasons. First of which is his stats: Among players with at least 17 Punt Returns (one less than Hester), he is… 3rd in Punt Return Average 8th (tied) for 20+ yard Punt Returns 4th (tied) for 20+ yard Punt Return % 3rd (tied) for 40+ yard Punt Returns 2nd for 40+ yard Punt Return % 8th (tied) for longest Punt Return [81 yards] Among players with at least 20 Kickoff Returns, he is… 5th (tied) in KO Return Average 1st for 20+ yard KO Returns 4th for 20+ yard KO Return % 2nd for 40+ yard KO Returns 7th for 40+ yard KO Return % 5th for longest KO Return [80 yards] Second is the abnormal number of near misses. Remember Week 2 when he had kickoff returns of 76 and 80 yards? Both could have been TDs if not for one block. Freaking Steltz. Or Week 11, the one where Hester returned a punt for a TD (at about 2:20) but there was a holding call that brought it back? Freaking Steltz. What makes this one worse is that Steltz didn't even need to hold the guy. Or what about Week 13 when he broke one (about 1:53), but there were two unaccounted for tacklers which made it so Devin couldn't juke the kicker? And let's not forget Week 15 when he would have returned a punt against the Browns if Blake Costanzo had just blocked the kicker? Finally, what about the last week of the season when he nearly returned a punt (1:35) if it weren't for the fact that Weems missed the same guy twice in one play? Weems hits that guy early and Devin has his seam. All others are either locked up or too far away. THE MAN IS STILL A DANGEROUS WEAPON AND ONE OF THE BEST RETURN MEN IN THE NFL. PERIOD. Aside from that, he's a team player. He accepted the demotion last year and worked hard. It's not is fault the team dumped one of the best special teams coaches in the NFL, lost key ST contributors, and had a rash of injuries to others. If my research is right, his vet minimum would be $855K for 2014. He's worth that at the very least. The Bears should approach him as the veteran, team player, contributor, historically significant, long-standing Bear that he is, and offer him something around $1M. After Devin's agent negotiates, the price ends up somewhere around $1.25-$1.5M per year and it's for 2-3 years. Letting Hester go will be a mistake.

Dude, c'mon. If Whitner is garbage, then Conte is a pile of burning skunk carcasses.

Let's say the one or two guys the Bears wanted just left the board and absolutely nobody will trade up. If so... If Robinson or Matthews is there, you take him. Pass on Lewan because he will be there anyway. If Barr or Mack are there, you pass. That would be repeating the McClellin mistake, especially with Mack since he played horrible competition. If Watkins or Evans is there, you hope it's Watkins because he fits better. And then you take him.

Completely agree. The only caveat I'll make is that it takes a special kind of QB to accept the system, learn the system, and exploit the system's advantages. I don't believe anyone can say Cutler fully bought in the way McCown did.

Yeah, I'd prefer this approach and a solid guy in the draft. If HHCD were drafted in the first, and someone like Whitner were picked up, that immediately upgrades the Bears secondary by three-fold, and gives the Bears solid depth with Wright and Conte.

I'm probably the biggest advocate of OL and offense on this board, but even I recognize that 9/10 of this offseason needs to be defense. Now that the Center position is locked up, the only real addition I want to see on offense is a mid/late round draft pick (i.e. McCarron in the 4th). A potential field stretcher at WR (although this is low priority) would be nice. So, too, would a change-of-pace RB who can hit the homerun. Maybe a promising backup OG/C late. Right now, however, I think it should be DT/DE/LB/S until there aren't other options. And if Peanut leaves, add CB to that list.

The why not is because that same thing can be said about actual positions of need. Why not add another DT, DE, LB, S? Or for that matter, your other thread about RBs too. A good backup RB is WAY more important than a 3rd TE. Same goes for a 3rd player at just about any position. I'd much rather see a 3rd QB than a 3rd TE. The simple fact is, another TE is a luxury the Bears cannot afford for more the barest of minimums.

1. Bennett 2. Rosario 3. Who cares The Bears don't need to waste time/money/picks on another TE. Bennett will be in on 99% of plays anyway. The other few plays go to a guy like Rosario, who has the resume to be a suitable backup, and serves as a good blocker when needed. The Bears have more important holes at other positions to worry about a 3rd TE.

If that's how it pans out, I want the Bears to get AJ McCarron in the 4th. He'd be a steal at that point, but won't last much longer. I really think he's going to be an all-pro in the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/i...trade-14th-pick Fact Fact Fact Fiction What say you?

Classic move by Emery, and the type of thing that's about two levels beyond ol' Jerry Angelo. The most creative move Angelo ever made that wasn't directly financial was his Tait signing.

You draft now for two reasons: 1) The possibility of a pick outshining a current player 2) The concept of insurance The former is obvious. If you draft a guy in the 7th, and he turns out to be Jay Hilgenberg, then Garza ends up being a good backup. The latter is also obvious, but maybe more important. Starters go down. Get hurt. You don't want your team taking a nose-dive because a key player goes out.

Yeah, that was the major issue. Most here, me included, thought he was not properly suited to being a DE. We ended up being right. He was suited to being a 3-4 OLB, which is a glorified DE who doesn't have to deal with the rigors of being a DE in many systems. But MLB? That woulda been crazy talk.

Really? I don't remember that at all. That would have been crazy talk considering he was a DE at best and an OLB at worst coming out of college. I remember that Green Bay wanted him as well, for those two positions. **EDIT** I just did some google-fu, and found a few instances of such talk. It was crazy then. Not so crazy now because it's just an attempt to salvage a potential first round bust with athletic talent/ability.

DING! DING! DING!

How far would you be willing to trade up for the right talent? Suppose the top of the draft goes QB crazy. Four of the top five teams need a QB. The Rams like their QB, their coach has a relationship with a stud player’s Dad (Bruce/Jake Matthews), and they need playmakers. Atlanta sits at pick 6, and one of their team needs is DL. 1. HOU – Bridgewater 2. STL – Matthews 3. JAX – Manziel 4. CLE – Bortles 5. OAK On the Value Chart, the #5 pick is 1,700 points and the #14 is 1,100 points. The Bears’ second rounder is worth 390. Given that Oakland has notoriously bad front office decisions, let’s say they’re willing to trade their first rounder for the Bears’ first and second. Do you make the move if Clowney is sitting there at #5?

In my eyes, production in the WAC is not worth as much as similar production in the SEC.

If Dee Ford slips out of the first round, the Bears should immediately rally their resources and try to trade up into the top of the second to get him. Imagine a draft that starts out: 1) Donald 2) Ford Holy hell.

Interesting addition to this topic: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/i...ad-money-totals Looks like those short-term contracts worked out for the Bears and aided in them being in a good salary cap position.

Regarding Donald... http://sports.yahoo.com/video/pittsburgh-d...-161011754.html Absolutely smokes the "competition"

Bostic

If jake Matthews drops that far, you hope for a trade. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind seeing him drafted. Pure BPA, he's way better than anyone else at 14. That gives the bears a nearly impenetrable OL of Bushrod, Slausson, Garza, Long, Matthews, and it's nasty for years to come.

If that worked financially and with the cap - I don't care to research - I don't think that's a horrible idea. Peppers is going to get cut anyway, and Briggs is on the backside of his career. There are no guarantees, but Clowney is a ridiculous athlete.

Yeah, a band of brothers works in ways, but when you have that true leader, that inspiring figure, it's amazing what can be done.

My feeling from that article is that he's not coming back.