jason

That would be a great start to free agency.

It's an interesting thought because it solves one issue and creates others. It allows Briggs to stay outside, where he apparently prefers. Problem is, he isn't really a 3-4 OLB because he lacks the skills to rush the edge. The best he'll do is charge in and occupy a blocker. On top of that, it throws Greene in the trash. The lineup would be McClellin, Bostic, Mosley, Briggs. No way Greene cracks that roster. Because of all that, I don't really like it that much. I'd much rather see an impact player up front or one in the secondary.

And typically larger wallets. Which, coming full circle, is kind of how Brian got them as well.

I took issue with the combination of on-field and off-field stuff. Sure, off the field Peanut is a guy I'd rather have my kids look up to. He appears to be just a great overall guy. But you included leadership, implying what they did on the field was part of the discussion. Divide the two and I agree with you for the most part. It just bugs me when Bears fans try to bag on Urlacher, like he didn't put in a decade worth of kicking ass.

Seriously? I know it's popular to rag on Urlacher because he didn't take the low-ball offer from the Bears, but "Tillman is 100 times the man that Urlacher is/was"? That's just stupid. Without Urlacher by his side all those years, Charles Tillman is in a drastically different situation. He unequivocally would have been on worse defenses (we learned that each time Urlacher went down, and once more this past season he was sorely missed), would not have had as many opportunities to do what he does best (because he would have had to help make up for the inability of the MLB to do what Urlacher was able to do, what virtually no MLB his size was/is able to do), and probably never becomes the player he is today. If he was such a leader his presence would have been felt more when Urlacher went down with injury or when he left. I'm ecstatic if Peanut resigns, but to trash Urlacher is inappropriate.

This thread cracks me up. Jamarcus Webb = Cinnabon = Carlin Isles SCS, we all get that you fall in love with guys who COULD be good if they got their acts together, but I think the difference lies in the percentages. You see COULD much higher than we do, and you ride the horse straight into the glue factory. The fact of the matter is, all three guys, and a ton of other guys who never amount to much, have incredibly high ceilings, it's just that their feet are cemented to the floor.

Maaaaaaaaaaybe. The difference between his transition and the basketball-to-TE transition is that their skills translate almost exactly. As a post-up basketball player it's: run to position, establish base, box out, receive pass while blocking defender from pass. Almost exactly what a TE does. As far as sprinter transitioning to football, it's way different. And rugby 7's doesn't even come close to a substitute because of not only the rules, but also the ridiculous spacing advantages.

Walks like a duck. Quacks like a duck. I hope it's not a duck.

I have a passing interest in rugby, and have followed it somewhat since I went to New Zealand. Having said that, I don't give a damn how fast he is on the track. He is not a football player. There is a major difference. And Rugby 7's is of course the perfect place to display his speed. Huge field. If he played normal he probably wouldn't have gotten the recognition. And, unfortunately for him, the offsides rules are the same in the NFL, and he'll have a guy like Richard Sherman raping him up and down the field before a ball is even thrown his way. Zero F's were given.

Not real familiar with the 3-3-5. Sure as hell looked like a 4-3 to me. Apparently the Fox DE looks a lot like a 4-3 DE to me. PoTAYto, PoTAHto.

Agreed. That's how disconnections occur, different coaching concepts/philosophies get taught, and players get out of position.

He's too small to be a good 3-4 OLB. He'd have to put on about 20 lbs. If he could keep his speed at that weight, it might be worth the effort. A few teams I can think of that run a 3-4... Arizona Abraham - 6'4" - 260 Shaughnessy - 6'5" - 280 Baltimore Suggs - 6'3" - 260 Dumervil - 5'11" - 260 Cleveland Kruger - 6'4" - 270 Sheard - 6'2" - 255 Green Bay Perry - 6'3" - 265 Mulumba - 6'3" - 260 Houston Reed - 6'3" - 254 Mercilus - 6'4" - 258 San Francisco Brooks - 6'3" - 259 Smith - 6'4" - 265

Louisville ran a 4-3.

Pretty much. That's one of the issues with the 3-4 transition: it kind of dumps Greene into the trash. Bostic and Briggs are obviously the ILB's, and SMC is obviously the Jack. I like the idea of taking a risk on him as the other OLB, but I don't think it would pay off because he's far too small and unrefined as a pass rusher to make a real impact on the edge. Other teams would have a better percentage of understanding where the rushers were coming from, thus somewhat negating the point of the 3-4.

I don't view that as necessarily a good thing. Just because those dudes knew each other and coached together doesn't mean it brings results. Hell, the 2010 Cowboys had an atrocious defense despite a pretty decent lineup.

If Ha-Ha Clinton Dix is available, I'd want the Bears to draft him. Otherwise, I think the idea of dropping back a bit and getting Donald is a great idea. Especially if the Bears can pick up an extra second or third. There seems to be some serious depth in this draft. Imagine a trade back about ten spots (worth approx. 360 points) to the 24th pick. That would basically equate to the other team's #2 pick. And even if the Bears didn't want to go this way, maybe moving to a 3-4, it still works out pretty well because Nix projects somewhere in the early 20s by many.

As an official I usually say most complaints are baseless because the average fan has no clue. But it was definitely shocking to see that nobody saw Bowman with the ball on the ground. That should have been SF's ball for sure. I also agree that it should have been roughing instead of running into the punter. But to say it was a ten point swing on those two plays is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure Seattle fumbled on the very next play after that the Bowman play. Net loss was about ten yards. And the difference in a 15 yard penalty and a 5 yard penalty for roughing did not make that big of a difference. The Niners were on their own 20, so the possibility of them scoring was still very much in question. Additionally, the Seahawks started the next drive on their 38. The 62 yards and TD the Niners gave up are much more responsible than a single, ten-yard penalty.

If the Bears ended up with Fiedorowicz in the third and Boyd in the fifth, I'd sure hope the first two picks were on defense, preferably FS and one DT/DE. Not to mention some help in FA. It sure would be interesting though.

What I meant by glorified lineman was in the literal sense. Glorified means elevated, and he'd basically be in there to block 99% of the time. I wasn't trying to insinuate that he had the size or skill of an OL, just that he'd be used as a lineman who has the title of tight end.

Yeah, I don't prescribe to the "we need another TE"-theory. Why? To block? Martellus should be in there on 99% of the plays. And when he's not, we need a glorified OLineman who can catch the ball in a pinch, like Rosario. Unless you're running the New England offense, backup TEs are an extreme luxury in my opinion.

If I had to use Draft Tek's ordering, I'd be upset with the way things play out. So many players I want going just before the pick. However, if I'm stuck with their projections, I'd go with this... #1 Hageman/DT (BPA) #2 S Truitt/DE/ND (BPA + need) (All I really need to know is that I saw the Auburn hit live. That's enough. A steal in the third, and with his coverage, angles, anticipation, hands, I think he could play FS.) #4 Brian Stork/C/Fl. St. (Need + potential BPA. This sets up a young OL for quite some time) #5 Martavis Bryant/WR/Clemson (Catches a little bit too much with his body for my liking, but his size/speed combo should brown shorts.) (I don't like him a ton, and I think he takes some bad angles at times, but he hustles and is a decent tackler. And at this point it's about trying to find value. In the 6th he's value.) #6B Ross Cockrell/CB/Duke (This guy seems like the kind of player I like in the secondary. He's smart, team leader, understands the Defensive alignments, has matched against #1s, and is a stand out on ST. Great value here.)

I like yours MUCH better than I like their draft. A TE in the third would be completely idiotic.

No. Rogers is the key there. Shoop could be OC and Rogers would still shine. Let's hope Wootton improves. Surgery is always an unknown, however. Baltimore was 29th in offense, 18th in passing, and 30th in rushing. And he's on the Lions. No worries. Zimmer has been a defensive guy his whole career. The Vikings gave up more yards than Chicago, if you can believe that. The hiring should help, but he isn't an offensive guy and their main issue might be QB.

The cop out thought is correct. I don't want to be in the same position next year, or one close to that, with Tucker using something else as an excuse. This year injuries, maybe next year the offense is so good that it scores incredibly quickly, time of possession is severely out of whack, and it keeps the D on the field for an extended period of time? That'd be something odd for Chicago Bear fans.