jason

And Brian Baldinger sinks below John Madden and PFFFFFFFT on the football knowledge meter. What a dumbass.

This video is near proof that the Bears need to draft OL in the first round, and maybe several others. When Cedric Benson is given a chance to build up steam, he's shown glimpses of dominating running. He's shown a little wiggle, a good deal of power, and an ability to see the whole/cutback lane. The Bears simply have to draft OL first, and all this Mendenhall talk is just plain crazy.

Yeah...I don't see that option. Where exactly can you turn HTML on and off?

If the Bears draft Mendenhall in the first this year, look for us to be looking for OL help again next year, and questioning whether or not he was a good selection. It will be the exact same discussion. Maybe the Bears will shore up the OL this year, and pick a good one up in FA after the year, and we'll actually be able to evaluate the RB, QB, WR fairly...and then go into next year's draft with a clearer picture.

I disagree with the entire line of "would have" reasoning. If Mike Williams were drafted by the Bears, he very well could have become a very good WR. At the time, he would have automatically become the best WR on the team, as well as the #1 endzone threat. If Cedric Benson were drafted by the Seahawks and Alexander was shipped out in a trade, you don't think he would have done well behind that beast of a line? You don't think his career would have been completely different at this point? Situations make players. Situations change their point of view, their attitude, everything. When players go to a situation that fits them better, they react better, they try harder, they work more, they feel like they can achieve more. I'm convinced that Emmitt Smith would have been merely average if not put behind the best OL ever, and if Barry Sanders had been put behind the Dallas OL he would have nearly 25K, and be considered the best ever without a doubt. Situations. Get two guys like Mike Williams and Cedric Benson, and all it takes is one or two years in a not-so-perfect situation, and you have a recipe for a bust.

I told you guys before the Bears drafted Benson that it was a bad idea. I'm telling you, again, that drafting a RB at 14 is a mistake unless it's McFadden (which ain't gonna happen). Read the signature below...

*cough* Cedric Benson *cough* The Bears let go of TJ, and got stuck with Benson. You're right. Look that we're that got us. Now the Bears let go two offensive linemen who sucked, but were good enough to keep the other guys on the bench. If we get stuck with them, the season is lost already. Disagree all you want, but you'd be wrong. Hell, Mendenhall could be a reach! Unless the Bears can guarantee that the RB is going to be a stud, then they absolutely have to put more emphasis on OL. Otherwise, the Bears end up with a RB, whoever it may be, getting stuffed behind the OL that sucks. And if the Bears have Mendenhall rated that high, and that talented, then I question their evaluation process. Nobody is saying the Bears should reach, but there are a handful of guys that are possibly going to be available as OL prospects when the Bears pick in the first, and if any of them are there, they have just as much potential as OLinemen as someone like Mendenhall has at RB. The only way the Bears should go RB in the first is if by some miracle Darren McFadden is there. Otherwise, RB is one of the easier positions in the NFL to fill, especially if you have the right OL, and the Bears should shoot for someone with upside like Ray Rice in subsequent rounds.

Barring any Free Agent moves or trades that haven't happened, I will not be happy with any mock draft that has the Bears ignoring the OT position until the 4th round.

I'll be Benson then. I'm not going to be putting in nearly the effort, and my posts won't be nearly as substantial as nfo's, but I still think I should be a starter.

OL - Clady OL - Baker OL - Schuening QB - Brennan With those guys, I figure two out of three pan out. And then even CedBen could run behind that OL.

Is Turner still the OC? If yes, then disregard the article. Olsen will continue to be mismanaged. Rookie or not, you are a moron as an OC if you have a goal-line fade called to just about anyone other than the massive, young, rookie, TE with strength, height, great hands, and the physical tools that make him too much for nearly any single DB in the league.

Exactly. I have made this same point before. When a player a person likes gets drafted by another team, the "he did well there, so he would have done well here" argument is null and void. It's the same if a player does well or poorly. And once they are drafted, all bets are off. I believe some players have ended up busts, and have never recovered, because they were drafted on a team that was a horrible fit for them. I also believe some players have turned into superstars on their present team, in their present situation, but otherwise would have sat on the bench for years if put in another situation. IF any of the top OT are there, the Bears absolutely must draft them. Otherwise, Mendenhall=Benson.

I'm with nfo on this one. This mock would suck rancid goat ass. Starting with a RB then a WR is HORRIBLE. Not to mention the fact that I don't really like the rest of it either.

So, just like other news, trust NFL and distrust CNN and Fox. Meanwhile, don't believe sites pretending to be NFL experts by leeching off of the NFL acronym. There is only one viable, intelligent, worthwhile selection for the Bears in the first round this year: OT. RB is a bad move because it forces the Bears to more than likely dump Wolfe, essentially stating that a mistake was made...not to mention the fact that the RB will get stuffed behind a garbage OL. WR is just a horrible choice for the first round. The definition of reach. QB is not a good selection in the first round because none of those guys stand out much more than Rex or Kyle did in college, if at all. Rex and Kyle are young, but have more experience and potential than any rookie will have next year. Drafting a first round QB will only cause QB controversy. Not to mention the fact that the QB will be under duress behind a garbage line.

Aside from the first round, I hate that draft in almost every way possible. Only someone who didn't really watch the Bears play last year would make those selections, in that order, in those rounds, for the Bears.

Being in Titans' country, I can tell you that he's not all that impressive, and the move would do nothing but upset us as Bears fans. 1) He's essentially the offensive version of Mike Brown when it comes to injuries. He was out for four games last year, and banged up during many others. 2) He's not all that explosive. 3) He's not all that good at breaking tackles. So, in the Bears' present scheme, he won't do too well. I will give him this, however...he's a good cutback runner. When he can get the defense leaning, he can make the quick transition the other way and pick up big chunks.

IF that happens, the draft is a failure. At least three horrible decisions without going into specific players' faults. 1) Drafting a RB in the first is the absolute wrong movie. 2) Drafting a QB in the 7th, which is basically camp fodder, is a bad decision considering the Rex/Orton situation. 3) Drafting a single worthwhile offensive lineman is atrocious.

I was just following the precedence. We all know there are no hard rules for deletion/modification/locking threads. We also know that mistakes are made, in judgement and in mouse-control. HOWEVER, we also know that there needs to be action when problems arise, and there needs to be admins. Otherwise you end up with the ESPN boards, which suck. With that said, I will speak out for anyone who feels wronged. Since I was clearly the target of the previous attack on the old board, I feel it is my duty as someone who has learned from the mistake, to campaign on the side of the wronged party and ensure that their issue is given attention. You gave it speedy attention, and I appreciate it.

I think the point some are trying to make is this: A great OL makes an average to good RB look great. See Shaun Alexander and Emmit Smith. Take that same RB, especially one who is known for habitually running out of bounds rather than taking on contact in the hole, and combine him with an OL that opens up like Kobe Tai, and you have the opposite...averge/good looks average/bad.

If you could change one piece of the Bears, no matter what it is, and the sole purpose was to make them better, what would you change? I think I'd go with an OC. I'd like the Bears to hire a guy who is well establishe, well known for being successful, a guy who is considered a good gametime adjuster, and someone who has a track record for QB development. Is there even a guy like this?!

And they got the one player I really wanted the Bears to get, who was also someone I thought the Bears might actually get: Faneca. If the Jets keep TJ as the #1 RB next year, look for his numbers to go way up.

Yeah, I want to vote for all of the above, too. Every single one of those guys is getting WAAAAAAAAAY too much money in NFL terms, and an obscene amount of money in real world terms.

I think he has the capability to be a top-notch WR, but for whatever reason he just hasn't done it. And he sure as hell isn't going to do it with the Raiders and what is essentially a rookie QB.

ESPN reporting that he just signed with the Seahawks.

It's cool if you want to change debate tactics. I understand it's difficult to back up the points I just destroyed. At least we can agree that his emotions are genuine. I'll just continue to say that the main reason he stuck around was to break records, and all the BS he fed everyone about "love of the game" and "playing as long as he was still capable" was just that, total BS.