jason

Deserves to be paid amongst the league best what?! Return men? WRs? I admit that I absolutely love Hester as a player. He's possibly the most dangerous guy in the game. HOWEVER, he still doesn't know where to line up on offense when he's in there. So, other than a return man, what can the Bears judge him as? What can they pay him as? To me, this screams of a pampered athlete with an asshole agent renigging on a contract yet again. It's funny that they always want to renegotiate halfway through the contract for some obscene difference, but the team's can't dump them without losing out. It's also funny to me that the majority of the contracts are front-loaded so that the guys get the majority of the "X million per year" contract, but want to renegotiate after the big years are behind. This is the kind of stuff that makes average joes like me hate athletes. Honor your contract. If you want a raise, fine...here's your 3% a year.

Hate it. For as many people think that there are so many holes, to trade up to get Mendenhall would not be that good of an idea in my opinion. Especially if we have to give up the depth picks that would be the core of our draft. I'd much rather get a RB in the 3rd or 4th, and keep the draft picks as is to fill up with depth and other holes.

I'd be shocked if we aren't at least 4-3.

What it should have been if the other picks played out relatively similar: 1) OT Chris Williams - or Branden Albert if someone is going for the upside pick. 2) WR Devin Thomas - This pick shapes the rest of the draft. There should be a ton of talent left, but it's possible a certain position is sucked dry. In this case, it appears that the top-end WR talent is still there. I don't like the way the draft played out for the Bears, but at this point I think Thomas is good. 3a) OG Chilo Rachal - Possibly the best OG in the draft 3b) RB Matt Forte - Solid RB pickup in case Benson drops further 4) OG Mackenzy Bernadeau - I don't mind this pick. Either that, or more OL depth with T Kirk Barton from Ohio State. 5) S Tom Zbikowski - Sure, he has his faults. But to get him in the fifth round is pretty good. He is a smart, tough player, and could very well start over most other guys on the team. At least he understands angles and tackling. 6) QB Dennis Dixon - This guy pretty much had the Heisman wrapped up, and was a slightly slower Vick, but with more accuracy before the injury. This is a HUGE upside pick. 7) This is purely for depth. DT, DE, WR, maybe another OL is what I'd go for. Whatever floats JA's boat. On a side note, I wouldn't mind it terribly if the Bears picked up Dennis Dixon in the 5th, and then grabbed Jacob Hester in the 6th.

Aside from pretty much the first round, I hate it. I will be upset with Felix Jones in the second when there is Forte in the late third. And I won't even mention the fact that Chris Johnson is better...and several other better values later. I will be upset with JD Booty in the third when there is Josh Johnson, Brennan, Ainge, and Dixon still out there. I would despise this draft.

I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Bears uniform. He's tough, has a good head, hits fairly well, and can be used on special teams - specifically as an up-man when teams try to pooch short to avoid Hester. The one down side, however, is that he's slow. He just doesn't seem to have the top-end speed to keep up with the WRs. If he bites the wrong way on a move, that's 6 for the other team.

Why is he obviously not going to be a starter or a change of pace back? I believe it's incredibly short-sighted, and possibly a bit on the hater side of things, to assume that he can't fill the change of pace back role...let alone the possibility of becoming an every down back. Surely isn't his blocking, receving, speed, or moves...because he rivals or exceeds the other RBs in each department. You pose a good question, however. IF the Bears draft a RB in the first 4 rounds, Wolfe may well be squeezed on carries. I happen to think that drafting a RB in the first 4 rounds is a mistake in most cases (considering the Bears' draft this year). Why do you think he is so ill-equipped to run up the middle? Is it his size? Or is it the limited action he saw last year that has shaped your opinion? IF it's the action last year, then surely you realize that nearly no RB could gain yards effectively between the tackles with a broke-down, ineffective OL. Give him an OL that actually blocks efficiently, and I believe Wolfe (and just about any RB who has the talent to make it to the NFL) can do well. So which is it? Do you dislike having Wolfe on the team because: 1) He's a little RB 2) He didn't produce last year to what you expect, and wouldn't with more action 3) He doesn't fit the system/coaching

Welcome back Grouchy. We are nearly all frustrated with how the coaching staff develops and uses players. Benson on a sweep! Wolfe up the middle! Muhsin Muhammed running deep! Where is Olsen in the red zone? Why is the screen so impossible to coach and execute? Etc., etc., etc.

Let's also not forget that they are things that the first round talent Cedric Benson greatly struggles with. Benson makes nearly nobody miss. Benson falls down with very little contact; he takes less for his size than Wolfe has shown. And he's not a real reliable blocker.

Which is just one more reason why I don't like the idea of drafting a RB in the first four rounds, let alone in the first. Fix the OL and the entire offense will look better. Cedric Benson will look stronger, AP will look like more of a workhorse, and Wolfe will look faster. The WRs will look more dynamic and the QB will look more accurate. Fix the OL.

Agreed. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And every year someone makes a wild move that throws off the course of the draft. And it is my opinion, that if this move played out in real life, it would go down as one of the worst trades and then picks in draft history. I believe every single draft "expert" would criticize the move (not that I really respect them). As an experiment, I went to three different Broncos message boards. To be quite honest, I was shocked to see some people thinking of going the RB route in the first. It validated the pick, somewhat. However, many more Broncos' fans criticize the move, pointing to the same thing I have mentioned. To each his own, I guess.

Also agreed. However, if he were given the 20-25 touches a game that Benson is supposed to get being the number one back, there is no doubt in my mind he would be more effective with this current OL. He'd find more room, more holes, more cutbacks, and more opportunities. And, eventually, he'd break some huge plays. Benson? 3-4yards, fall down. If the Bears upgrade their OL, then I think you have to give Benson a different look. He'd hit the 2nd and 3rd lines of defense enough to wear them down, and demoralize them...and that's when the effect of a running team takes over. Of course, I think if you put Wolfe behind a good OL, he'd put up good numbers too...but it wouldn't have the same effect.

Agreed. And if you look at the first video I posted, he has the ability to bounce off of would-be-tacklers. What he doesn't have the ability to do, however, and very few RBs in NFL history have this ability, is to bounce off one or two DT/DEs in the backfield. You gotta let a guy build up some steam. Warrick Dunn has never been a bruiser. Hell, I'd say he isn't really all that effective between the tackles. HOWEVER, he is dangerous enough if there is a hole there to squirt through and make a big play. I believe that Wolfe has this same ability, tenacity, and strength...especially after looking at his college highlights. Which makes the selection of OL in the first, and possibly second, that much more important and necessary.

What's your point? The entire purpose of a mock draft is to play it out, debate the picks, and see who may get a steal. When you throw in a completely unbelieveable pick, it throws off the entire course of the draft. Also, since this is a Bears message board, and I respect the group here more than most other boards/fans/mocks, I would expect a little more realism.

I respect the fact that you have reasoning behind it, but it is nonetheless a horrible pick. Maybe I was a bit harsh earlier when I said worst ever. I think that the Herschel Walker madness between the Vikings and Cowboys may have been worsee (in hindsight), and the entire draft for Ricky Williams was also worse (in hindsight). Either way, drafting Mendenhall when they have Henry, Bell, and Young is just insane...especially when you admit to targeting a DE and Ellis was still on the board. As for Cutler...I didn't think it was anything like this. Plummer never has been a very good QB, or a very trustworthy QB. Drafting Cutler was a pretty good move. Not to mention the fact that they were not nearly as stacked at QB then as they are at RB now (essentially three Grossman's at RB). Last but not least, I wouldn't say I "jumped to conclusions". I reacted to the selection. If I had said something before you made the pick, then I would agree that it was jumping to a conclusion. This is just disbelief at, no offense, a horrible pick when considering their team needs..

I can see the possibility of it happening, and wouldn't fault JA for making the pick. Everyone would give him a virtual BJ in the media for pulling the trigger on the "number 1 QB in the draft". HOWEVER, I would prefer he waits. There are several QBs who have serious potential (Johnson, Dixon, Brennan) and can be selected later. Personally, I'd love to see any of the three selected with the second third round draft pick or later.

By that reasoning, Warrick Dunn would have never seen the field either. When is Wolfe supposed to "prove" something?! Every time he got in the game, and wasn't run directly up the middle, he made plays. He juked, bounced off tackles, found holes, and made good runs. Aside from that, why can't he be compared to Dunn?! They are similar in so many ways...who else would you compare Wolfe to? How else does one make a comparison or guess about his potential other than comparing him to someone nearly identical in every way? If anything, he can ONLY be compared to a player like Dunn. So, what you are saying is, you have complete confidence in our coaching staff, and their ability to choose starters? I think just about everyone on this message board would have an argument to this idea considering the Bears' confusion at QB, RB, WR, OL, DE, S, and OC. By the way, the reason was probably that the coaches had some loyalty to AP, and they wanted to see if AP could handle the load full time, and because Wolfe was a rookie. When Wolfe got in, however, he did better than Benson or AP.

A copy and paste from another thread. I want to start a discussion on Garrett Wolfe. I think that Wolfe can be a solid contributor, and much more than a third-down back. Honestly, I don't see why everyone is so ready to quit on a guy who did nothing but look better than Benson and Peterson during his limited touches last year. I don't see why he can't produce like Warrick Dunn has produced throughout his career. If anything, having a smaller, shiftier RB is a better option behind a line that opens up massive holes for DTs and DEs. Every time he got in the game last year he was making someone miss...that is, of course, when Turner wasn't calling the FB dive for a guy who is 180 lbs. He puts on 5-10 lbs., and he's WARRICK FRIGGIN' DUNN. Of course, if Warrick Dunn were drafted by Chicago, you guys would have hated him from the start because of his size. You would have called the pick horrible, and he would have despised Chicago. Then he would have been traded, like he has been, and he would have produced, like he has, and he would have thumbed his nose at all who said he wasn't fast enough, big enough, or strong enough. I'd rather have him as a starting RB with AP or Benson acting as a third down back than the other way around. At least then we'd have a RB who can catch a ball out of the backfield and could possibly score from more than 20 yards out. I really don't understand the Garrett Wolfe hatred going on around here. More power for his size than Benson or AP... ...better moves BY FAR ...and probably faster than either of the two. Don't make me pull out the highlights of him busting Ohio State's ass!

Bingo. Red-shirt a guy all you want. Sounds like a good idea to me. But when your present starting OL is filled with guys who should be in the hospital or the training room, then the red-shirt idea is dumb as hell, and hindering the development and assessment of other players.

As a semi-side note to this...I think that Wolfe can be a solid contributor, and much more than a third-down back. Honestly, I don't see why everyone is so ready to quit on a guy who did nothing but look better than Benson and Peterson during his limited touches last year. I don't see why he can't produce like Warrick Dunn has produced throughout his career. If anything, having a smaller, shiftier RB is a better option behind a line that opens up massive holes for DTs and DEs. Every time he got in the game last year he was making someone miss...that is, of course, when Turner wasn't calling the FB dive for a guy who is 180 lbs. He puts on 5-10 lbs., and he's WARRICK FRIGGIN' DUNN. Of course, if Warrick Dunn were drafted by Chicago, you guys would have hated him from the start because of his size. You would have called the pick horrible, and he would have despised Chicago. Then he would have been traded, like he has been, and he would have produced, like he has, and he would have thumbed his nose at all who said he wasn't fast enough, big enough, or strong enough. I'd rather have him as a starting RB with AP or Benson acting as a third down back than the other way around. At least then we'd have a RB who can catch a ball out of the backfield and could possibly score from more than 20 yards out. I really don't understand the Garrett Wolfe hatred going on around here. More power for his size than Benson or AP... ...better moves BY FAR ...and probably faster than either of the two. Don't make me pull out the highlights of him busting Ohio State's ass!

Nice writeup and history. I enjoyed the thoughts. The one thing I'd say, however, is that if Beekman is so weak he couldn't beat out a one-armed veteran past his prime, or a collection of other guys who literally looked invisible during long stretches of the season, then a year with a strength coach is not going to stop him from getting plowed by Defensive Tackles in the NFL. And if he's that weak, I sure as hell hope the Bears are not putting much faith in the guy plugging any holes any time soon.

I'm not crying. I see that I have hit on a nerve. This trade and selection is precisely why I didn't participate in the draft. I knew that someone would not take it seriously. For the Broncos to not only trade up, but then to take Mendenhall, would be considered the worst move in draft history.

The Mendenhall love has already made a mockery of this draft. First of all, the trade is a bit steep. Seems like the Denver Broncos gave up a lot. Second, with the Broncos track record of picking up RBs late, and plugging in uknown guys, it's highly doubtful they'd go for Mendenhall that early. Third, the Broncos already have Travis Henry, Mike Bell, and Selvin Young. So drafting Mendenhall that early, or a RB in the first to begin with, is beyond ridiculous. Fourth, and probably most important, there is no way in hell that the Broncos pass up on Ellis (DT) given that they were 30th in rush defense last year. Once a pick like that is made, the balance of the rest of the draft is thrown off for a while because a team will have to go with an option that wouldn't have been their first if it actually played out realistically.

I would absolutely love that. Then in the third, one of those RBs will be there, as will some decent WRs with question marks, as will the QBs with question marks. Imagine getting a franchise OT, OG, and still having two third rounders to grab a combo of Manningham and Forte, or Johnson, Chris and Johnson, Josh. The Bears draft can go either way, but what happens in the third is where the success can be found.

I'd love if the Bears managed to snag Johnson, but I would hate to see them spend an early pick on him. If he's there with the second of the two third rounders, grab him. Otherwise, there are more pressing needs. Oh, also, I'd hate that draft. Aside from the good start in the first, it doesn't work out anywhere near the way I'd like it to.