barnesat

I am in the same boat. I saw every Purdue home game this year as I just graduated a year and a half ago, but we just don't need another LB. It is too bad, because I really like him too. Not to go in a different direction, but I think Dustin Kellar is a stud and somebody is going to get a hell of a player. Purdue didn't utilize him enough, and I wish we had a need for another good receiving tight end. Anyways, good to see another Purdue guy here.

I see both sides of the coin on this one, but I look at which one will help more both long term and short term. Short term for me is next season. First choice we get Mendenhall and he can't do much at all next year behind the current and possible line without a first round line pick. Orton and Grossman look bad, and we also then have a hard time determining which WR's are a bust. Neither of which can afford to have a terrible looking year or they will be gone, despite the fact that I think there is talent there we have yet to see. Next year we still need line then, and we also need wideouts and a new QB. As part of the long term on this one we would be a couple years back before we could truly see how good Mendenhall is and by then we may have wasted some of his younger years, and we all know how valuable years are when talking about a running back. The Second choice is to go OL even at a slight reach at 14. We do that and then the QB has some time to throw, which drastically increases the production of Orton or Rex. We decide which one we like or can have cheap for a few years, and next year that is not a pressing need but one we can develop from next years draft or late rounds this year. Benson, Wolfe, or AP all look decent this year, and we can look for a stud next year. Long term, this helps build a stud young line that we can work more towards in future years and all the other positions benefit. I really like Mendenhall, and was excited when he was talked about as a late first round early second, but now I just don't feel as though he is the right choice. I think both short and long term we would be helped at more positions as would the overall sucess of the offense by going OL even at a stretch. Worst case, the lineman we get never pans out to be a stud, but the question is will he be worse than what we have now? I don't think so, and I think the positives of a OL are far greater than the positives of Mendenhall who I really like. We can always take a chance on Forte who could look like a stud this year if our line pick pans out. Just my two cents.

I see your point, but my question to you is have you seen the 85 Bears game recently. I recorded it off of NFL network a couple weeks ago as they played the entire 85 superbowl minus a few insignificant plays. I have heard stories and am only 24 so I don't clearly remember the game. The 85 patriots for all intensive purposes did take Payton out of that game. The same thing that the current pats would do. They even started off by getting the first couple of turnovers which gave them 3 of there 10 points. The bears knew they would take Payton out and so they handed of to Suhey and used Payton as a decoy. I really see nothing different here than what the current pats would do. The bottom line is that the rest of the team around Payton was good enought to dominate the pats defense. As for the pats offense against the bears d. Seriously, Brady is a great qb, and is very composed, but those guys put a serious hit on the two qbs back then on almost every single snap of the ball. They were ridiculous, and Brady who is not used to getting hit a lot would just get slaughtered. It really is hard to throw the ball when you are laying on your back. My opinion is watch the 85 game, and tell me that those bears wouldn't win. I don't think you can do it, and I have a lot of respect for the current Patriots and what they have accomplished as a team. Moss would get hit once by the old bears dbs and he would be done for the game. The 85 pats had negative overrall yardage after the entire first half, and the only reason they were close was because of a 30 some yard pass right before half time. The current pats have been getting through the playoffs by running because teams have been game planning for Brady and Moss. Moss has been a non factor. The old bears could do the same. The only problem is, they wouldn't be able to run on them. Nobody ran on the 85 bears. So for what it is worth, NE is nothing without their offense, and the old bears d would send the offense home crying, which leaves nobody to win the game for the pats. The only way I see the 85 bears losing is if todays rules were used. That could honestly be the deciding factor. The bears D would be so penalized under todays rules that a lot of their intimidation and ferocity would be taken a way, which is the only way that D could be beat. So if under todays rules, it would be a close game, if under 85 rules, bears dominate.

I was checking out defensive stats to see if Urlacher got snubbed or not, which only raised the question as to how he got beat by Seattle's LB, and I stumbled on the fact that the safety this year with the most tackles is none other that Chris Harris. Good thing we traded him to Carolina due to our surplus of safety talent thanks to Arch. Harris even has more tackles than Briggs. One other interesting thing was that I believe he had like 8 forced fumbles. By far the most of anybody in the league this year. I guess it just surprised me a little bit, but it sure would've been handy to have him on the team this year because it definitely was the glaring weakness on the team.

Real name is Drew, I am 24 and a bears fan since berth. I work in Indy and can no longer stand the Colts. I don't post much, but read a lot, and since I got this new job I don't have time to read much even. I was a member of bearstalk and am happy to see everybody made it over. Looked at a lot of different boards, and the bearstalk guys are the most loyal fans I have ever seen. One other thing I haven't seen mentioned, we are like a family, and the thing I like most about the bearstalk guys is that they stick together in real life and know what matters most. Football is a game, and friends and family are #1. Glad to see so many people made it over and look forward to all the bears talk.