DABEARSDABOMB

The Broncos have Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, I don't think they'd have much interest in Hester. If you are going to trade a player plus picks, it would have to be one of our defensive players, plus high draft picks. I personally would give up a 1st and 2nd this year or this and next years first no problem.

That's a pretty good haul.

Lyman wasn't a high pick though, I think he was a 3rd rounder at the earliest. They liked his athletism and gave him a shot there. In the case of others, you could make a case that the position changes might have been due to them not being able to pick it up at a more difficult position or the more needed position and than they moved them to another similar position. FOr example, at the tackle spot, its not that difficult for a tackle to become a guard so I don't see that as being an issue. You typically start guys at tackle and if they don't make it move them to guard, however, in certain instances you already have enough tackles so you'll start a guy at guard and if things go well and the tackle spot opens you might ultimately move them to guard. Omilaye probably fits better or projects better as a guard so the Bears will use him there unless they have to use him at tackle (clearly a plan B or C at this point). Idonijie could play both positions. The Bears ultimately felt it was best for him to be able to play on special teams and the line and to do that they felt he would be best suited as DE, imo, as opposed to a DT since at that size it was tougher for him to really be a valuable special teams player and regardless he's a bench guy. In the case of Bowman, there isn't a huge difference between CB and Safety. Sure there are tackling differences and obviously CB is the tougher of the two positions, but if a guy can tackle, there is really little reason that a CB couldn't transition over to FS. Bowman is far down on the depth chart but the Bears like his ability enough to try him at free safety, not a big deal, imo. As a whole I think the Bears have done a pretty good job and there has typically been a pretty good reason for the switch, imo. CLearly you'll have failures but I can't think of a ton. Heck, look at Haynes, you could say that was a failure, but the Bears tried to move him to another position when the first one didn't work to try and save face (obviously neither ended up working, but you can't blame them for trying to get him in at multiple spots).

Roosevelt Colvin and Brian Urlacher are two good examples of moves. I know you had mentioned them but its hard to ignore both of there successes following the change. Azumah was a darn good CB and probably wouldn't have made it as an RB. Hester was primarily a CB in college, yet in the NFL he looks like he'll be a pretty solid WR and the Bears weren't cheap by giving him big bucks with the hope that he'll fully develop into a top flight WR. I actually think its a credit to the scouts and coaching staff that the team is able to identify guys and turn them into a successful player at another position. These are guys that probably wouldn't have made it in the NFL had they stayed at there original position.

Looking back, I don't really know that you could make the case that Minny's offer for Berrian was a brain fart. The guy contributed more than any of the FA wr's last year and overall did a very good job despite having no one to throw him the ball.

I think a lot of it also has to do with the fact that Orton wasn't able to practice that much during the 2nd half of the season due to his ankle injury so it would have been difficult for him to develop much of a rappore with Bennett as well. In general I think it is pretty typical for WR's to have problems adjusting to the NFL speed and its a position that typically has a 2-3 year development window compared to other positions where players are more likely to make immediate NFL impacts. I'm excited to see what Bennett can do, but I also want to see the Bears get a very good vet and another talented young WR so that we can finally say the Bears WR corps at least has talent, maybe it won't have production, but please give them some guys with the talent to develop into playmakers.

Rumor is Cutler's list of teams include the TItans and Bears with the Bears potentially being his preferred destination. He's worked with Williams and Bennet in the past as well so I really think Cutler would be a tremendous fit. A 26 year old QB whose about to enter his prime is a very valuable asset. Plus, if Lovie sucks this year the Bears can go out and spend the money on Shanny. Cutler instantly becomes the best QB since Luckman and clearly has the best abilities of any QB in franchise history. I"d give up this years and next years first rounder to get him too. The Bears have money to pay him as well and than still go out and target a veteran WR like Holt or to go after a guy like Matt Jones whose a solid WR that would be a nice compliment to the other WR's the Bears have. I realize we would lose a top pick, but man, Cutler could be taking snaps in Chicago for the next 10 years and thats a pretty damn valuable thing to have.

I"ve changed my stance, I want Jay Cutler and Holt and I'll be a very happy camper. Potential franchise QB's don't grow on trees and one is available and we are atop his list. I don't care if we had to give up two first round picks, I would be all over Cutler.

Damn, I would be very content with that draft.

Tell me about, everyone was pushing public out of college. I opted for Pulblic and just finished up my first full year as a senior at Deloitte, but today was my last day. I left for a position in private, which will start in three weeks and am going to go back for my MBA in September at USC (going to do the part time program, which will enable me to take classes in Irvine, which is where I live, for the first 1/2 years of the program). I heard all about the job security but right now its been ugly, all I've seen are severe layoffs since I started but luckily I was able to survive them and still ended up finding a good job to leave for. I'm hoping to go back to Deloitte though after my MBA but on the consulting side. I definately agree with you on the experience aspect though and I look forward to getting to work with two major systems at my new gig (going to be a senior analyst right now, but they told me that they have a manager spot groomed for me in 6 months, who knows whether thats true or not).

So the Bears aren't going after holt and talk about the need for a #1 WR. Why not show it by putting in a serious offer for Boldin.

The Bears are content. It's too bad too, because Weaver is much better than McKie.

I'm ready to be royally pissed. Holt is a perfect option for a team with a young QB, no WR's (although one or two have talent...Hester/Bennett) and some good TE's and a young RB. How can you not give him the money to come in and be our #1 while grooming some of the younger WR's (hopefully we still draft someone early too). I just don't see how you don't go after him, because his addition just makes the entire offense so much better. It helps Orton, it helps Forte, it helps all the other WR's and it helps our TE's. It is a no brainer. Oh and the Bears have tons of cap room.

Hey madlith, do you work in public accounting or did you ever? I'm an accountant too.

I think it would have been pretty tough to get Buenning involved since he was new to the system, wasn't truly 100%, and the Bears were winning and getting respectable play out of the guards (although I think we'd all say Garza sucked). This is the off-season where he will have a chance, imo.

The Bears have the worse WR corps in the freaking league and probably over the past decade. They are absolutely horrendous and I know you continue to believe that it is the coaching staffs fault and think that our receivers have loads of talent but I've seen numerous experts talk about how bad the Bears WR corps are and I'm going to give them the nod, especially since we have few high end draft picks and no one that has every screamed star to me (Berrian was the closest thing we had). Turner did an above average job last year with absolute shit and I mean shit. Lloyd was someones garbage, years removed from doing anything worthwile. Booker was slow and past his prime, Bradley flat out didn't practice nor did he ever stay on the field (he did have athletic ability though), Bennett (who knows), Davis (blows...wasn't even a WR for most of his career, IIRC), and Hester (a project, albeit with good talent). He also had a developing QB, a rookie RB, and a mediocre oline (at best). Hell, Turner is about the only OC over the past 15 years to make the Bears offense look explosive and he did it with Conway, Graham, and Erik Kramer...not too shabby. How about Angelo go out and actually get some high end WR's and give his QB's the ability to freaking succeed and for the offense to score.

It's a good theory. We definately hadn't heard either of these guys names anywhere and I assume JA had both of them on his radar all along.

He seems to have some good tools. This might be a pretty solid signing.

It would be pretty huge if somehow Berrian's one turns into a 3rd. That would be really nice and give the Bears some extra chips for safety or extra chips to move up and snag somoene they want in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

At least he's a starter. Don't know much else about him and obviously he wasn't exactly highly sout after. Than again, neither was Green and he turned into a pretty good safety after the Bears traded him.

It sounds like the broncos will deal Cutler for the right price. I will be the first to say that I would give up our first rounder and a future first for Jay Cutler. Franchise QB's dont grow on trees and I would like nothing more than having our QB of the next 10 years decided. However, we clearly have some other needs so I would hope that we could get him for less, but bottom line, I'd be on board.

When he was healthy last year, he was still very productive though. If you can't get St. Clair, signing Pace and bringing in a relatively high draft pick to eventually take over wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

I'd cream myself if our first two rounds work out like that. We might just have bookends at the Tackle spot as well as a nice young WR to team up with Bennett, Hester and hopefully Holt.

I'm a little wrong in the sense that Pace did play 14 games last year.

He's been injured, but if the Bears lose out on St. Clair it wouldn't be a bad option to sign Pace as a stop-gap. The problem is, you know your relying on a guy whose best years are behind him and that might not be able to stay healthy and if he goes down the Bears wouldn't have any options (well I guess they would have the guy they just signed). So I think if you sign Pace, you do it because you want him to temporarily start while you are training your early draft pick.