Bears4Ever_34

Two of S/DL/LB in rounds 2 and 3 is preferred. I want DeAnthony Thomas at some point. He's expected to go in the 3rd or 4th round. I hope he falls to the Bears in the 4th.

I don't think the Bears can afford him within their cap space, otherwise I'd trade a 2nd for him in a heartbeat.

Emery has said he wants Willie Young and Lamar Houston on the field at the same time, which leads you to believe that makes Houston the DT along with Ratliff and Willie Young on the opposite end of Jared Allen. Houston can be a dominant DT. You want the best 5 guys out there as often as possible.

I would look at the two 6'3 corners in this draft as possibilities. I prefer a big defensive backfield.

Now only Ward remains as a viable safety option for the Bears in the 2nd round, but he'll be long gone before that pick. Now they might be stuck with Conte. FML.

They desperately now need a safety in the 2nd round. If Chris Conte starts next year, I'm going to be pissed.

Called it, haha. I don't love it or hate it, but I think I can learn to love it. I preferred Clinton-Dix or Pryor but Fuller is no slouch. My next question is where will he play? FS or Nickel Corner?

Both guys need to get bigger and stronger, but the difference between Ward and Fuller is that Fuller would have to make that adjustment to play another position, which to me, is risking a lot with your 1st pick, especially given the failure that was Shea McClellin.

Apparently one of the Bears beat writers just tweeted at the show and said Emery was referring to the original 90 man rosters before the season that are made up of 40% undrafted Free Agents, so that would change the number quite a bit as you just brought up. Didn't sound right when I heard it but now it makes sense as to what he was referring to.

I caught the tail end of it on the radio. Did anybody else hear this?

I actually agree with Hub on Donald, and on the Bears supposed "need" for DT. I've said it from the very beginning that DT is not a very strong need on this team compared to other positions. They have depth at DT with Ratliff, Collins, and Lamar Houston. Meanwhile, they have no starters at safety, they have one reliable LB'er, and need youth at the Corner position to take over for when Tillman goes down again. They have no backup TE or backup RB on offense.

I just don't want Phil to take another project in the 1st round. His first project, McClellin, failed at the position he was originally drafted to play. Still remains to be seen if he can make it as a LB'er. Kyle Long had barely played any games in college before being drafted by the Bears. That pick seems to have worked out, but was still a risky pick nonetheless. I don't want him to draft a corner in the 1st and try to convert him to safety, don't draft a 3-4 OLB and make him play DE, and don't get too cute with the pick either. Don't reach for a guy who has no business being selected with the 14th pick. I'd prefer a safety like Clinton-Dix or Pryor first and foremost because the depth at the position in this draft is not very good, and the team currently has no guaranteed starters at either one of the positions. I would also be okay with a guy like Gilbert who has shut down corner potential, and also can step in right away as the primary kick returner. If we don't pick him, I hope they can get somebody like DeAnthony Thomas to fill the role of kick returner. My prediction is they'll take Fuller. I've read that he has safety potential but drafting him to play that position right away before he has the body type for it is asking for trouble IMO. You need a guy who can come in right away and make an impact without having to go through a position change right from the get go.

The most disturbing thing to me about those images is that in neither one does he look like a professional NFL Linebacker. Maybe its the lighting, but he looks like he could pass for a kicker.

Would love it. He has a ton of talent and his throwing motion is much improved from what it used to be. Before his team went in the tank he actually looked like he was trending towards being a pro bowler. He struggled a ton near the end and eventually lost his job, but with a coach that knows what he's doing with quarterbacks, he's worth the investment. Could be a Cutler replacement eventually. He is the definition of athletic freak at the QB position. He has the tools to produce like a Cam Newton.

Could be a good fullback.

I don't think you can go too wrong with Pyror or Clinton-Dix. Clinton-Dix is my #1 guy at the moment because I love his ball hawking ability to cover so much ground, but I also love Pyror's presence as a hard hitting safety. The Bears need guys that strike fear out there.

He doesn't have to be the backup RB. He would be the primary special teams returner and fill in at RB/WR a handful of snaps a game, like McCluster. Ford had a nice pre-season returning kicks, but he's not DeAnthony Thomas.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/04/07/rep...to-visit-bears/ I hope to hell we draft this guy. Would be a PERFECT fit as a utility guy that can catch passes or take hand-offs every now and then, as well as being our main special teams returner. Think Dexter McCluster.

Phil and Panic? LOL. If anyone believes there would be panic in Phil Emery if Aaron Donald is off the board, they're crazy. I don't know how good McShay's sources are (my guess is crap) but that doesn't sound like Phil at all.

Wasn't this the guy that people wanted to give up a 2nd round pick for last year? Funny how a year changes things..

Lets see if he'll take Chris Conte now.

Most teams were scouting McCellin as a 3-4 OLB, not as a 4-3 DE. I don't know if there was any team outside of the Bears who viewed him as a 1st round 4-3 DE. Most of the mocks I saw had Long as a 2nd round grade because of his inexperience and age. Whether you want to agree with that or not, the fact remains almost nobody saw those picks coming. The only predictable thing about Phil Emery is that he doesn't go along with the popular opinion. Perhaps. I just don't see him taking a D-Lineman in the first. They have a greater need at the safety position, and most really good ones go in the 1st round. I also think the Bears are trying to get away from the Lovie Smith cover 2 defense. They don't necessarily need the small/fast 3 technique DT anymore. Both Houston and Ratliff are capable of playing that position in a 4-3 anyways, as well as being strong enough to anchor a nose tackle position in a 3-4.

That's Phil though. Nobody predicted Shea McCellin or Kyle Long last year. Probably because both guys were largely projected as 2nd round picks. Would not surprise me to see Phil go that route again. Expect the unexpected.

Clinton-Dix, Gilbert, Pyror are at the top of my wish list right now. Emery won't draft either of those players. He won't draft Aaron Donald. It's going to be somebody that's not talked about a lot. Maybe Ward or Denard.

I really hope Cornelius Washington is able to step up his game this year. Would be HUGE if he is able to at least become a reliable situational pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB or a 4-3 DE. Would allow Jared Allen more time to rest and be fresh.