“It legitimately is the hardest position up front to play. People are going to tell you left tackle because of who they are going against, but if you draft the right left tackle, which we’ve been fortunate to do, that really isn’t the case. If you’re trying to put a squad peg into a round hole then that makes left tackle a hard position. Not many of us try to do that.
“With center, everyone has this guard and can make him a center, or you can take this undersized (guy) and make him a center. That really isn’t the case. It doesn’t work in a lot of situations.
“You have to have some kind of center background in their history, in their past, for that to work well.”
“From a mental standpoint it’s challenging. Practice is one thing. In the game it’s a completely different, much like the quarterback. When it starts to hit the fan out there at that position things speed up and you need it to slow down.”
I’m not saying that the Bears shouldn’t try Williams at center. But I’m very wary of the idea.
Williams didn’t make the transition to guard very well and the move to center would be tougher. He really needs to be settled into a position and allowed to develop. This kind of change would set his timetable back even further. Williams may never reach his potential as the Bears shuffle him from position to position.
Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune passes on comments Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall made last week in which he calls Bears quarterback Jay Cutler a “clown”. I don’t know what’s at the root of it but I’ve never seen a player so disliked by his peers.
Cutler and Kristin Cavallariare engaged according to Perez Hilton. So at least someone seems to love him.
Mike Mulligan at the Chicago Sun-Times notes that, like special teams coordinator Dave Toub, offensive coordinator Mike Martz turned down an offer for a contract extention that didn’t include a significant raise. He makes this point about Martz’s philosophical change mid-season after he let the offensive statistics fall for the good of the team. The Bears started running the ball more behind a subpar offensive line:
“So the maverick coordinator reeled in his flamboyant tendencies and ran the most balanced offense in the league in terms of run and pass plays, keying a five-game winning streak as part of a 7-2 close to the season.
“Apparently subjugation of ego is appreciated during the season, but not rewarded after it.”
Biggs says that Bears kicker Robbie Gouldhas an escalator in his contract for touchbacks on kickoffs. The league moved the kickoff line 5 yards closer to the goal line in an off season rule change meaning Gould likely will have more touchbacks than in the past.
“The Bears, however, aren’t a draft-driven team. Roughly half their starters were selected by other teams. The Bears have garnered their success by making a big trade for quarterback Jay Cutler one year and adding defensive end Julius Peppers in a free-agent deal the next. They still have enough talent to win consistently, but their inability to develop younger players soon — and perhaps for a long time — will be a major problem, especially with the Packers in the NFC North.”
By the way, when Mulligan says “roughly half their starters” that includes the starters at the three most important positions on the field – pass rushing defensive end, left tackle and quarterback.
John Mullin at CSNChicago.com makes a good argument against the Bears trading out of the first round.
Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times talks about the Bears need at defensive tackle. He quotes director of player personnel Tim Ruskell on the Bears draft philosophy, similar to what they were looking for when Ruskell was with GM Jerry Angelo in Tampa Bay:
“’We were looking at players that weren’t the rest of the league’s No. 1 choice. Rod was always a guy that kind of favored the undersized guy inside — he didn’t have to be 6-4 — whereas some teams say, ‘I need a giant in there.’ So we had a little bit of an advantage.’
“Angelo hasn’t always taken advantage of that advantage. From Jarron Gilbert to Marcus Harrison, Dusty Dvoracek and Michael Haynes, the Bears have struggled in recent years to find productive players at the position.”
Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribunerates the guards in the draft. He calls this position a “clear need” and thinks the Bears need two new ones on the roster.
“In view of the fact that Baylor offensive lineman Danny Watkins is already 26, do you think the Bears would consider drafting him? I can’t believe they would use a first-round pick on someone who is five years older than most of the other prospects.
“Mark S.
“Palatine, Illinois
“I’m not sure what the Bears think of Baylor’s Danny Watkins as a player. But when Jerry Angelo was asked about Watkins last week, it didn’t seem like the Bears general manager had a problem with the lineman’s age. Said Angelo: “Players play into their 30s at that position, you could even say into their mid-30s and still play good football. We’ve had a few here and have a few here. I don’t think it’s a red flag. We use the terms red flag and yellow flag. Obviously, red flags are a real concern. A yellow flag, you’d be cautious, but it wouldn’t stop you from taking a guy.” Watkins, by the way, didn’t play football until enrolling in junior college. He played hockey and rugby while growing up in Canada.”
“It will be interesting to see if teams continue to look at the Draft as a long-term proposition without free agency preceding it. There will be teams where long-term planning is pushed aside to address short-term needs without having had the opportunity to address them in free agency.”
“All I know is that in the last four years there were 17 chosen in the first round, with four sticking as full-time starters. That would be Chris Long of St. Louis, Washington’s Brian Orakpo, Denver’s Robert Ayers and Anthony Spencer of Dallas, though Spencer and Orakpo are outside linebackers in 3-4 defenses.”
Wes Bunting at the National Football Post writes about five late risers in the NFL draft. Here is one name he mentions which I have heard connectd to the Bears:
“WR Randall Cobb: Kentucky
Possesses the ability to consistently separate vs. a two-way go from the slot, is a natural plucker of the football and will create after the catch. Could mature into one of the league’s better slot men and now looks like a solid second-round pick.”
Todd McShay at ESPN talks about some pre-draft rumors. As usual there’s lots of talk about quarterbacks flying off the board:
Rafael Vila at the Cowboys Nation blog thinks the Cowboys may not be in the market for a quarerback but may have one specific one in mind if he falls to them:
“Smart coaches have a plan, and all the early PR on [Cowboys head coach Jason] Garrett praises his leadership and organizational skills. Does he also have a quarterback, his quarterback, picked out? I wonder because Andy Dalton‘s name lies quietly among all the offensive tackles, cornerbacks and defensive ends on Dallas’ visit list. The Cowboys have worked out Dalton and like him.
“If Dalton slides to pick 40, I would not be shocked if the Cowboys draft opened like this:
“1. Patrick Peterson, 2. Andy Dalton
“1. Tyron Smith, 2. Andy Dalton”
“When I didn’t get called that first day, honestly, I was angry,” Avril said. “I walked into the house, my mom was trying to talk to me, trying to calm me down, and that’s the first time I actually got an attitude with my mom and was like, ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody.’ That’s the first time ever and she knew it had to be something serious.”
“After months of preparing for the birth of the new Mannings, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning announced Tuesday he will carefully assess his newborn twins in the coming weeks before he names one of his offspring as the starting child.”
“Though traffic is still solid, that [usual] bump hasn’t been seen. And it meshes with the sense we’ve obtained from others in the business that people simply aren’t as interested in a draft that occurs under a cloud of uncertainty as to whether there will even be a season.”
I have also noted this lack of interest locally in Chicago but have chalked it up to the fact that the Bears are picking so late in the first round. Nevertheless, people in bars and on mailing lists that I can usually count on for good NFL talk have been unusually silent this year. I couldn’t even get enough people together to run a decent mock draft.
I have to wonder if Florio doesn’t have a point. The NFL labor problems may already hurting the sport.
Mike Mulligan at the Chicago Sun-Times says that the Bears are lowballing special teams coordinator Dave Toub. Word is that Toub turned down a contract extension. I agree with Mulligan in that this sounds like a pretty stupid move on the team’s part.
BEARS: There are several good offensive tackles in this draft, and the Bears should be able to get one with the 29th pick. USC’s Tyron Smith will be long gone, but Mississippi State’s Derek Sherrod or Colorado‘s Nate Solder might be on the board. The Bears also could use a defensive tackle — maybe Baylor’s Phil Taylor or North Carolina‘s Marvin Austin — to fill the Tommie Harris void.
I’m astounded at the number of people who seem to think Phil Taylor is a viable fit for the Bear defense. He’s a nose tackle and though I’ve heard he can play the three-technique, I just don’t see it. Could be wrong.
Here are the five namesRob Rang at CBSSports.com has on the Bears draft board:
Peter King at SI.com had this nugget for us in his “Monday Morning Quarterback” column:
There’s a team in the draft that has a deal on the table — I’m guessing New England (surprise!) — with a team trying to come back into the first round. The deal will net the team dealing the first-rounder the following: a second-round pick in 2011 and a first-round pick in 2012. The deal, I hear, is contingent on the player the trade-up team wants still being there. Could it be Tennessee trading into the bottom of the first round, at 28, to get Jake Locker or Andy Dalton? Stay tuned.
Farmer continues with the Vikings needs:
VIKINGS: They need a quarterback and likely have to trade up from No. 12 if they want Auburn’s Cam Newton or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. However, there’s a good chance Washington’s Jake Locker, TCU’s Andy Dalton and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett will be around. Locker is enticing at that spot. Cornerback is a glaring area of need, too, as is defensive tackle, where the Williams Wall once stood.
I think the chances are better than “good” that those quarterbacks will be around when the Vikings pick. Locker would be a reach – which is not to say the Vikings still wouldn’t do it. But I would hardly call him “enticing” that early.
Speaking of Locker, Greg Gabriel at the National Football Postbreaks him down and he’s not pulling any punches:
“At the Senior Bowl practices, it was more of the same. He flashed but overall he was indecisive with his reads. He just didn’t trust what he was seeing and would be late getting the ball out of his hand. This caused accuracy problems and also gave defenders time to make plays. Overall, Locker is going to need a lot of time and good coaching. Because of his football character, I would never want to bet against him but he is a long ways away from being a starting NFL quarterback. He will do whatever it takes to improve, but I’m not sure his lack of natural instincts will ever be able to be overcome. Needless to say I would never draft him in the first round. Because of his intangibles I might want to take a chance in the third if I really had a need at the position.”
Bill Parcells tells ESPN a little bit about the week of preparation leading to the draft as he previews his draft special tomorrow night:
ESPN also does one of its “Sports Science” features on Florida’s Mike Pouncey:
Gerry Fraley at the Dallas Morning News reports that Cowboys team leaders have met with Dez Bryant in an effort to take care of business during the lockout. The Cowboys aren’t allowed to contact Bryant so the players are stepping up to the plate.
“Finally, this Tweet from our friend Greg Cosell of NFL Films, after examining all the quarterbacks in the draft: ‘Very anxious to see where QBs go. A bad draft but many teams need one. Could be lot of reaches. Not a top 20 QB in draft. It’s about hope.’ That just about says it all.
“A Jay Cutler image makeover by the guys at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Next time you see Cutler on the sideline during a playoff game, he will be wearing a tailored suit and holding a martini shaker.”
Wes Bunting at the National Football Post speculates about five potential first round trades. He includes the Bears in his analysis:
“Chicago Bears: Pick 29
“The Bears love to look offensive and defensive line in round one and if one of the top offensive tackles in the class falls to them here at 29 I definitely think they would pull the trigger. However, if not, I have a hard time seeing Chicago going D-line late in round one, especially if forced into pulling the trigger on a character concern guy like Marvin Austin. Cornerback and wideout are both possibilities at 29 as well, but if there isn’t an OL on the board, I could definitely see the Bears dealing back into round two.”
Its a good year for offensive tackles in the early rounds of the draft. Few people will argue with Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribune when he says the Bears need one.
“Offensive line coach Mike Tice would have pulled calf muscles in both legs jumping for joy if Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi were still on the board here. The word on Carimi is he’d have been able to start early at tackle for the line-starved Bears. Sherrod — more of a technician than a brawler — isn’t really Tice’s type, but he is the best available lineman, and the Bears simply have to address this position of major need.”
I’m not so sure his comment is on point as Carimi is really a right tackle. The Bears already have guys who can fill that role, I think.
Miami Dolphin’s wide reciever Brandon Marshall is in trouble again. This time he “fell on a broken vase” instead of a McDonald’s wrapper. Via several contributors at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Mel Kiper at ESPN thinks those good offensive tackles in the draft are still overrated.
Kiper and McShay debate as they talk over the likely top picks. There’s some reasonably good information here. There’s some doubt about offensive tackle Nate Solder who might fall to the Bears.
Pompei, this time writing for the National Football Post had this truth to say about Auburn quarterback Cam Newton:
“If there are questions about Newton from a character perspective, they have arisen from the way Newton has handled things, and from his actions prior to landing at Auburn.”
“It’s now starting to look like the second tier of quarterbacks – Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton and maybe Ryan Mallett – could start flying off the board as early as the tenth pick, with the Redskins (they allegedly have a thing for Locker), Dolphins and Jaguars being candidates to start the ball rolling.”
Looking at this picture, you can understand where Pompei is coming from:
“If I were the agent of Andy Dalton, I would have advised him to confound evaluators by shaving his ginger hair before showing up at the combine. Or better yet, I would have given him a Tom Brady wig. He might have been the first pick in the draft.”
Bears site has this rather nice summary video of what GM Jerry Angelo and Director of Player Personnel Tim Ruskell had to say at the Bears pre-draft press conference:
“‘And that is important,’ Ruskell said, ‘because when you start thinking about the possibility of trading down, you want to at least have half as many guys that you would like as the number of picks that you would go down. That’s kind of a rule of thumb. That’s not in stone, but Jerry and I have talked about that.”’
“[Bill] Parcells made the statement a long time ago when I was with New York,” Angelo said during a pre-draft press conference at Halas Hall on Thursday. “He said, ‘You know what I like about this draft, Jerry? Every guy that we drafted, we like. You guys like him and we like him.'”
“That kind of stuck with me. That’s very important because for the player to be successful, he’s got to have a feel-good from everybody. It can’t just be from the scouts or one coach or the averages are working against you.”
One thing that is very evident about Angelo is that he has stuck with this philosophy from the moment he hired Lovie Smith. Angelo is a consensus builder and this quote explains the root origin of that attitude.
Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribunequotes Angelo after he was asked about Derek Sherrod and Marvin Austin, the two players who have probably been connected to the Bears the most often in mock drafts. Angelo certainly didn’t sound like he had ruled Austin out due to character concerns:
“I always say this: ‘We just don’t want any surprises on draft day when we bring a player in here.’ We’re not looking for halo players. We’re in a business to win football games. But we have to know what’s underneath the hood. That’s the challenge of scouting. The easy part is evaluating the tape. The hard part is knowing how the player is wired. He’s a great player, but there were concerns. We’re satisfied we know them.”
Angelo indicated he’d be looking for a developmental quarterback in the late rounds. Biggs points out some possibilities.
“With so many quarterbacks moving up, players at other positions — maybe even coveted offensive linemen — could drop to the Bears.
“Angelo said Thursday he expects up to seven offensive linemen to be chosen in the first round. They likely are USC tackle Tyron Smith, Colorado tackle Nate Solder, Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo, Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey, Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi, Mississippi State tackle Derek Sherrod and Baylor guard Danny Watkins.”
“Front-office men are calling this one of the worst safety classes ever.”
With Danieal Manning on the free agent market, the Bears might be looking for one anyway. Thank heavens it isn’t imperative that it be a free safety. They’re even tougher to find.
Both Jeff Dickerson and Wright at ESPNChciago.com have the Bears taking Baylor guard Danny Watkins with their pick. I’ve personally been riding high on Watkins and I’m seeing his name associated with the Bears more and more recently in mock drafts. As far as I can tell his only real downside is his age, which is 26.
One of the reasons I like Watkins for the Bears is that he fits the Bears need for bigger players on the offensive line, something that John Mullin at CSNChicago.com highlights here.
I’m not really writing much about the lockout except things that directly affect what happens on the field (once they get there). But I can’t help saying that unless Robbie Gould is prepared to tells us that there’s been compromise and they’re getting ready to play football, I don’t want to hear any more about him or his finger pointing.
Elsewhere
Elliot Harris at NFL.com points out what an incredible indicator winning and losing the Kickoff Game is for the kind of season a team is likely to have.
“However, with half the league in a 3-4 defense and the other half in a 4-3, teams are looking for different types of ends to play in their schemes. The 3-4 teams want a tall, long-armed athlete who is stout enough to hold the line of scrimmage at the off-tackle run lane. The 4-3 teams are looking for more speed to get up field and will sacrifice some size for quickness.”
Kevin Seifertpoints to what GM Martin Mayhew had to say at the Lions pre-draft news conference about defensive end Da’Quan Bowers. Bowers is a developing story in the draft:
“[It was a] typical Mayhew answer that tells us the Lions have some concerns about Bowers but haven’t ruled him out as a possible draft pick. I wouldn’t expect him to say anything less, although it is interesting he has acknowledged that a medical issue exists. Bowers and his agent have insisted the knee is fully healed.“
I found Mayhew’s comments via Chris McCosky at The Detroit News to be consistent with what teams are saying about cornerback Jimmy Smith:
“‘There is a threshold you can fall beyond where we would not consider a player,’ Mayhew said. ‘A failed drug test is a cause for concern, but it doesn’t knock you out of the running to be drafted.’
“Mayhew reiterated he has done exhaustive research into Smith and his character issues and he’s come away impressed.
“‘I had a great talk with Jimmy and I felt much better about him,’ Mayhew said. ‘I spoke with his position coach, Ashley Ambrose who is now coaching at Cal, and Ashley had nothing but great things to say about him. I definitely feel better about Jimmy now than before I met him.”
First of all, it wasn’t “a failed drug test”. It was four.
Second, the line on him is that his trouble is that he’s a follower. I haven’t a single doubt that this is a nice kid who means well when he says that he’s going to leave his bad influences behind after he’s drafted. But is he really going to turn his back upon the first old friend to call him in his new home for help and friendship? From what I’ve heard, I really doubt that he’s the type to do it.
I wouldn’t touch him anywhere higher than the end of the first round and then only if I really needed a defensive back.
“You don’t know what your needs are going to be. You might think you have a need at the end of April or you may think you have a strong position at the end of April, but you don’t know where that’s going to be come Aug. 1, as we found out this season.”
In the spirit of the season, the boys over at The Sports Pickle have gotten athletes to talk about their favorite Easter candy. Here’s a sample:
One Final Thought
How do athletes pick up the opposite sex in bars? Now we know:
“Among the 12 playoff teams from the 2010 season, the Bears are seventh with 24 drafted players on their roster, four behind the league-leading Packers and Ravens.:
“And while defensive tackle Tommie Harris is the Bears’ only first-round pick to make a Pro Bowl roster since 2002, the club has distinguished itself by scoring in later rounds with stars such as Devin Hester (second round), Lance Briggs (third) and Johnny Knox (fifth).”
“By contrast, the Detroit Lions have no draft picks from 2002 to 2005 on the current roster. Busts during that stretch include quarterback Joey Harrington (third overall, 2002), receiver Charles Rogers (second, 2003), receiver Mike Williams (seventh, 2004) and receiver Mike Williams (10th, 2005).”
“It’s an annual affair as teams work to spread as much misinformation as possible in an effort to mask their true intentions.”
Biggs goes on into a detailed discussion centering on the possibility that the Bears might trade down.
John Mullin at CSNChicago.com brings up this interesting point as he discusses the possibility that the Bears will draft a late round Edmund Gate type from Abilene Christian:
“Here’s where the switch from Greg Gabriel as college scouting director to Tim Ruskell as director of all player personnel [becomes a factor]. Gabriel clearly liked the small-college Texas kids (more than just Texas ones, actually) and it remains to be seen how Ruskell leans on the projects from smaller programs.”
Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribunereviews the running backs in the draft. He doesn’t see it as a big need but figures the Bears might draft competition for ChesterTaylor if the right guy falls.
Biggs reports that the Bears will interview Baylor cornerback Antareis Bryan. I thought this might be more significant than most since they’re going Dallas to talk to him. Bryan is a potential late round pick who has fallen because he appears to be injury prone.
“Williams was moved to left guard out of necessity, not because anyone thought he was a better guard than tackle. [Offensive line coach Mike] Tice and Lovie Smith thought Williams was the best candidate to play the position. In a perfect world though, I think the team would like to give Williams another shot at tackle, probably right tackle, where he has played his best football. Which position he will play depends on other players the Bears acquire.”
ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert did an intriguing analysis of “accuracy” in the form of college completion percentage as a predictor of success in the NFL.
One of the more intriguing questions in this draft will be how far talented defensive end Da’Quan Bowers falls due to concerns about his knee. McShay has him falling all the way to the Buccaneers at #20 in his latest mock draft.
“Do you think Mike Singletary has gotten a bad rap as a coach who isn’t a good X and O guy?”
“-David, Bratislava, Slovakia
“I don’t think it’s fair to judge Singletary as a head coach after a little more than two years with the 49ers. I don’t think anyone could be considered a ‘good X and O guy’ working with the quarterbacks that Singletary had to work with. I’m not sure Singletary was ready to become a head coach when he became one. But knowing him the way I do, I’m sure he has learned from the experience. And if he gets another chance, I’m sure he’ll keep his pants on this time.”
I could not agree more. Like most NFL fans I loved Singletary’s famous 49ers rant shortly after he took over as head coach. He also reportedly dropped his pants to make a point during a half-time speech. But I also was disturbed by this press conference because I knew how wearing a display of that kind of emotion can be week-after-week on the average human object. Eventually your people tune it out. I think that’s what happened with the 49ers players.
People love to criticize Lovie Smith for not showing more emotion. But, as Pompei said, next time Singletary will probably take a lesson from guys like him and keep his pants on.
Well, the Bears drew an interesting schedule. As everyone now knows they will be traveling to London to play Tampa Bay. I addition to that, they drew a Christmas night assignment at Green Bay.
ESPN’s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert wonders if the NFL didn’t purposely schedule the Bears to have more than the usual number of early home games because the turf would be better that time of year.
For those who despise night games as much as I do the Bears currently have four on the schedule.
Matt Williamson at ESPN’s Scouts Inc, ranked the NFC North offensive lines. The Bears were dead last.
“In 2010, the Bears’ run blocking was terrible. But the pass protection was horrendous. In fact, it was probably the worst in the NFL, as evidenced by the league-leading 56 sacks Chicago allowed. Even though the coaching staff did a great job masking these insufficiencies, there will be changes. It is amazing that the Bears got as far as they did in the postseason with that group of linemen.”
“Fixing the Bears’ offensive line will be a two-part process. They’ll need to bring in better players, but more important, they’ll also have to coax improved play from a group that our resident scout sees little promise in.”
We all have to hope that there’s more promise that Williamson thinks in the Bears young offensive linemen or 2011 could be a long year.
The Bears website did this nice little feature on Director of Player Personnel Tim Ruskell:
Michael C. Wright at ESPNChicago.comreviews the quarterbacks in the draft. The Bears will probably be looking to draft a developmental prospect in the mid to late rounds.
Wright also reviews the runningback position in the draft. He quotes head coach Lovie Smith as Smith (weakly) defends Chester Taylor’s subpar season last year:
“We brought in Chester to be a complement to Matt [Forte], which he was… I know the numbers weren’t there, but Matt’s numbers were up. You’re just looking for the running back position’s numbers to go up, which they did.”
Whatever.
Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribuneaddresses the middle linebacker spot. He thinks there’s a possibility they may draft a successor to Brian Urlacher this year.
Bob LeGere at the Daily Heraldtakes issue with Pat Kirwan’s latest mock draft at NFL.com. Despite teams trading into the first round to pick five quarterbacks, Kirwan still has them reaching for wide receiver Torres Smith.
“If Brandt is right, and neither [Anthony] Castonzo or [Gabe] Carimi can protect Jay Cutler‘s blind side, it may behoove the Bears to take an interior lineman or the best defensive player available.”
“Texas gave the Bears Nathan Vasher, and [Aaron] Williams is a 6-foot cornerback in the tradition of Charles Tillman. Because of the value of the position and the need to get a Tillman replacement in the pipeline, this pick solidifies a spot that has bedeviled the defense since Vasher’s precipitous decline from his one-time Pro Bowl level.”
Nolan Nawrocki at Pro Football Weekly reviews the character issues (good and bad) surrounding some of the to talent in the draft. Amongst the players connected at some point to the Bears are Marvin Austin, Rodney Hudson, and Ryan Kerrigan.
Regulars here know that I’m purposely avoiding most of the details of the labor negotiations that aren’t directly football related. In fact, I’m not even reading the articles. However for those who care, profootballtalk.com seems to be all over it. Mike Florio is a lawyer so there’s even a slight chance that you can believe some of it.
Tom Pelissero at 1500ESPN.com doesn’t think the Vikings should be looking defensive end in the first round. He points to fourth rounders Ray Edwards, Brian Robison and Everson Griffen as examples of good defensive linemen who can be found late. Yes, but how good would they be without Jared Allen? I think last season answered that question as Allen had a down year and so did everyone else. True Allen, was a fourth rounder, too. But the Vikings had to go outside the organization to get him and I don’t like the odds of finding another one of him.
“One of [Bill] Belichick’s favorite draft-day tactics is to trade a pick this year for a higher pick next year. This year the Patriots own the first pick of the second round (and thus the second day), and it’s quite likely that some team will call Belichick before the second round starts to offer the Patriots a first-round pick in 2012 for the right to choose first in the second round of 2011. So the Patriots won’t just use all those picks to bolster their 2011 roster; they also may look to build a stockpile of 2012 picks.”
One season into his NFL career and Jimmy Clausen may already be done in Carolina. Former NFL safety Matt Bowenrelates his experience at a similar point in his career for the National Football Post. If I’m Clausen and the Panthers draft a quarterback in the first round, I’m ignoring all other factors and doing my best to get onto a team with a history of developing quarterbacks.
And finally, the last of the series, the Carolina Panthers are on the clock at ESPN:
One Final Thought
Pete Prisco at CBSSports.com rates the top 100 NFL players. There were only two Bears, only one of whom was drafted by the organization and he was not drafted by GM Jerry Angelo.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse.”
“Only one outside linebacker, Lance Briggs, is under contract for next season. It is likely the Bears will bring back others with expiring contracts, but for now they can’t be certain. As a result, it seems certain the Bears will look to add depth at the position in the draft.”
I’ve got a suspicion the Bears might be looking to add more than just special teams depth here. Briggs will be on the wrong side of 30 in November and middle linebacker Brian Urlacher will be 34 in May.
A few days ago, Pompei wrote a nice column about how good teams don’t draft to fill immediate needs. They draft for the future:
“Too many NFL general managers look at their draft needs through reading glasses, studying just what’s in front of their noses. What they really need are binoculars so they can see what’s coming in the distance.
“It’s a trap to examine the Bears’ roster and determine they must select an offensive tackle and a defensive tackle with their first two picks in the NFL draft because that’s where their most glaring holes are.
“A better plan, depending on how the draft falls, might be to ignore those positions for the time being.”
Pompei goes on to suggest that holes are better filled in free agency. I could not agree more with this sentiment.
The linebackers are a strength of this team but age is going to eventually catch up to them if the Bears aren’t careful. They left those linebackers with expiring contracts go to free agency because they recognize that. They’ve tendered Nick Roach under 2010 rules as insurance but by leaving Pisa Tinoisamoa off the roster, they’ve left themselves open to draft another young starter if he falls to them. That could be Akeem Ayers, who the Pompei has rated as the second best after Von Miller (who will almost certainly go in the top five picks).
Yes, the Bears have needs at the line of scrimmage. No doubt about it. And yes, fans are going to be upset if they don’t draft some players to fill those gaps. But free agency awaits and drafting for the future is still what its all about.
If GM Jerry Angelo does it right, he’ll take the best players left on the board in this draft. And the best guy to take could easily be a linebacker in the early rounds. That’s because, as Franklin said so well, seeing the future is the key to avoiding present changes for the worse.
“The Bears had gone away from holding the local workout day because many agents would not permit their players to actually work out. That left the team in a position where decision makers would then spend a few hours looking at players who were not going to be drafted or targeted as priority free agents. It wasn’t productive. Now, it appears the Bears must see value in holding the workouts again.”
“The Bears don’t have an immediate need at cornerback as they have several young corners with potential in Zack Bowman, D.J. Moore and Joshua Moore. But no team ever has enough and Charles Tillman, the Bears’ best, is 30.”
“Considering the talent likely to be available at each of these positions, the Bears could have plenty of options staring at them at No. 29. As such, they could be one of the teams at the end of the first round willing to trade back to allow a club desperate to snatch up a quarterback before the expected run on the position begins in the second round. “
No one would be surprised if that run began earlier, well before the Bears picked in the first round.
In an earlier post I noted a mock draft where an NFC scout had given the Bear nose tackle Phil Taylor. I agree with Bob LeGere at the Daily Herald that Taylor is a bad fit for the Bears’ scheme. But beyond that, I was surprised that Taylor fell so far. Now Rang is suggesting that there’s a problem with Taylor’s feet that might be causing teams concern. That would be interesting for a couple of reasons. First, nose tackle has become an extremely valuable position in the NFL. Second, Taylor is the only one anybody thinks deserves a first round grade. This could be bad news if you are a team that needs one.
“Jack Britt believes that his son, Titans receiver Kenny Britt, needs to be out of his hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey and back in Nashville.
“‘I’m worried about him all the time,’ Jack Britt told Conor Orr and Matthew Stanmyre of the Newark Star-Ledger in an article that takes a thorough look at Britt’s history of off-field issues. ‘But my concern is not with Kenny, per se, it’s more with Kenny’s friends, and he knows that. He has too many friends with too much free time.’
“The day I got back, I took my nameplate from my locker — ‘Ben Roethlisberger, Super Bowl XLV’ — and it’s sitting underneath my mirror in my bathroom. I want to see that every day. It hurts a lot.”
You think having a simultaneously younger and decidedly better Green Bay Packers team in your division is bad? Try being the Dolphins. Brought to you by Armando Salguero at the Miami Herald.
“Don’t get too carried away with all the workouts. This is just what NFL teams do in the months between the Super Bowl and the draft. Keep in mind that they’re doing their homework not only for this year, but for the future. Maybe three years down the road, the Eagles will be in the market for a quarterback, even if it’s only a backup. And maybe the homework they do now will pay off then.”
“’Good running backs are hard to find, but big people are (harder) to find,’ Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. ‘Other people, the good Lord just made more of them.’”
“Just before Josh Sitton was drafted in the fourth round in 2008, he was in a mullet-tossing contest, in which people hurl the fish across the beach all as an excuse to throw a huge party.
“’Actually I just went and watched. I didn’t have the 20 bucks to enter it,’ said Sitton.”
I doubt its a problem now.
One Final Thought
Bear fans talk about a new and very unique strategy in this can’t be missed video:
I hated to re-live this game against the Patriots last year but Bill Belichick does a wonderful job highlighting a hand full of plays against the Bears in this this video.
Dan Arkush at Pro Football Weeklylooks at the top free agents. Some possibilities at positions relevant to the Bears (just the names):
Wide receivers: Santana Moss (Redskins) and Mark Clayton (Rams)
Offensive tackles: Matt Light (Patriots) and Jammal Brown (Redskins)
Offensive guards: Robert Gallery (Raiders) and Alan Faneca (Cardinals)
Linebacker: Barrett Ruud (Buccaneers), Ben Leber (Vikings) and Matt Roth (Browns)
“Do you think that having free agency after the draft could become common practice? Do some general managers prefer it that way?
“Monk_316 on Twitter
“I know that Bears general manager Jerry Angelo prefers to have the draft before free agency and I’m going to guess that many of his counterparts feel the same way. In that scenario, teams can draft the best players available regardless of position and then fill needs in free agency. But I don’t think the players would ever agree to push free agency back after the draft. I imagine that they would want teams to fill needs in free agency before restocking with incoming rookies.”
I would have guessed that the Bears would have preferred to fill their needs before the draft, not afterwards. Apparently not. I guess in retrospect Mayer’s answer does make sense.
“It’s a trap to examine the Bears’ roster and determine they must select an offensive tackle and a defensive tackle with their first two picks in the NFL draft because that’s where their most glaring holes are.
“A better plan, depending on how the draft falls, might be to ignore those positions for the time being. The best way to fill holes isn’t through the draft — it’s through free agency. Veterans are easier to evaluate and ready to play; rookies can be mysteries.”
“TCU OL Marcus Cannon has in fact been taking a number of visits throughout the postseason and I’m hearing he’s drawing a lot of interest from a number of teams in the NFC North.”
Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki says that Tyron Smith’s knee may cause him to fall. The Bears would love to have this guy, I’m sure, but this sounds like smoke to me:
“‘We’ve had (Smith) at the bottom of the first all along,’ said an NFL executive. ‘The media has pushed him up. No one questions the traits. But there is a miss factor. Remember everyone was surprised when Winston Justice slid. We had him (graded) in the fourth round. The medical could push (Smith) out of the first, no question. I would love for him to go in the top 10, but I’d be shocked if he came close.'”
Former NFL scout Brian Broaddus does his mock draft for ESPNDallas.com. He has the Bears taking offensive tackle Derek Sherrod. This is the upteenth recent mock draft that I’ve come across that plays out with the Bears taking Sherrod.
“This wasn’t the blitzing unit you’d expect. Rex Ryan often kept things simple and relied on outstanding press coverage from his corners and read-and-react proficiency from his safeties and linebackers. The statistics say this more docile approach worked, but the film showed that this D didn’t generate enough game-changing plays (turnovers, sacks and big hits). Big plays can be hard to come by when you don’t have a dominant pass rusher.”
Benoit also addresses the Dolphins. He makes the case against a pick that many mock drafts have the Dolphins making:
“Myth Buster
“The Dolphins need Mark Ingram
“The free-agent running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams can both still play, but age and circumstance make them unworthy of long-term contracts. It’s logical for the Dolphins to go in a new direction, though that direction must include a commitment to increased speed. Ingram is a high volume, between-the-tackles runner. At best, he’d give Miami a slightly better version of what they had last season. Relying on only a grinding run game is fine…if you’re striving for 8-8. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needs a speedy playmaker who can create matchup problems and formation variation. If the Dolphins do draft Ingram, they’d better find a burner to complement him.”
I couldn’t agree more with Pompei’s comment here, this time for the National Football Post:
“In response to this story, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is saying the supplemental draft is not in his future. And staying in school probably is a smart move. He may be a great college player, but scouts I’ve spoken with say Pryor would likely go in the fourth or fifth round of the supplemental draft. They see him as a player who is not an NFL style quarterback, an inaccurate passer and a player who struggles making decisions.”
But I am going to disagree with Pompei on this comment:
“Postponing the Super Bowl a couple of weeks is a terribly unappetizing idea, unless of course you are hoping like to see tulip buds outside of Lucas Oil Stadium on your way to the big game.”
“The research and development arm of a company is usually the lifeblood of that company. If Apple, DuPont, Dow, 3M, Amgen and Pfizer don’t spend adequately on the development of new products, technology and drugs, their competitors will eat them alive.”
“…it’s increasingly obvious that teams not in need of a quarterback are trying to create a feeding frenzy, with the Patriots kicking tires on Jake Locker and the Colts supposedly looking at possible long-term replacements for Peyton Manning and the Saints bringing in Andy Dalton, who has generated an uncanny amount of interest in recent weeks.
“Put simply, the teams that don’t need quarterbacks want the teams that need quarterbacks to take them early, pushing down the board the players that the teams that don’t need quarterbacks want.”
“CN: I want to ask about Stefan Wisniewski, because I’ve seen him all over. Some mocks push him into the 3rd, and there’s one big list that doesn’t even rate him in the top 100.
“WB: I’ve heard from most scouts that he’s the 1st or 2nd interior lineman on most teams’ boards, either before or after Mike Pouncey. There may be a shot that he falls into the early 3rd, because he’s not the most sexy of players, but if he’s the number two, I can’t really see him falling into the 3rd if Pouncey is going somewhere in the 15-20 range.“
Carter also looks at the success rate of second tier quarterbacks in the NFL. Its not good. Worse yet, if you ask me all of the quarterbacks in this draft – including Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton – fit into that class.
One Final Thought
Kiperis starting to think Nate Solder to the Bears might be a good fit.
