Author: Tom Shannon

A Busy Schedule for First Round Picks in New York and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Wes Bunting keeps us all sane with draft rumors (it all we’ve got right now).  Here’s what he’s got on the Bears:

“The Bears are said to have taken an interest in South Florida defensive tackle Terrell McClain and he could be an option for Chicago on day two of the draft.”

“Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan appears to be making a move and could be picked somewhere in the 20-to-30 range. What’s the reason for the jump? Kerrigan is perceived as safe. He might not have the top end potential some of the pass rushers have, but he isn’t as risky, either.”

  • How Bart Hubbuch at the New York Post comes up with running back as the Bears second biggest need behind offensive line I don’t know.  Its true that Chester Taylor’s production wasn’t great but the Bears aren’t going to throw the money they paid him away after one year.  The competition behind Taylor will be fierce between Kahlil Bell and last year’s supplemental draft pick Harvey Unga.  Though he wasn’t tendered an offer free agent Garrett Wolfe is an excellent special teamer and he may still be in the mix before the post draft dust has settled.

The Bears don’t need another running back.

“Bears TE Greg Olsen did what was asked of him last season — he improved as a blocker, which had always the weakest part of his game — and team observers say he’s a better all-around player heading into 2011. We hear the Bears have interest in extending Olsen’s deal beyond ’11, and Olsen would be receptive to those talks, but the league has told team employees not to discuss current players with agents during the lockout. Getting a deal done this year with Olsen, who will be looking to maximize his value in his prime years, could be difficult.”

“Instead of keeping it, young Cliff Forrest insisted on returning the ring to its rightful owner, which he did Saturday morning after flying to Chicago with his family.

“‘I Googled Mr. Perry and saw that he had a disease and had to sell it because of rough times,’ young Cliff said. ‘He only played in one Super Bowl. I thought he would want it more than I did.’”

Elsewhere

  • Dan Gantt at the Charlotte Observer writes about Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s upcoming visit to Carolina.  Most of this article was nonsense from former NFL quarterback and mentor Warren Moon and others that you can throw away.  But this quote from Brad Franchione stood out as something that had the ring of truth.  Franchione coached Newton at Blinn Junior College after he was thrown out of Florida:

“He was the kind of leader (who) would challenge the competitive nature of these guys.  I’d say that during his year here, there were 25 or 30 practices that happened without coaches, because Cam was pushing his teammates.”

“Warren Moon isn’t the only person who thinks race may be a factor in the way the NFL world is perceiving Cam Newton. A high ranking NFL executive, who is white, came to the same conclusion before Moon made his comments. ‘If Newton were white, he’d be the first pick in the draft,’ he said.”

  • Newton’s character concerns are magnified because he is a quarterback.  But qualitatively they’re nothing compared to the ones about teammate defensive tackle Nick Fairly.  Intangibles are one thing.  Outright questions about football character are another thing all together.  Hubbuch reports:

“There’s no doubting Fairley’s ability, but teams have been so put off by concerns about dirty play on the field and a questionable work ethic off it that some are privately comparing him with notorious head case Albert Haynesworth.”

He didn’t want his girl friend to know he was taking it so he tore the label off.

“If the UFL coaches (Jim Fassel, Jerry Glanville, Denny Green and Marty Schottenheimer, among others), and the NFL coaches had a coach-off, might the UFL win?”

One Final Thought

Mike Tanier at the New York Times goes over the potential itinerary for first round draft picks in New York for the first day of the draft.  For instance, this seminar sounds useful:

“3:45 P.M.

“Tweet Like the Pros Workshop

“Rookies get a crash course in social networking from the N.F.L.’s blandest players. Sample PowerPoint slide: “Good — ‘Rise ’n’ Grind’ and ‘Off 2 da gym.’ Bad — ‘I demand da ball more!’ and anything with standard grammar and syntax.”

But everyones favorite is, of course, the main event:

“8 TO 11 P.M.

“First Round of the Draft

“Smile. The entire blogosphere just branded you a reach.”

That’s me.


Quarterback Run May Lead to Potential First Round Trade for Bears

Dan Pompei, writing for the National Football Post, had a comment in his weekly NFL Sunday Blitz feature that might make Bear fans sit up and take notice.  He comments upon the fact that there’s no consensus on the top eight quarterbacks.  These are Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallet, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Ricky Stanzi.

The first two will be gone in the first half of round one.  The last six, however, are a different story.

“‘The all have holes in them,’ an NFC director of college scouting said. ‘So it will be beauty in the eye of the beholder.’

“Despite the fact that all of them have holes in them, they aren’t supposed to last long on draft day. It’s starting to look like all eight could be gone by the end of round three. ‘Teams that think they’ll get the quarterback they want in the second round could be in for a rude awaking,’ the director said. ‘Teams could be trading up to late first round for those guys.’”

As anyone who is reading this knows, the “late first round” means “Chicago Bears territory.”

Certainly the Bears have a history of trading out of the first round.  The relevant theory is one that was addressed recently by Omar Kelly at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as he mulled over the possibility that the Dolphins might trade down:

“The thought process is two top 60 players are better than one, and I support this approach considering there’s little difference between the 15th rated player and selection No. 45.”

I support this approach as well and – more to the point – so, seemingly, does Bears general manager Jerry Angelo.  Unless there’s a guy there that the organization really likes (center/guard Mike Pouncey comes to mind) I believe Angelo will gladly pull the trigger to trade back into the second round to pick up extra draft picks.

The Bears are far from the only team that will be looking to trade down in the draft and ordinarily I would consider the odds low that they would find a partner at 29 to do it.  But as the excerpt from Pompei’s column indicates, this isn’t an ordinary year.

There are a lot of teams looking for quarterbacks and with free agency coming late, they won’t know if they’ll be able to get one there.   They won’t be desperate enough to spend a top 15 pick on one of those latter six guys where they would all be a reach.  But if other general managers start trading into the latter half of round one to gobble up quarterbacks, those teams aren’t going to be willing to wait until the early second round to see if their guy is still there.

That means the Bears pick at 29 might be in demand.

Little Mistakes Lead to Big Questions About the Lions

One of the things about the NFL that fascinates me the most is the difference between winning and losing.  The NFC North has provided me with a great example of the latter: the Detroit Lions.  You ask yourself, “Why can’t this organization get over the hump and win championships?  Will this be the year they finally do it?”  Its true that they certainly do have the talent to compete.  But there’s more to winning than talent.

Yesterday I ran across this article by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.  In it he reported that the Lions were no longer trying to keep their pre-draft visits a secret:

“’The fact is, everybody in the league knows (whom we’re bringing in),’ coach Jim Schwartz said during the NFL meetings last week. ‘So if everybody in the league knows, it really doesn’t matter. And if it’s interesting for the fans, … then I’m all for it.’”

“How nice,” I thought. “But its really non-news since, as Schwartz states, word gets around and the trick is really just a matter of separating significant information from pre-draft smoke and mirrors.”

I was wrong.

Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com reports that when Schwartz says “everybody knows” he really means “everybody knows”:

“Multiple sources have advised PFT that the Lions, intending to send a list of their pre-draft visits to the league as required by rule, sent the list to every team.

“Let’s repeat that.  The Lions were trying to send an e-mail to the league office with a list of pre-draft visits.  And they instead sent the list to the entire league.”

Wait.  It gets better:

“One source said that the same thing happened when quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on injured reserve during the 2010 season, sending the e-mail to the entire league instead of to the league office.

“In other words, this is the second time in less than four months that the Lions made the same mistake.”

Almost everyone who e-mails heavily has at some point copied people by accident.  It’s very easy to do and most often you wipe your brow and say, “Wow.  I’m glad it wasn’t anything important.”  But you know deep down that if it had really been important, it almost certainly wouldn’t have happened.  That’s because almost any careful person with any degree of common sense triple checks the addresses (and everything else) before sending anything truly sensitive.  Even considering that, mistakes happen.  But to have it happen twice in such a short period of time?

Its not that the Lions are going to be hurt badly by this.  As Schwartz stated to begin with, everyone really does pretty much know.  In the broad scope of life in the NFL, what they did is a little thing.  But it’s the little things that make the difference between winning and losing.

Many football people throughout the league, fans and otherwise, expect the Lions to compete in the NFC North in 2011.  That has included me.  But a full five months before the season (hopefully) starts it already may be time to re-evaluate.

The Lions have a bad habit of finding ways to lose.  It’s not just bad luck.  It’s characteristic.  It comes from incompetence throughout the entire organization extending from sloppy execution on the football field (Calvin Johnson dropping a ball instead of retaining it all the way through the catch) to sloppy execution in the front office (the inability to send a simple e-mail with sensitive information to the league office).  Since Schwartz took over as head coach and Martin Mayhew became the general manager, that incompetence has been deceiving because it hasn’t led to huge blunders.  But mistakes like these should still be an ominous sign for fans everywhere.

UPDATE:  Tom Kowalski at mlive.com comes to the defense of the Lions by pointing out that not all of the pre-draft visits were revealed.  However, Kowalski is clear in that the Lions shouldn’t be completely free of the charge of incompetence in the matter.  Florio’s response is here.

Devin Hester and the Deon Sanders Effect

It seemed like a throw away joke.  But to some Bear fans, this aside from Tom Sorenson at the Charlotte Observer had to have the ominous ring of truth.

Sorenson’s column focuses on what the Panthers will do with the first pick in the draft.  He starts and ends, of course, with Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.  He is, after all, a quarterback with intriguing physical talent and debatable intangible qualities.  But Sorenson considers others as well and this is where the average Bear fan can sit up and take notice:

“Newton is not the only player the Panthers love. There are at least two others, and they, too, played in the SEC. One is Georgia receiver A.J. Green, a certain NFL star. The other is Patrick Peterson, a Louisiana State cornerback and a new friend of Deion Sanders.

“An excellent return man, Peterson said he loves to run back kicks. Then he got advice from Deion. Kick returners can get hurt. Peterson announced he might not love to run back kicks.”

Anyone remember who else is a friend of Deon?

Somewhere in the back of my head I always wondered if Sanders had an undue influence on Bears return man Devin Hester.  It was hard not to notice that Hester’s production tailed off after he befriended Deon and to my eyes Hester definitely looked a lot more tentative in 2008 and 2009 than he had in 2006 and 2007.  Admittedly last year Hester showed better but he’s still not back where he was his first two years in the league.

So here is the question:  Is Peterson the only return man who Deon has been advising to be careful running back kicks?  I really doubt it.

A Post for the Quarterback Hater in All of Us. And Other Points of View.

Bears

  • Sean Jensen at the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if free agent defensive tackle Anthony Adams won’t regret becoming an unrestricted free agent rather than re-signing with the Bears.  It’s a risk but my gut feeling is that Adams will have a home with the Bears in the end if he wants it.
  • Mel Kiper at ESPN takes a look takes a look at what each team might do if realistic options for thier biggest need are gone.  Here’s what he said about the Bears:

“The Bears need to get some help on the offensive line, and I’d almost expect them to take the best available tackle, period. But they do need to add talent on the defensive interior as well, and a guy like [defensive tackle Jurrell] Casey or even [defensive tackle] Drake Nevis shouldn’t be out of the picture here.”

  • The Bears website has been running video highlights of the top 30 prospects in the draft.  The following are of Aaron Williams, Corey Liguet and Nate Solder.  All three have been connected to the Bears s  potential first round picks:

  • Don Banks at SI.com writes about players who took unusual routes to the NFL draft.  Guard Danny Watkins, who many think might eventually be a Bear, has an interesting story:

“Growing up a hockey player in British Columbia, Danny Watkins lived for Hockey Night in Canada and the Vancouver Canucks. The closest he got to football was watching the occasional CFL highlight and playing a little rugby in high school. After graduation, he aspired to a future in fire fighting, spending four years working in that risk-filled field before ever picking up a football.”

“Watkins enrolled in Butte College in Oroville, Calif., in 2007 to attend the school’s fire academy. But football somehow intervened, and after two successful seasons at the junior college, he was recruited by Baylor as a replacement for All-America left tackle and 2009 first-round pick Jason Smith, of the Rams.”

Elsewhere

  • If you hate quarterbacks (and deep inside everyone does just a little bit) you’ll love this article on the four best in this year’s draft by Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports:

“All I will say is that I’m glad I don’t need a quarterback this year,” said an NFC general manager, who went on to say plenty more. That GM was one of three executives who had particularly harsh comments for the quartet of quarterbacks who are expected to go in the first two rounds.

“If you’re telling me I have to bet the future of my team and my job on one of these guys, I would be really nervous,” the NFC GM said. “It’s tough enough to take a quarterback to begin with. But then you put these guys in the equation? No, thanks.”

“Nothing he said is anything I haven’t heard.  To defend Nolan, I’ve heard those things and a lot worse.”

“Character is subject to opinion, and it’s fair to question the motives of someone making a harsh judgment. But ultimately, the entire conversation is relevant to the extent that it impacts Newton’s performance on the field. So let’s go there. What objective measures can we take of Newton’s character and intangible abilities to be a quarterback?”

“I played with plenty of guys during my career that weren’t choirboys. Nothing wrong with that if they show up on tape. That’s reality in the NFL. As I have said before, it is the ‘business of winning,’ and you win at all costs.

“But when it comes to quarterbacks and the NFL draft, character starts to take precedent with the top prospects.”

“You want to draft a QB in the top five, top ten or in late first round? That’s fine, but realize you are telling your team, your veterans and your fan base that this guy (the one with red flags) is the leader of your ball club. And that includes the big paycheck.”

“Not at QB, because a risk that fails becomes a major bust. And it may takes years to recover when you miss on a top prospect at the QB position.”

  • We all strongly suspect that Newton is lying when he denies knowledge of a pay for play request to Mississippi St.  But it appears that LSU’s Patrick Peterson has been out right busted.  Via Dave Miller at the National Football Post.
  • Looks like Clemson quarterback Da’Quan Bowers is in free fall after his recent workout (Via Greg Rosenthall at profootballtalk.com)  Bowers had knee surgery in January and with that kind of injury, he might not be the same for a year or more.
  • The Miami Dolphins are on the clock at ESPN:

“You know why it’s in the news? Because they have a really, really poor budget for Minnesota’s future. So they put a letter out in the hope, in the hope, that they can change the story. Can we talk about something else that we’re doing instead of what we’re doing to Minnesota’s future

“If they were serious about a stadium bill, they would have introduced it back in January or February. To wait until the middle of all the budget cut bills is just a political gimmick.”

  • Matt Williamson at Scouts Inc. thinks the Vikings need the Jared Allen of 2000 in 2011.  I’m not sure what happened to Allen last year but there’s little doubt that pressure up front from the defensive line was a big problem.  Allen was a huge part of that.
  • Former Cowboy defensive-line coach and interim head coach Paul Pasqualoni on last season’s team:

“Last year as we started the season with the Cowboys, they had won their first playoff game in quite a while, get into the season, we weren’t winning very many games because I think the decision was made ‘well we’ve come this far, we got this much done, maybe we can kind of pick up where we left off’.

“You can’t do that in this game. The game requires you to start over every single year.”

One Final Thought

And now for that beautiful “one shining moment” for the pure and pristine sport of college football:

Lots of Bear Potential in Prospects at North Carolina Pro Day and Other Points of View

Bears

“After compiling data for 57 mock drafts, [Derek] Sherrod leads [Gabe] Carimi 8-7. Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget and Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo are next with six apiece. Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey, mammoth Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder and Villanova tackle Ben Ijalana each have four votes.”

“Players have always used these facilities for offseason and sometimes in-season extra work. It’s less the case now but players at one time were so unhappy with some of the strength and fitness directives coming from a (now-gone) strength coach that they covertly went to private trainers and facilities while at the same time complying with what the team was requiring. And they were adamant: Keep it a secret.

“That’s changed in recent years with Rusty Jones, the director of physical development, athletic trainer Tim Bream and some very sophisticated technologies for rehab as well as basic programs.”

  • ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert provides his take on Smith’s comments regarding Devin Hester during the NFL owners meeting.  Seifert starts by noting the fall in Hester’s offensive numbers:

“That dip in production came even as Hester played on 66 percent of the Bears’ snaps, the second-highest total among the team’s receivers, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Unofficially, the Bears targeted Hester on only 68 of the 646 total plays he was on the field for.

“That’s the pivot point Smith said he hopes to address this offseason. He didn’t put it in so many words, but if I had to read the tea leaves, it would go something like this: More targets, less plays.”

Elsewhere

  • Tom Hauser at KSTP is reporting that the Vikings stadium bill will include “a surcharge on pro football player incomes”.  That should go over well with free agents.
  • Seifert comments upon the “decision-makers” and takes a shot at former Vikings head coach Brad Childress in the process:

“Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman has run the team’s draft for the past four years, although former coach Brad Childress had considerable influence when it came to quarterbacks. That’s a big part of the reason why the Vikings are all but barren at the most important position in the game, and that’s why it’s been almost a singular focus for Spielman and his staff over the past few months.”

I’m not a big Childress fan but you can bet he had a lot of influence at more than just quarterback.  Percy Harvin comes to mind as a player that Childress gave the definite impression that he pushed hard for.

For the record, I’m not a Spielman fan either but that dates back to his time with the Bears and, to a lesser extent, with the Dolphins.  Its now years later so I’m trying to keep an open mind.

I’m a big believer in Bears general manager Jerry Angelo‘s approach to the draft (just not his execution).  Angelo has said on multiple occasions that you can’t afford to fall in love with one player.  It almost always gets you in trouble.  But having said that, I do wonder if the quarterback position isn’t the exception…

  • The Jaguars are on the clock at ESPN:

  • Omar Kelly at the South Florida Sun Sentinelreviews the top running backs in the draft, including video footage.  The Dolphins figure to have a need there.  Kelly’s also not a fan of quarterback Chad Henne:

And its obvious that he thinks speed will be the theme for the Dolphins this year:

“To me, if the Cowboys do anything with a player who wears a number lower than 50 in the first two rounds, I will think they made a mistake. Their needs are clear. Offensive line and defensive line. Everything else can wait.”

  • They say that men with large video boards are compensating for a small…  something else.  If that’s the case the Dallas Morning News has some bad news for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
  • People love to pick on the Raiders but I’m with them on this one.  Via Ian R. Rapoport at the Boston Herald:

“Given the choice between former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour or the No. 1 draft pick his team traded to acquire him, Raiders coach Hue Jackson left no doubt: ‘I’m taking Richard Seymour.’”

One Final Thought

Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson stars in this clever commercial:

Many Prospects Connected to Bears “Overrated” and Other Points of View

Bears

“Wilson competes with Nevada outside linebacker Dontay Moch as this year’s most impressive workout warrior linebacker. Wilson struggles locating the football, making him significantly slower on the field than the 6-4, 250-pounder timed at the combine (4.46-second electronic time). This is particularly troublesome for Wilson considering he’s played linebacker for three seasons with the Illini, as opposed to Moch, who starred as a defensive end. Wilson might measure like a first-rounder, but his tape says he’s closer to a third-round pick.”

Amongst the other potential Bears picks that Rang thinks are overrated are Titus Young, Nate Solder and Mike Pouncey.  Not good.  Amongst the potential underrated players, Rang has Ricki Stanzi as being undervalued.  The Bears probably are looking for a developmental quarterback but Stanzi may go higher in the middle rounds than they’d like.

  • The Bears are not known to take chances on players with character issues but former NFL safety Matt Bowen at the National Football Postthinks that if Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith fell into the late first round, he might be hard to pass up.
  • On a related note, the experts at NFP take a look at the Bears draft room in a couple videos here.  For those who aren’t familiar with the staff at the Post, former Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel and Bowen, a former safety (and a Chicagoan) who played previously under head coach Love Smith with the Rams are on this panel.  Let’s just say they know the Bears pretty well.  This video is well worth watching.  Its a shame they won’t allow it to be embedded here.
  • Gabriel also breaks down offensive tackles Solder and Tyron Smith.  Some mock drafts have Solder falling to the Bears.  Gabriel has this interesting comment about him:

“Because of his narrow frame, you have to question whether or not he will get much stronger in the lower body. Over the years I have seen players like this make weight room gains but not functional strength gains.”

Elsewhere

  • Andy Benoit at The New York Times does another one of his “What the Film Revealed” studies, this time of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Here’s an interesting take:

“Myth Buster

“3-4 defensive ends are just run anchors

“For most teams, this is true. But for the Steelers, the defensive end position is where favorable defensive mismatches in the run game are created. Brett Keisel’s agility, more than his power, makes him a force. (This is also true for Aaron Smith…when he’s healthy.) Keisel creates congestion along the line of scrimmage primarily through lateral movement and penetration. Having this kind of mobility at defensive end gives [defensive coordinator Dick] LeBeau more variations in his scheme.”

“Joe Flacco, the prototype quarterback,  continued his growth, but he still wasn’t consistent between the numbers. Far too much of the passing game took place underneath and outside, where the reads tend to be simpler… The running game sputtered a bit compared with 2009, largely because the offensive line occasionally struggled to generate raw power. Michael Oher, moving to the left side, was disconcertingly average, at least given the hype around him. At this point, saying Oher is a budding star is akin to  nominating a folksy but cliché-ridden feel-good family sports movie for Best Picture simply to appease the mainstream audience.”

One Final Thought

Mike Freeman at CBSSports.com interviews former NFL quarterback Warren Moon who believes ciriticism of Newton is “racially biased” and that he is “extremely angry” about it.  Which makes me extremely angry.  Fortunately Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com does a good job of debunking this nonsense so I don’t have to.

Teams Who Have Things Like “Quarterback Schools” and Teams Who Don’t. And Other Points of View.

Bears

“You can’t be real excited about a guy’s play that year when they’re beaten out by someone else.  Zach went into the season as the starter, and didn’t play as well as he needed to early on, which allowed Tim [Jennings] to take advantage of that opportunity. So Zach needs to come back [strong] this year, which he’s capable of doing.”

  • John Mullin at CSNChicago.com (in my opinion correctly) points out the the Bears are probably looking to improve the interior of the offensive line rather than offensive tackle.
  • ChicagoBears.com is doing an interesting series of videos on the draft’s top 30 prospects.  I don’t think its likely Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith will fall to the Bears but character issues might drag him down:

  • Most Bear fans would be extremely happy if Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey fell to them:

Kicking and Screaming – Ditka’s Soccer Practice
Tags: Kicking and Screaming – Ditka’s Soccer Practice

Elsewhere

“While Nawrocki concedes Newton’s physical skills are immense, he still considers the Auburn QB a risky gamble on greatness.

“Under ‘negatives’ for Newton, Nawrocki writes: ‘Very disingenuous — has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup. Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law — does not command respect from teammates and will always struggle to win a locker room. … Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness — is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable.’”

  • As are the Chargers:

“It would take a skilled psychologist to determine what goes through the mind of an NFL player that had the world at his fingertips and willfully let it all slip away.”

“Did the Jets know about Ainge’s problems before or after the draft?  If they didn’t know, it raises a lot of questions about drug-testing procedures in the league.”

  • Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports correctly points out the powerlessness of the NFL fan to do anything about the NFL lockout.  The only substantial thing you can do is to stop allowing the NFL owners and players from making money from you.  That is, to stop being a fan.  Which kind of defeats the purpose.
  • Now that AFLAC has fired Gilbert Gottfried, Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones wants to be the new mascot:

One Final Thought

Seifert, ESPN‘s NFC North blogger, quotes Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy in a nice entry about the team’s quarterback school, something McCarthy runs every March:

“…it’s to give those young quarterbacks that chance to go back to square one every year. You learn the base protections, all the adjustments, I’ve been in the same offense since 1989, and I still learn something new each year. You’re never too experienced or been in it long enough to not find a better way this year.

“Because today’s game, it’s just a big circle. The NFL is just a circle of adjustments, whether it’s the 3-4, or whether it’s the 4-3, whether you’re spreading them out or running the ball. You really don’t run new plays. There are so many great coaches and players that have come before us and you’re just reinventing the stuff that have been done over history. You try to stay one step ahead of your opponents.”

Its not hard to figure out why the Packers won the Super Bowl last year.  The players are expected to go the extra mile in preparation and they do it.

I’d suggest that the Bears should run on one of these “quarterback schools”, too.  But you’d need a coach who could teach something to quarterbacks who will listen.  I’ve seen little evidence that the Bears have either.  That tells you something.

Five Apps Every Sports Fan Needs and Other Points of View

Bears

“Asked if [Jay] Cutler would still be a Bronco if he were in charge at the time, Elway said, ‘There’s a good possibility, yeah.

“’I would say that. But I don’t know. I wasn’t in the middle of that. I didn’t know Jay real well.

“’But I would have done everything I can, especially when you have a talent like you have in Jay. Those guys don’t come around very often.’”

  • ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert answers your questions: including this one about whether the Bears need for a receiver:

“melliott74 writes: I remember a few years ago the Steelers were looking for a bigger receiver, and they drafted a ‘steal’ in the 2nd round named Limas Sweed. You’re welcome to take him.

“Kevin Seifert: Well, to be fair, Sweed’s career has been derailed for reasons other than being a big receiver who didn’t play that way. Most notably, he ruptured an Achilles tendon last spring.

But I understand what you’re saying. As they prepare for the draft and free agency, I don’t think the Bears should over-prioritize height for receivers. All I’m saying is that coach Lovie Smith is right to note that he doesn’t have a big receiving threat.

Tight end Greg Olsen could fill that role sometimes, but it’s not the same as having a speed-based threat who can ‘go up and get it.'”

Elsewhere

“Scouts say as many as nine outside linebackers are getting no worse than third-round grades from most teams, which is astounding.”

“I would say that one thing you definitely miss is that team camaraderie.  There’s a few guys that come out here daily, so we get a little bit of it. But it’s not the same as a traditional offseason, where it’s 50 guys out there and you’re all working towards one purpose. For the most part, though, we’ve been pushing each other very well.”

“The Jerry 2.0 years started with seemingly effectiveness, as he has retained many of the player templates installed in the [Bill] Parcells years.  Every player from Dallas ’08 draft remains in the league and the one player Dallas cut, 6th rounder Erik Walden, just earned a Super Bowl ring with the Packers.

“That said, the high-round gambling which dogged Jerry 1.0 [between Jimmy Johnson and Parcells] appears to be creeping back into the Cowboys drafts.  Martellus Bennett is a physically imposing, but equally immature tight end, a fact the ’08 Hard Knocks made plain.  Bennett continues to progress slowly, but thus far represents a poor return for a 2nd round pick.”

  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the clock at ESPN:

  • Of interest to Bears fans is this entry in the Whispers feature at Pro Football Weekly:

“Not many people expect the Patriots to keep both their first-round picks (Nos. 17 and 28). The Pats also start the second round with the 33rd overall selection. The 28th appears to be the one for sale, and a report surfaced from the owners meeting in New Orleans that the Chargers could be a suitor. The Patriots have more holes to fill than you would think for a team coming off a 14-2 record, with a young defense and an aging offensive line. However, that shouldn’t end the Draft Day tradition of Bill Belichick making a deal and trading an early pick for a future pick.”

The Bears have the 29th pick, the one immediately after the relevant Patriots spot.

One Final Thought

This time of year the news in the press (and subsequently much of what you find referenced in this blog) is dominated by what people say about the draft.  So these statements by Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel in the National Football Post have particular relevance, especially to the teams fans:

“I used to tell people in the last few weeks leading up to the draft that the first thing I have to do when the draft is over is go to confession and beg for forgiveness for all the lies I told the previous two months.”

“While I was with the Bears, I would change things every year so the media could not be certain as to why we were doing things. One year I may bring in for visits many of the players we were interested in and the next year not bring in any and then the next year only guys we may want as potential free agents. Of course then there were some years when you would bring in the big “smoke screen” candidate only to let other clubs “think” we were interested in that player. I felt you could never have a pattern on how you did business; you have to change from year to year especially when dealing with the draft. If I was ever asked about a certain player’s injury, I would always say that it was a concern even if it wasn’t. If that answer would throw off what a few clubs thought we may want to do then it was the right answer.

“The bottom line is the only things that you can really believe is what you know to be true.”

Bears Mock Draft Round Up

I’ve promised an occasional update on who various mock drafts around the Internet say the Bears will be taking.  Today seemed like a good day for it.

There are lots of names to consider as the experts are all over the board with this pick.  Most rightly have the Bears looking at offensive and defensive linemen.  But as I’ve said before, general manager Jerry Angelo is most likely to take the best player available at any one of a variety of positions.  The Bears have two linebackers on the entire roster. Its unlikely that there are any safeties worthy of the pick but cornerback and even wide receiver are not out of the realm of possibility in the first round if the right guy falls.

What matters most is that this pick be an impact player if at all possible.

Peter Schrager, FOX Sports

Rodney Hudson, G/C, Florida State: The Bears have needs across the offensive line and would be more than pleased to snag Hudson, a fast-rising prospect who impressed during his workouts and interviews at the Combine. Though he played guard in college, Hudson — who weighed in at 299 pounds in Indy — could be a center in the NFL. Versatile, smart and sound, Hudson would be an immediate upgrade for Chicago’s shaky front five.

John Crist, Scout.com

Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State:  The release of [Tommie] Harris means three-technique tackle just shot up the list of priorities, and Paea can do more than just bench 225 pounds 49 times.

Don Banks, SI.com

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State:  The Bears offensive line needs attention and Sherrod is the highest-rated remaining tackle available. Though his play has drawn some comparisons to underachieving 2008 Bears first-round pick Chris Williams — not what Chicago fans want to hear — Sherrod is considered NFL-ready and would offer the Bears immediate help.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN

Nate Solder, OT, Colorado:

Chicago should be thrilled if Solder is available here. He has added bulk to a 6-foot-8 frame, making him a guy who could help in a run game that really fell off in 2010. All the questions about his toughness aside, Chicago let Jay Cutler take far too many hits over the last two seasons and Mike Martz isn’t reluctant to run the ball if he has an offensive line he can run behind with consistency.



[Author’s note:  Kiper often seems to have a good handle on what the Bears are thinking.  I’m expecting him to update this mock draft any day and I’ll probably do a separate post on it.]


 

Pat Kirwan, NFL.com

 

Aaron Williams, CB, Texas:  The Bears know there is some depth late in the first round at corner and get a shot at a smooth athlete. Williams ran a slow 40 at the combine and needs to run faster at some point. He’ll have a chance at Texas’ pro day on March 28.

Todd McShay, ESPN

Sherrod:  This is a tough spot for the Bears and I struggled with who to project here. Chicago won’t find a solid answer when it comes to upgrading at left offensive tackle or 3-technique on defense, and Sherrod is a bit of a reach here but he is the best available tackle and does offer the versatility to move inside to guard if needed. I can see the Bears sensing problems at No. 29 and trading up in an effort to get [Mike] Pouncey, or they could offer this pick to a team targeting a specific player and looking to trade back into the end of the first round. If they’re stuck, though, needs could go out the window and Chicago could simply take the top player on its board.

Wes Bunting, National Football Post

Pouncey, C/OG, Florida:  I think the Bears would like to add a tackle here, but with a value like Pouncey still on the board — who can come in and fill a number of holes inside early in his NFL career — he might be too good to pass up.

Rob Rang, CBSSports.com

Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois: Liuget has the talent to warrant consideration in the top 20, but could see a slip on draft day through no fault of his own. The 6-2, 298-pounder is a classic three-technique defensive tackle for the 4-3 alignment and with only half of the teams operating out of this scheme, he could take a tumble as clubs focus on bigger needs. His strength, surprising quickness and low center of gravity could make him an ideal fit for the Bears, especially with Chicago’s recent release of Tommie Harris.

Chad Reuter, CBSSports.com

Liuget: Tommie Harris is gone and Anthony Adams is a free agent.

Pete Prisco, CBSSports.com

Liuget: They let Tommie Harris go, which means they need help inside. They take the local kid to take a step in that direction.

Brian Galliford, SBNation.com

Sherrod: For whatever reason, Sherrod isn’t highly valued amongst the draftniks out there. He’s an instant starter at left tackle in Chicago.

Scott Wright, DraftCountdown.com

Liuget:  The general consensus is that the Bears most glaring need is along the offensive line and that they are a mortal lock to go in that direction with this pick. There is no denying that Chicago has issues up front and they might very well opt for a blocker in round one. However, USC’s Tyron Smith, Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo, Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi and Colorado’s Nate Solder could all be gone by this point and the next best option would be Derek Sherrod of Mississippi St, who is considered to be a borderline first round talent. If that’s the case the Bears may choose to look elsewhere. One alternative may be defensive tackle, where Tommie Harris was recently sent packing and they lack the type of disruptive playmaker  at the position that is so crucial in Lovie Smith’s system. Local product Corey Liuget of Illinois is an athletic, quick, penetrating three-technique who’d be an ideal replacement for Harris. Liuget still doesn’t get much ink but make no mistake about it, he’s a legit (pun intended) first rounder who could even be selected much earlier than this. It probably wouldn’t hurt to add a top-flight cornerback such as Jimmy Smith of Colorado or Aaron Williams of Texas either since there  isn’t  much  to  speak  of  beyond  Charles Tillman.

DraftAce.com

Muhammad Wilkerson, DT,Temple:  By releasing Tommie Harris the Bears opened up a gaping hole on their defensive line. If the season started today they would probably be forced to start Matt Toeaina and Henry Melton at tackle. The Bears defense has been great for a number of years now, but the system only works if the defensive line does its job. Wilkerson didn’t get attention playing at Temple, but he’s established himself as a legitimate 1st-round pick in his offseason workouts.

WalterFootball.com

Liuget:  The poor Bears can’t upgrade their offensive front because all the first-round prospects are off the board. They could reach for Ben Ijalana or Stefen Wisniewski, but they might as well just wait until Round 2 to upgrade the line.

Corey Liuget is the best player available, and he makes a ton of sense for Chicago. Tommie Harris lost his starting job due to performance and was ultimately released. The Bears will be seeking an upgrade at defensive tackle.

Other 2011 NFL Draft Possibilities:

1. Derek Sherrod, OT or Mike Pouncey, G – The Bears have to improve Jay Cutler’s protection.

2. Brandon Harris, CB – The Bears will look to upgrade the cornerback position this offseason. Brandon Harris is the top cornerback on the board.

NewNFLDraft.com

Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt:  Jay Cutler has had some good games this year and of late has had some really really bad games. I think he has some good receiving weapons but he doesn’t have any big targets. So I have them taking a top tier WR in Jonathan Baldwin from Pitt. Baldwin showed that he has very good physical skills at the combine but I am still not sure that he is a first round prospect….

Nolan Nawrocki, ProFootballWeekly.com

Liuget:  Julius Peppers worked wonders for Chicago’s defensive line last season, and if Rod Marinelli could find an interior rusher capable of upgrading the inside, the Bears would be in business. Liuget has the initial quickness to thrive in gaps and could help replace Tommie Harris, who was cut.

Jeff Roemer, DraftSeason.com

Liuget:  Despite a 1st-round offensive line talent remaining, the Bears address a secondary need along the interior d-line, especially after the departure of Tommie Harris.  Ending what could be a very undeserving slide, I have the Bears staying in-state with Liuget…

Roemer Recommendation – Allen Bailey, DT, University of Miami:  With Liuget rightly off the board in the top 10 of my recommended mock, Allen Bailey should sneak into the back of the 1st round.  He quietly had two very productive upper-class campaigns to close out his college career, including impact penetration plays.