Correct Bears Pick Is Also the Most Likely and Other Points of View

Bears

“Oddly, [GM Jerry] Angelo was a better at drafting defensive players before [head coach Lovie] Smith arrived despite the seeming advantage the two should share by working off a different blueprint than other teams.”

Insert your thoughts about Smith’s influence in the draft room here.

“One league source with a stellar track record for predicting the Bears’ drafts said the defensive coaching staff will be pressuring Angelo and [player personnel boss Tim] Ruskell to take a cornerback.”

Too many people are ignoring this need. The Bears need a third corner and they could very well take one early if the right guy is there.

“This huge blocker will be a good fit on Mike Tice’s line. The Bears will be fortunate if he falls to them.”

Pompei’s probably right in that they will take him if he’s there. But I’m not sure he’s a good fit on a team that really needs a left tackle.

  • The rest of the Tribune’s contributors make their picks. A wide variety of choices which seems to be typical of the unpredictable nature of this draft, especially when considering such a late pick. Most of the picks reflect one of the six scenarios which Pompei describes here.
  • Mike Mayock at NFL.com has the Bears taking WR Jonathan Baldwin in the draft:

“The Bears want offensive or defensive line help, but at this point in the draft, those spots have been hit hard. If a trade down isn’t an option, they try to give Jay Cutler another target in the passing game. Baldwin is a talented wideout.”

Baldwin’s going to be a good player but I’m not sure he fits offensive coordinatorMike Matz‘s offense. And he’s a reach at that point. I’m not seing it.

“High character guy who fixes huge problem for Bears at guard. Age (26) not an issue.”

See One Final Thought below.

Meanwhile, Dickerson’s colleague Michael C. Wright has them jumping for joy at the chance of getting OT Anthony Castonzo.

“This could happen. Graded by some as a second-rounder.”

Dave Birkett at the Detroit Free Press disagrees (along with most of the rest of the world). He says that he woud be consider Costanzo a steal at 13. I don’t know about that but needless to say it would be the crime of the century at #29.

  • No one should be surprised by the news but Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune got a statement from an unidentified team executive that says that the Bears have made it known that they are willing to trade down. The executive represents a team picking higher than #42.  I doubt anyone volunteers information like this without an ulterior motive.
  • Michael C. Wright and Tom Waddle at ESPNChicago.com talk Bears draft needs and how they match up with who might be available to them:

“When the flurry of activity at Halas Hall ended, the Bears didn’t assign themselves a letter grade, but they did say they believed the draft would produce six starters for them. It was a lofty prediction, exceeding the usual goal [of four] Angelo has.”

“Unfortunately, the team can’t claim six starters from this group. Right now, it can’t claim four starters from an original group of 12. That’s not meeting the mark for Angelo.”

Biggs is judging this class according to what Angelo said and I think that’s more than fair. But I’m more inclined to judge it based upon my own expectations. I see four picks in the first three rounds. I expect a minimum of four starters from a draft which has that figuring some hits late and some misses early. I see three starters: Matt Forte, Earl Bennett and Chris Williams. I see two more solid contributors: Zack Bowman, Kellen Davis. All of the players from the 5th round up are still on the team. Its very debatable but I don’t think it was a bad draft.

  • John Mullin at CSNChicago.com says that Green Bay defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins is expected to be targeted by the Bears in free agency.
  • ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert had this interesting exchange regarding Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in a chat Tuesday afternoon. I think Seifert’s got the right on this one.  Your opinion may vary but remember the first half f the NFC Championship game (pre-injury) before answering to quickly.
  • New Hall of Famer Richard Dent apparently forgot to pay his taxes. A lot.

One Final Thought

John Mullin at CSNChicago.com comes through with the pick which I personally think would be both the right one and the one which is most likely: Watkins.

“If Derek Sherrod somehow is there, the Bears will happily take him and start Mike Tice working J’Marcus Webb and Sherrod at left tackle as soon as lockout terms permit. But tackles go fast and the Bears will be satisfied with Watkins even at age 27 because he will be a day-one starter at guard and could be a factor at tackle even at 6-3.”

Mullin’s mock draft looks very realistic to me and, though he makes Watkins sound like a consolation prize, I think its the right pick.  Watkins is likely going to be the best overall blocker available (even if Sherrod is there).

True it leaves the Bears trying to fill a hole at left tackle with the younger guys they’ve got and/or a free agent.  But the’d be far from the only team in the NFL trying to make do at the position, which traditionally offers only limited options every year.  Sometimes you do what you have to to get the best five guys on the field.


Lovie Smith the Victim of High Expectations and Other Points of View

Bears

  • There was plenty of lockout news that I won’t be talking about at the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
  • J’Marcus Webb and Anthony Adams are your Piccolo Award winners. This is notable because Adams is not curently a Bear and because both players apparently treated the situation with such honor and respect.
  • Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune quotes Webb:

“I wish (playing left tackle) was possible. They are real secretive. They haven’t necessarily talked to me about it. I would love to be in any position ready to do the job.

“I played four years in college and I feel natural there. It’s the premier position. That’s where players get paid. It’s a big challenge. That’s what I am all about.”

  • Michael C. Wright at ESPNChicago.com reviews the cornerback position in the draft. He acknowledges that the Bears will probably address the position though they already have a “wealth of talent” there.  Needless to say he likes D.J. Moore as the nickel back better than I do.
  • Wright makes some good points in this video:


“A lot has been made of Mike Tice’s desire to draft Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi, but he is projected to be picked higher than 29. Is there a chance the Bears will make a short jump up into the early- to mid-20s to get a player like Carimi? Darryl, Winnipeg, Manitoba”

“I would be very surprised if this happened, for two reasons. The first reason is the Bears don’t have extra picks to trade in order to move up. The second reason is Carimi is not perceived as a slam-dunk difference-maker. If he falls to 29, he’d be a fine pick. And there is a chance that will happen. But I don’t think he is the kind of player that teams are targeting in a trade-up. There is enough depth at the offensive line position that a trade-up for a player like Carimi probably would not be very smart.”

I might add that Carimi is generally projected to be a right tackle. Arguably the Bears already have three of those.

“Interestingly, Austin says he has no regrets. You have to wonder how teams interviewing him accept that answer knowing that by stepping out of bounds he took himself out of the game.”

  • This unsigned article at the Chicago Sun-Times (Neil Hayes?) speculates upon players at the Bears might take if they fall even though they aren’t at positions of highest need. I’m absolutely in favor of the Bears taking the best available at any position but quarterback and tight end.

Elsewhere


  • Mel Kiper at ESPN plays “skeptic or believer” as he goes over draft rumors.



“Mark Ingram and Mikel Leshoure will be picked in the first round.”

“Alabama’s Mark Ingram won’t get past Tampa Bay at 20 because of his strength, balance and rare vision. Illinois’ Mikel Leshoure, who is ahead of Ingram on some boards due to injury concerns regarding the former Heisman Trophy winner, will not get past New Orleans, New England or even Green Bay at 32 as 2010 breakout rookie James Starks and veteran Ryan Grant have both lost significant time to injuries in recent years.”

“Max Kielbasa
“Pittsburgh Steelers, 1943

“Max Kielbasa played two seasons at halfback for the Steelers. It can be presumed he then went on to open a sausage shop and/or star in adult films in Poland.”

One Final Thought

Pompei also gave this thoughtful answer to a fan question:

“Love Smith is one of the most successful Bears coaches in the history of the franchise. All of his players love him and play hard for him, and he has engaged in no controversial activity during his tenure. So, why do so many in the media call for his ousting? Is it because he doesn’t make for good copy? Mike Anderson, Evanston

“Interesting question. Lovie probably isn’t helped by the fact that his public persona is perceived as bland, and he isn’t very open in news conferences. But the reason he isn’t embraced more by the media and public probably goes well beyond that. My theory is the media and public probably would want any coached fired after seven years, assuming the coach isn’t winning Super Bowls regularly. It has less to do with Lovie than it does us. It’s just the fickle nature of the business and how demanding we have become of our teams. If a team isn’t collecting Lombardi Trophies, it is perceived to be failing. People forget this now, but back in the late 80s and early 90s, there were a lot of critics calling for Mike Ditka‘s head. Twenty years later, you would think he should be put up for canonization.”

Moving Chris Williams to Center a Risky Business

Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times says that there have been discussions at Halas Hall about moving offensive tackle/guard Chris Williams to center. Its an interesting idea but I really question whether it will work.

As we consider this possibility, its worth noting the comments that Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano made about moving guards to the center position last month:

“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.

Its a big risk.

Labor Problems Decreasing Interest in the Draft? And Other Points of View

Bears

  • 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 Cavallari are 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 Gould has 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.
  • Mulligan and I see eye-to-eye on the Bears draft history:

“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.”

“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.”

Elsewhere

“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:


“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.”

One Final Thought

Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com says that he hasn’t seen the usual spike in traffic at his site because interest in the NFL draft is down:

“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.

Saying It All About the Draft and Other Points of View

Bears

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 names Rob Rang at CBSSports.com has on the Bears draft board:

–CB Brandon Harris, Miami (Fla.)
–CB-FS Aaron Williams, Texas
–OT Nate Solder, Colorado
–OT Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State
–OL Danny Watkins, Baylor

Elsewhere

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 Post breaks 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:

“And this is supposed to surprise me how?”

Marshall was stabbed by his wife Friday.

One Final Thought

Also from King:

“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.

Brandon Marshall Stabbed By Wife and Other Points of View

Bears

“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.”

“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.”

“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.

On the Clock: Bears. Watch more top selected videos about: Chicago Bears, Sports Studio

Elsewhere

  • 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.

  • The Bears have a very definite need at a three technique defensive tackle and Steve Muench at ESPN sees some good ones beyond the first round.
  • 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.”

I say go get ‘em, baby.  Make those linemen drop.

“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.”

One Final Thought

The Sports Pickle talks about sporty license plate slogans.  Here’s one that touches close to my heart:

Great Pick Up Lines in Sports. And Other Points of View.

Bears

  • 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.”’

Angelo has never forgotten Parcells’ draft advice – Inside the Bears

“[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 Tribune quotes 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.”

“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

“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.”

“[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:

Mike Singletary Will Be a Better Head Coach Next Time Around. And Other Points of View.

Bears

“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.

“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.”

“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.”

Elsewhere

One Final Thought

Pompei answers your questions:

“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.

The Bears and the NFL Top 100. And Other Points of View

Bears

  • 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.
  • Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune says that the Bears won’t be playing in London if there’s no labor deal by Aug. 1.
  • 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.
  • Charles Tillman and his wife went on Oprah to meet the mother who donated her son’s heart so that Tillman’s daughter could live.  Via Sean Jensen at the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • 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:

“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.

“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.
  • Jensen picks Derek Sherrod for the Bears in a mock draft for NFL.com.

Elsewhere

  • 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.
  • Jeff Fisher says he wants to coach again in 2012.  Florio continues to express his skepticism about Fisher’s history with the Titans.
  • 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.
  • Evan Silva at profootballtalk.com might as well just say out right that there’s no way Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb gets traded.
  • Michael David Smith also at profootballtlk.com, indicates that, to no one’s surprise, the Patriots are willing to trade draft picks.  Historically they’re pretty good at it:

“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 Bowen relates 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.

Drafting for a Better Future Instead of an Ugly Present

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.”

It is with that in mind that I note Dan Pompei‘s review of the outside linebackers in this year’s NFL draft for the Chicago Tribune.  Here’s what he says about the Bears need there:

“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.