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:

Posted in Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins | Leave a comment

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

“[BillParcells 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:

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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.

Posted in Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Leave a comment

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.

Posted in Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins | Leave a comment

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.

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A New Perspective on the X’s and O’s of Bears Football and Other Points of View

Bears

“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.”

As I’ve said before, I think the Bear do need a third corner.

“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 TaylorI 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.

Elsewhere

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.’

“‘He needs to be around more positive people.’”

“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.”

“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.’”

  • The Denver Broncos are on the clock at ESPN:

“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:

Posted in Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans | Leave a comment

Kiper Likes Nate Solder Fit for the Bears and Other Points of View

Bears

  • 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 Weekly looks 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.”

“‘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.

Elsewhere

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

Who doesn’t like tulip buds?

“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.“

One Final Thought

Kiper is starting to think Nate Solder to the Bears might be a good fit.

Posted in Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets | Leave a comment

Only the Players Get Younger. And Other Points of View

Bears

“As much as the critics will argue they need an offensive lineman I’m not sure that’s something that’s at the top of their list,” the former executive for the Redskins and Texans said Wednesday. “You might see a good defensive player fall to them, whether it’s a guy like [Purdue defensive end Ryan} Kerrigan as an outside pass rusher, maybe somebody along those lines.”

  • Jeff Dickerson at ESPNChicago.com gives the Bears Derek Sherrod in his mock draft.  He’s got them passing on Akeem Ayers, who’s probably a better player and who might fill a hole at strong-side linebacker.  But that’s not a value position.
  • Mel Kiper and Todd McShay at ESPN talk Bears draft:

Elsewhere

“There is no way to sugar coat a team that went on to fire its coaching staff and to release many of its best defensive players and just start over – including making no effort to retain Ryan. But after breaking down a few of their finer efforts, I have come to the conclusion that Ryan’s creativity and motivational skills are two of his finest traits. And I submit to you that both of those are the two traits that I felt were sorely missing in Dallas the last few years.”

I’d have to quote virtually the entire article to hit upon all of the interesting strategical points here.  Its great reading.

“Q: Is Stephen Jones the only person in the Cowboys organization who has influence over his father?
“Reginald Smith, Dallas

“TAYLOR: He has more influence than anyone else. I think Jason Garrett is high on the list, too. Jason is a smart guy, and I think Jerry truly respects him. That respect is the reason Jason really has a chance to succeed here. The key to winning in Dallas is being able to tell Jerry, ‘No. We don’t need to do it that way.’”

  • The Bengals are on the clock at ESPN:

  • as are the Bills:

  • and Kiper and McShay:

Strong Side:

“Leads the league in blog posts about how he should be the MVP.”

Weak Side:

“Still technically a bust for a first pick.”

One Final Thought

Welcome to the rest of your life, Kevin Seifert, who just realized that players born in 1990 are eligible for the NFL Draft:

“Every generation reaches that point. We’re at the point where babies born during the Bell Biv Devoe period are headed to the NFL. It’s time to pass the Geritol around. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we watched the Jim Harbaugh-led Chicago Bears win the NFC Central, all while dreaming about the Cradle of Love girl? “

Posted in Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys | Leave a comment

JaMarcus Russell as an Abject Lesson and Other Points of View

Bears

“On his Twitter account, former Packers public relations director Jeff Blumb said he was hearing through the NFL grapevine that that Packers would be playing the Chicago Bears in the Thursday night opener.

“My question is why?”

“The Bears’ defense was very, very physical. The O-line was not. I believe you can make average talent above average if you make them nasty. Can Mike Tice do that? Shane, Grand Forks, N.D.

“I think a good offensive line coach can improve technique, understanding and cohesion. I don’t think a good coach can make a player “nastier,” to use your term. A blocker’s temperament is something he’s born with. I suppose it can change over time, but if it does it’s probably more about what’s going on inside that player than how he responds to external forces.”

“To this point, there has been a general sense that Angelo — a onetime scouting director himself — has been drawn to individual players he likes more than he has been guided by a larger plan to build a balanced team. Case in point: He has drafted 18 defensive backs and 11 offensive linemen over his tenure. Six of those 11 offensive linemen were taken in the seventh round, part of the reason the Bears are short-handed at the position this offseason.”

“McShay said that he has 28 players with first-round grades in this year’s draft. Not what you want to think about if you’re, say, No. 29. But with the possibilities of reaching, that does not mean there won’t be a first-round talent when the Bears’ turn comes.”

Truth.  Every team sets its board differently based upon circumstances.  Besides, I think we can reasonably expect one or two teams to be taking second round quarterbacks in the second half of the first round, causing other prospects to fall.

  • Mullin had this to say about the new people who are influencing the Bears draft this year.

“Insiders say that [new director of player personnel Tim] Ruskell has shifted some of the often-excessive attention given to prospects targeted in later rounds and turned that on higher-round possibilities.”

“…[Mike] Tice is a player. What that suggests is that the lines will be addressed early and often, and probably pretty well.”

“I would like to see the Bears draft an impact three technique tackle in the first round considering the importance of the position and I’m really high on the DT from Oregon State Stephen Paea.  — Chris P., Virginia Beach, Va

“I think Paea is an interesting prospect, but I’d be surprised if he were taken in the first round, based on the front office men I’ve spoken with. He is projected to be a second- or third-round pick. Paea didn’t play as well last season as he did the year before. He’s also considered a little undersized for the position. He has good initial quickness, is tough and plays with good leverage, but he is not the explosive kind of interior pass rusher who gets double digit sacks in the NFL.”

A number of mock drafts have the Bears reaching for Paea.

“Is there a chance the Bears go after a wide receiver in free agency like Vincent Jackson, Sidney Rice or even Steve Smith? Craig, LaSalle, Ill.

“I would say there is a chance, depending on how the draft goes. If the Bears don’t pick a receiver in the draft, they almost assuredly will be in the market for one in free agency.“

“Of the last 10 players to be chosen with the 29th pick, seven of them became reliable starters. Only one of them has become a star, however.”

  • McShay got together with two scouts, one from the NFC and one from the AFC, to do a mock draft.  I can’t believe they gave the Bears nose guard Phil Taylor.  Admittedly he would have been the best player available and nose guards are extremely valuable – if you are a 3-4 team or if you are running the type of 4-3 that the Vikings have the last few years.  But at least on the surface, that’s an awful fit for the Bears defense.
  • Jeff Dickerson at ESPNChicago.com does a positional analysis of defensive tackles and defensive ends in the draft and Michael C. Wright does the same for the guards and offensive tackles.  I don’t necessarily agree with the grades – especially Wright’s evaluation of the guards – but its a reasonable listing of the relevant players.  The Bears will certainly be looking to upgrade the these positions early.

Elsewhere

  • The Arizona Cardinals are on the clock at ESPN:

  • Mel Kiper and McShay discuss what the teams at the top of the draft should do in the draft:

Pompei certainly says some good things about Newton but, as usual, its words like these that scare the crap out of you if you are drafting in the top 10:

“But he is not a very accurate passer and is an inconsistent decision-maker who played in a spread offense. His release is a little funny. Moreover, he is a one-year wonder after transferring twice and coming out early. Questions abound about his maturity and leadership as critics say he’s a finger-pointer who’s difficult to get along with. Newton comes with a demanding entourage.”

“‘Don’t believe everything you see and hear in the media,’ he said. ‘It’s not reality. I’m not a delicate, little, weeping flower. I’m the tough quarterback who won Super Bowls.’

“Brady says he will, however, continue wearing women’s underwear.”

One Final Thought

JaMarcus Russell is failing at life.  Or something.  Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports tells us that his life coach has fired him:

“[John] Lucas did not return several phone messages left for him, and agents Eric Metz and Ethan Locke did not want to discuss Russell’s condition. However, the sources said Russell’s lack of effort had driven even Lucas, who has made a career of helping athletes and others with drug and addiction problems, to the point of frustration.”

Matt Bowen at the National Football Post thinks Russell’s story should be a lesson to this year’s draft prospects.  It should be a lesson to us all.

“Talent? Everyone has talent or they wouldn’t be wearing a jersey with the NFL shield stitched on the front. What Russell didn’t have was the willingness to improve, to practice his craft and to act like a professional towards the game.”

“I don’t expect to ever see Russell play in the NFL again. That time—and that opportunity—was thrown away. However, the prospects that will soon be celebrating in family rooms across the country next week when they see their name flash across the screen need to take notice of this.

“Because they won’t last if they don’t show up ready to work.”

Posted in Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 Comment

A State of the Bears Address

Introduction

I usually groan when bloggers do things like this.  They almost always end up being long and winding discourses without focus that lose me about two paragraphs in.   Nevertheless, I actually had to put one together to apply to be a Bears “super fan” at ESPN Football Today so there’s a slight chance they’ll read parts of it to tear up on the podcast.  I figure if they get to take shots at me the least I can do is put it out there and let my friends do it as well.  I hope it generates some interesting discussion on the mailing lists and in some of the groups.

For a team that was a win away from the Super Bowl last year, the Bears have an amazing number of needs.  This is a veteran team with an aging defense that went through the season with barely a scratch due to injury.  Nevertheless the Bears got beat in the playoffs by a younger and much more injured Green Bay team.  It kills me as a Bears fan to say it but despite having so much fall in the Bears’ favor, Green Bay was the decidedly better team at the end of the year.

Coming off of what appeared from the outside looking in to be a good year, the Bears are in a deceptively bad situation, especially with a younger Lions team on the rise.  If the Vikings were to some how solve their quarterback problem with a good, immediate solution, they’ve also still got the horses to be a heap of trouble.

Headed into the Draft

Given their age, particularly on defense, the Bears need to build through the draft to fix what ails them.  Jerry Angelo’s draft strategy is usually very good and as a fan I’ve learned a great deal from him.  For example he works hard to leave himself open to take the best player available and he doesn’t fall in love with one guy.  Ordinarily this means re-signing your own guys and plugging holes with free agents that bring good value, leaving yourself free to take a talented player in the draft at most positions.

Obviously that isn’t what’s likely to happen this year as free agency is probably going to come after the draft instead of before the draft.  So Angelo took an interesting tack.  He left some of the free agents like Olin Kreutz, Anthony Adams, Pisa Tinoisamoa and, to a lesser extent, Danieal Manning hit the market.  This created holes to be filled in the draft with whatever the talent falls to them.  Then you figure he can make an effort to re-sign the guys he needs if necessary when free agency finally begins.  Frankly, the whole thing fascinates me.

Given Angelo’s strategy and approach to the draft, you’d think the Bears would be pretty good at it.  They’re not.  Like many good football teams you can have a great game plan but you still have to execute on the field.  The Bears are probably average at best in finding players in the draft and that’s only because they’ve been good in the later rounds.  Its true that they haven’t had first round picks for two years but Angelo’s record over his entire tenure with the Bears in the first three rounds hasn’t been good.  This might have been a factor in the shake up of their personnel department which resulted in the hiring of Tim Ruskell as director of player personnel.

Despite picking late the Bears do have some advantages this year.  They finally have the quarterback position working for them in the draft instead of against them and the Jay Cutler trade which resulted in the loss of first round picks in 2009 and 2010 and the loss of a third rounder in 2009, might finally start paying off.  The Bears don’t have a need at quarterback early in this draft but as many as a dozen other teams do.  That could means two things:

1) lots of opportunity to trade down with teams deperate to reach for a quarterback late in round 1.

2)  good non-quarterbacks falling to you as teams trade up into the mid-twenties to take guys you have no interest in.

Trading down is what I’d do here if possible.  I subscribe to the theory that two top 65 players are better than one and that there’s little difference between the 18th rated player on your board and a selection No. 45.  Having said that, I’m going to assume for the purposes of this application that the Bears don’t trade down and take the best available with three picks in rounds 1-3 and I’m assuming that they look for those players to compete to start.

The Bears absolutely have to hit on these picks.  People think what kills you the most is not drafting Pro Bowlers.  That hurts but far and away the fastest way to kill a team is to continue to address the same need position draft after draft because the guy you took last year didn’t cut it.  The Bears do need young playmakers but more than that, they need young guys who can start at positions the team can then forget about for years to come.  When you’re picking at 29, those are the guys you are more likely to find.

I didn’t shoot the moon by pushing for huge, big time free agents in this post.  Instead I worked under the assumption that the Bears will approach it as they have the majority of the time in the past.  They’re probably willing to spend some money in free agency but realistically the Bears usually look for value guys most years rather than the Julius Peppers of the world.

My needs are:

1)  offensive line
2)  defensive ine
3)  linebacker
4)  defensive back
5)  wide receiver
6)  quarterback
7)  running back

I’m assuming guys like Mike Pouncey are long gone but if any of the obvious, more highly ranked prospects at the line of scrimmage falls, the Bears should run, not walk, to the podium to take him.  Having said that, I’m stacking my first round board of likely candidates this way:

Ryan Kerrigan
Akeem Ayers
Stephen Paea
Cameron Heyward
Brooks Reed
Danny Watkins
Nate Solder
Gabe Carimi
Rodney Hudson

Offensive line

The offensive line blocked reasonably well in the running game but fell short protecting Cutler.  Cutler was sacked 52 times.  Nine of those came agains the New York Giants in Week 4 where he suffered a concussion.

The Bears have two key questions:

1)  What do you do at left tackle?
2)  What do you do with Chris Williams?

Williams finished the year at left guard but there’s no consensus on what they’re going to do with him.  One thing is reasonably certain.  They need to make a decision this offseason and they need to leave him wherever they put him to develop.

A lot may depend upon who falls to the Bears in the draft.  This is a good class for guards and centers and the guess here is that they draft at least one interior offensive lineman in the first three rounds.  I think this would be ideal.  Interior linemen tend to hit in the draft and to my eye Williams has been at his best at right tackle, which is where I’d move him and which is where I’d leave him from here on out.  The Bears are high on J’Marcus Webb and they swear he’s a good possibility at left tackle.  I have my doubts but I’ll accept it for now and leave Frank Omiyale to compete on both sides.

Worst case scenario is Webb fails at left tackle and Omiyale takes over.  The Bears are better and younger on the inside and they’re no worse at tackle than they were last year.  Best case scenario is they get younger everywhere and stabilize the line for years to come.

Aging free agent center Olin Kreutz appears to be the odd man out in this scenario.  If your drafted interior lineman isn’t a center, either Roberto Garza moves over (he’s played the position before) or Edwin Williams takes over there.  The Bears still like Lance Louis and E. Williams and its likely they’ll be able to compete for the jobs inside.

There is the possibility the Bears go offensive tackle in the first round here.  Nate Solder, Gabe Carimi and Derek Sherrod come to mind.  They’re all flawed, boom or bust guys.  It makes little sense to me to pick one unless you can plug him in on the left and I’m not seeing it at the end of round one.  I think picking up an interior lineman in rounds two or three or a guard like Danny Watkins or Rodney Hudson in round one is the safer route.

If the Bears do take a tackle, they should re-sign Kreutz and leave Chris Williams at guard.

Defensive line

Julius Peppers was on the field 88% of the time in 2010.  His counterpart Israel Idonije was on the field 80% of the time.  Peppers and Idonije combined for 3-1/2 sacks in the final seven games including the postseason.  The Bears talk about keeping their defensive linemen fresh by playing them in waves and clearly they aren’t doing it here.  They need a more capable third end.

The Bears also have to replace Tommie Harris, who was finally released, and they’ve let Anthony Adams hit free agency.  These are considerable voids to fill.

If I’m the Bears, I’m depending upon Matt Toeaina to continue to give solid play on a lot of the snaps.  I think I’ve also got no choice but to hope that Henry Melton makes a big step at defensive tackle next year.  Corey Wooton is another young guy at defensive end and he should be allowed to compete for some playing time.

But no matter what, I’m definitely looking at the draft here and I’m thinking that most likely I’m finding my guy in the first round.  Ryan Kerrigan, Stephen Paea, Cameron Heyward and Brooks Reed are all possibilities here, probably in that order.  I’d also like to see them re-sign Adams, particularly if the draft pick is a defensive end.

Linebacker

I’m astounded at how few experts see linebacker as a need for the Bears.  They have two – count them TWO – linebackers under contract, albeit good ones.  They are middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and weak side linebacker Lance Briggs.

The Bears let strong side linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa go to free agency and have extended a restricted free agent tender to Nick Roach under the 2010 rules.  But the fact remains that they need a starter at strong side linebacker and that should be a younger guy who could eventually move inside to replace the aging Urlacher.  They also need depth and they’re going to need special teams out of that depth at this position.

If I’m the Bears I’m looking to draft a starting strong side linebacker, probably in rounds two or three.  Akeem Ayers might be there in round one and is a possibility.  I’m also looking to resign Roach and perhaps at least one second tier free agent or one late round pick for depth.  Paul Posluszny comes to mind as a potential free agent and Jerry Angelo has always had a soft spot for Rocky McIntosh.  There would be nothing wrong with re-signing Tinoisamoa at their price.

Defensive back

The New England Patriots scarred me for life last season.  They literally shredded the Bears in one half of football before taking the rest of the game off and it was mostly because of one man – Wes Welker.  Really good teams like the Patriots are superb at moving versatile players around to create mismatches.  The only way to deal with these teams is to spend at least some time in single coverage rather than sitting in zone coverage and letting them do it.  That’s tough for a cover two team like the Bears because they don’t draft those kinds of corners.  They spend their money up front to create a pass rush and leave the coverage to bigger corners who can redirect receivers inside and play a zone.  So though the Bears did mix their coverages well last year, they had no answer for good guys like Welker in the slot and if they’re ever going to be among the elite, they have to find a third corner.  He doesn’t have to be great but he has to have some different qualities from the ones they have.

The Bears have Charles Tillman here and he’s a fixture.  But other than that, they have Zack Bowman, who spent the year in Lovie Smith’s dog house and Tim Jennings who did a serviceable job but who is only 5’8” and is just too short for comfort.  D.J. Moore was the nickel back and he was adequate most of the time but, as I said before, the Bears need an upgrade here.

At safety they’ve got Chris Harris, who will now be the strong safety opposite Major Wright at free safety.  They’ve let Danieal Manning hit free agency but I think they should re-sign him once he finds his worth on the open market.  They also need to re-sign Josh Bullocks who is a good special teams performer.

My gut feeling is that this is a need that might not get filled this year.  Aaron Williams and Brandon Harris are potential first round draft picks at corner but I think we’re looking for a later value pick in a middle round that you hope hits big.  Carlos Rogers might be a free agent choice here.

Quarterback

Its fish or cut bait time for Caleb Hanie at quarterback.  Jerry Angelo likes him but offensive coordinator Mike Martz doesn’t seem to.  In any case, Hanie is entering his fourth year in the league and he needs to either win the back up job or go.

The Bears need to look to draft a developmental quarterback in the mid to late rounds.  They also need to sign a free agent to compete with Hanie.  I’ve heard Drew Stanton’s name bandied about and he’d be an interesting choice.  Other than that there are plenty of veteran guys out there and its just a question of waiting until the starting jobs are filled and then picking the best one who will take a back up job.

Wide Receiver

Some are going to be surprised that I didn’t put wide receiver higher on this list.  There’s a reason for that.  The Bears receiver corp isn’t that great.  But they aren’t that bad, either.  Mostly they’re JAGs.

I like Earl Bennett.  He’s a reliable underneath guy that every team needs.  He makes plays when he needs to but he’s never going to be a game breaker.  Devin Hester is forever raw.  Johnny Knox shows flashes of potential but he was a fifth round pick and sometimes it shows.  He disappeared in the Green Bay games late in the year when their corners got physical with him.  Devin Aromashodu is gone.  The Bears have signed Andy Fantuz from the CFL but they could use a bigger guy.

Again, I’ll point to the Patriots and to the Packers as the way to become an elite team in the NFL.  You become a team that can create mismatches.  The Bears need better wide receiver play to do that.  The problem is that I don’t see it happening this year because they have too many higher priority positions to upgrade.

Bottom line, you don’t target wide receiver this year in the draft or in free agency if you are the Bears.  But if the high potential boom or bust type falls into the mid- to late- rounds, you take him.

Runningback

The Bears are really full up at running back but beyond Matt Forte, they’re all pretty much expendable.  Chester Taylor will be given another year but he’s got to perform better.  One of the problems the Bears have is that Taylor, Forte and Kahlil Bell are all the same back.  They need a bigger change of pace guy with a different style.  Harvey Unga, who the Bears took in the supplemental draft last year, might fit the bill but he was a seventh rounder and if you’re holding your breath waiting for a guy like that to emerge you’re in trouble.

The running game is really important in Chicago in November and December.  I’m not saying its a major priority but if a bigger back falls into their laps in the mid-to-late rounds, I see a need I’d like to see filled here.

Posted in Chicago Bears | 1 Comment