NFL Sends Inconsistent Signals with Recent Rule Change and Other Points of View

Bears

“One thing Phillips said on the issue [of the grass playing surface at Soldier Field], however, sounds like an utter crock: ‘The players know how to play on it, and frankly, it’s been part of our home-field advantage.’ The Bears players rip it as much or more than opponents do. They don’t like it and don’t sound confident on that kitty-litter. And I wouldn’t be talking home-field advantage if I just lost the NFC Championship Game at home.”

  • Sean Jensen at the Chicago Sun-Times points out the the NFL chose what head coach Lovie Smith considered to be the worst possible option for the kickoff rules:

“’The part that we’re not OK with is moving the ball up to the 35-yard line,’ Smith said. ‘The rest of it, we could live with.’

“Much to Smith’s chagrin, the NFL voted to move the kickoff yard line from the 30 to the 35 and opted to keep two-man wedges and touchbacks at the 20-yard line.”

“Other owners and their representatives crowed about McCaskey’s speech, which is what you do when you want to keep the sucker at the poker table — praise his play. But if McCaskey wasn’t so worried about his speech, then maybe he would’ve shown some clout to round up enough votes to block the new kickoff rule.

But no. The Bears were unable to prevent the NFL from minimizing the league’s most dangerous return game. The Steelers, meanwhile, with one of the hardest-hitting defense, made sure that proposals regarding hits on defenseless players didn’t pass. Some teams have clout, apparently. Some teams have Fredo McCaskey.”

  • Jensen also writes of Bears president Phillips’ confidence that the team is in good shape headed into a lockout:

“I think it’s huge,” Phillips said when asked about his team’s continuity, “and with the labor uncertainty we have now, that’s why we’ve preached, internally, to cover all bases and be ready because you never know when the deal is going to get done.

“We’re going to have a competitive edge.”

  • Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribune quoting Smith on the criticism of the Bears for announcing quarterback Jay Cutler‘s return as “questionable” after his injury in the NFC Championship game:

“We can’t worry about the criticism.  We’re trying to win a football game. … What were we supposed to do? We’re behind, trying to win the biggest game in the history of our franchise. Let’s worry about what everybody is thinking about our quarterback? That’s the last thing.”

  • It also sounds like Pompei has a suspicion the Bears might be drafting interior offensive linemen rather than tackles as he answers questions from fans:

Are the Bears really considering Florida’s center Mike Pouncey with their first pick in the draft? I think it’s more than time to bring on Olin Kreutz successor, don’t you? And, would the Bears trade up to draft him? — Walter Brzeski, Chicago

If they aren’t, they should be. The Bears might need help on their interior offensive line more than they need help at the tackle position. Within two years, they might need three new starters at left guard, right guard and center. Pouncey could start out this year as the left guard, and then move inside to center when Kreutz moves on (assuming Kreutz is re-signed). The problem is Pouncey probably won’t be on the board when the Bears pick at No. 29. Trading up is a possibility, but it would come with drawbacks. The Bears have had a deficit of high draft picks over the last two years because of trades. Giving away two high draft picks for one good prospect in this scenario might not make good sense.

I agree 100% both because I think the guard and center positions are a need and because the draft probably will fall such that it will make the most sense for the Bears to go that way.  But what they do will probably depend mostly upon how they feel about the fourth or fifth tackle prospects as opposed to their second guard prospect, though.  And the defensive linemen available will factor in as well.

  • Smith’s comments about the backup situation at guard would seem to validate Pompei’s opinion.  Smith doesn’t sound happy about their play last year.  Via Michael C. Wright at ESPNChicago.com:

“If you just be a team player, eventually, you’re gonna really get a chance to prove whether you can play or not, and you need to take advantage of your opportunity.  Lance [Louis] hasn’t taken advantage of his opportunity. Edwin [Williams] did not take advantage of his opportunity, or hasn’t taken advantage of the opportunity yet. We still like those guys. They’re young players that are in the system.”

“Overall, Sherrod will eventually become a winning left tackle in the league. Some teams may start him off on the right side while he gains experience but he has the traits to play on the left side. The more tape I watched of this player the more I liked him. He has range and athleticism to go along with long arms…all traits needed to become an effective left tackle in the league.”

“There isn’t a prejudiced bone in our bodies or my dad’s body,” Ryan said, including twin brother and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. “That’s why I know it’s crazy.”

“‘We didn’t come out and check the body or nothing like that, but he’s fine,’ Smith said. ‘I talked to Jay just before he went on his trip to Africa. His spirits are high, in a good mood, you know. [He’s] excited about everything.”

Cutler’s had a rough month or two and its nice to know they were talking to him.

  • There aren’t many matchups Julius Peppers can’t win but this is one of them.
  • The Bears website is featuring a quick 4 minute feature on general manager Jerry Angelo and the NFL draft.  Most of the footage appears to be from last year but its still pretty good:

Elsewhere

  • To no one’s surprise, Bengals owner Mike Brown isn’t backing down on his refusal of quarterback Carson Palmer‘s request for a trade.  Palmer is threatening to retire. Via Joe Reedy at the Cincinnati Enquirer:

“I haven’t talked to any other team about him and I have no plans to trade him.”

Brown’s problem goes well beyond the quarterback.  If he gives in on Palmer there might be a line of players behind him.

  • Most Bear fans have one hope as regards the future prospects of the very young and talented Green Bay Packer team.    That is that they handle success in the same way that the Bears handled it after their Super Bowl run in 2006 – poorly.  However it seems that head coach Mike McCarthy is more aware of the problem that Lovie Smith apparently was.  Via Rob Demovsky at the Green Bay Press Gazzette:

“’We’ve achieved team success at the highest level, and I’m a big believer that every level you hit brings new devils,’ McCarthy said. ‘Definitely, there will be some new challenges that come with winning the Super Bowl. We’re anticipating it. It’s something we’ll talk about and keep in the forefront as a football team because to me, that’s where I’ve seen failure.'”

“I think our division is extremely competitive … It’s very competitive. We were 4-2 in our division games, and we strive to do better than that, and we’re going to need to do better than that. I think our division, we spend a lot of time on division games, I’d put our division up against anybody’s. It’s competitive as hell.”

  • NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert at ESPN quotes Lions head coach  Jim Schwartz on how they are monitoring the rehab of quarterback Matthew Stafford during the lockout.  There isn’t supposed to be any contact between the organization and the players during this time:

“Our trainers are in communication not with the players but the people who are doing their rehab… We can’t supervise, but we can communicate with the people who supervise. So you have an idea. And you know they’re at professional places.”

“It’s hard to say (it was a wasted year).  I think sometimes setbacks are set-ups for better things in the future. Sometimes your best lessons come from tough times. I think I’m a better coach today with that experience. Not the record, but I think it made me better as a coach.”

“From my vantage point I couldn’t quite see whether Pete Carroll wore a cat-ate-the-canary look on his face when he heard the question. But when a Philadelphia-based reporter inquired whether his Seahawks have had conversations with the Eagles regarding a trade for quarterback Kevin Kolb, you could almost hear Carroll’s brain whirling as he very carefully chose his words.

“‘There’s no conversations going on,’ said Carroll, perhaps notably dropping into present tense. ‘Not what you want. I talk to [Eagles head coach] Andy [Reid] a lot. I like Andy a lot.”’

Translation:  Carroll is determined to overpay for Kolb and make the Eagles an even better team for years to come by giving them multiple high round draft picks.

  • Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant ejected from mall in Dallas for the high crime of wearing droopy pants.  He didn’t take it well.

One Final Thought

Jensen again on the kickoff rule change:

“Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, insisted player safety superseded any other points.”

Except that it didn’t.  All NFL plays are dangerous.  This one might or might not exceed the standard of what’s too risky and what isn’t.  But one thing is clear.  If – and its a big “if” – the play actually is too dangerous and if player safety really does supersede all other points, it should have been eliminated.

The truth of the matter is that this was a war between player safety and the money that comes from highlights of exciting kickoff returns.  So we are left with half measures as fans are sent a mixed message.  As a result the whole thing sounds more like an effort to make it look like the league is protecting the players than one to actually go all out and do it.

This was a poor decision all around.

Smith’s Comments Lead to Speculation about the Look of the Bears Offensive Line in 2011

Dan Pompei summarized Bears head coach Lovie Smith‘s comments on the plan for the offensive line this coming year for the Chicago Tribune:

“He said he has an idea of how he would like the offensive line to set up, but how it shakes out is dependent on additions. Smith said he believes [J’Marcus] Webb, who played right tackle as a rookie, has the physical ability to play left tackle. He was noncommittal about where Chris Williams would play, but he would like the former first-round pick, who has played three positions, to lock into one.”

This isn’t much to go on but its March.  That makes it speculation season.  If Smith really likes Webb at left tackle then the situation on the outside becomes a bit clearer and we might be able to make some guesses about what’s going to happen here.

The Bears will likely have a guard available to them in the draft.  Guards tend to be undervalued in the top rounds because teams still figure they can pick them up later.  In the first round they’d probably ideally Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey to fall to them.  Baylor guard Danny Watkins is more likely to be there and he’s a good possibility.

If the Bears take an interior lineman they probably either put him at center (Pouncey) or put him at guard to compete.  Sadly, this may mean letting center Olin Kreutz leave via free agency, particularly if Pouncey is their guy.  If a really good offensive tackle were to fall to them (unlikely) then Kreutz stays.  But an interior offensive lineman might spell the end for him with the Bears.

This would be a blow as Kreutz is a leader who brings an attitude which the team reflects.  But Kreutz’s play has been deteriorating and he’s never been good at handling big men over center.  The Bears have had to make adjustments in the way the line plays, often pulling him, to accommodate his deficiencies.  I’m afraid his days with the team have been numbered for a few years now.

This leaves us to speculate about Chris Williams.  The fact that the Bears haven’t settled on a position for him probably means its going to depend upon who they draft.  If the Bears draft a tackle, he probably competes at guard.  If its an interior lineman then he’s at right tackle.  Probably they would prefer the latter with Frank Omiyale also competing to start at tackle on either side.

Let’s assume that the Bears pick up an interior lineman.  We are left with:

Webb, Williams, Omiyale competing at tackle
Lance Louis, Edwin Williams, Roberto Garza/possible draftee competing at guard
Garza/possible draftee at center

If its a tackle we have:

Webb, Omiyale, draftee competing at tackle
C. Williams, Louis, E. Williams, Garza competing at guard
Kreutz or Garza at center

If the draft doesn’t yield a good offensive lineman somewhere at the top of the draft then the Bears sign at least one (hopefully high quality) free agent and the above situations still apply.  Indeed, they may do that regardless of who they draft.

Still not very specific but a plan and there are certainly potential variations but, nevertheless, something similar to this leaves the team flexible with numerous possibilities to keep in the back of our heads going into the NFL draft.

The Challenge for George McCaskey

Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribune writes about the succession of leadership at Halas Hall.  Michael McCaskey is stepping down and being replaced as chairmen of the board by his brother George McCaskey.  Here’s the quote that caught my eye:

“George is expected to have a somewhat different style from Michael, but he is not expected to be dabbling in football decisions.

“‘I’ve given a lot of thought to how to do the job,’ George said. ‘I’ve got three chairmen as predecessors with vastly different styles. One of the things I’m thinking a lot about is how to be informed and involved without interfering.'”

That’s certainly the right attitude.  But it won’t be easy.

Fans piss and moan and magazines like Forbes pick at the Bears finances.  But as far as I’m concerned, Bears ownership has been generally good for the fans since the 90s when Michael was kicked up stairs from team president to chairman by his mother Virginia McCaskey.

The McCaskeys supply the necessary support, monetary and otherwise.  And they have spent money.  But generally speaking, I’m convinced that they’ve left the football operations to football people.  No matter what anyone says about general manager Jerry Angelo, every reasonable person can agree that they’d rather have him making those decisions.

George McCaskey has a challenge on his hands.  Until now Bears ownership has been very low key, staying as far behind the scenes as possible.  That has its good points but it leaves the impression that they are hiding from the fans rather than working for their benefit.  So the guess here is that when Pompei says that “George is expected to have a somewhat different style from Michael”, I think it may mean that he will be more of a public face of the franchise.  I would speculate that he’ll do more interviews and generally be more visible.  But how do you do that without exerting undue influence on football matters through your public comments?

Whether McCaskey successfully achieves the proper balance or not, one thing is certain.  At least he has the right idea going in.

Mike Singletary is a Parent Who Knows How to Do It and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Chicago Tribune columnist Dan Pompei conducted a wide ranging interview with Bears president Ted Phillips.  Phillips told him that the team expects to be able to spend money on free agents when the labor stoppage ends.  We’ll see if that’s still the case if game (and substantial revenue) are lost.
  • Phillips also described what I would consider to be a reasonable attitude toward the new rule changes with respect to kickoff returns:

“There are some aspects to the proposal, including the elimination of the two-man wedge and having all the players except the kicker no more than 5 yards behind the ball, that would be more acceptable than moving the kickoff to the 35.”

Bottom line, the Bears don’t mind making kickoff returns safer.  But they see no reason to cut down on the number of them.  I’ve got a feeling that the Bears won’t be alone in that attitude.

Phillips admitted members of the organization “really haven’t talked to him.”

“Maybe some of the coaches did,” Phillips said. “Now, with the work stoppage, we can’t talk to him. But when the time comes, we’ll sit down with him and see how things are going.”

With months of offseason ahead with no contact, let’s hope that someone did talk to him.

Asked if the Bears would consider trading [quarterback Jay] Cutler, Phillips said, “I mean, no one is untradeable. But we couldn’t be happier with Jay as our QB. He’s our guy. Our organization has never wavered in saying, ‘Jay’s our quarterback, and we’re excited to have him.’”

The last time someone told Cutler that he wasn’t untradeable, he was headed out of town.  Let’s hope he reacts better in his current environment.

  • And Charles Barley is showing up Dez Clark on the golf course:

Elsewhere

“I think we’ve got good people that are going to help them [in] their fundamentals and get them from a technique standpoint. But I’ve got to feel good that they’ve got the leadership qualities and can mesh with some of my thoughts on the quarterback position. My one-on-one time with them, and just being around them is as important to me as what they can do from a pro day or workouts.”

“Good athletes at quarterback don’t always become franchise quarterbacks. For us, we’re looking and hoping to find a franchise quarterback. For us, that’s what we’re looking to find. So my time with him is as important or more important than what we see on tape.”

Always assuming that Frazier actually means what he says, I would agree with Seifert in that I think these comments might be significant in terms of the Vikings attitude towards Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.  In fact, I’d take it further and say that even in the seemingly unlikely event that Newton were to fall to them, they very well might not take him.

  • Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com makes a good point I hadn’t thought of.  H addresses the problems that coaches like Frazier have when it comes to dealing with players who get themselves in trouble during the lockout.  The Vikings have had two incidences, one involving the arrest of cornerback Chris Cook and the other with running back Adrian Peterson comparing the NFL to “modern-day slavery”:

“’Adrian is a great kid, as you guys know,’ Frazier told reporters Sunday while arriving at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans for league meetings.  ‘This is a time where not being able to communicate with the players — it’s hard to form an opinion. . . .  So, you kind of reserve judgment on everything that you see right now . . . all the information that you’re getting is through the media.’”

“Future draft picks, beyond 2011, also can be traded.  But an ominous caveat comes from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

“Per Mort, the league has advised teams that any trades of draft picks beyond 2011 will occur ‘at [their] own risk.’

“In other words, there may not be a draft in 2012.”

“Our Rams sources believe it certainly wouldn’t hurt to at least look into adding veteran WRs Plaxico Burress, who has been in prison the last couple of years, and Randy Moss, who played under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in New England. ‘But there are obvious issues with both of them,’ said one team insider. ‘Unlike Michael Vick, who was 28 (nearly 29) when he got out of prison, Burress will be 34 years old (in August). Moss is a bit more intriguing, but it really does seem like he’s no longer a difference maker. He didn’t do anything with the Titans.'”

“Another factor that has made evaluations difficult is the prevalence of spread offenses in college. With the spread, teams typically don’t see as many one-on-one matchups or throwing downfield.

“Said [Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin] Coyle about the evaluation process: ‘The first thing is, can he stay with the receivers and be physical? Does he have the change of direction and able to stay tight on routes? Can they come out of their breaks and explode? You really have to search as you study the tapes. You might go through a game and see only three or four plays.'”

  • The Baltimore Ravens are on the clock at ESPN:

“The guys in the locker room call me the cheapest guy around,” Pitts said with a laugh, “but you have to be wise with your money. You can live a great life and still be careful and still be smart.

“I tell guys, ‘Why do you need that $250,000 car? A Mercedes is a great car, and it’s $85,000. You can afford that on your salary, and what’s that ($250,000) car going to do for you?’ “

[Insert your comment about the NFL labor stoppage here].

One Final Thought

Mike Singletary talks: Bob Sansevere at the St. Paul Pioneer Press listens:

“I think my kids have seen the eyes. They know the look: ‘OK, Daddy is serious.'”

I can only imagine.

Conflicting Comments Make Bears Draft Philosophy Puzzling

As I’ve said, the Dan Pompei interview with Bears president Ted Phillips is providing a lot of food for thought.  Here’s an answer that caught my eye:

“How do you feel about the criticism [general manager Jerry Angelo] sometimes gets?

“Personnel is not an exact science. It takes a little luck. He’d be the first one to tell you we need to do a better job in the early rounds (of the draft), and we do. The flip of that is he’s done a really nice job of finding key players in later rounds and through trades and free agency.”

Sounds reasonable and its more or less true.  But consider this comment made by Angelo to Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times at the Combine last month.  Hayes asked if there were going to be any changes to the draft philosophy this year:

“”It’s not nuclear Neil. It’s the same. We’ll do some things a little bit differently, we had a change, we looked at the bottom part of the draft and how we wanted to evaluate it differently this year so we made some changes that way… But nothing.”

Phillips says (and I agree) that the Bears success in the draft has been in the later rounds.  So Angelo has apparently decided that’s the part of the draft process that needs to be changed.

Am I missing something here?

Sometimes Its the Smallest Comments That Are the Most Meaningful

We spend a lot of time reading between the lines in newspaper reports when writing for this blog.  That’s especially true during the offseason when news gets a bit more scarce.  So not surprisingly, Dan Pompei‘s interview with Bears President Ted Phillips for the Chicago Tribune provided us with plenty of fodder to go under the microscope.

Sometimes what appear to be little throw in comments tend to get lost in interviews like Pompei’s.  For this post I’d like to highlight one at the end of this answer:

“Was there any thought to extending general manager Jerry Angelo‘s contract?

“He is signed through 2013, which puts him on the same time frame as [head coach] Lovie [Smith]. With three years to go, that’s premature. But he feels total support from the organization, as he should. I’ve been happy with the job he’s done, and I love how he and Lovie get along.”

I like Angelo and as GM’s go the Bears could certainly do worse.  But, as anyone who reads this blog knows, that doesn’t mean I’m always his biggest backer.  That’s why this comment gave me some pleasure.

If there is one critical thing Angelo has going for him its his ability to work effectively with everyone up and down the organization.  Its far from the only necessary thing but it is the first necessary thing if you are going to get things done.  Angelo is a consensus builder and “getting along” with Smith – and everyone else – in an environment where opinions are like [rear end]-holes can’t be easy.

I like the fact that Phillips thought it necessary to bring this up out of nowhere at the end this question.  It shows that its on his mind and, because Pompei didn’t specifically ask him about it, it makes it less likely that its just a politically correct answer given for public consumption without the ring of truth.

I won’t say that it means the organization is healthy.  But it is a good sign that if its not the potential to be so is still there.  Without a good relationship with Lovie Smith, Angelo’s job is hopeless.

Draft Strategy Around the League and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Pat Kirwan at NFL.com doesn’t think the Bears are going to be filling their needs along the line of scrimmage in the first two rounds of the NFL draft.  He has them picking Texas cornerback Aaron Williams in the first round and Boise State wide receiver Titus Young in the second round.
  • Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune writes a profile of Matthew Smith, who is Bears head coach Lovie Smith‘s son and his agent:

“It’s valid if you disagree with a particular play call, but to say my dad is dumb because he doesn’t do what you do in a situation, that’s what gets my blood boiling.  Nobody gets to my dad’s position being dumb. My dad is very, very smart.”

  • The Tribune‘s Brad Biggs makes the point that the Bears, who have excellent special teams, will be hurt by the new kickoff rules which are being proposed by the Competition Committee.
  • The Bears are lucky in some respects.  Bart Hubbuch at the New York Post thinks its a good year to need a corner in the draft.
  • Bear fans who are still hurting from the Chris Williams fiasco won’t be too happy to hear that Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi has knee problems.  Many mock drafts have the Bears taking Carmi in the first round.  Via Dan Pompei writing for The National Football Post.

Elsewhere

  • Sad news as doctors have discovered that NFL Films president Steve Sabol has a tumor on the left side of his brain.
  • ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert answers your questions.  Here’s a really good one:

“Andy of Chicago writes: Much has been made about the Packers’ roster depth. Along with the 53 they had at the end of the season, they could return as many as 15 players from IR and perhaps Johnny Jolly from suspension. Throw in another 8 or 9 draft picks, and those first-year gems that Ted Thompson seems to find outside of the draft before the season (Sam Shields, Frank Zombo, Ryan Grant, etc.) and that’s a lot of bodies in camp. Figuring they’ll probably lose 7 or so players to free agency, do you think Thompson might change his strategy and package picks in the draft to prioritize quality over quantity, i.e., move up on the board?”

Seifert:

“If the Packers think (Texas A&M linebacker Von) Miller is as good as media analysts suggest, would it be worth them to trade multiple picks to get into the top 5 and draft him? The idea would be that any players the Packers take on the second and third days of the draft are going to have a hard time making their roster.

“It makes some sense, but I it would require a significant departure from the way Thompson has built the team in the first place. I think the chances of him staying course — adding more and more talent on annual basis — are much higher than a one-time philosophical shift.”

“I think that guy is going to be a great player.

“You can’t win without one, and trust me, when I lost them, I got fired.”

“I can teach a guy to get up under center.  But I can’t teach a guy to throw. He has a tremendous arm, and I think he’s going to be really effective no matter what he was doing in college.”

“The concept of trading for next year’s picks value wise is pretty good.  Generally speaking, if you can bump up a round, that’s pretty good value.”

“General manager Martin Mayhew has long championed taking the best player — within reason. For instance, the Lions won’t take a quarterback in the first round.

“But if that yields an offensive lineman as most mock drafts suggest, the Lions could be left with the same gaping holes at linebacker and defensive back they finished with last season.”

“A number of coaches throughout the NFL have been turned off by the overall way Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert has handled himself this post-season. They did not like the fact he didn’t workout at the NFL Combine and cited his overall demeanor and body language as turnoffs. The more info I gather on Gabbert the less I feel like he’s being endorsed as a high first round pick. He could end up being the one quarterback to slide a lot further than many think come April.”

  • Well, the Packers didn’t lose defensive coordinator Dom Capers as I’d hoped they would after he did such an excellent job in 2010.  But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a significant shake up in the Green Bay staff.  Pro Football Weekly‘s Dan Arkush reports:

“But team insiders believe [new wide receivers coach Edgar] Bennett, in particular, will have a very tough act to follow in Jimmy Robinson, who left for a position on Jason Garrett‘s staff in Dallas. Robinson, who commanded great respect as a former NFL receiver, is widely considered to be the best WR coach in the business. While Bennett could not be more eager to prove himself in his new role, the consensus seems to be that he definitely will have his work cut out for him.”

  • Can’t imagine Staley doing this.  And I don’t want to:

One Final Thought

Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan at the Tribune quote Bears linebacker Lance Briggs on the departure of defensive tackle Tommie Harris:

“We know the business and we know that one day we all won’t be together.  It was tough to see Alex (Brown) go last year, and now it is tough to see that Tommie is not going to be there in the locker room and sharing laughs. I have been in Chicago ever since Tommie was drafted, and we developed a relationship on and off the field. That’s how football players grow, being able to trust that man next to you to do his job.”

Actions Speak Louder Than Cam Newton’s Words

We all know that you really can’t completely trust what anyone says about players entering the NFL Draft at this point.   Too many personnel men lie in order to skew the process in their favor.

Having said that, this draft rumor courtesy of Wes Bunting at The National Football Post has the ring of truth:

“The more scouts dig, the more I am finding they are turned off on Auburn QB Cam Newton. Citing that he’s a me first guy and has some real character flaws behind the scenes. One scout said he handles himself flawlessly in front of the camera, but when they are off he’s not the same guy.”

If Newton is taken in the top five to ten picks, I have to believe its because some owner stepped into the process to force it.  As implied in the quote above, many NFL players are very good con men.  They grow up smiling and charming people who recognize their talent and therefore believe what they say because they want to believe it.  This means almost everyone right up to and including owners of NFL teams.

But if you are any kind of decent NFL personnel man, you have to be an exception to the rule.  And among other things you are looking to see it Newton’s record matches his words.  He was arrested for allegedly stealing a laptop computer from a student at the University of Florida. He also reportedly later left in part because of three instances of academic cheating.  Afterwards his father, Cecil Newton, admitted soliciting money  in return for his son playing for a major-college team before settling on Auburn.  The Newtons deny that Cam knew of his father’s actions but no one seriously believes that.

Anyone can have a youthful indiscretion before learning a lesson and cleaning up his act.  But you have to acknowledge the mistakes before you can be forgiven.  If actions speak louder than words (and they certainly should here), Cam Newton could mean serious trouble to any NFL team that takes him.

I’m not saying any of this should keep Newton from being drafted in the first round.  But if I’ve got a top pick I’m not risking it on a guy with so many questions surrounding his character.  There’s little doubt that Newton has tremendous upside but everyone – fans and front office – knows that potential gets you fired in the NFL.

Bears Need at Wide Receiver Revisted

Dave Birkett at the Detroit Free Press says that the Lions are looking at wide receivers.  Why, with a Calvin Johnson on the field, are the Lions doing that?  I think those who don’t see this as a need for the Bears should think carefully about the following quote from Lions general manager Martin Mayhew:

“Offensively, it’s a game of matchups.  If our third receiver can be better than their third corner, if we have somebody who can stretch the field that can allow Calvin (Johnson) to catch some balls in a deeper area of the field than what he normally would catch them in … . He can make a big play if a guy can take the top off the defense and get safeties out of there and that kind of thing.”

The Bears game against New England, where they got absolutely slaughtered in what amounted to one half of football, taught me many things.  But the biggest was the truth of Mayhews’ statement.  The Bears didn’t have a third corner to match up with Wes Welker in the slot and he almost dsingle handedly beat them.

This means two thing.  The most obvious is that the Bears have a need at corner.  The less obvious in that they have a need at wide receiver.  even the Lions, who have other needs along with maybe the best wide receiver in the league, think they need to look closely at wide receiver.

The Bears are average at wide receiver.  There’s just no getting around it.  Devin Hester is forever raw, Johnny Knox disappeared in big games where defensive backs got physical with him, and Earl Bennett is good for what he is, a big underneath possession guy.

The game is, indeed, one of matchups.  I look at the Bears’ opponents and I don’t think their wide receivers matchup well with them one-on-one up and down the depth chart.  And when you have a team that can dictate those matchups it becomes, ultimately, what the game is about.  The Packers and the Patriots are that kind of team and the Lions are trying to become that kind of team.  Without better wide receivers I’m not sure the Bears are ever going to be.

Could Washington Be a Chicago Trade Partner?

Matt Williamson at Scouts Inc. thinks it might be smart for the Washington Redskins to trade back in the draft from thier position at number 10.

They need a quarterback and, given that Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton are likely to be gone, he thinks they might have their eyes on Jake Locker.  Locker’s characteristics do seem to be a good fit for head coach Mike Shanahan and its not impossible that they would prefer him anyway.

The knock on Locker is his accuracy.  His best career completion percentage was 58% and statistically quarterbacks with percentages less than 60 often don’t do well in the NFL.  But Shanahan is a quarterback guru and I’d say if Locker can be successful in the NFL, he’d have as good a chance in Washington as anywhere.

I would agree with Williamson but it would be more Washington’s style to move up from the second round to the bottom of the first round closer to where most think Locker will go.  And most Bear fans know that they might find a very willing trade partner in Chicago.  Depending upon what’s available at 29, trading back is definitely Jerry Angelo‘s MO.