Bears
- Larry Mayer at Chicagobears.com answers your questions. He points out that the Bears and Jets alternate the 29th and 30th picks in each round.
- Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times has been doing some research:
“After compiling data for 57 mock drafts, [Derek] Sherrod leads [Gabe] Carimi 8-7. Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget and Boston College offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo are next with six apiece. Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey, mammoth Colorado offensive tackle Nate Solder and Villanova tackle Ben Ijalana each have four votes.”
- Bears head coach Lovie Smith was at North Carolina’s Pro Day (via Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune). Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was there, as well, and he actually ran the drills. Bob LeGere at the Daily Heraldthinks they may have been looking closely at defensive tackle Marvin Austin, a second or third round prospect. It less likely but receiver Greg Little, also a second day prospect, may also be a target for the Bears. He’s 6’3″, 231 lb.
- ESPNChicago.com sucked me in with this headline: “Forte to try his hand at baseball”.
- John Mullin at CSNChicago.com says that doing the offseason training work away from Halas Hall isn’t as big of a change as you might think. In the process he passes on this tid bit:
“Players have always used these facilities for offseason and sometimes in-season extra work. It’s less the case now but players at one time were so unhappy with some of the strength and fitness directives coming from a (now-gone) strength coach that they covertly went to private trainers and facilities while at the same time complying with what the team was requiring. And they were adamant: Keep it a secret.
“That’s changed in recent years with Rusty Jones, the director of physical development, athletic trainer Tim Bream and some very sophisticated technologies for rehab as well as basic programs.”
- ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert provides his take on Smith’s comments regarding Devin Hester during the NFL owners meeting. Seifert starts by noting the fall in Hester’s offensive numbers:
“That dip in production came even as Hester played on 66 percent of the Bears’ snaps, the second-highest total among the team’s receivers, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Unofficially, the Bears targeted Hester on only 68 of the 646 total plays he was on the field for.
“That’s the pivot point Smith said he hopes to address this offseason. He didn’t put it in so many words, but if I had to read the tea leaves, it would go something like this: More targets, less plays.”
Elsewhere
- Tom Hauser at KSTP is reporting that the Vikings stadium bill will include “a surcharge on pro football player incomes”. That should go over well with free agents.
- Seifert comments upon the “decision-makers” and takes a shot at former Vikings head coach Brad Childress in the process:
“Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman has run the team’s draft for the past four years, although former coach Brad Childress had considerable influence when it came to quarterbacks. That’s a big part of the reason why the Vikings are all but barren at the most important position in the game, and that’s why it’s been almost a singular focus for Spielman and his staff over the past few months.”
I’m not a big Childress fan but you can bet he had a lot of influence at more than just quarterback. Percy Harvin comes to mind as a player that Childress gave the definite impression that he pushed hard for.
For the record, I’m not a Spielman fan either but that dates back to his time with the Bears and, to a lesser extent, with the Dolphins. Its now years later so I’m trying to keep an open mind.
- Seifert also thinks that if the Vikings really like quarterback Jake Locker that they should go ahead and reach for him at the 12th pick.
I’m a big believer in Bears general manager Jerry Angelo‘s approach to the draft (just not his execution). Angelo has said on multiple occasions that you can’t afford to fall in love with one player. It almost always gets you in trouble. But having said that, I do wonder if the quarterback position isn’t the exception…
- The Jaguars are on the clock at ESPN:
- Omar Kelly at the South Florida Sun Sentinelreviews the top running backs in the draft, including video footage. The Dolphins figure to have a need there. Kelly’s also not a fan of quarterback Chad Henne:
And its obvious that he thinks speed will be the theme for the Dolphins this year:
- Bob Sturm at the Dallas Morning News has definite opinions about how the Cowboys draft should go:
“To me, if the Cowboys do anything with a player who wears a number lower than 50 in the first two rounds, I will think they made a mistake. Their needs are clear. Offensive line and defensive line. Everything else can wait.”
- They say that men with large video boards are compensating for a small… something else. If that’s the case the Dallas Morning News has some bad news for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
- People love to pick on the Raiders but I’m with them on this one. Via Ian R. Rapoport at the Boston Herald:
“Given the choice between former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour or the No. 1 draft pick his team traded to acquire him, Raiders coach Hue Jackson left no doubt: ‘I’m taking Richard Seymour.’”
One Final Thought
Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson stars in this clever commercial: