Bears 2012 draft grades

Well NFL Christmas has come and gone and a lot of people are wondering if the Bears got a new PS3 or an Atari 2600.  Well like any drafts you won't really know for a few years down the road.  That however will not stop the Monday morning quarterbacks from chiming in on how they think that we should have done this or that.

One of the things that really stood out to me in this draft more so than any in recent memory is the lack of the "safe" picks.  It seems to me that Phil Emery unlike Jerry Angelo before him went after what he tabbed to be the best player available as opposed to reaching for an area of need that has a much lower ceiling.

Exhibit A is right out of the gate with Shea McClellin out of Boise State.  Most had him as more of a linebacker in a 3-4 defense as opposed to a hand in the dirt end in a 4-3 that the Bears run.  Emery had a vision of a very good pass rusher that can be a situational rusher till he adds about 10 to 20 pounds and becomes a three down player.  Unlike Angelo before him he drafted a player for his ability not one that best fits the system.  Systems change players are always players.  Too often that way of drafting failed and Emery is aware that football players with talent far out weigh ones who are good fits for a system.

The "safe" pick here would have Riley Reiff out of Iowa shoring up the offensive line a bit.  Full disclosure that is who I thought they should have taken and was upset that they did not at the time.  But after doing some research and looking at the upside to each pick I changed my tune a bit.  The upside on McClellin blows away that of Reiff.  In contrast the downside is equally great.  But you can not win what you don't put in the middle so we will see.

In the second round Emery continued his bold moves by adding Alshon Jeffery a big 6-4 wide out from South Carolina.  Jeffery was considered a sure fire first round pick coming out of his sophomore season, but a dip in production last year and concerns about his weight made him fall in the Bears lap after trading up five spots to get him.  His dip in production does not concern me because of the teams decision to be more run heavy due to lack of a good quarterback.  His weight seems to be under control after getting with a nutritionist and getting his eating habits in line.

The one move I find odd and made me wonder if Jerry Angelo snuck in the draft room to make the pick (thanks Keith) came in the third round in the form of Brandon Hardin a safety making 8 strait years of drafting a safety.

The Bears added a H-back/Tight end in the forth round (Evan Rodriquez) and finished the day taking two cornerbacks in the sixth and seventh rounds (Isaiah Frey and Greg McCoy) to try adding stability to the secondary.  On Sunday they added 11 undrafted free agents.

Missing was any help on the offensive line.  I guess they meant it when they said that they are happy with the group.  I am sure that you will call me crazy but I may just agree with them.  Now before you stop reading and never grace this page again hear me out.

Last year before Cutler went down this group was playing and a very high level.  If you look at the numbers they don't lie.  Cutler was sacked 23 times in ten games last year (11 in the first 2 games) Hanie and McCown were sacked 26 times in 6 games.  During the 5 game winning streak prior to Cutlers injury he was sacked only 4 times.  In two of the games during that streak he was not sacked at all.  So he was sacked only 12 times in his last 8 games not too bad.  Not to mention that the Bears rushed for over 2,000 yards last season the most since 1991.

As we sit I will give the Bears a B on this years draft.  What grade do you give?  I would love to hear from you in comments below and as always....

BEAR DOWN

Who Should the Bears take with their first pick?

A lot has happened since we last spoke.  Brandon Marshall a Bear, Peyton Manning a Bronco, the Bears made some ripples with free agent signings and more.
The Bears and new sheriff Phil Emery have done a nice job at addressing some of the holes that are on this team.  But alas there is still work to be done.

The Bears still need to get younger on defense, they still need to better protect Jay Cutler, they still need a better option opposite Julius Peppers at Defensive end and after losing a couple of players help on the interior line as well.  While they did go out and replace the players they lost at corner back ( with better players too) They still need to get someone in who is a "stud" DB who can play with and eventually replace Peanut Tillman.  Safety, who knows what we have here I think that the Bears coaching staff have no idea how to coach or evaluate this spot.  How many picks have been used on a safety since Lovie Smith has been here? Too many that's how many.  But this is an area that may need to be looked at too.

So with all that being said who do I want the beloved to take with their first pick in the draft?  Michael Floyd WR University of Notre Dame.  First, yes I know the Bears made themselves a whole lot better in stealing Brandon Marshall away from the Dolphins and second yes I know that there is pretty much no way that Floyd is sitting at 19 waiting for the Bears to call, but stay with me for a second and I will tell you why I think this is the best move and how it will work.


First lets talk about how to get Floyd.  This will take some work and a third round pick I assume depending on how high they need to jump in order to get him.  I am not saying give up the house Ala the Julio Jones trade from a year ago.  I am thinking if you can get into the 11th or 12th pick it will do.  That will cost you your third round pick and maybe even a 4th or 5th rounder in the future but it can be done.


Now for everyone who says that Brandon Marshall took care of the need.  Yes he did  fill a  huge void with a true number one that is big and makes defenses change the way they play.  But lets look at it like this.  The Bears are pretty young on the offensive side of the ball, this move would make them a bit younger allowing them to focus on defense almost exclusively the next couple of years.  That is minus a left tackle of course.  Not only that but this would make the Bears receiving corps among the best in the NFL.  Imagine what not only Jay Cutler could do with TWO stud receivers but what life would be like for the angry Matt Forte'.  Plus you could use Devin Hester correctly and not try pushing that square peg into that round hole that they have been trying to do forever.

Let me know what you think.  Am I crazy? Am I a genius? non of the above?  Tell us!
And as always BEAR DOWN!

Free Agent targets

With the deadline for teams to apply franchise tag's done, now is the perfect time to make a wish list for the Bears to go after.  Lets take a look in order who should be targeted by the beloved.  The Bears will have around 28 million to play with minus about 8 million that will go to Matt Forte who was franchised himself on Friday.

Vincent Jackson WR:

San Diego decided against putting the tag on Jackson.  Their loss needs to be the Bears gain.  Jackson is the big target that Jay Cutler would love and would add some credibility to the receiving core.  Dwayne Bowe was my #1 target but the Chiefs tagged him right before the deadline and would cost Two 1st round draft picks a price a bit too steep.

Mario Williams DE/LB:


Admittedly this may be a bit of a pipe dream because of the dollars he will command.  But if you are going to dream, dream big.  Williams and Peppers on the same d-line would be a nightmare for other teams and a dream come true for the Bears and their fans.  This move would make everyone on the line better.  Not to mention make life a whole lot easier on the secondary.

Brandon Carr CB:

With the Chiefs putting the tag on Bowe that leaves the door open for Brandon Carr.  While corner back is a big need for the Bears right now and Carr probably being the best one available, I would not hold my breath that the Bears make a play on him.  First they have the philosophy that with the cover two you do not need shut down corners and secondly they may not want that much invested into the corner back spot.  That being said it would make the Bears one of the best cover teams in football, something that should not be overlooked.

These are the top three names I would love to see play for the Bears next season.  Now there is a second and third tier that the Bears will pick people up but, those will be later in free agency.  Don't be surprised to see the Bears going after a tight end or another receiver in the lesser groups either.  A name I am sure you noticed was left off is Mike Wallace the wide out from Pittsburgh.  Wallace was tendered and would cost a first round pick a price I am not sure the Bears are willing to pay.  With the little  knowledge I have of Phil Emery he seems to be more build the team through the draft, so I don't see them making a move like that.  Speaking of the second tier guys don't be surprised if the Bears kick Marques Colston's tires.  That move I support only as a number 2 guy though.


Lots to consider in the up coming weeks with free agency set to begin in  a couple of weeks it will be interesting to see what the Bears do.  Lets hope they make a splash and not a pebble drop.

BEAR DOWN

Free Agent Wide outs, no thank you Mr. Moss

There has been a lot of talk this week in regards to Randy Moss coming out of retirement and his connection to Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice.  Let me be the first to say that this is a bad idea.  First off Moss is a one trick pony that is a freak without a doubt but once he loses his speed he becomes useless.  Second he is a cancer in the locker room that the Bears do not need.  Lets not do what the Bears do and go after a guy who no longer has it.

Now there are other options when it comes to wide out that I do think the Bears should make a play for, the list is as follows.

Vincent Jackson (SD)
This is my top option in free agency and should be the Bears as well.  Jackson just finished his 3rd 1,000 yard receiving season of his career and would make for a great target for Jay Cutler next season.


DeSean Jackson (PHI)
Jackson will most likely get the Franchise tag this year so will not be an option.  If The Eagles decide against it he could be an option as a solid number 2 for the Bears.  The problem is he overvalues himself and will be looking for top 5 receiver money, he is not in that tier so he may not be interested in coming to Chicago.  The Bears would not try to sign both Jackson's but that would be a formidable one two punch.

Dwayne Bowe (KC)
Bowe is another Franchise Tag guy that most likely will not be an option.  It is not a certainty that he will though so if available the Bears need to make a play on him.  He is big and a red zone beast, an area the Bears are in desperate need of help.


Marques Colston (NO)
Colston is an option that if he hits the market is someone the Bears would be foolish not to target even with his history of injuries. He is a polished route runner with sure hands and is a physical receiver that the Bears have not had for a long time if ever.


I know that a lot of people say Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are out there and would look good in the blue and orange.  But both are on the wrong side of thirty and are not the big bodied guys the Bears need on their roster.  While Welker is the best slot receiver in the league and maybe the best route runner he would be another undersized receiver on a roster full of them.  Either of these two options would be good coupled with any of the options above or with a wide out the Bears could get in the first round of the draft.

Speaking of the draft if one of the first round talents does not fall to the 19th pick the Bears hold it is important not to over-value another receiver just out of need.  If Michael Floyd form Norte Dame is there I hope the Bears run their pick up to Roger Goodell at the draft.

All said I would love to see the Bears be aggressive in their pursut of shoring up this spot.  While some say the defense is getting old and needs to be restocked, they are still productive.  The premium needs to be on shoring up the offense so it is a better compliment to the defense while they are still playing at a high level.

The Bears have enough space under the cap to address both sides of the ball, if they use what they have available.  Now is the time to go and get a Super Bowl or two while the top Bears are still on top of their game.  Let me know what you think and BEAR DOWN!

Bears offseason needs

Over the next few days I will be breaking down what I feel are the Bears biggest off-season needs.  Each day I will be doing a different area of need.  We will start with the biggest need going backwards to the least.

Offensive Line

While the Bears have some nice pieces in place, this group has some holes that need to be addressed.  Be that through free agency or the draft.  While the line did improve from the 56 sack allowed last year down to 49 sacks (tied for fifth-most in the NFL.), the number is a bit deceiving.  In the six starts by Caleb Hannie and Josh McCown the pair was sacked 26 times, in contrast in Cutlers 10 starts he was only sacked 23 times.  So that number could be inflated one could argue. The line did pave the way for 2,015 rushing yards the most by the Bears since 1991.  

Gabe Carimi looks to be the real deal at right tackle and should be a fixture for many years to come. 

Roberto Graza did a nice job converting to center and was named a Pro Bowl alternate while earning a two-year extension along the way.  

Chris Williams looked better each week prior to his season ending injury and should be ready for the start of training camp.    

Chris Spencer

The Bears signed him in hopes that he would replace the departing Olin Kruetz, but he was signed late and did not find a spot until Gabe Carimi went down and forced Lance Louis outside.  He did adapt nicely and could be the front runner next year.

J'Marcus Webb

This is where the Bears need to improve.  Webb resembled a turn-style for much of the season with the worst coming against the Vikings Jared Allen.  While he did OK for parts of the season the consistency was not there.  

If nothing else all the injuries suffered by this unit created depth for the future.  The line will be better day one without adding anyone with Carimi and Williams due back.  Overall this unit fared better then I thought they would at the beginning of the season but that will not get it done.  While Cutler's sacks were down this year, the credit goes to Cutler as much as the line.  Cutler needs more time to set and throw.  This will be helped with Mike Tice calling plays more suited to the strengths of this team, not trying to stick the round peg in the square whole like Martz did before him.

Outlook in free agency/the draft;  Picking at 19 there will not be that stud left tackle the Bears need, so unless they trade up I would bet that wide out is where they go.  

There may be a couple of options via free agency however. 

 Doug Free of the Cowboys could be  a huge prize if Dallas is unable to sign him.  

Jared Gaither from Baltimore is an other option if his back is fully healed he would be an upgrade.

With a couple of smart moves this could become an area of strength for the Bears.  Let me know what you think and as always BEAR DOWN!!

Next up receivers 

Bear Down 2011 NFL playoffs predictions

The playoffs are here and we are on the outside looking in as Bears fans.  So I will give my predictions for this years playoffs that I am sure will be wrong and I will have to modify next week, but here we go anyway.

Wild Card

Cincinnati @ Houston -3

Houston hosts their first ever playoff this week after limping in to the playoffs with three straight loses.  The Bengals themselves backed into the playoffs after losing on Sunday and getting the help they needed with both Denver and the New York Jets both losing.  The Texans last win came to this very Bengal team.  With T.J. Yates will be facing another rookie in Andy Dalton.  I think that Dalton wins this one and the Bengals advance.  21-17

Detroit @ New Orleans -10.5

This is a match up of two high powered offenses.  The over/under on the game is 59.  Drew Brees and company have not lost at home this year, this will not change this week.  Saints 42 Lions 25

Atlanta @ New York -3

Atlanta comes to New York to face a team that should not be in the playoffs.  In what was supposed to be the best division in football 9-7 got the title.  I think the Falcons will be too much for the G-men to handle in another upset I am taking the Falcons 21-17

Pittsburgh @ Denver +8.5

Denver is the only home team getting points this week and with good reason.  Tim Tebow has been just bad.  This is not going to change this week as the Steelers will win this one going away.  Steelers 31 Broncos 9

Divisional round

Atlanta @ Green Bay

This will be a rematch of last years Divisional round with similar results.
Pack 45 Falcons 19

New Orleans @ San Fran

This is a tough one with the 49'ers D and the Saints offense locking horns.  I think this will be a close game that should favor the Niners but Drew Brees finds a way to win with a last second drive.  Saints 24 Niners 21

Cincinnati @ New England

Not much to say about this one.  It will be ugly and over early.  Tom Brady and company will score early and often.  Patriots 35 Bengals 17

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

In what will be in a fight for best game of the weekend with the Saints and Niners, this will be a tough hard fought game that ends with the Ravens moving on.  Ravens 17 Steelers 14

Championships

NFC Championship

New Orleans @ Green Bay

This is the game that turns the Packers dream season into a nightmare.  Drew Brees is going to pick apart the Packer defense and out score the "best" team in football.  I like the Saints defense a lot more then the Packers.  Drew Brees will show why he deserves to be part of the MVP talk with this game.  Saints 45 Packers 38

AFC Championship

Baltimore @ New England

Tom Brady vs. Ray Lewis is what this will be billed.  While the Patriots defense has not been good it will do just enough to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.  Pats 24 Ravens 17

Super Bowl

New Orleans @ New England

Drew Brees is not Joe Flaco and the Saints will win their second title in three years in a shoot out.  Saints 42 Pats 38

Like I said earlier I am sure that this will all be shot to the toilet by Sunday night and I will have to revisit this next week but for now this is how I see it.  Let me know what you think and even though we are not dancing BEAR DOWN!!

Was the Bears win worth what it cost?

The Bears finished off the 2011 season with a win in Minnesota on Sunday to the tune of 17 to 13.  But was the victory worth what it cost the Bears?

In the game Brian Urlacher went down with a knee injury and the Bears dropped at least 5 spots in the draft.  The Bears will be picking 19th in Aprils draft.

Now I am not suggesting that the Bears should have dumped this game but, the way they won is what I take issue with.  I said a few weeks back that the Bears needed to treat the last few games as if it where preseason to protect the core of this team.  Now it looks like Urlacher will be OK and does not need surgery but what the heck are they thinking?

Lovie Smith said all week how they wanted to win this game and blah blah blah.  But why?  This is what drives me crazy about this coaching staff.  From all I have heard from players they love Smith and his staff and would run to hell and back for him.  So from that I assume that they have one hell of a coaching staff Monday to Saturday.  But once Sunday rolls around it is a different story.

Sundays game showed just that.  The Bears had nothing to gain by playing full boar with the starters.  They had much to lose.  Not just with draft position but with the chance a key player going down.  The Bears got lucky that Urlacher's injury was not more severe.

Look at the Packers Aaron Rodgers was inactive against the Lions in a game that had no meaning for their playoff outlook.  Now I know that it is different with the Packers being in the playoffs, but with nothing on the line you protect your core.

I think the Bears may need to think about cleaning house.  Smiths miss-handling of challenges and time outs and lack of ability to make adjustments on the fly are just a few reasons why.  Not to mention his evaluations of talent.  Caleb Hanie exhibit A.  What about Kahli Bell?  Every chance he has gotten he has done something with it, yet Smith  refused to play him favoring the likes of Marion Barber, Garret Wolfe and Chester Taylor.  All signs look like Smith is not going to bring offensive coordinator Mike Martz back next year.  With that chances are that this team will need to learn a new offense any way.  Smith just does not get it.

Now I know that a lot of people think Martz should go and I was even one of those until I realized what he brought to the table this year.  With another year in the offense Cutler was putting up a Pro Bowl season, the offense was averaging 26.2 points per game during the five game winning streak all with out the use of a true #1 receiver, and an offensive line that at times was offencive.  Also if you remember Mike Martz said all along how he did not want Caleb Hanie as his back up.  Now he did change his tune this year but I think that was more Smith telling Martz what to say not his true feelings.  So not bringing him back is a mistake.

The Bears will not be making any moves siting injuries as the reason why this season went south.  Good teams get past injuries and win the Packers proved that last season. Not good news for Bear fans.  But I will say that every year the Bears have a down season they come back only once in the Lovie Smith era have the Bears not made the playoffs following a down year so that is something to look towards I guess.

Let me know what you think and BEAR DOWN!