MrEpsYtown

I didn't love the trade but Keenum is a high end back up at a great cost. Also, 9 draft picks will not make this team, so here's hoping they use some to trade up and come away with 5 players.

Yeah I hear ya, but we lost in the playoffs because our corners blew and we had zero pass rush. Had nothing to do with our offense. Valid points, but we should used all of those picks to try and find a high end QB, or better skill players etc. Coaches was just a lost cause.

I mean even going back Wood, Levitre were good. Peters was an all pro. Cordy Glenn was good. John Miller, Ford, Cyrus Kouandjio all terrible. Recently it has been better. But, good or bad, it never got us anywhere. There just isn't enough upside in drafting solid meh players.

Yeah I don't think Ike will play this year, but I am glad he is back. I like the player a lot. This has nothing to do with Bates imo. Probably a minimum salary to rehab.

See I think they can get Turner for way less than that. Turner signed with Pitt for 1 year 3 million and had a meh year. For the Bears it is a steep overpay at 6.5 if that is indeed the number. Again I really like Bates, but that is approaching top 15-20 money. If the Bears were going to do that they should have just kept James Daniels at 8.75 per. Daniels is younger with way more experience and pedigree.

Yeah I don't agree with the process. They traded an all pro left tackle for a pick they used on a solid center who was the third best center in the draft. It just isn't a great use of assets especially since they could have drafted Max Unger in round 2. There just wasn't enough upside to justify the pick. I get that Wood was a solid player, but drafting solid is why we were so mediocre for so many years.

Here is the thing. All draft picks are pretty much boom or bust. Some positions have a higher bust rate than others. There are some great defensive ends and then there are bust defensive ends. Same with receivers, corners, etc etc. But with those positions the boom is there with the bust. With IOL, there is no boom. There is solid or bust. It just isn't a position that has a ton of upside and so that is why I always say no to IOL in the first, unless we are talking generational players, or if you have multiple first round picks. Same rule applies to RTs imo. Who affects the game more? TJ Watt or Quentin Nelson? The answer is always going to be Watt. I want the possibility of some boom with my bust, not meh with my bust.

You don't. And the names on the list prove it. Vera-Tucker, Chris Lindstrom are very good. Their teams still blow. Quentin Nelson is a generational first ballot hall of fame player drafted in the top 5. As good as he is, the team can't win consistently. You think the Colts would rather have, say Josh Allen instead? Zach Martin started really good and has been meh the last few years. Team still can't win in the playoffs. DeCastro was a solid player for a short career, but was never amazing. And Zetler has had a good career. His teams never won anything. But in context, when you look at some of the players they passed on that year, Lavonte David, Harrison Smith, and Bobby Wagner...It wasn't the right move. Kelechi Osemele was better than both of those guys and went in round 2. Brandon Brooks, probably one of the best in the league went in round three. Garnett was a bust. Alex Leatherwood was an overdraft who was the weakest link on his team. Tytus Howard was a bust who was drafted as a LT and moved to guard. He was so bad the Texans mortgaged their future to replace him with Tunsil. Peat is terrible and was drafted as a tackle. Flowers and Tomlinson have moved from team to team a number of times. Flowers was drafted as a LT and a huge bust. Tomlinson has been ok. Just signed with his third team. Many the guys on the list were very bad decisions and 2013 is exhibit A why you never do it. Pugh is the only one still starting in the league. He was drafted as LT was considered a bust. Saved his career by moving to guard. Kyle Long was ok for a short period. Then look at the highest paid guards in the league: Scherff was drafted as a tackle who moved to guard. He has been excellent, but his team never won anything. Joe Bitonio was a second round pick, drafted as a LT who moved to guard. Team has never won anything. Joe Thuney was a third round pick. Wyatt Teller obviously 5th round and traded by his original team. Team has never won anything. PFF loves Michael Onwenu who went in the sixth round. It is the easiest position to fill. teams regret when the spent high draft picks on this position.

Yeah that is definitely a very high number when you factor the market for guards and the fact that Bates has only started in a few games. There was competition, but not alot. I think The Bears just fell in love with him and he has connections in the team. But he is very young with upside and it isn't a big risk for the Bears when they have a QB on the rookie contract. But 6.5 puts him in the top 20 of guard salaries. 4.5 to 5 is fair, but it is going to be an overpay.

FYI the draft hats look like crap. As usual.

You mean Donte "HITNER" God I hated that guy. Should have been Haloti Ngata.

Alex Anzalone and his Ken doll look and flowing blonde hair will become a huge star in this. Dan Campbell is likely a pretty interesting guy. Aaron Glenn will steal the show imo.

They just don't play defense that way, with traditional strong safety-free safety. They are pretty interchangeable and they are typically in some sort of cover 2/3/or 4 palms coverage. When you play D that way, it is not their job to stop those screens.

I think its receiver or CB. IOL is not the value there. In the 2nd? Sure. To your point, if Crowder, Diggs, Davis get dinged who is next? Tanner Gentry? And so adding a dynamic receiver and stacking offensive weapons is the right idea. But I do think that there is a chance that need and value match up with a corner in round 1.

I think it is good to have young guys in the lineup with reliable old guys around. Peters, Riley Reiff, maybe a Bryan Bulaga, Kromer guy Kyle Long. Good dudes to have around as reserves and mentor young lienemen.

I like what the Bears are doing, but they don’t really have a left tackle. They gave a 2/8 million dollar deal to Lucas Patrick of the Packers. Intersting player but he has played a bunch for the Packers at guard. 34 starts, played in 74 games in 5 years. Bates has played in 41 games and started 4 in three years. I am not sure how you justify giving Bates more. The Bears probably offered him something like a 4 year deal worth 12 million with a 7 million dollar hit this year.

Yeah I think Turner, Hernandez. Maybe Devernay-Tardif. Ethan Pocic is somewhat interesting, not a RAS guy but has played a lot of center and guard. Maybe Billy Price has upside. My outside the box idea if Bates goes?Sign Riley Reiff to play some RG. Older guy, vet, but a former left tackle who would be a nice presence next to Brown. He is no longer a tackle imo, but he could be an effective guard. Yeah agreed. And it took Ike a long time to get to 100% when he popped the other achilles at Iowa. I think he misses this season completely.

Yes this is true. I think he played a bit there in the preseason as well

For context, Bradley Bozeman signed a 1 year deal worth 2.8 million. I am not a huge fan, but he has a proven track record of play at both LG and C. Not the athlete Bates is, but Bozeman plays very well in power/gap schemes.

I really like the linebacker group in the second round. Andersen, Muma, Smith, Lloyd etc.

I would like to commend everyone and mods for keeping most things in this thread. Been an enjoyable couple of weeks on here.

If we don’t make the super bowl this year, I think you have to consider blowing it up a bit yeah. They should start looking at safety upgrades in the next 2-4 years. They should be looking at backers in this draft imo. Wallace was by far the weakest link.

Yeah, he was little banged up at the end of the year, but Marquand McCall, all of 6-3 and 342 lbs of him physically beat Linderbaum up a little bit. So that is the concern, but he plays with such great leverage that he will hold his own against bigger guys. He will also be playing with better linemen, so won’t be on an island as much.

I think we see them trade up in the second. Not necessarily for Smith, but the value seems to be mid first to mid second. They can tray to get two players in that range. 8 players can’t make this team.

I think he would be fine at guard, but yeah I highly doubt he is the pick as he probably isn’t available and I don’t think they go IOL. I think they will draft one of these tackles, like Tulsa’s Smith or Luke Goedeke, Abraham Lucas, Logan Bruss, Cole Strange, etc etc and make them a guard. Smith is starting to grow on me the more I watch.