Post Cousins Mini Mock:

[pigsooie5]

50 minutes ago, Epyon said:

I was too busy trying to figure out who in the actual hell Shea McClellan was. More confused than angry really. 

I wish I could find the video of Phil Emery telling Rod Marinelli over the phone, "Here you go, here's your next Monster of the Midway" right after making the ashes pick. What a clown that dude was

[WindyCity]

MY buddies still make fun of me because I was chanting Chandler Jones.

When the Bears traded up last season they started chanting Chandler jones.

[dll2000]

On 2/3/2018 at 12:52 PM, WindyCity said:

I am fine if they pass on Nelson for the following

Chubb

Fitzpatrick

I will understand if the do so for guys with more positonal value

Edmunds

Jackson

 

Other than that I will not be super psyched

I picked (guessed) Brown in mock because Bears keep doing things nobody expects in first round and it fills a need.  Bears have been crazy lucky that they got a 7th round pick to play  LT and he has played almost every down since he was drafted.    Funny to say crazy lucky and Bears in same sentence.  But without Leno find, the key stone cop O Lines they have put out some games due to injuries or bad picks/signings would have been so much worse (if that is even possible).  They are going to have to address the tackle position with an early pick sooner or later or design their whole offense around getting rid of the ball in 2 secs or less.  That or Mitch will be injured every year.  Remember Mitch is athletic, but he is not a huge guy and even huge guys can't take too many hits from a stationary upright position.  Indianapolis got their 'once in a generation' can't miss franchise QB prospect and then couldn't protect him.  Now they are drafting in front of the Bears.  

Draft will depend a lot on free agent signings and health.   

For example:

If they resign Fuller and Amukamara (or another top free agent DB from outside - not sure why they would do that though, better to keep a talent already in Fangio system) they probably aren't going to draft Fitzpatrick at 8.  If they resign just one then maybe, but still unlikely.  If Bears resign neither than Fitzpatrick is a strong candidate.  Problem with Fitzpatrick is he was a college swiss army knife, playing lb, slot corner and some safety.  A bit like Peppers of Michigan last year.  Unlike Peppers though, Alabama played him a lot in coverage and he was good at it (while Peppers played run or blitzed almost every play).  Still he didn't play the outside corner position in college, which is the position people covet in those early picks.  This even though the slot receiver and TE have become the more deadly weapons in the NFL.  Remember in Saban's D they don't backpedal as much as they side shuffle in a lot of hybrid zone/man coverage.  It's also Alabama, so your front seven is stacked and a mismatch for most opponents. Where do Bears/Fangio see playing him?  Safety? Corner? Slot corner?  You better have a plan for him and be on same page for filling out your roster.  I don't know his size, but he's a big guy on tape.  I think Pace feels like he can find safeties late in draft or in FA.  Fitz is not quite LB size, but bigger than most DBs.  His combine 40 time will be real interesting.  A bit like Peppers, he requires some defensive scheme creativity which Browns completely lacked.  He is more DB and Peppers is more LB, which is a good thing for Fitz.   Ward from Ohio St. could be the pick if they go in this direction.  I haven't watched Ward yet, but a former scout who actually has a good track record has said he is best cover player in the draft, including over Fitz.   

Bears current depth at money spent at ILB would seem to prohibit the drafting of Edmunds, but Trevathan and Freeman have had trouble staying healthy (Freeman is also currently suspended for 2 more games) and Kwaitkowski sp? and Jones are just guys.  Timu probably wouldn't make most rosters.   

But Dan you say, we are going to play him OLB and make him a rusher.    Besides we don't want an ILB in top 10.  That's fine, he does have body and talent for it, but it was not his position in college and it would be a project.  Most people aren't into projects in top 10.   I would argue Ray Lewis, Urlacher or Kuechly are all worth top 10 picks.  But is Edmunds these guys?  Who knows.  Has physical talent for it, but you have to have head, instinct, leadership, work ethic as well as being able to stay healthy to be one of those guys. 

If you are drafting an edge pass rusher early ideally you want them to have double digit sacks and constant pressures in college.  Even at ILB, his more natural position, he may struggle a bit due to his age and inexperience.  Bust factor is still real.  Still a top blue chip athletic talent like Edmunds is hard to pass on.  Interesting to see what he does at combine.  Also, hard to see both Trevathan and Freeman with Bears beyond 2018.   

People are saying we can't pass on Nelson.  Talent is too great.  Okay, maybe, consider that Long and Sitton are both making big money and not playing in enough games or playing far less than 100%.  You just spent an early pick on a guard/center in Whitehair.   How much of your money and early picks are you going to spend on interior O line when you badly need bluechip young playmakers that don't grow on trees?  Will Long ever be healthy again with injuries he's already had?  Some hard decisions are going to have be made, and either way it's going to be a gamble.  Where Bears really screwed up was giving Long a huge contract then playing him through bad injuries in already meaningless seasons.  Whatever happens at guard, you are still paper thin and average at OT.

 

 

 

 

[topwop1]

On 2/3/2018 at 2:54 PM, pigsooie5 said:

I wish I could find the video of Phil Emery telling Rod Marinelli over the phone, "Here you go, here's your next Monster of the Midway" right after making the ashes pick. What a clown that dude was

He wasn't a great GM but he did draft guys like Long, Alshon and Fuller.  His biggest mistake was hiring Trestman.  Had he hired Arians he might have still been around today.