jackie hayes

I know you're kidding, but I wasn't really questioning your credibility. I wouldn't be surprised if that's come up, at least as a rumor. I was just curious about the source, etc. Not. A. Chance.

Source?

Well, awright. The Rams select Adam Carriker, that Nebraskan dt. I just don't know about playing him inside, but he's shown great speed close to 300 lbs at the combine and his pro day. Obviously not a nose, but when you have such a crying need on the line, and a guy has this much potential and versatility, you have to go for it. And the Panthers follow with Paul Posluszny, lb from Penn. I know I'll get grief for this one. But when I saw him play, I enjoyed watching him. He looked very quick (not the same as fast, exactly) and instinctive. So maybe a reach, but one I'm happy with. Reggie Nelson is neck-and-neck here; I think the dropoff to the second-round lbs is larger than the dropoff to the second-round safeties. Let's move, Steelers.

Any updates? A quick google news search finds most reports still linking Scott to the Falcon, but no real developments. Anything on radio/tv?

Whoa. Them's a lot of mocks. Nice work. I love all of those top 4. But I don't believe Olsen will fall so far.

Is backloading really much of a science? I'll appreciate the Redskins cap management when they actually have more than one or two good players to retain. Right now, most of the big signings are cut or traded before too long. Archuleta & Arrington are the obvious examples. And how long do Brandon Lloyd and Antwaan Randle El have?

I don't know. Who does he have at 1? The Bears would have to trade up to 3 or 4 to get Thomas. The Cards probably value him too much to trade back. And I don't think the Bucs would be willing to miss out on Calvin Johnson, if he isn't going 1. Trading up to 3 from 6 would take at least our second-round pick. That's steep.

Well...yeah. I was suggesting that the Bears would trade down with someone who does want one of those, not that the Bears would take one at 6.

That's a lame excuse not to make a trade. I don't want the Bears to pick that high, either, but you have to believe someone will want to trade up for Quinn, a dlineman, or Landry.

Thomas won't be available. Barring a miracle, he is at LEAST taken by Arizona. Edit: No guarantee NE would want that trade. They've been making hay with low-round picks for a long time now. Low-1st round players are the best values in the draft.

I agree that it's good value for Briggs, but it seems like the value there is on the dline. We're three-deep at end and have Harris + three more first-day picks in the middle. I'm a big Quinn fan, but there's no guarantee he falls, and I expect at least one transition year with a new qb. (I'm also a Rex fan, so I'm ambivalent, anyway.) I'd actually prefer a trade-down from the 6, personally.

For who? Who would you want who'd be there at 6?

Ach, beat to the punch. I wonder why the Bears would want this pick, though. If they got it, I'd guess another trade-down would follow.

From rotoworld: Link to the foxsports story linked by rotoworld. Mentions Rosenhaus and Snyder as direct sources, but, importantly, nobody from the Bears. Trade would be Briggs + 31st pick for 6th overall pick.

If you're asking for some statement where JA and LS take turns reading sentences in a statement which reads, "We guarantee that x will start at y...", well, no, you're obviously not going to get that. But the fact that Angelo makes a point of saying that Manning can play corner, something nobody was clammoring for, along with the reports from every source that they WILL try him at corner, suggests that, just maybe, they're gonna try Manning at corner. I never suggested it'll stick, I never suggested it'll mean much for next year. My best guess (and this IS speculation) is that Manning will be a fs/dimeback next year (with Harris and Brown providing safety coverage in dime packages) and then become a regular cornerback the next season IF it goes well. That is separate from the Brown question. All I've heard from the Bears (Lovie, specifically) is that they expect Brown to be on the team next year. Barring an injury to Archuleta, the only way that seems to be productive is to have Brown spend some time at fs. Note, I said it "sounds like" they'll try him at fs -- not that the Bears have guaranteed it. Maybe you can ask your sources about it and let us all know.

You said it was pure speculation. I said, check ANY paper. They all cite Angelo. Hence, not speculation. Not that complicated. Do you even read what you say?

Not my strong point? How about you go back and read the freakin articles? They say ANGELO confirmed that the Bears were considering using Manning at cb. They all cite ANGELO. Maybe he was merely speculating, though... Here's his quote, in which he was merely speculating, being in no position to say anything about the team's decisions:

From the Bears web site, "A converted college linebacker, Archuleta is a hard-hitting safety who excels in run support close to the line of scrimmage. He is expected to start at strong safety with veteran Mike Brown possibly moving back to the free safety position." Link. You're not gonna get a quote from any Bears brass committing to the move, because it depends on how quickly Brown recovers, how he looks when he returns, and possibly on his willingness to rework his deal. But when you read it in multiple places, including the official team website, it's a little more than speculation. And if you haven't seen anything about Manning being tried at cb, try ANY paper. If I had to guess, from what I've read, I suppose they'll use him as a dime back this year, with the idea of a permanent move once either Tillman or Vasher depart (as they probably won't be able to retain both). But, no, I haven't had that notarized yet.

The veteran's minimum for someone with 8 years of service is a shade above 700k. So if he's not making the minimum, it's just pocket change more than that.

Really? It's 2.4 mil total, with only about 10% guaranteed. Why can't that be a 5th safety?

It sounds like they will try Brown at fs, though. If he can be adequate there, it will be nice to have the depth you get with two swingmen (Brown at fs & ss, Manning at fs & cb), with Archuleta getting plenty of snaps at ss and Harris getting some work at fs. I agree with you that it would be nice to nab a young safety early. But there'll be depth at wr and (interior) oline, too. I think Angelo's put the team in a position to grab the best value in the draft while allowing us to be just as competitive next season, and I like that strategy.

Eek. According to rotoworld, "The man formerly known as Domanick Davis is set to undergo another round of knee surgery." He's talented (was, at least, who knows now), a good receiver, even. But you wouldn't want to count on him for much.

That's pretty air-headed. They got the contract with Lovie done, with some tension, but no acrimony. They did exactly what they should have done with Briggs. His whining doesn't change that one bit. Nothing to do about Tank, either. The Jones trade, I can understand some disagreement over trading him at all, but the McGahee trade showed that we got value. And, sure, a lot of people don't like Rex. But a hell of a lot more support him than they make it sound like. I'm not angry, it's just mindless. The sign of a good gm isn't signing every fa you possibly can, damn the backloading. It's making good value acquisitions, like nabbing Archuleta one year later for pennies on the dollar. Sometimes the value is in big-ticket items, like Adalius Thomas. But sometimes it's only making minor moves, with an eye towards locking up the best young dt in the NFL. I'm mostly happy with the offseason.

Wtf? He got injured on the field, it's not like he's f'ing around off the field or taking plays off. If he "shouldn't" make $2-something mil just because he got injured while being one of the best players on the defense, then Archuleta REALLY shouldn't get $2.7 mil for sucking last year. And I am a fan of Archuleta and the trade. Again, how much cap space will we gain by cutting him? Just the $2.4 mil? I don't see ANY way to justify the loss of that much talent for that much cap space.

Not that it's the likeliest outcome, but you can't just rule it out like that. It's a deep draft for wide receivers, we're picking at the bottom of the first round, and Moose isn't getting younger (or better, for that matter). If it's good value, go with receiver.