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This is exactly how I feel. Halas Hall may have Ridley (or someone else) ranked even lower. Maybe they're in love with a pass rusher. Pass rushers are pretty damned important. We need ILB too, and the guy from Georgia is intriguing. Again, as youve said, it all depends on their own evaluations. But one thing is sure. Theyre building everything around Trubisky right now, and we have one of the worst WR groups in history. The new guys are going to have to come from somewhere. They may well go somewhere else for round 1, but then I think they will definitely look at WR int he 2nd, and I wouldnt be shocked to see them draft 2 WRs, no matter which rounds they do it in.

I dunno if Kevin White's injury would make a difference to Pace taking a WR, but your other point is very interesting. Who have Andy Reid's best WRs been, and how did he acquire them? Also, what type of WRs does Reid favor? I dunno if Pace will want to emulate New Orleans or supply the type of player his coaches prefer. Good points.

The only problem with that is assuming the top ten we see align with the top ten in the opinion of our staff. If for example, they have a WR highly rated, that would change everything. Or maybe they like the ILB from Georgia a lot etc. Also, Trubisky needs targets. If you have Ridley ranked 12th for example, you might take him at 8 even if it is a bit of a reach - if you think he's a #1 WR, maybe you just go get him. Kind of like trading up for #2 to get Trubisky last year...

You may be right. Im certainly not making predictions. Better men than me have tried to read Belicheck's poker face and failed. I'm just wonder out loud, conspiracy theories, because it's mid February and that's all there is to do.

I wonder if Belicheck is considering retiring, and doesnt want to announce that until after Free Agency recruiting.

Yes I think you're right! Good analysis!

Im not suggesting they worry about it, just more likely that one fewer QB could come off the board before us.

Well, the Eagles have Foles and Wentz. Does anyone doubt they will trade one of them, probably Foles? That's another team getting a QB from somewhere other than the first 7 picks of the 2018 NFL Draft...

Very interesting. Everything we see is about spread offense and shotgun, keeping Trubisky where he was comfortable in college. RPO and all that. All smoke for a TE grab? That'd be amazing. More likely maybe theyre gonna run a mix and have spread formations AND double TE. Interesting stuff. I hadnt considered that. Personally, my guess, is it's going to be a WR or a defensive player with a WR in the 2nd round. Id love to see a trade down and grab Ridley or whoever the staff likes at WR.

I think WR is our number one need. But I agree that in all (most) of the analysis we've seen, WRs don't grade out to top 10 picks. I guess it just depends what his scouting and coaching staff think. The good news is that between Nagy, Helfrich and Hiestand, they ought to be able to add a lot of value to our ability to evaluate WRs and OL. I pretty much think whatever they do will be smarter than what we can guess or judge, since we have Walter Football and they have some serious passing game pros now looking at this stuff. That said, it wouldn't shock me to see us trade down, or even take another position with the first pick. But if they do, you can bet WR is the 2nd pick, and they might go back to it in the 4th or 5th too.

Washington & Tate would be a good duo. McGlinchey would be fantastic at 8 if he was still there.

In doing all these mocks, one thing is standing out to me: You either LOVE one of the WRs, you trade down, or you're taking a different player at 8. It'd be ideal if there was a WR who merited a top ten pick there for the taking, but I can see that just isn't the case this year. So I think if we go a different way on the first round pick, the odds are that we will go WR in the 2nd. So who would that be? Over and over I ended up on Equanimeous St. Brown. He's tall, well regarded. I wonder who do people like at WR in the 2nd round? That might help you dial in on the everyone agrees mock. If we get a good 2nd round WR, then that makes the 1st pick easier to discuss.

OK, I'm listening. How's this one? Jason, do you like it? no trades. Your score is: 21054 (GRADE: A-) Your Picks: Round 1 Pick 8: Arden Key, DE/OLB, LSU (A+) Round 2 Pick 7: Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame (A) Round 4 Pick 5: Donte Jackson, CB, LSU (A+) Round 4 Pick 15: Brandon Parker, OT, North Carolina AT (A-) Round 5 Pick 8: Deontay Burnett, WR, Southern California (A+) Round 6 Pick 7: Wyatt Teller, OG, Virginia Tech (A+) Round 7 Pick 6: Eddy Pineiro, K, Florida (A+)

OK guys, another first-pick.com draft. No trades. Your score is: 20687 (GRADE: B+ ) Your Picks: Round 1 Pick 8: Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State (A+) Round 2 Pick 7: Auden Tate, WR, Florida State (B ) Round 4 Pick 5: Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh (B+) Round 4 Pick 15: Donte Jackson, CB, LSU (A+) Round 5 Pick 8: Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia (A+) Round 6 Pick 7: Javon Wims, WR, Georgia (A+) Round 7 Pick 6: Eddy Pineiro, K, Florida (A+) Better?

Well they cover TEs too, and pass rush and blitz. Fangio has shown that he likes chess pieces. Look at his defense in SF. He had Patrick Willis and it made a huge difference. With Freeman likely gone, and Travathan injured we were terrible. Roquan Smith is a great player... Anyway, overall I think that draft is both impossible and awesome.

I agree that the sites are ridiculous. the middle picks are impossible, and it'd be a major home run if the draft played out like this. But we DO have a need at ILB, and when you get a player of that caliber, it would allow Fangio to use him a lot of different ways. He's great in coverage, and he has pass rush abilities. His presence would make Floyd better too. I agree that's an impossible draft, but it'd be a damned good one. I think GMs like to take BPA, and you are a bit too position-centric.

firstpick.com draft took the trade down with washington went down to 13 to get Ridley, and picked up an extra 2nd. heavy on WR and I like that Your score is: 18362 (GRADE: B ) Your Picks: Round 1 Pick 13 (WASH): Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama (A) Round 2 Pick 7: Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame (B+) Round 2 Pick 12 (WASH): Braden Smith, OT/OG, Auburn ( Round 4 Pick 5: Donte Jackson, CB, LSU (A+) Round 4 Pick 15: Darius Leonard, OLB, South Carolina State (C+) Round 5 Pick 8: Marquis Haynes, OLB/DE, Ole Miss (A+) Round 6 Pick 7: Christian Sam, ILB, Arizona State (A+) Round 7 Pick 6: Eddy Pineiro, K, Florida (A+)

Thanks Mongo!

I think all of these sites are unrealistic, I was surprised he was there.

Here's from walkthemock,com (what site do you guys use?) 1:8 Roquan Smith LB Georgia 2:8 Equanimeous St. Brown WR Notre Dame 4:8 Tyrell Crosby OT Oregon 4:15 Scott Quessenberry G UCLA 5:8 Jalen Davis CB Utah St. 6:8 Keke Coutee WR Texas Tech I took a look at OL, but it sure does look to me like Roquan Smith might be in the Bears' plans if there's no trade down. I'd take a kicker in the 7th.

2018 Free Agents Andrew Norwell, G, Panthers. Age: 26 Justin Pugh, G/OT, Giants. Age: 28 Jack Mewhort, G, Colts. Age: 27 Ja'Wuan James, OT, Dolphins. Age: 26 Cameron Fleming, OT, Patriots. Age: 25

I used the draft simulator at fanspeak.com to generate this draft. No trades. I was torn between reaching for a WR or trying for more of a BPA approach, and I decided that Pace is gonna sign a WR in free agency. I know he will want more, but it freed me up to take value early, and the way it fell, I ended up taking an ILB. This wasn't the draft I thought I would make, but it is excellent. I doubt we could pull this off, the site has some questionable rankings I guess, but if we did, we'd be a hell of a team to reckon with. Round 1 - Pick 8 - LB Roquon Smith (Georgia) Round 2 - Pick 7 - Edge Marcus Davenport (UTSA) Round 4 - Pick 5 - WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Notre Dame) Round 4 - Pick 15 - CB J.C. Jackson (Maryland) Round 5 - Pick 8 - WR D.J. Chark (LSU) Round 6 - Pick 7 - TE Tyler Conklin (Central Michigan) Round 7 - Pick 6 - K Eddie Piniero (Florida) It doesnt add to the OL, which is a problem, but it adds a LOT to the defense, and gives Trubisky more targets. If you assume a FA WR too, that's a shotgun approach to upgrading the WRs. Look for WR and OL in Free Agency and make this happen Pace! LOL

What site do you use to do that?

Bears are never in a 4-3, but often in a 4 man front, but that's nickel, so a 4-2

It could be not even a matter of blame too. It could simply be a difference in philosophy, again flexibility vs raw strength.