AZ54

I'm keeping Long at RG. He has a long offseason and there will be no moving him around this year. Sitton I'd cut. I don't think his injury issues will get better as he gets older and for some reason he gets away with a fair amount of grabbing/pulling when he's out of position. I think he starts to get more flags as his feet slow down. I'm not opposed to keeping Sitton another year either but if the upgrade in Wynn is the best player available so be it, we fill the 2019 need this year. Worst case is that Wynn give us some good insurance if Long's recovery takes longer than expected. In which case we can keep Sitton. If Long isn't ready to play early in the season who are we playing? Morgan? He has long term promise but I'm not sure a year of no practice helped him enough to be a starter. Kush? He has his own injury concerns to recover from.

I think McGlinchey is probably a bit better athlete than Massie but I'm not sure he'd be that much of an upgrade, and probably will be a downgrade in the run game. I see McGlinchey as more of a late 1st to early 2nd Rd prospect and in this mock we're sitting at 21 where I feel there will be better value/need matchups for us to take. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ WEAKNESSES Tardy pass-sets and late to mirror. Forgets his feet and struggles with wide speed. Poor hand/punch timing, allowing rushers to cross his face and wrap his outside shoulder. Hips/butt rise in his kickslide. Only average arm length. Has an answer for the first move, but consistently struggles with counters. Overeager at times in the run game and tips his hand, ending up on the ground. – Dane Brugler 12/30/2017

I'm really bummed out about this. After the draft last year I was assured John Lynch was the smartest GM in the NFL. Now he gives a QB who has played a total of 7 games in the NFL the largest QB contract ever. Say anything you want about his play; good, bad, great, whatever, he still only has 7 games and just 5 in that offense. Very little body of work here to base this decision on. If your GM can't drive a better bargain than making him the highest paid player in the league then he's not doing his job well. Until NFL defenses have film and tendencies on your QB it is caveat emptor. I don't think Garoppolo will be a bust but it's ridiculous to make him the highest paid player. At least Joe Flacco had a Superbowl ring on his hand when he was given a huge deal.

Arden Key scares me. On one hand I see prototypical OLB for Fangio, on the other I see prototypical bust. In his place I'd take the best CB Pace has on his board. Could be any of Carlton Davis, Josh Jackson, Mike Hughes here, maybe someone else I haven't seen yet. Where they all rank depends on what site you go to and right now some of those names fall all the way into the 3rd Rd. That'll be sorted out soon. Josh Jackson, a former WR, has good INT numbers but he's very soft as a tackler. Davis is the opposite and hits like you want a DB to hit plus he's good right in the face of the WR. Mike Hughes seems to have the mirror skills to hang with a WR all over the field. Then I'm not a big McGlinchey fan either because he reminds me of a guy named Massie with his often too-slow feet. If we already have a RT who struggles with edge speed why add another? In that spot I'd take Isaiah Wynn OG and build a brick wall in front of Trubisky where he can always step up, or step up and out of the pocket. That there leaves the outside pass rusher in quandary even if they can beat Massie out wide. ----------------- Where does he fit on the field: ILB or OLB? Leighton Vanderesche. Watch his highlights and you'll feel like you're watching a young Urlacher at times. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ COMPARES TO : 2018 Hall of Fame finalist Brian Urlacher, Bears - It might seem presumptuous to compare Vander Esch - essentially a one-year wonder - to Urlacher, who recorded an eye-popping 1,229 tackles and 41.5 sacks over his 13 NFL seasons, all in Chicago. There are some eerie similarities between the two, however, not the least of which are their similar sizes, athleticism, physical tackling and small-school backgrounds. It is worth remembering that prior to earning the No. 9 overall pick in 2000, the 6-4, 258 pound Urlacher also fell off the recruiting radar after playing eight-man football in high school and played his college ball at New Mexico before

Looks like competition for the NB role. Don't see the speed or length to compete on the outside. Mincy looks like he has very good quickness and he's physical, similar to LeBlanc except he seems to be a bit faster. It's hard to tell much from a 3min highlight film. Now playing in the NFL vs. Canada is a huge difference so he has his work cutout for him if he wants to make the roster.

Even if I'm not yet sold on him I agree on Fitzpatrick being the only real DB option in the top 10. Amerson is interesting. From what I've seen of some highlights his style fits what Fangio wants. Pace can kick the tires and see if he's healthy but I'd be surprised if we sign him this early.

Does anyone think we should take this guy with our first round pick? I don't like him and think he's nothing more than a NB in the NFL. I've seen him mocked to us at #8 in several places. Everything I've seen of him on film just shows a quick little guy. When he tackles someone he's usually going for a ride backwards about 3yards. That won't get any better in the NFL. Some smaller players have the ability to play bigger, Callahan comes to mind, but I haven't seen that in the film I watched. I think players like Alshon Jeffrey, who Ward can easily run with, would own him on all jump balls. I haven't seen anyone calling for us to draft him at #8 nor even in a trade back scenario so I suspect nobody else is enamored with his play.

Nobody will ever hire McDaniels as their HC after this, except of course the Patriots. I've said for years they were a classless organization and now we can add this to their long record. I don't have a problem with them putting McDaniels as HC in waiting but that's a decision that should have been done early enough, or at least they should have let the Colts know up front that this was a possibility. To let it play out like this is really unethical but not surprising knowing the Patriot way.

It's easy to say the same about OTs in this draft yet you just grabbed one in the first in your mock. Connor Williams, Orlando Brown, McGlinchey, Kolton Miller, Chukwuma Okorafor, Martinas Rankin, Jamarco Jones. Tyrell Crosby, Brandon Parker, Alex Cappa, and we can toss in Desmond Harrison too. We don't know yet if Edmunds is worth a top 10 pick but he needs to be on our radar. We don't know that about the OTs either even though I've been on board with taking Connor Wiliams at #8. Fortunately WR is also a position missing elite talent but with good depth in this draft. Everything is aligned so that we should be able to get help across the board if we can trade back a bit as you proposed. I am wondering though if the Bears aren't content with their OTs as they stated. The more I read about the RPOs and watching the Eagles execute them I think QNelson has to be on our radar for our first pick. If Biggs is right and running inside is that important we could benefit from an upgrade especially with Long's offseason surgeries. Nelson is so good LBs will know they have to get into their run gaps quickly, likewise for Long if he gets healthy. Content with the OTs doesn't mean they wouldn't like an upgrade. I'm not an OC/DC expert but it seems to me this new offense will give more things for edge rushers to think about before they commit to getting to the QB. They'll no doubt use some read-option plays plus we should start seeing a lot more screen plays. This could mean that OT becomes a target on the 3rd day. Regardless, I'd still like someone more nimble than Massie on the right side for those occasional deep routes Nagy said he likes to call. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0206-story.html

Having another NFL offensive mind in the room as they build/design our new offense will help. I am concerned about Helfrich's ability to understand early on how to attack NFL defenses beyond the 4-6 games you get before they have enough film to know your tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.

I have more homework to do on Fitzpatrick. I admit when I watched him live in the playoffs he never really jumped out as a potential elite player, someone worth the #8 overall. I'll bring up what I've said for the last few years. On that Alabama defense it is hard to standout. The flip side is how much is all that talent helping a player? I'm sure some 'Bama fans will get on my case (again) but right now my sense is Fitzpatrick looks like he'll be a very good safety in the NFL. So does 4th Rd pick Eddie Jackson. By most accounts he does not have the athletic talents of a player like Jaylen Ramsey but we'll find that out soon enough. His best attribute appears to be his versatility in the defensive backfield. Again, that's similar to Ramsey except Ramsey is an elite athlete. For now my thoughts are that if Fitzpatrick looks more like an NFL safety than CB then I don't want to take him at #8. We have much higher needs than S and there will be similar talent grades, if not higher, still on the board.

Congratulations to Urlacher. He's the first Bears Hall of Famer my kids grew up watching. The link below has a nice short video (1:30) of each player when they got the knock on the door. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000091...e-class-of-2018 Over the decades I've been a Bears fan there are a few games that standout. One of them will always be the Arizona game when Urlacher just dominated on defense. That is one of the all-time greatest games, if not the greatest, I've ever seen from a defensive player. This game even has its own Wikipedia page (who knew?): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Chicago_..._Cardinals_game The game was also notable for featuring one of the best performances of Brian Urlacher's career. He recorded 19 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Teammate Devin Hester commented on Urlacher's performance, stating, "We watched the film and everybody was saying that he just turned into the Incredible Hulk the last four minutes of the game, just killing people and running over and tackling whoever had the ball."[

I can't imagine we'd get a first round pick for Howard but a late 2nd or 3rd I could see. Then use our two 4th Rd picks and trade up into the 3rd. With my top 4 picks I come out of the draft with: Barkley nice upgrade at RB, he can do it all and he has game changing home run speed to go with his power. The Mickey Mouse offense he was in at Penn State didn't really showcase all he can do as an inside runner. With his speed who is covering him out of the backfield? If they keep a DB in for coverage then use the run option on the RPO. DJ Chark WR 2nd Rd, he needs work but I figure Nagy and Helfrich will love his quickness and speed, and more importantly they'll know how to use it in an offense. He provides a legit deep threat as well to offset everyone else we have. Alex Cappa OT 3rd Rd, looked very good at Senior Bowl, needs a year to take over for Massie and has LT potential long term but is our backup swing OT this year. Kemoko Turay OLB 3rd Rd, was unblockable at Senior Bowl in 1on1 pass rushing drills but shoulder injury history clouds his draft status. and then... Michael Joseph CB 5th Rd. Excellent character and good athlete from a small school. We fill CB starters via FA and he spends a couple seasons learning the ropes with a good chance to develop into a starter down the road. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ "He does a great job smothering the receiver in both man and zone coverage to crowd the catch point. Joseph leads all of college football with eight interceptions in 2017, adding 43 tackles and 14 passes defended."

I don't think it changed that much except Washington's #13 seemed like a nice spot to trade back to. Regardless we all knew Smith was going somewhere and so was Cousins.

I don't see the value of any WR being worth a top 15 pick. I can't imagine Pace will either especially with some other very good options likely to be on the table. I would not rule out Barkley either if he's there. RB might not be the direction I want to go at #8 but he's a heck of a lot better pick than any WR in this draft. Adrian Peterson carried the Vikings offense on his back for many years.

It's hard to verify but it seems he's just 20 years old, maybe 21. If that's correct he's should have a lot of potential to improve.

Ade Aruna. OLB candidate for late on Day 3, might even be a UDFA. Has the traits but is very raw. Stats won't match up since he apparently was moved inside in 2017. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2756155...-all-star-games

After watching him play in two playoff games I don't see anything about Roquan Smith that makes him a great player. He's a good football player, maybe very good, but at 225lbs his best attribute is his range. After all the hype I was expecting to see Ryan Shazier type speed but it wasn't there. He's still got excellent range for an ILB but will that still hold up, rather will he hold up in the NFL at 225lbs? If he can't outrun a Oline player to a spot he's definitely completely washed out of the play. I expect he'll be adding weight before the combine. He should still run well enough but his game, IMO, compares to what Trevathan does on the field for us. Again, good player and a guy you'd like to have on your team but I didn't see anything from him that's worth the 8th pick overall. He seems to fit better around 15-25 in the draft, maybe 20-30 as we get more info on other prospects like Marcus Davenport. I'm with Jason that our scheme benefits far more from having excellent OLB play.

Watch his TD throws after a few days with NFL coaching and you'll see why his draft stock improved. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/957416788542742528

I felt the same way as I watched him play, except I think he can bend and flip his hips a bit better.

Looks like Turay turned some heads at the Senior Bowl practices: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/se...allen-and-more/ Where'd that come from? Rutgers outside linebacker Kemoko Turay had an up-and-down collegiate career plagued by injuries. His best statistical output came as a freshman in 2014 when he tallied 8.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. His film was generally underwhelming, with a rare flash of pass-rushing brilliance. At the Senior Bowl, his explosion and bend around the edge was nearly unbelievable at times, particularly for someone a shade north of 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds. And that outstanding display of athleticism didn't happen once or twice. He was dominant often in practice and created pressure in the game. For perspective on Turay's physical profile, he has close to the same height and weight measurements as underrated 49ers defensive end Aaron Lynch.

The good news is that both Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield looked good at the Senior Bowl. Allen seems to have played himself into a top 10 pick but there is a good chance both end up in the top 10.

I'm not sure where to fit this guy in on a draft board but he's starting to take the same path Haason Reddick did last year with a big rise up draft boards once the process started. Reddick was just 6'1" tall whereas Edmunds is listed at 6'5". That could put Edmunds in play for us at OLB. Like Leonard Floyd he was most often lined up as a LB off the line so in two games and some highlights I didn't see much film of him coming off the edge. When he does he shows some of the skills you want to see. I think he'll need to be stronger in his upper body to play there full time. Watching him play I think he could easily slot into the ILB role for us. If Fangio thinks he can grow into the OLB role, as Floyd is doing, Edmunds will definitely give him options. He can have him at OLB when we're in a 5-man front and then move him back to ILB with Trevathan when we go to a 4-man front, keeping Floyd at DE. Trevathan and Edmunds at ILB, especially in coverage would be a very good combination on 3rd and long but you could also walk Edmunds up to line and blitz. When Fangio rushes 3 and drops 8 in coverage, as he likes to do on 3rd and very long, he'll have Floyd, Trevathan, and Edmunds as the first line of coverage. If you consider defending a hurry up offense like the Packers where we are basically in nickel the entire game there's much more flexibility to scheme. While he's learning the OLB role Edmunds could also take much of the 5-man front coverage responsibility leaving Floyd more often to rush the passer. Basically he'd follow the development path Floyd took in his rookie year. I'm not yet comfortable with him being the 8th pick in the draft but at least one analyst is. Daniel Jeremiah has him as the #3 overall prospect, ahead of Chubb. Typically he's listed in the top 15-20 overall. Some sites don't even have him in the first round but that will change soon. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000090...-2018-nfl-draft http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/10/16/trema...s-clemson-2017/

Yes we are much different in evaluation. For me character is a trump card and can easily remove a player from my board and I don't care how well he can play. I don't have a disagreement about film being a better evaluation than running in shorts. I just disagree that Lazard looked fast on film. It's what you saw when you watched him play so that's ok. I won't change my opinion that how well he runs largely determines what round he gets drafted in because I think it's the only real question mark there is regarding his ability as a WR. I might never be able to prove that but for now he's more or less listed as the 25th best WR. We'll see how that goes. If he runs poorly and goes undrafted or late Day 3 then I think it's fair to say a 1000yd receiver from the Big 12 was affected by his poor forty/shuttle/3-cone times. Scouts have already seen a lot of what they wanted to know at the Senior Bowl practices. Between now and the combine we'll see if he rises a bit on some of boards out there. I hope he does.

That's where I'm at with Lazard. He's got all the receiving skills (just talking ability to catch the ball) you want. I still think the round he gets drafted in depends greatly on how well he runs, not just the forty, but also other drills like the 3-cone and shuttle. If he runs well, I think he'll move up the boards quite a bit. Scouts have already seen what they need at the Senior Bowl practices in terms of his ability to get separation but I don't have that luxury. At a minimum I think he'll be a good red zone threat. I'd say his ceiling is probably as a #2 WR but he may just end up as 3 or 4 WR similar to how Inman is. I'd take Lazard over Inman because he can win the contested throws, jump balls, make the occasional one-handed catch, etc. Inman loses concentration when he's contacted. Aside from the red zone that's valuable on 3rd downs. There is nothing wrong with having a big reliable target who can help you move the chains. 100% agree on Lanning. At his worst I think he'll become a core special teams player/captain. He has the kind of character that teams would love to have leading their special teams. If you want to replace a guy like Timu with a player who has a bit more range but still has good instincts around the LOS then I think Lanning can do that. With just a year at the position he's still a work in progress but when he read it right he showed up to make big stops. With a couple years experience he might develop into a player like Kwiatkoski. I look forward to seeing where he ends up and how he does. He might be a practice squad player to start out.