AZ54

With the 49ers new DC having mostly a 4-3 background it would seem that's the direction they are going. Fans on one message board are not too enamored with Arik Armstead and if they switch to a 4-3 most speculate he'll end up at LDE. Not an ideal fit for his skills. If nothing else most seem to want a top tier FA DT brought in which would move AA to a backup role, or kick him outside to LDE. All of which makes it possible to see AA on the trade block. We'll see which FA the 49ers are connected to when we get to the combine as that could give a good idea where they see AA fit on their D. Other than that it's no surprise their fans are focused on the same targets we're talking about in FA. In my fantasy world I'd give them Cutler, a 4th Rd pick, and take AA off their hands. If I'm not mistaken Cutler was drafted by the younger Shanny's father but it's impossible to say if they'd have any interest.

Not interested. Too far past his prime and at absolute best he'll help for one season, and even that ability to "help" is in question. Stick to the plan with young players until we get a good core group in place.

Some highlights of Solomon Thomas. I think he has enough agility to handle some snaps at OLB. Watch him run down some RBs on plays to the outside and it's clear he's a far better athlete than McPhee.

Nooo...put big rumors out there that JimmyG is our main target. At least that has already happened so someone didn't keep quiet. After the big report there was nothing from the Bears saying it was inaccurate. Whether our desire to trade for JimmyG is true or not we should churn the pot again a week before the combine. That'll keep people chattering on that and maybe spending less time figuring out what else we're doing.

The Buffalo deal is tempting except the dead money setup in Taylor's contract is a killer. If he's just a temp guy to hold the spot down for a couple years I'd want more flexibility. It's possible there are ways out of it sooner with less impact. If Brandon Cooks can't be happy with Brees throwing him the ball then he'll never be happy here with Hoyer/Barkley/rookie. Based on that he doesn't seem to be the locker room presence Fox wants on the team. Then there's the expiring contract issue so a year later we could have nothing for our troubles. I always felt Haden was over-rated and certainly not worth $14mil. At 5'11" 190lbs (I think that's generous) he's not a great fit for Fangio's D. He'd be a decent holdover for a year or two but at a huge expense. If Cleveland wants us to swallow that contract for them then I'm taking #12, #33, #65 and Haden for #3 overall. With #33 or #36 I'd draft Hayden's replacement and give him a year or two to learn. If that's a bad deal for Cleveland, well that's the way it works when we're doing them a favor.

We all know replacing Unrein as our starter at RDE needs to be done. Remember, according to Fangio we're in a 3-4 alignment about 40% of the time. The other 60% we're in a 4-3 alignment. That means our 4-3 LDE, where I think Thomas a good fit, is getting more snaps than our 3-4 RDE, where Allen is the better fit. I'm well aware of my scouting limitations but here's what D. Jeremiah says: "Overall, Thomas could excel as a base end on run downs with the ability to kick inside and terrorize guards on passing downs." Willie Young is nothing more than a nice rotational player. More concerning is that Pernell McPhee may never again be able to handle a full-time starting role. Are we going to pay $7mil/yr for a part-time player? This year, with no real options on the roster, I'd say yes. However, in 2018 McPhee can be cut with $1mil dead money, and $7mil cap savings. It is quite possible the coaches and front office view finding a 4-3 LDE a slightly higher priority than the 3-4 RDE we're focused on, or at least equal needs. There is also Bullard who was drafted to fill that 3-4 RDE role and by draft time the team will have an idea if he's putting in the work needed to improve. FWIW McPhee can be cut this year with just $1.5mil dead money and $6mil in cap space so cutting him is a realistic possibility if his replacement (or replacements since it might be a combo of two players) is on the roster.

I'm not as high on Allen as others are. I'm higher on Thomas than others are so I see them somewhat comparable. I really need to see what they do at the combine to better compare their skills and talents. Thomas will always play lighter than Allen but with 2 or 3 shoulder surgeries already can Allen really hold up playing inside in the NFL? We don't get info on what those surgeries were for either.

Mahomes arm strength is very enticing. After re-watching several games of his last week I came to the conclusion he's not that fast as a runner so he'll absolutely have to learn to be a pocket passer in the NFL. Some of the reads he makes might cause Alaska to jump out of his igloo and scream as if we still had Cutler on the team. Bottom line for me is he's a bit more of a project than I first thought. I don't see trading back into the 1st Rd for him. One positive is that when he's right he'll make some scrambles and deep passes while on the run that remind me of Aaron Rodgers' throws. Like all of these young QBs so much will be determined by their one-on-one meetings and workouts with teams.

That might be the best comp for him. He's not extremely agile (as Floyd is) but he has very quick feet and the power to get an edge on a blocker, and then around them. For me he's just a quicker and stronger version of Pernell McPhee.

Sadly I have a full time job and a family so I'm not going to research case law on Workman Comp as it relates to NFL player claims. Every single case is different so expecting some standard answer as to WC benefits paid, number of years, etc. is not realistic. Some things to know: Much of what is paid in disability claims has long been established by the courts. Lose a finger at work and you'll get whatever the going rate is ($10k maybe $20k now). Lose an eye and the payment you will get is also somewhat standardized. In general those things don't stop you from working. If you become permanently disabled in a way that prevents you from working (i.e. going blind) you will get workmans' comp (WC) checks the rest of your life. What is being debated is how much should be in the check. You won't get full pay when on disability. If I remember it correctly somewhere in the articles it said generally payments would be 2/3 of your paycheck. Let's just use that number. Now there's a middle ground where you are disabled enough that you can no longer work the same job (NFL RB) but you can hold other jobs like UPS delivery driver. Say you were a UPS delivery driver ($75k/yr) and lost both legs and now you can only work at a lower paying office job at UPS ($40k/yr). Illinois law says UPS must pay you some of that salary differential as part of the workers comp. You won't get full pay but maybe 2/3 of the difference. Difference is 75k - 40k = $35k. Per the law you will receive WC differential pay of 2/3 of $35k = $25k annually. On top of your new $40k salary you will receive WC $25k for a total benefit of $65k. Current Law: For an NFL player who can't play RB anymore the wage differential from say $10mil/yr to $40k/yr is about $10mil/yr. The Bears will pay that player $6.6mil/yr until he's 67 years old. New Law: Injured player gets $6.6mil/yr until he's 35yr old, after which he'll get $25k/yr just like you or I would. To answer questions 1) the WC check an NFL player would get after the age of 35 would be similar to what any other person would get. If the player graduated as a nuclear engineer and could no longer do that work then their WC check might be higher than the football player who graduated with a leisure studies degree (as many players did when I was in college). 2) The WC check and NFL player gets up to age 35 will include about 2/3 of his projected NFL salary. Keeping it simple, if he were making $10mil/yr then he'll get $6.6mil/yr until age 35. 3) WC checks are paid by companies. Small businesses will likely pay premiums to an insurance company so they can spread the risk (tough to handle a big payment when you have 5 employees). I'm not sure about this, but I think for small companies some states also setup a fund they can pay into. From my experience large companies are almost always self-insured and pay claims directly off their bottom line. It's cheaper. It is the same with health insurance. They will likely pay a company to manage their WC claims just like they pay a health insurer to manage their health care claims. Blue Cross or Aetna never pay my medical bills, my company does, they just write the checks with the company name on it. 4) Regarding premiums, if you are self -insured as the NFL teams surely are then there are none. You just pay out claims. No claims equals more profit so they have incentive to keep players safe. 5) Even self-insured businesses could set aside or allocate money for claims even if there are none. The money just goes into an account they don't touch except for future claims. It helps to keep the WC payments stable between good years and bad years. 6) A company with lower WC claims and higher profits is actually good for the state and tax payers. Many people cry about the fact the NFL doesn't pay taxes but that's because teams pay the taxes themselves as their own profit loss center. If the Bears make more profit then they pay more taxes to the State of Illinois. Most citizens will think that's a good thing. 7) Injury settlements, which you seem to think are bad for players, are actually largely standardized based on WC case history just like injuries for any of us losing a finger. It's fairly settled case law and that is why players and their lawyers negotiate it a bit but quickly settle. You can waste a lot of money paying lawyers to sue but probably won't get a dime more, might get less, and then have to pay that lawyer from your winnings. Unless your state is running it's own insurance company for small businesses, which I'm not sure of, then there is no tax payer money involved in WC regardless how long the claims last. Even then the states aren't that stupid, if there is a bad year and they need more money they will raise premiums. If a business goes bankrupt then certainly there will no longer be a WC claim paid and the individual could then fall back on disability paid by taxpayers. Another business will never pick up someone else's WC claim. Therefore taxpayers have an incentive to help businesses like the Bears stay in business.

Stinger was right. It would appear Palmer, Fitz, and Arians are all tied together for one more run at it. That's still a plus for us because there is no way I can see a team so intent on winning now using an early pick on a QB. The first 3 rounds should net a player who starts or helps in some way.

Throw in the fact the Jets just hired Cutler's old friend Jeremy Bates as QB coach https://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jet...acks-1.13082874

Garoppolo will cost both picks and a somewhat significant bonus on a new contract. I don't think he'll get what Cutler will earn per season. If he's on the Bears I certainly hope not. Osweiller's contract is not the benchmark for a 2nd contract on an unproven QB, it's the benchmark for failure. Tyrod Taylor may be a FA as well but it's hard to say where teams see him vs. Cutler. The Houston Texans will be in the mix for a vet QB. They have many pieces in place on their defense and offense. Making the playoffs without Watt and without a QB they have to think if they can just get average play at QB they'll be in a very good spot. They have just $25mil in cap space and re-signing Bouye is a priority for them. That will take at least $10-12mil. What if they offer a 3rd Rd pick and Jonathan Joseph? I saw that last year the Patriots tried to trade for Joseph so he might be someone they are willing to give up in order to free up some cap space, $6mil. Again, it's a deep class for CBs so they can feel confident about finding a replacement.

Every time I read something from PFF I read it as if Cris Collinsworth was saying it, and it puts it all into perspective.

http://www.walterfootball.com/nflrumors/freeagency 2/1: Carson Palmer has moved his family out of Arizona and sold his home. - Mike Jurecki, FOX Sports Palmer hinted at retirement, and this is an even stronger sign. Palmer could still return for one year, but no one should be surprised if he hangs up his cleats. -Walter 2nd source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/...out-of-arizona/ I said it before but Bruce Arians does not have the time before he wants to retire (or has to due to health issues) to rebuild with one of these rookie QBs. If Palmer is done he'll want someone who can play now. He's got two options: Romo and Cutler. Romo's contract carries a cap hit of $24mil and two more years on the deal, which precludes a trade. Arians can wait until he's a FA but then Romo can make his choice and that could well end up being Denver. Plus Romo has serious back injury question marks. Our man Cutler has much friendlier cap hit of $16mil in 2017 and $17mil in 2018. What will Bruce Arians give us for Jay Cutler? If Pace can get a 3rd Rd pick out of it then it totally changes his draft options. Trading our 2nd and 3rd Rd picks is enough to get back into the late 1st Rd should he like one of the QBs there (Kizer?). Trading both 3rd Rd picks can net another 2nd Rd pick where there is likely to still be some very good talent on the board: That could be 3 picks in the top 50.

What do layman's Workers Comp rules have to do with a change in the law regarding professional athletes? The law will still pay athletes permanent disability, should they need it, as equally as it would to you or I. Here's the text of SB12: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/100/SB/PDF/10000SB0012lv.pdf 16 For accidental injuries involving professional athletes 17 that occur on or after the effective date of this amendatory 18 Act of the 100th General Assembly, an award for wage 19 differential under this subsection shall be effective for the 20 expected remaining duration of the employee's professional 21 sports athletic career. As used in this paragraph (d)1, 22 "professional athlete" means an individual whose employer is a 23 professional athletic team that is based in Illinois, 24 including, but not limited to, any professional baseball, 25 basketball, football, soccer, or hockey team based in Illinois 26 and who derives the majority of his or her income from playing SB0012 - 34 - LRB100 06318 KTG 16356 b 1 athletics for the professional athletic team. The expected 2 remaining duration of an employee's professional sports 3 athletic career shall continue until the employee reaches the 4 ageof35orforaperiodof5yearsfromthedateofthe 5 injury, whichever is later, unless the employer or employee is 6 able to successfully prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, 7 that the expected remaining duration of such employee's 8 professional sports athletic career has a shorter or longer 9 duration.

Here's some chatter on Kirk Cousins...just not for the Bears: http://www.walterfootball.com/draft2017.php "...it's being speculated that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will go hard after Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo. I can't imagine Cousins leaving Washington, but Garoppolo could be dealt, and Shanahan previously said that he likes him a lot. The No. 34 pick in this draft should seal the deal. " Right after this statement (in his mock draft) he now has us taking Trubisky. I agree, there's no way Washington can let go of Cousins so they won't let it happen. But this Garoppolo thing is very interesting in light of the Bears being reported as ready to go after him.

No point talking about a player you won't have a chance to sign. Berry might be in that same category.

I like White in the open field. Hogan's limitations were completely obvious in the Super Bowl when someone actually decided to cover him, as opposed to the Steelers cover 3 zone.

I'm answering your question that was posed in two threads.... Or those other stars on your team inflate your stats. It's a little easier to get coverage sacks when you have 1st and 2nd Rd CBs/S playing behind you. You see less double teams when there are other talented DT/DEs around you, or a top 10 pick at MLB right behind you. -------- The combine will be important for separating these two. Both of these players have very good feet I think Thomas is a little quicker than Allen. I do think they are a little bit different players. Allen more inside, Thomas more outside but both have the skills to move around the front. Thomas at 280lbs moves very well and he can play LDE. From what I've seen he can do the same things on defense that McPhee does for us but probably be a bit better working inside as a DT. I think Thomas is quicker than Allen. Allen can handle the inside work better, or for more snaps, than Thomas but has good enough movement to get some work outside. --------- In reference to a team trading up for Allen I don't see it happening because I don't think there's much of a dropoff from Allen to Thomas. That's if there is any drop off, which may also be scheme dependent for the teams drafting them. If you add in the shoulder surgeries then long term reliability is a concern for Allen and should drop him a bit. Is that reliability risk someone a team trades up to #3 to get when they might very well wait and draft Thomas?

One analyst puts Thomas ahead of Allen. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2690513...-big-board-more

I don't have any data to support this but seems to me big trades into the top 5 of the draft are usually driven by one of the big 3 positions: DE, OT, QB. The problem is finding someone willing to trade up that high into the first round, which is very expensive in terms of picks. This is a deep draft at several positions and it's hard to say a team can't just stay at #8 or #10 and get a comparable player, or grab a very good talent at another need position. Every team in the top 10 picks has multiple needs so to trade up means they give up drafting a second starter with their 2nd Rd pick. Is it worth it to trade up for Allen when Solomon Thomas might be there at your pick? Adams vs. Hooker? Trubisky vs. Kizer vs. Watson? Want a CB...grab anyone in the 1st and you're in good shape. Nobody is coming up to #3 for an OT/TE/WR/RB/LB in this draft. Garrett would draw a ton of interest but if we did that we'd be stupid. It's possible we might find a trade partner in a team that really wants Adams but I'm not sure teams will find moving up to #3 for a safety to be a great value, especially if they think Peppers can grow into the role. This might happen with teams that are just behind us with picks 4-6, maybe as far back as Carolina at #7. After that its very expensive. OTOH it's a draft very deep in DBs, Hooker will still be available and his surgery is not that risky. I just don't see Adams as a player driving the trade market.

Between all the injuries (Goldman), suspensions (Freeman), he had little competition for this award but he is still well deserving of it. In fact even moreso because he was often the main threat for an offense to stop and he still produced. We need to use some of our cap space to sign him long term this offseason. http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1...9b-214afc006dd2

A few weeks ago I scanned a Patriots message board looking for insights on Garoppolo. One thing was obvious in the thread, most fans know Brady is not the QB he was a few years ago. Comments ranged from his deep ball isn't so deep and accurate to the fact he isn't nearly as mobile as he used to (and that was never great). He's still got the sharp mind and can read a defense like a fox but he's not at the top of his game. Patriots have more cap space than we do. If fans can see Brady's skills tailing off so can the coaches. There is every reason to believe if they felt JimmyG were the next HofF QB, or at least a Pro Bowl potential they'd be giving him a new deal this offseason so he'd stay around until Brady retires. Or they'd be easily getting more than a single 1st Rd pick for him. So that means JG is likely an average QB, one that they can find in any draft, or already did find in Brissett. I still see more potential in either Trub, Kizer, or Mahomes, and I definitely like Watson's pedigree over all of them. They each have a learning curve that is 12-24 months. JimmyG is more ready to play now.

I had no idea Illinois had any law like this. Basically a pro athlete can still makes millions after an injury even if they can work in other fields. Apparently the athletes and their union want these million dollar payouts to last until they are 67 years old. The Bears are saying professional careers, and thus professional career earnings, end at 35 years old therefore that is when the workers comp salary-offset benefit should end for any disability. I agree with the Bears. . http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/02/03/dem...mp-bill-passes/ Under Illinois state law, injured workers can claim disability benefits known as a “wage differential award,” a calculation based on two-thirds of the difference between the average salary they could earn pre-injury, and the average salary they could earn in “some suitable employment or business” after the injury. Most permanently injured workers in Illinois can claim compensation benefits until they’re 67 years old. However, legislation sponsored by Illinois Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) would end workers’ compensation benefits for professional athletes when they turn 35, unless they can prove their expected playing career would last longer than that.