AZ54

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.

Say it ain't so! A month before all the real talk begins and we're the front runner willing to give up the farm for Garoppolo? This is far removed from Pace's style in the last two off-seasons where we knew next to nothing of his offseason targets, at least until about a week before FA started. Therefore I tend to agree with others that we're either driving up the auction price early so people get out of the bidding (not likely) or we're hoping that our "strong interest" makes other's get in and commit early. If Pace's real target is a draftee and he can help either Cleveland or SF (more likely) trade for JG all the better. Things I think I know: Arizona: Palmer might retire. Bruce Arians wants to go back to retirement but with a Superbowl ring. He thinks he's got the roster to compete (true). There is zero chance he wants to go forward in 2017 with any of these rookie QBs. If Palmer is leaving we should expect AZ to be all in for Romo. If that fails, do not be surprised one bit if Arians makes a trade for Cutler. He wants a QB who can threaten a defense with the vertical passing game and he's got a defense that can cover up some of those INTs, which they did for Palmer many times. Job one when Arians landed in Phoenix was finding his QB and he went hard after Palmer. I don't view JimmyG as a fit with what Arians wants to do. A trade for Cutler also means the team can use early draft picks on players who can contribute this year. That's significant for a playoff caliber team that might lose Calais Campbell and Jefferson, in an ideal draft to replace both. Cleveland: With two picks in Rd 1 Garrett is too obvious a choice for them to pass up. They are likely to go QB with their 2nd pick, or at the top of the 2nd Rd. If they were willing to go through last year's disaster they will wait for their QB next year. No trade for JimmyG, grab a 2nd Rd QB to give a glimmer of hope to fans. SF: no clue. New GM who has never made personnel decisions, new HC who is working in Atlanta. They both will have time to find the QB and so might view next years QB options as the best move. In the meantime they can acquire a legit blue chip prospect in the first Rd and a solid player in Rd 2. Don't completely rule them out when it comes to Cutler although that's likely a post-cut and post-draft decision. JimmyG could be a solid option for Shanahan so if we're really interested they could be our main contenders. Jets: Like Chicago there is a bit of desperation setting in here. Drafting another QB after so many failures, and in this class with no player ready to start in year 1 will not help the GM or HC. They will want to pursue Romo, he'll want to stay away. I won't be surprised at all if this is where Cutler ends up. He's good enough to get a team well over .500 if they have a good defense. If the Jets use their draft to focus on players who can contribute in 2017 then they might buy themselves a couple more years. A trade for him means they can walk away from Cutler whenever they want to. No way Belichick trades JimmyG here. Houston: Another landing spot for Romo? Maybe. Not a lot of cap space with $25mil (need to sign Bouye) but I'm sure they could find a way to make it work if they really want to. I think this could be a legit landing spot for Cutler. A trade for Cutler is likely best for them especially if the Bears eat the roster bonuses (not sure if that could work). Again, excellent defense and they just need a guy to be good enough to fit the ball into Hopkins hands on his bad routes; or go deep to FullerV and Cutty has the arm for that. Trade for JimmyG likely means handing over another big bonus to a QB after failing last year with Osweiller. Super risky! Buffalo: Another new coaching staff. Is Tyrod Taylor out? Good defense, some pieces in place on offense. If they move on from Tyrod I could see Cutler landing here as well. I could see them grabbing a QB in the 1st Rd too although at #10 there could still be some excellent prospects for them to consider. Fournette? No way Belichick trades JimmyG here. Denver: Romo, Romo, Romo. They can get one more good shot at the Superbowl with that defense if they can get their offense back to respectability. Elway knows that's not happening with Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian at QB. Cutler is not an option. If it's Superbowl or bust for Elway then JimmyG is too much risk. I don't view Glennon as much of an option for any team. Tyrod Taylor would be and any team interested in Cutler would likely view these two as equal options albeit with different talents and negatives on the field. Taylor will command a signing bonus, perhaps similar to the amount JimmyG will get. That money usually equals more commitment. I'm gonna need some popcorn in March.

Ouch and he ran that well in the CFB playoffs with a hernia? How fast is he when he's healthy? I agree Pace won't go this direction. I've been back and forth the last couple weeks between Hooker and Adams but yesterday I finally settled on the fact that Pace will want the higher floor and the immediate production and versatility Adams offers. Hooker is tantalizing considering the need for INTs but he still has some learning to do. Adams walks in day one and he's ready to play. Considering that most NFL plays are within 10 yards of the LOS that makes Adams the better value. I think both will be Pro Bowl players during their careers but for different reasons (INTs vs. TFLs). Despite all my blather about taking the QB with the 1st pick I think Adams will be our pick. Need and talent match perfectly. Pace waits to see which QB falls and trades up into the late 1st Rd, or takes Mahomes in Rd 2. Our defense is already performing near top 10-15 when healthy. Add the right FA piece at CB, Adams at S, rookie CB in Rd 3, and maybe more depth at OLB or ILB and we should be a solid top 10 D, if not challenging for top 5. We'll still have Callahan and LeBlanc for NB and outside depth. A 3rd Rd rookie and Hall for backup CB. Banks...whatever he decides he wants to be but he and or Hall could challenge Porter.

Pace has signed Josh Sitton for $7mil/yr at the age of 30 (Just saw him in the Pro Bowl) Jerrell Freeman for $4mil/yr at the age of 30 (Bears leading tackler almost double any other Bears defender) Tracy Porter for $4mil/yr at the age of 30 (Aug birthday) (Bears best CB even playing injured) Zach Miller for $3mil/yr at the age of 31 (Bears best TE) The youth movement is great for the future but to ignore the value of veterans who are starting the backend of their careers is wrong. The veterans he has signed shows he's not blind to that fact and their performance versus many of the younger players certainly backs up the argument. I think Pace will acknowledge that this offseason, at least with a few FA signings. I agree that over spending for big name players beyond the age of 30 is something we need to stay away from, at least if it requires a huge guarantee we can't get out from under. In this case I'm talking about a guy who might make as much as $1.5-2mil/yr, in a time when the average NFL contract (simple math - cap divided by #players) is about $3mil/yr. Nsekhe has been a career backup so he should have low wear and tear on his body. If he's good enough to challenge either Leno or Massie as starters then he should be on our radar. I can't vouch for him being that good, I was hoping someone had seen him play this year. If he is a player who can buy us a couple years to find and develop a good young prospect at OT then that's a good deal IMO.

Scanning around for tidbits of info and came across one comment from a message board where they liked Ty Nsekhe as a FA signing. Said he did pretty good when filling in for Trent Williams on the Redskins. Tweet from Junior Gallette: https://twitter.com/JovaisG/status/797842366040313856 "Ty Nsehke Would start Left Tackle on 80% of teams in the League so he's ready but it won't be easy against a Top tier rusher in Everson" Trent Williams gives him some praise here as well: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2...s-2-0/89217218/ He's 31 years old but was with the Saints in 2014 so Pace has some familiarity with him. Redskins have the exclusive rights to him but I suspect he'll want to test the waters and see what he can get before signing a deal. We'll have to give him far more than minimum wage but we're a bottom feeder who has to overpay right now. He might be a very good option and there's one thing Fox will guarantee is that he gets a chance to start which he won't have in Washington. Pace could easily work in contract incentives should he earn and hold onto a starting job.

That would be a great draft although I don't see any need for Boulware on this roster. He's a good football player but he's slow and has no fit in our defense or on special teams. Might as well take a flyer on someone more athletic. In the end there would be so much good young talent nobody would remember we picked Boulware.

For those who believe Pace will shy away from players with an injury history early in the draft, keep in mind that Jonathan Allen has had at least two shoulder surgeries and it's rumored there was a 3rd surgery that was not reported. Medical checks at the combine will be very key for his draft status and this is certainly a concern for a DT who is a little bit undersized. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2686747...de-in-nfl-draft

Scanning across some top 50 player lists and anywhere from 13 to 15 of the top 50 players in this draft are DBs. Depending on who's board you are using there's a few more just outside the top 50 as well including players like Melifonwu, Adoree Jackson (seen him as late 1st Rd pick too), or Quincy Wilson. The rankings among CBs are all over the place and have changed dramatically since 31 Dec. Jabril Peppers who was largely considered a top 5 pick now is listed in the late 1st and in some places early 2nd Rd (Jeremiah has him at 33rd overall). Bottom line is that we're in a very good spot picking early in the 3rd Rd if we still want a DB. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000077...-2017-nfl-draft

http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/fox-has...ohnson-departs/

That's true, we're basically watching one year of play, a season during which Thomas improved quite a bit IMO. It's the old ceiling/floor debate. Allen is more of a sure thing. Thomas though fits more of a 5-T, or 4-3 LDE who can slide inside sometimes. He's more of the mold of Pernell McPhee. Allen is probably more of a 3-T, 5-T although he's mobile enough to step out to DE. Both are versatile players.

I'd trade Alshon for a 3rd Rd pick. I don't think we'd get any more than that anyway. Alshon's availability the last few years has been bad, and even in games he's played he's often less than full speed. He remains the only player I've ever heard of getting injured in a walk-through practice. I suspect he'll come down in his salary expectations and will end up being a Bear for a few more seasons. Cam Meredith has played well enough through 3 QBs for us to know he's a reliable WR. In fact at times he's was clearly our #1 option for other teams to stop and he still produced. We've seen far more from him than Marquese Wilson, Bellamy and I'm comfortable with him as our #2/3 option with a day 2 draft pick thrown in the mix. Braverman absolutely fits into that list of WRs who had promise and did nothing. Very disappointing for a guy who works "hard" to not be able to get on the field much last year. I have no problem bringing in late Rd pick to help fill the slot WR/KR/PR role. Switzer should be on that list. I also really want to sign Kyle Juszczyk. He's a FB who can do it all well from run blocking, running the ball, pass protection, and he can catch coming out of the backfield. He's a perfect addition to Jordan Howard and he'll help offset the inexperience at WR if Jeffrey is gone.

1) Average arm strength. He's an accurate touch passer but he's not going to drive the ball 15-20 yards downfield into a small window. Nor is he going to consistently be able to throw 10 yard out routes. There are plenty of throws he can make and does very well with. 2) He's played 1 game in the NFL, and it was week 1 where he and the best HC in the NFL had all offseason to prepare for it. He's an unknown commodity regarding how he'll perform once defense's know his tendencies. 3) Patriots have tons of cap space and seriously old QB. If they are willing to let JimmyG leave it means he's not a starter in their eyes, or at a minimum he's not better than what they can draft with the pick we give them. Nobody in the NFL let's the next franchise QB leave. 4) While there is potential for him to become a decent starter in the right system, he will be very expensive because you not only have to give up that 2nd Rd pick (or more) you also have to pay him a big contract. Nobody in their right mind would trade a high pick for him and then not sign him to a long term deal. When you look at the balance sheet the cost to bring him in removes at least 1 high draftee (on balance that's a wash) and one high priced FA (essentially a CB at $10mil/yr) to help the defense. 5) In terms of talent Trubisky, Kizer, and Mahomes have more physical talent. Watson clearly has the edge in terms of leadership on the field and has played very well on CFB's biggest stage twice, and done it against a team in Alabama that had a lot of NFL talent on their defense. It's not that Garopollo isn't a good option but it's the balance of the trade I dislike. Assuming the deal can get done with just our 2nd Rd pick, and the new contract will have to be at least $10mil/yr with $25-30mil guaranteed. I prefer any of these combinations of players below over that: FA) Bouye/Robinson. $12mil/yr Rd 1) Trubisky, Kizer, if not QB Allen, Thomas, Adams, or Hooker (we'd also have one of these players with JG) Rd 2) Mahomes, or with Rd 1 QB White CB, Sydney Jones CB, Bolles OT, Antonio Garcia OT, Njoku TE

I like the concept and I was just going to post that we should draft Mahomes instead of the trade for JimmyG. I see far more upside in Mahomes and I'd be willing to take that risk knowing it will take him two years to be ready to show it. Whereas JimmyG fits more the mold of Hoyer/Barkley a guy who can keep the sticks moving at times but can't produce the big plays that are needed in the playoffs.

One spot ahead of Solomon Thomas depending where you look. Everywhere I look Thomas is rising rapidly so my guess is that before we get to the draft there will be more debate about which of these two are the best fit. Solomon is younger with less experience but athletically I like him better than Allen. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players.../solomon-thomas COMPARES TO: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams: Comparing anyone to a disruptive presence like Donald (a legitimate Defensive MVP candidate, in my opinion) seems like hyperbole but it is hard not to see the resemblance to the 6-1, 285 pounder given their similar initial burst, functional power, advanced use of hands, and non-stop hustle.

Even though I've been saying I want to sign Berry, for some reason right now I feel like Calais Campbell and Trubisky is the best value. I'm not wavering on the QB and my mind is telling me CC will come a bit cheaper than Berry. It's always hard to predict what happens when the frenzy kicks off but last years big FA DT Malik Jackson didn't do much so maybe there will be less of a market demand at this position. Anyway, K. Short is the top dog this year. Berry has the bigger name recognition over Campbell, especially after the playoffs. Because of his age, Campbell will be looking at a shorter contract 4 years so maybe we can bring him in for $2-3mil/yr less or with a lower guarantee which gives us more flexibility down the road. That leaves $$ to sign another player for depth, or makes it more likely we sign a talented FA CB. CC doesn't fit Pace in terms of age but he is young enough and talented enough to get 3-4 good years out of him plus he fits Pace and Fox exactly in terms of leadership. Berry does as well and if the money is even I'd go with Berry.

Type of player who fits what Pace wants to a T.

I agree. I can put up a new thread and there might be 30 or 40 views before one of you complains about it. There's a lot of people who stroll through here and say nothing. I've said it before, if I were in their shoes I'd be scouting around for ideas on what to write about too. If nothing else you can at least get a sense of what the fan base is thinking.

Great article from the Suntimes. Everybody in the organization is down there and everybody is fully engaged in the scouting process all the way down to the equipment manager Tony Medlin. I give Pace and Fox a lot of credit because this is the kind of response you want to see out of an organization when things didn't go well. http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/real-fo...at-senior-bowl/

For version #1. Can we do a second draft (sorry for the pun) after the combine and free agency?

Malik Hooker skyrockets to 4th overall per this analyst... http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings I have to admit I'd love to have him in deep middle coverage when Aaron Rodgers is scrambling around. I might even be hoping he throws it deep.

He's getting a lot of good press at the Senior Bowl (NFL Network analysts had a lot of good things to say about him) and from what little I've seen he's pretty athletic. He is not, however, Jamal Adams or Malik Hooker. That much is apparent within the first few plays watching him. Still he has some good coverage skills and looks every bit the part of a guy who can cover TEs well but I don't see him handling quicker slot WRs like Adams can, nor does he have the elite speed Hooker has. Just someone to keep an eye on when we get to the combine. http://www.walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2017rumors4.php

If they get along off the field yes. Not saying they have to be friends but there has to be some type of relationship there to have any benefit. If one is a prima donna WR ala Brandon Marshall then it might not be a good situation and maybe the QB was hoping to get away from dealing with that idiot. Plus college is where athleticism can often keep you in the play regardless of assignment discipline or technique so players with high level of talent don't always arrive with the work ethic to succeed in the NFL. That could upset a relationship if one doesn't want to put in the work alongside the other. If Chad Kelly, who has off the field issues, thinks he can just come in with his boys and it will all be easy he'd be dead wrong. For some reason writing that just gave me a bad Cade McNown flashback.

Jarron Jones in the 3rd would be a good pick. He has 1st Rd talent but some inconsistencies in his game. Hooker in Rd 2 would be a steal but we all know that ain't gonna happen. On a side note: Desmond King is likely going to drop as he does not have the deep speed to play on the outside without help and that is showing up in at the Senior Bowl.

From WalterFootball.com I found this interesting rumor regarding the Jets... http://www.walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2017rumors2.php "These sources also said that quarterback Christian Hackenberg developed well behind the scenes as a rookie. .... This analyst wouldn't be surprised if the Jets went the veteran quarterback route to compete and see how their young quarterbacks improve in 2017." ------------------------ People wonder why a team would trade for Cutler? His current contract is not cheap but it is far more GM friendly vs. making a much more expensive mistake like Houston did with Osweiller. If you think your draftee from last year might need one more year to develop before taking over then you need a QB to handle things for one season. A trade for a player like Cutler allows you to use high draft picks on players that can contribute this season. I saw someone speculate if the Jets would trade Wilkerson for Cutler (maybe we throw in something else to balance). I doubt they'd do that given the fact they need to keep as many good players as possible to win next season. Sheldon Richardson though is another story. He comes with some baggage including one argument with Brandon Marshall after a loss. That can be either a positive or a negative. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/j...shall/92489070/ Or possibly calling out teammates for slacking off... http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/j...shall/92489070/ and the big one with his arrest... http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/jets/pos...-to-hide-arrest He's all boom or bust with odds leaning toward bust. I don't see Pace taking that risk.

I like the draft not sure I love it....yet. That's mainly because I have so many questions on Allen at the #3 pick overall. I still don't see him being a player who will command constant double teams, or as a player who can consistently win 1on1 against OTs in the NFL. RT's yes. At this point I'm not sure that if we want a 5T at #3 then maybe Solomon Thomas is the better choice. I think Thomas is the better edge player among the two because he's more athletic, with Allen probably the better interior player. The draft process will make clear where each fits but either player makes our Dline very good. I think it's fair to say there is no way Moreau lasts until the 7th Rd after being the top riser coming out of the Shrine game but if he's there he'd be a great pick. I've watched a few of Mahome's games. He definitely has all the physical tools needed and can throw accurately even on deep routes. His physical talent could easily put him into Rd 1. OTOH he also makes some crazy decisions when under pressure and will throw into tight coverage. As a 2nd Rd pick he's worth developing but I suspect after two years of Cutler this staff is going to look for a QB who prioritizes taking care of the ball. IMO Mahomes and Trubisky are the two best QBs when forced to move outside the pocket and there is a ton of value in that skill to extend plays. I also think using a 4th Rd pick on J. Davenport is too early for him as he really struggles with speed. In this round I prefer someone like Chad Wheeler out of USC or Antonio Garcia who has the physical tools to handle LT in the NFL if he can improve his technique. Here he is against Clemson, and I have a lot of respect for Clemson's Dline as does coach Saban (now). http://draftbreakdown.com/video/antonio-ga...s-clemson-2016/