AZ54

It's not the free spirit aspect that bothers me, it's more the guy who admits he just takes plays off too often. I don't think that free spirit is the guy who loves football. If he played the game with the passion Bosa does then he'd be a top 5 pick.

I understand your point and we might be closer aligned than you realize. If ratings are close fill the need. Freeman and Trevathan won't stop me from taking Myles Jack if he's there at #11. We have little need but neither are blue chip players and Jack is a blue chip prospect. Likewise Freeman and Trevathan wouldn't stop me from taking Ragland in the 2nd Rd.... IF ....I had a mid-1st Rd grade on him. If I have a 2nd Rd grade on Ragland then the answer is no. I think everyone understands that the job is to build a football team not group of the best WRs (eh Matt Millen?) The reality of every draft is that the highly scored players go early. Blue chip prospects are basically found among the top 10. If one falls to 11 you take him UNLESS you already have a blue chip talent at that position. Draft grades gradually go down each round and I'd say by the 3rd Rd there is a leveling off and you aren't seeing much difference. A player taken with the 10th pick in the 3rd Rd might have the same grade as the player taken 15 picks later. When I think of BPA I believe it applies to the early part of the draft where a highly rated talent could fall to you in the 1st and sometimes 2nd Rd. By the time you get into the 3rd/4th/5th Rds grades are fairly balanced and you tend to draft more the needs. I still think you shouldn't go full on needs based and grab a 4th round graded talent in the 3rd round just to plug a hole. Later in the draft again you start to see BPA again because here your grades are based more on potential vs. past performance (or injury). If I get to the 4th Rd and there is an OG sitting there with a late 2nd early 3rd Rd grade I'm not letting the fact we just signed Ted Larsen and Ramirez, and have Slauson at LG, stop me from taking him. If there's a safety out there with a similar grading scenario then I'm going with the safety (need) over the OG. I still say once a roster is deeper with talent (i.e. competing deep in the playoffs) than we are today then in the 4th Rd I might forego that highly rated OG that dropped in order to take a safety with a 4th Rd grade. Now I'd want more depth across the board to increase my chances of winning the Superbowl. The reason I said might is because I'd have to consider a) my cap space and what kind of FA are available at the safety position vs. the talent of the 4th Rd safety. Right now our roster has no depth and we have cap room. We should take BPA to build the talent level and backfill needs via FA. Many of the vet FAs we signed will be gone in 1-2yrs maybe including Porter and Freeman.

Watching some other RBs tonight... Day 2 options: I'm already on board with Kenyan Drake. Not on board with Derek Henry. I don't like Devontae Booker that much. He's effective but I don't see the quickness in his cuts. Later rounds I'm ok but I often see him selected in the 2nd Rd. I like Prosise. Like Langford he was converted from playing other positions in college so he doesn't have a lot of RB experience. That means he has some things to work on but I like the tool box: power, speed, quickness and vision. I like Kenneth Dixon. CBS has him as a 2nd Rd prospect but I don't quite see that as he doesn't have any standout attributes. He is a very good all-around player. Good hands as a receiver, quickness and vision to make the lateral cuts and find the opening. Enough size to run with some power. He won't run away from anyone in the NFL. Day 3 options: Said many times I like Tyler Ervin's versatility as a slot WR/KR/PR but as a RB he's a 5-10 carry guy. If we're are looking for 15 carries/gm player to split time with Langford we'll have to go elsewhere. Likewise if pass protection is paramount, and after pursuing CJ Anderson I suspect it is. Paul Perkins... he's ok but for a smaller back I don't see any special traits. I'll pass. Jonathan Williams... I like him. He would have probably had a Day 2 grade (still does in places) but after missing all of 2015 with a bad foot injury and just now getting back into form I think he'll drop to day 3. If he's elite in one area it's balance. This is the guy who just makes people miss tackles, over and over. Good enough strength to run through the arm tackles and can run with some power. I don't see enough long speed for the NFL game but he's fast enough. In two games I didn't see many receptions but he had a few. He did run routes at his Pro Day. Jordan Howard... If you enjoyed watching Chris Ivory play smash-mouth football for half a season this is your RB. Oddly, as physical as he is while running he puts a skirt on when pass protecting. I'll pass. Darius Jackson... I like this kid. He's from Eastern Mich so level of competition is a concern but he has all the tools you want. 4.40 forty at 220lbs and the shiftiness to make tacklers miss in the hole and open field. I'm sure he'll need time to adapt to the NFL but watch him against LSU's defense and it's clear he's belongs on the field against those players.

I really don't like Henry at all, well maybe on day 3. So yes, that makes me unlike anyone else on the planet. My reason is simply because if it isn't right in front of Henry then it isn't likely to happen. I feel RBs who can make the quick lateral cuts to the unplanned hole and then explode forward are just more productive. That's not to say Henry won't be productive in the NFL, he will. I'd take Kenyan Drake over Henry all day, in any round where both are available. Drake offers much more versatility because he can split out wide as a slot WR and I think he'd be a great compliment to Langford and the offense overall. There's injury history with him so that pushes a 1st Rd talent down to 2nd and maybe 3rd Rd. If he's there in the 3rd Rd that's good value IMO.

I really look forward to what this kid will bring to the field. I wanted him over Cooper in part because he's a much better run blocker. On a team focused on building a good run blocking Oline having him and Jeffrey blocking on the outside is a beautiful thing.

I think filling the production we lost can come from different directions. For example, we lost Forte. Do we have to go after a RB (need) or can we go BPA and grab a good LT that improves the passing and running game? IMO the need is offense and scoring not RB. Given the fact we have so little talent across the board we should stay with BPA. Who is on our roster besides Long and Jeffrey that can't be replaced? I include Trevathan in that too. Clearly we have some good rookies and potential with guys like Goldman and White so that will be taken into account. BPA to me means that you stick to your scoring system and then when it's your turn to pick, among the players with similar scores you take the one that fills the biggest need. If you have a player with a higher score still on the board and, even if it's not a need position, you take him anyway. If we get to the 3nd Rd and there is an OG still there that has a 2nd rd grade I'm ok taking him even though we just signed 2 FA OGs in Ramirez and Larsen. I'm not even worried about cutting Larsen and losing the guaranteed money so we can keep a rookie on 1/3 of his salary. We need to build for the long term. Once you get close being a Superbowl team you move more toward the needs because by then you should have your elite players in place.

I look at Ramsey and Jack in similar ways because their skills offer a defensive coordinator a lot of options. Forget labels (SS, ILB, CB, etc.) it's just as simple as... in this game I need you to line up outside and do this....in the next game you'll line up inside and do the opposite. Plus with either player you don't have to worry about the chess match when the offense splits out the move TEs wide vs. keeping them inline. It might take both of these players 2-3 years to realize their full talent and versatility but once you have that on the field it's a big advantage defensively.

4/16: The Titans are interested in trading back into the top 10. - Jason La Canfora, CBS Read more at http://www.walterfootball.com/nflrumors/te...HclXdDwS1gWV.99 If true, hard to believe this wouldn't be done to draft Stanley.

Rumors are they are working on a long term deal. This may just be a precursor to doing the contract extension.

I'm still hanging onto my suggestion that Lynch might very well be the 2nd rated QB on the Browns board. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-footba...happen-in-top-5 I don't think Cleveland wants to go back very far and SF might very well be their target in this charade. First, I doubt the Cowboys take a QB at #1. If Jerruh wants to win a Superbowl now then the best path to do this is to grab a blue chip player with #4 overall and then do whatever it takes to get a decent backup QB in Rd 2, or with your second pick if it means trading up. I think SF is the obvious target here for Cleveland. Rumors are they have a deal to move Kap to the Broncos if they draft a QB, and they'll likely get something in draft picks in exchange. Clearly they want someone else at QB. Kap wants out as well so there is no love lost among both sides in SF. Currently SF has 12 draft picks. What are they going to do with more picks than that? If Cleveland is just as happy with Lynch, or happier, then why not see if the 49ers really want Goff? The risk here might be the Eagles jumping ahead of #8 to take Lynch but they have shipped out a lot of players and need to restock their roster. They are good enough at QB with Bradford for two seasons to be patient and see what happens. Beyond the Eagles you are looking at Buffalo and maybe the Jets but for either team to get all the way up ahead of #7 it's very expensive and I don't see it happening.

Regardless of the outcome of this incident I have no interest in drafting Oakman. I just don't see him as a very productive player even if he looks the part. Even as we get to the later rounds I prefer to grab an injured player who has more upside (I don't view Oakman as having much upside) or, really late, take a flyer on a guy like Moritz Boehringer.

I was thinking the same thing. I could see that deal going to the Giants as well unless they are enamored with someone like Treadwell and don't want to risk losing him. If a team wants a WR this year there is a big drop off after the first few. Even among 1st Rd picks you have diverse skill sets between Treadwell and Coleman. If it works out and we can still trade back to 15 and pick up an additional 2nd Rd pick I'd be very happy.

STL = LA and yes Wentz is the only QB who makes sense here. As they are saying on NFL Network, he's been in a pro-style offense and is ready for play action from day one. Can't say that for either Goff or Lynch. CLE - Goff is not a lock here IMO because their second rated QB could very well be Lynch. I believe Hugh Jackson is very confident in his ability as a coach, with good reason, and will take the QB he feels has the higher upside. SD - Might very well be happy to park Tunsil in front of Rivers. DAL - Now they have Ramsey fall to them and I think Jerruh can't resist saying he took the best player in the entire draft. JAX - Myles Jack is perfect fit BAL - They can go anywhere except QB. I believe Buckner is the perfect fit for what they want to do on defense and goes here. SF - Kap has them nervous and I find it hard to believe they want to put all their eggs in the Gabbert basket. They will be happy with either Goff or Lynch. 4/14: "Kaepernick to Broncos done.Hinges on SF drafting a quarterback." - Mark Dominik, ESPN Read more at http://www.walterfootball.com/nflrumors/te...O8qWeAj8R78L.99 PHI - Frozen out of the QB hunt I think they turn to the next best thing... a running game and take Elliot. TB - Bosa drops to them and they are happy to oblige NYG - They could go with Stanley, or any number of directions. CHI - ?? For us to get one of the better players we'll need someone like Hargreaves or Lawson to go in the top 10. If Bosa drops would we take him? He ran LB drills at both the Combine and his Pro Day and looked very comfortable doing it. Forget the forty time, his 3-cone performance was very good so he has the agility to drop into space. We'd have some pretty good bookends with McPhee on the other side.

This is great news for us as far as someone falling to us. I think now it's very likely Lynch is gone in the top 10. On the flip side I think this makes it harder for us to trade back unless someone has a real desire for the player that falls out of the top 10. I could see that for Stanley who is definitely a LT or to a lesser extent Buckner. Less likely for Buckner just because there is so much Dline depth.

That was funny although I wonder how many here understand that reference.

In this day and age where sexual assault can consist of just looking at a woman the wrong way I'll wait to see what happens. Not only that, if you have consensual sex and the next day the woman decides she didn't want to have done that then it's a sexual assault. Or if she had a drink of two beforehand then the next day felt she shouldn't or didn't want to have agreed to what she agreed to the night before then you are guilty. I'm not saying he's innocent but I refuse to jump in and say he's guilty until the facts are put forth.

Trade up for Goff? I don't see the value in that. If Pace/Fox think the QB need is that significant then we should just sit and take Lynch at #11. He has just as much upside IMO but perhaps a lower floor than Goff. Goff is incredibly accurate but his tendency to throw off his back foot when under pressure is very concerning. As Bears fans we know what that means. It is entirely possible that SF takes Lynch anyway. I actually think he fits better with his mobility in Kelly's quick-read offense. That my biggest concern with Lynch...can he truly read the field left-to-right or deep-to-short because he's never really done it. Physically he has all the tools you want. The only significant difference between Wetnz and Lynch is that one played in a pro-style offense and the other was in a spread offense.

I don't think he has enough arm strength to be a viable backup QB in the NFL.

I don't think he has enough arm strength to be a viable backup QB in the NFL.

Seems clear we're taking a QB in this draft, we just don't know how early. I'd say 3rd Rd is a possibility and 4th Rd is most likely. I took a look at some film on a few of the prospects that are off the beaten path (i.e. not named Hogan or Prescott): Brandon Allen... I've seen a few people praise him as a solid backup QB candidate with a long career ahead of him. I see good pocket awareness and ability move around to avoid pressure. He's mobile enough to bootleg and can throw well enough on the run. I'd like to see him throw with more anticipation as he usually is waiting for guys to make their break and then be open. He's accurate and arm strength is good enough to work the intermediate part of the field. I don't see much on deep passes and at times on out-routes he's waiting too long which will lead to INTs in the NFL. I don't usually like comparisons to existing NFL players but this kid reminds me of Kirk Cousins. He gets dinged because his hands are smaller than mine. Brandon Doughty... Against LSU he looked lost for much of the game. Not surprising given the huge jump in game speed. He's just too static in the pocket. Step it back down to La Tech and he's back in his spread offense comfort zone. At times there is very good accuracy but under pressure he's behind his WR too often. He has enough tools to be worth developing but the lack of pocket awareness concerns me. I think he'll need more time to fit into an NFL offense than Allen. Jeff Driskel... Statue in the pocket doesn't have a good feel for what's going on around him and where to step up to buy time. All the physical tools are there but something is missing. At times he'll make throws you love to see, then, especially when under pressure, the ball can be anywhere. He's not that good throwing on the run but he's athletic enough to bootleg out of the pocket. Nate Sudfeld... As day 3 prospects go I like this kid a lot. He's got the size at 6'6" and the live arm to make all the throws. Quite often he shows rare accuracy on deep balls dropping it in over the shoulder of the WR in stride. I think if he wasn't working from a spread offense he'd be getting a lot more talk as a mid-rd pick. With that, he's got some things to learn from under center. plus at times his decisions and accuracy are not what you'd expect. Those issues occur far enough apart that I think good coaching can fix them. He's not going to run away from anyone in the NFL, except perhaps Terrance Knighton, but he's mobile enough to move out of the pocket at times. In the pocket he has a good feel for pressure and moves around well enough to buy time. Of the four I watched film of tonight I'd say Allen is best prepared to play early, and perhaps that holds for the first couple years, but I'd take Sudfeld because he has better upside and IMO could develop into a solid starter. Sudfeld probably needs 2 years of work before he's ready but we have that time behind Cutler, and more if we want it. After those two I'd take Doughty and then my last choice would be Driskel who I don't think will ever be a decent backup QB. Overall I'd put Sudfeld on par with Hogan or Prescott (I put Allen in there too) but I think he has more upside than either. Although I've seen improvement from him, I'm not convinced Prescott will ever cure his inaccuracy enough to be a starter. Hogan's occasional WTFWTT throws still bother me. Sudfeld is listed a 7th Rd or UDFA prospect on CBSSports, then in their writeup they state that he has enough potential that he could be drafted in the middle rounds.

To be fair, drafting Stanley, who I like, probably won't help the left side run game that much.

Nothing can erase his poor accuracy and inconsistency.

Just scanning the web tonight catching on the rumor mill from the last week. Things I've seen of note from either Aaron Leming, Walterfootball, NFL.com, CBSSports, or just my own thoughts.... https://twitter.com/AaronLemingNFL?ref_src=...7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 1) Aaron Leming says Bears have strong interest in Ezekiel Elliot and he might be the pick unless a top 5 player falls. I like Elliot a lot but RB is not my first preference at #11. I have to say the tandem of Elliot and Langford both with power, speed, and quickness, would make life tough for defenses especially with the Oline players we picked up in FA. Elliot is outstanding on blitz pickup so he's the ideal 3rd down back. An excellent running game is best way to keep Cutler from feeling the pressure to win games and force throws. 2) Crazy how many mocks have us taking Leonard Floyd. I don't see it in anything he's shown on film but apparently I'm in the minority on this one. Is this simply because Fox took Von Miller and people assume we'll reach to get an edge rusher in this draft? Or is the skinny kid who often gets pushed around at the LOS really something special waiting to happen? 3) I see a lot of mocks with either of the Clemson DEs taken in the top 10, mostly Shaq Lawson. FWIW Shaq Lawson just visited with Bears. I have far more interest in Lawson over Dodd (at any draft slot). I think he's an excellent edge player and, even if he's not quite the speed rusher we'd like to have, he offers more fast edge pressure than anyone we currently have on the roster while being excellent against the run. Like McPhee he might able to move inside a bit on passing downs. I'm warming up to the possibility we take him at 11 although it probably means goodbye to Willie Young. 4) Many mocks have us taking Hargreaves. While I don't think he's ideal because of his issues covering bigger WR downfield, he'll be an upgrade over anyone we have on the roster today. I'd be ok with him at 11. 5) Bears showing interest in Nick Vigil. A day 3 pick someone mentioned a while back. The odds we draft him are now exactly 0. 6) While we sit at the worst spot in terms of the likely talent drop off, I think we also sit at the best spot for trading back if a team wants Lynch. I really want to trade back to #15 with the Rams. How desperate are the Rams for a QB? I expect Wentz and Goff to both be gone by SF at #7. If Lynch is all that remains among the top QBs when the Eagles are on the clock, and they pass on him then what happens? Tampa and NY Giants won't take a QB but both have big needs and a shot at a day 1 starter so I think they'll be less likely to move back (or the price gets too high). Lynch has garnered some strong interest from teams like the Bills. The Jets are a possibility too (swap picks in the 1st and we take the Wilkerson problem off their hands?). 7) Tyler Higbee is an idiot.

Stick to TalkBears and you'll get better information.

From reports it seems Jaylon Smith is already back into the end of the 1st Rd and each day he seems to be getting higher. Top 10? I doubt it. Those clubs usually have serious needs and more often than not need immediate help to save people's jobs. If the medical check is very positive, after the top 8 prospects are off the board (plus one or two surprise picks) then I can see Smith going anywhere from 10th on down to late 1st.