AZ54

If he's firm on that then no way Pace signs him. But it does depend on how much he wants up front too. If it were a straight $5mil/yr with zero bonus, that's still too rich for me as I'm guessing his deal should be in the $2-3mil/yr range, but I'd go on the high side if there's no bonus. Given his history, I would think he'd be all about the guaranteed money.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock-dr...expert/rob-rang

That's why I put the link, rumor is the knee was not damaged as badly as initially thought and he'll be ready to play in Week 1. If he does there is no way he'll be 100% but he'd likely be there around Nov. Smith at 80-90% is probably still better than the players we had at 100%.

Noah Spence lit up the Senior Bowl and he's exactly what we don't have on defense at OLB. I expect that what Von Miller did only further elevated Spence's value around the league. I'm wondering what thoughts are about him? He will likely be there at #11 although that's not entirely certain if he stays out of trouble the next few months. He won't be there when we draft in Rd 2. I don't see Pace going this route after what he went through with Ratliff, McDonald, and then the injury to White. White's situation is clearly different with the injury but the last thing Pace needs is back to back 1st Rd picks that have issues. I think he goes a safer route and at #11 should have some good options. For the same reason I don't see us taking Nkemdiche.

Looks like we'll have to put Jaylon Smith back in the conversation for our pick at #11... http://nflmocks.com/2016/01/29/latest-jayl...p-of-nfl-draft/

http://www.scout.com/nfl/bears/story/16367...or-bowl-players Others to add to the list: DE Jihad Ward DE Quinton Jefferson ILB Antonio Morrison FB Dan Vitale (I like the idea of adding him to our backfield as a 6th Rd pick) ILB Reggie Ragland

There are three combinations I'd be happy with... 1st preference: If Buckner and Butler fall to us in the the first two rounds that would be awesome. I know our current DEs are serviceable but these two paired up with Goldman would put our Dline among the best in the NFL in 2017. I expect they'll need a year to settle in and learn some things much like Goldman went through. When they do get it figured out, who do you double team and how do you run up the middle? (Buckner/Butler) 2nd preference: It's possible that Myles Jack falls to us in the 1st due to injury concerns plus the QBs like Wentz rising. Jaylon Smith could be there in the 2nd Rd because of the knee injury. I'd take that combo at ILB. (Jack/Smith) 3rd preference: The more people watch Ragland, the more he drops. CBS had him at #32 today so some of his lackadaisical plays and/or limitations in pass coverage are catching up to him despite his head coach's insistence that he's a 1st Rd pick. Having said that, if we ended up with a combination of Jack/Ragland we'd be a heck of a lot better on defense and I'd be ok with that combo since Jack can handle the majority of the coverage responsibilities, to the point he could cover a slot receiver. (Jack/Ragland) -------- I'm not that enamored with Scooby Wright even in the 2nd Rd. I've watched a few UofA games over the years, he never jumped out at me. He's a good college player but I don't recall the wow plays that made me think he'll be a stud at the next level. Doesn't mean there haven't been some, I just don't remember them. I haven't seen it in the videos I've watched recently either.

Retiring while still at the top of the league. Seems like a theme among Lions great players since Barry Sanders did the same years ago. Johnson was Stafford's security blanket (he'd be that for any QB with common sense) and without that big target to bail him out I think we see his production drop quite a bit and an increase in INTs. Although it's good for us from a division standpoint, this is a loss for all football fans. Johnson has been a class act and produced a lot of "wow" moments in his career.

I don't see anyway Robinson goes before Buckner. Every time I watch video of his games I keep wondering what all the hype is about. I've gone back twice to re-watch and see if it's me who has the problem and I still don't see "it". Now I see his teammate Reed, who impressed me more in the championship game, moving up ahead of him. FWIW, I feel the same way about Oakman. For all the supposed athletic ability he has I don't see much dominance. With some players in these situations I might think it's a lack of technique but I don't get that feeling with these guys. That makes me prefer to go with the football player (not the athlete) who has consistent production on the field. 1) Buckner 2) Whitehair OG My preference is to sign Osemele in FA but we don't know these things so OG is a huge need and this guy stood up to everyone at the Senior Bowl. 3) Braxton Miller PR/KR/WR They have him in the 4th Rd but IMO, if he's sitting here in the 3rd Rd, the value now fits so we just take him and move on from Marquess Wilson and especially Mariani. Give him a couple seasons to learn how to be a WR and down the road he'll take over from Eddie Royal. Kevin White, Jeffrey, Miller, and Royal on the field at the same time is a tough cover for a defense. 4) Harlan Miller CB http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611508...enior-bowl-week Miller was a favorite of mine due to his film against small-school competition, but pre-Senior Bowl he ranked at No. 102 on my board. Seeing him against top-tier receivers all week—and comparing him to the other FBS cornerbacks also on the field—Miller looks like a Day 2 cornerback with top-75 potential. 5) Kevin Hogan QB He always gives me a couple... "where the hell was that pass going?" in each game but also, in the same game, there are the .... "that was a damn good pass." I don't know which one we'll get but there's enough there against a high level of competition to make it worth seeing if a good QB coach can figure it out. 6a) Roberto Aguayo K If he's there in the 6th Rd this is a no-brainer. Might be a no-brainer in the 5th if we had a better Nick Vigil ILB (he's not even on their board but he fits a need and his name will show up sooner or later, he's too good of an athlete. Probably came out a year early) I'm gambling here because I can't find hardly any highlights of him but what little I've seen shows a guy who is good in space and has a nose for the ball. And he plays some RB in the redzone. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players...9597/nick-vigil 6b) Nick Vigil ILB He's not even on the list but his name will show up sooner or later in the draft chatter. He's too athletic, probably came out a year early but we can take advantage of that. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players...9597/nick-vigil 6c) Nick Vannett TE (possible 3rd Rd talent still on the board? Pair him up with Miller and get ready to bid adieu to Marty in 2017) http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players...22/nick-vannett 7) Nick Kwiatkoski ILB Don't know much about him other than he's labeled as a tackling machine at a position of need. Nobody ever called our current LB's tackling machines (except Timu in college) so why not throw him in mix? At least he might be a tackling machine on special teams and we definitely need one there. Can he cover in the passing game? I see a couple highlights where he tracks down a RB from behind so there might be enough athleticism there to cover, at least as a backup ILB. In any case Vigil will be the primary cover ILB.

I like Vernon Butler as a 2nd Rd DT. Size and length that we need at DE, plus he's very strong and quick. He needs to work on his technique but the tool box is there to mold him into a very good player. Fangio did good things with Goldman, another player who relied on his strength in college, and coached him into a decent pass rusher late in the season. Sign Jets DT Damon Harrison in FA and you're looking at a very stout defensive front with enough power/quickness to push the pocket. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-dra...heads-for-north Ragland isn't my favorite pick at #11 but we could do far worse than grabbing him in Rd 1 and Butler in Rd2. There will be a lot more toughness up the middle.

No, you aren't, but the problem is he's only a KR and apparently can't catch punts very well (or he'd have been out there doing it). Why keep a roster spot for a WR/KR when you also have to find someone to return punts? PR is more important since there are more chances to return those than kicks.

Comparing athletes from different eras isn't always fair because sports science has improved a lot over the last 30 years. You just can't directly compare raw performance numbers (weight, speed, etc.). However it's safe to say that if those players were able to take advantage of what we know today in terms of training they'd be just as dominate.

When we get to day 3 of the draft one of the positions we need to fill is KR and especially PR. I'd have no problem if we took chance with Braxton Miller. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands and he can contribute on special teams early in his career while he learns how to be a WR. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000062...n-put-on-a-show Bucky Brooks » Ohio State WR/PR Braxton Miller is the most natural punt returner that I've seen in years. He catches the ball effortlessly with his hands and looks like a veteran judging the ball in the air. With Miller also displaying improved route-running skills and impressive ball skills, he could make an immediate impact as a multipurpose playmaker.

He was rumored to be in the running for QB coach. We hired Ragone. I think Groh wanted to move on to a place where he had more input into the game planning. Can't blame him from a career standpoint he needs to make that step.

I like Ramsey more as a FS for the same reason, plus he's a bit soft in run support on the edges. He has the size to deliver good hits and sometimes will but he often hesitates to close quickly on running plays especially when there is traffic in front.

Disagree. The high school highlights were entertaining but even there it was clear his foot speed/quickness isn't that great. I watched the Oklahoma game that queued up next and I see him struggling to get off blocks. He does have good strength and can hold his ground on most plays but he's just not quick enough to get the edge on a blocker and I don't think that will get better at the NFL level. Honestly I'd rather not draft him in any round. We already have guys like Ferguson, Unrein/Jenkins (assuming we re-sign them) that offer as much or more IMO. DT is deep in this draft but my favorite by far is Buckner. I think he has the talent to become a star player in the league. In your other thread you asked what elite talent we wanted to fall to us. After Jack, then Stanley, next up for me would be Buckner. I think all 3 players have Pro Bowls in their future.

My wish list: 1) Myles Jack as long as his knee checks out. I haven't moved off this guy as perfect fit of talent and huge need. While he might not be the biggest player at LB he is very stout going against Oline blocks using his arms to maintain leverage. After watching the Patriots do all they could to isolate RBs against Denver's LBs on the outside that would never be a concern with Jack on the field. He'll be a stud covering RBs , TEs, and even some WRs. 1a) Stanley. After watching video of him in several games I was very impressed with his athleticism and his vision to pick up stunts/blitzes/whatever comes his way even if it meant shifting his position to block two players. That's very rare ability, at least in what I've seen. He's got some stuff to work on but he has a good attitude toward improving his game and NFL coaching will help him fix it. That kind of talent at LT is a huge plus for any offense. If he can play RT that helps our depth because Stanley can be backup RT and we keep Leno as backup OT primarily for LT (he can't play on right side). I like where we sit at #11 because there is a good chance one of these studs falls to us. What happens at the Senior Bowl will go a long way toward making this happen: Keep an eye on Carson Wentz!

I don't think Fackrell is an ILB. Way back in his high school games I never saw that sudden impact (talking hitting here) you want from that spot. He was more fluid and comfortable in space and it's why I think OLB in our D fits him better. He's a little bit like Willie Young with his length and long stride, but he's far more mobile and can turn and run when he's covering guys. He's not Von Miller quick off the snap but when he learns how to leverage his length to get his hips around the edge and then shed I think he'll be very productive as a pass rusher. But that will take time and he's going to need more strength. With questions like these plus his knee injury it'll be interesting to see how he performs at the combine as I think those drills will sort out what round he falls into and maybe, as we debate it here, what position he is drafted to play. Just to fire up the troops... http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/colle...le49992560.html Now 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds with terrific athleticism, Boise State’s coaches compared Fackrell to their former first-round pick Shea McClellin, who is a starting linebacker for the Bears.

Grasu was a bit disappointing to me too but he wasn't horrible and IF we had a quality RG next to him I think things would have looked better. As it was the merry-go-round he faced on his right side couldn't have helped him.

More props for Goldman and Amos... http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1...ae-480e845a0bd2

Daniel Jeremiah lists Fackrell as the 28th best prospect in the draft. Much will change between now and the draft but this kid was once considered a potential top 20 pick but his knee injury a year ago had him off the radar. Another guy I liked in Rd 2, Jonathan Bullard, he has listed at 40th and on many other boards he's moved up well into the 1st Rd. He's got 11 or 12 DTs in his top 50 (depending on where you list Bosa). That's a lot of depth at DT and the order these guys get picked will depend on team needs (i.e. run stuffer) and scheme. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000062...-2016-nfl-draft

In my heart I'd rather have a CB or any number of positions in the 3rd Rd, but reality is that a great kicker has more value to winning in this league than any player/value you are likely to get at any other position in the 3rd RD. Then there is the value of not giving up any KR TDs if he can always get you a touchback. Noted in the analysis is hang time on kickoffs, not something we see much of, so even if they return the kick chances are you're coverage unit is in better position to make the tackle. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players.../roberto-aguayo Then there is what we can do with that $4mil.

Just makes it more likely Trevathan hits the market. Broncos have a tough decision to make regarding Peyton especially after winning yesterday.

You'll have to explain what you're seeing out of Craven's to warrant a 2nd Rd pick, at least as a LB. I watched a couple of Craven's games and I'm not that impressed. USC vs. Stanford and USC vs. Notre Dame. I see a guy who is a good college player but he's easily blocked by either Oline, TE, or FB. He seems to be a disciplined player, sets the edge, hits the right gap, etc. but I don't see a lot of speed or quickness to get around blocks, and not a lot of strength to get through them. He's a good tackler, he's ok in coverage. USC used him all over the field, DE/OLB, slot coverage, Safety. I think he'd be at his best as a SS, maybe lining up more in-the-box. At ILB he looks like another SMC. I think the comparison to the Cardinals Bucannon is valid in terms of their skill set. While I realize what the Cards do with Bucannon I don't want a 211lb ILB. Bucannon does well on some plays but on others he gets washed out of position. It's kind of a boom or bust proposition. Using a guy like Bucannon/Cravens in the box is good option on passing downs that can both cover and tackle. When you go against a strong running game on early downs he's not meant for battling around the Oline the way guys like Ragland, or even Timu, can.

Joking? You don't think I want Ryan Pace to consult with me? If he ever does, I'll put in a good word for you.