AZ54

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.

Of course opinions are different but what matters is understanding how that scout views prospects. There are people who will place more value to speed and raw physical ability, while others place more value to the football skills. Some put more weight toward big schools and level of competition than others might. What characteristics for each position do they put the most weight on? If you follow someone enough you can start to figure out how they grade prospects.

If we draft Rankins and put him at NT I'd be curious to see how that works.

I understand the grades vs. drafted nonetheless Gabriel's evaluation doesn't hold up IMO. Cravens ran a 4.66 forty, 27in vertical, 16 reps @ 225lbs, 3-cone 6.92sec. Everyone highlights one thing with him: He can play the position Deonne Bucannon plays. Bucannon ran a 4.49 forty, 19 reps, and 36" vertical and 3-cone 6.96sec. With those measurements they are a somewhat comparable but still Cravens shows up as the more limited player in space. We're talking about the 6th overall ranking by Gabriel and the more athletic Bucannon was drafted 27th overall. QB's get drafted higher than their grades warrant because of the criticality of the position. It's true as well for LT and edge rushers. But I can't see anyone drafting a slow in-the-box S/OLB in the top 10 and I doubt Cravens even goes in the 1st Rd. FWIW I said many weeks ago that I'm not a fan of Cravens. I just don't see anything special on tape to warrant an early pick in the draft 1st or 2nd Rd. I think his combine and pro day numbers back that up. No matter the need I feel there are better players available in the first two rounds of the draft, and there are similar players available later in the draft.

You're assuming the team didn't give Nkemdiche a Rd 4 or lower grade.

He was also there when we had many of our WTF moments in the first couple rounds. Seeing Sua Cravens ranked so high might explain some of that.

We were a team that should have lost those close games. I think I want to see who we pick in the draft before getting into anything about next season. There's no doubt in my mind that with the right picks we will be competitive with any team in our division.

Nobody who can get around the corner. Acho should be able to do so but I don't see that 6.69 3-cone skill on the field for some reason. Maybe he added weight and is just not as agile?

I like to read his articles but Sua Cravens as the 6th best prospect in this draft?

Depth overall is one thing but there is a difference between the players fitting your scheme and need. So if we're serious about adding a DT starter we can't just sit back and take whoever is left in Rd 3. When the Colts traded up to get Dwight Freeney and shocked the pundits they simply said it doesn't matter: If he's your guy then he's your guy and you need to go get him. I'm a fan of Chris Jones but I used to think we could definitely grab him in Rd 2. He's strong against double teams and he can uproot an OG 1on1. He doesn't offer much in lateral movement skills. Now he's moved up on so many boards and mocks (back-filling a sliding Nkemdiche) I think he'll be gone in Rd 1. #11 seems to rich for that pick but if we trade back to #15 and if he's our guy then we should just take him. My problem is I don't know what Fangio views as his Dline need. Does he want to keep Goldman at NT or move him to DE? Hicks is definitely one DE starter. Interest in Ian Williams in FA says we want Goldman at DE. Then we flipped and signed Hicks at DE. If we're looking for a NT we could very well go with A'Shawn Robinson at #11. If DE is the preference then that's not Robinson and someone like Jones fits the bill better IMO. The plus side to putting Goldman at either NT or DE is that we have some flexibility and can wait until Rd 2 to grab best available of either. Rd 3 might leave us with Dline who fit 4-3 schemes better, or at least not starter quality players. We already have those in Ferguson and Sutton.

It's a team sport so you can't have a glaring weakness somewhere on the field. Aside from that, I really think it's about elite players and where they are on the field determines what you need to put around them. If you have an elite passing QB like Manning, Rodgers, or Brady then you might not need to block for more than 2-3seconds on most plays. It's hard to find those QBs so without one you might want to focus on the Oline. On defense when we had Urlacher and Briggs they helped cover up deficiencies at safety, or on the Dline. They helped a guy like Hunter Hillenmeyer have a decent career. Kyle Long will be good for Massie as opposed to Larsen being there (last year on the Cards). He'll be good for Grasu or Ramirez at center too. Regardless you first have to build your roster to fit your schemes. As you do that through the draft you expect to find a few of those elite players over the years. We did with Kyle Long and Jeffrey. Perhaps Goldman will get there but the cupboard is bare on D. Right now what's clear to me is that while Fox/Pace like Cutler they are not going to put the burden of winning games fully on his shoulders (as Peyton had in Denver his first few years). We're going to run the ball and we're going to find another RB to pair up with Langford. We're going to build the Oline in front of them too. I will say that I like this approach. These days teams have their nickel D on the field 60% of the snaps. To build a roster that way means your D is getting lighter. If we can build a strong running attack, especially with just the front 5 linemen then we will wreak havoc as Dallas did a couple years back with D. Murray. If the trend in the league is toward more passing I'm ok going against the grain.

I don't know what changed but I just checked at overthecap.com and the Jets are down to $20,547 in cap space. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/

While we're at it, why not also pick up Revis and his $17mil cap hit?

No he's not. 3-cone drill Von Miller 6.7sec. Floyd 7.18sec. Aside from the lack of functional strength, this is the other issue with Floyd: He is quick but just not great at changing direction. More than a forty time this drill shows how well a guy will hold speed rounding a corner, or how quickly he'll accelerate in another direction. Cam Newton won't say it but Von Miller is in a very elite club. Want to know why people are worried about Derrick Henry in the NFL: 3-cone drill 7.2sec. For reference Forte ran it in 6.84sec. The lack of strength and agility make me say Floyd isn't worthy of being the 11th pick in the draft even if he is the closest player in the draft to Von Miller's abilities. If we were going with OLB at 11 I'd rather have Shaq Lawson who has a similar 3-cone time but also has the strength to play the run. He is the better player and that is backed up not just by physical attributes (forty time, 3-cone, etc.) but also by his production on the field.

Fox has indicated several times how much focus he puts into building a good training staff and how important it is for the players to follow their advice. This request of Gould just shows that they focus on every player on the roster. The fact Gould is taking it seriously indicates a level of respect for the program Fox is building, as a showing commitment towards his teammates. Might also mean please don't draft a kicker to replace me.

I don't see enough power in Floyd's game to be consistently effective off the edge. If speed doesn't work he's done. I'm not interested in him at 11.

The most interesting part of the interview is that Gould has been asked by the team to gain weight and strength.

With $175k in cap space I'm assuming the Jets biggest problem with Wilkerson is fitting him and a QB into their cap. They need a rookie pool too. For this reason the trade of Jeffrey for Wilkerson is not an option for them. Obviously some Jets players are getting cut but who? Take a look at their dead money column it is insane. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/new-york-jets/ Dead money if player is cut: Revis: $25mil D'Brick $5mil Marshall $9.5mil Decker $4.5mil Skrine $10.25mil David Harris $7.5mil Gilchrist $6.8mil L. Williams $15.2mil Forte $9mil There are many more too... They don't have a lot of good options except 1) Trade Wilkerson and remove his $15.7mil cap hit and/or 2) Cut, trade, or renegotiate with Nick Mangold frees up $8.6mil with zero dead money.

After reading all this it might be that nobody is interested and the Bears at least have a passing interest. If there was an offer from Pace, whatever little it was, it might have been the best (and only) offer the Jets received. Let the clock tick.

Every time I see this guy talk the more I think he just doesn't care about football. I don't know what it's slotted for this year, but a 3rd Rd contract should net him $3-4mil, then with the prospect that a $50mil contract or more could be 4yr in his future. I don't believe any of that is going to change his attitude or approach to the game. If we get down to 5th Rd or later I'm in but if I see one more interview like what I saw this week he'll be off my board (FWLIW ). Back in Dec I'd had him as one of the top players I wanted.

Yes I'd be upset. I don't think he's that good to merit the 11th pick and he certainly doesn't fit a need at all with White and Jeffrey on board. The 11th pick is a really bad spot to be in since Ramsey got hurt and Nkemdiche fell off a balcony and then opened his mouth at the combine. I would prefer... The top CB. While I'm not the biggest Hargreaves fan at #11 he'd be a much better choice than Treadwell. I'd also be ok with Elliot. He's ranked among the top 10 prospects and that fits best available. I don't think Elliot is going to be an elite RB but I think he'll have a very good career with Pro Bowl potential. He has a lot of positive attributes as a runner but why I like him so much at this point is because he's an outstanding pass protection blocker. He's very good at scanning the front and moving to pick up the free rusher. Plus he will stop them in their tracks. That's not a trait Carey has, and Langford still has room for improvement although I think he'll be ok with another offseason under his belt. Any addition that better protects Cutler is a positive in my book. I also don't mind rotating Langford and Elliot both with enough speed to break long runs, and size/power to wear down defenders. That 1-2 punch would make for a good offense behind Long,Massie, Slauson, and maybe Ramirez starts at OC if Grasu isn't ready. Run them all day long. Both White and Jeffrey are good blockers as well. I'd be ok with Goff too, although I'm dead certain if that happened we'd be trading down with the LA Rams.

He'll be stopping in Chicago for a visit before the draft. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000064...er-on-nfl-radar

I'm interested but first and foremost is what his contract demands are. He's a really good player but as stated above, he's not elite like JJ Watt. He's going to want Malik Jackson money and based on his performance vs. Jackson he's correct to ask for that. I'd walk away from that but if he's willing to come in just under that bar, maybe the $13mil/yr range I might be talking to him. 12 sacks from an interior Dline position is pretty good and it's tough finding players who can do that. He instantly makes our OLB pass rushers better just from pressure up the middle. Compensation to the Jets...I'd gladly swap picks in the first round... 11 for 20. I don't want to give up our 2nd Rd pick. I think the draft value at 20 is pretty similar to what we can get at 11, I just hope the Jets think differently. There is no reason to push for this deal. The Jets are the ones in a bind with $175k in cap space, needing to sign Fitzpatrick, and DT talent is abundant in this draft. Fitzpatrick has nowhere else to go right now but after the draft that will quickly change as teams re-assess their needs. Denver is the wildcard in the QB market. We did business with the Jets last year and it worked out very well for them. If compensation from other teams is similar to our offer that good will could push the deal to us. Pace needs to sit back, relax, and let the Jets clock tick.