AZ54

I supported him after 2012! I agree in 2013 when all hell broke loose on D he had no clue which direction to go. He will have significant competition this year.

I doubt Wootton gets any where close to 2.5mil/yr coming off hip surgery. He has never had a great year and last year playing on our bottom ranked defense did not help him at all. He will get attention from teams because they will see his versatility but will largely be viewed as either backup DE or if signs as a starter, he's keeping a seat warm until they draft their DE.

If the Mathews or Robinson are there then it's a no brainer…draft them. LT2 once said you only get elite LT one way and that is you draft them. Can't pass on one at #14. Watkins I'd take as well and put him in the slot for now. His quickness and acceleration is unreal and he can go up and get the ball wherever it is. Cover him with your NB while your safeties are worried over the top about Jeffrey or Marshall, or leave them in single coverage on the outside. Either way is fine by me. Evans I'm not as high on and I'd probably take Donald over him. Barr or Mack….I think here again I prefer the inside presence of Donald or Jernigan. Mack is much more fluid rushing the passer than SMC but he's still not a 4-3 DE and that's a problem.

I agree, if that's the contract we'd have to give MBennett I pass. He's very good but he's not elite and the last couple years of that deal are too high. I prefer we try to get him with more guaranteed yet lower numbers overall. Curious to see what money he ends up getting. I think the same about your proposed extension to Brandon Marshall's contract…3rd year at $15mil seems too high especially at a time when we'll have to put big money into Jeffrey's contract. Overall I like the effort and your point is valid, we should be able to improve the D significantly via FA.

Having eaten a skunk as part of my Air Force survival training it actually doesn't stink nearly as bad as how Conte played last season. I hope Conte's play elevates to the proverbial "tastes-like-chicken" level of my meal that day.

1) Listen up Jerry Angelo: Nobody can ever state they should or will trade down. We have no idea of the value proposition that will be presented to us. This draft class presents us with an unusual opportunity in that at #14 we can possibly get a blue chip player that would normally be gone in the top 10 picks. I will say this, let's assume Jerry Jones is in love with Donald and thinks we'll be taking him. IF we have Donald, Nix, and Jernigan rated very similarly I'd probably make the trade. I've seen all 3 listed as the first DT taken and although they are each different in their style of play all three project to have very good careers. IF all three are on the board when we're on the clock and Dallas calls I would listen carefully to what Jerry is willing to offer. That's a lot of "ifs". Right now Donald is at the top of my wish list because I think he'll provide the most negative plays among the 3 DTs. Negative plays are what gives you the best chance of getting off the field on 3rd down. If we're asked to drop way back into the 20s then I'm asking for a ton in return because IMO we can't miss on the top DTs. 2) Melton's return is more likely. That just comes down to money and age. Melton is also more likley to accept a 1yr prove it deal so he can get back into the big $$ sooner. Tillman knows this is his last chance at any significant guaranteed $$. 3) Draft a QB in the middle rounds. I prefer to grab our backup via FA, McCown or someone else. If that does not happen then we may be forced to do something sooner but I'd say 4th Rd or later. 3rd is too high given the needs we have. 4) SMC will be a much better LB than DE. Fact but the bar is low.

We are actually 100% in agreement on the role for the little guys. I'd take the FB carrying the ball at the goal line as a replacement for Bush's carries there but I don't have expectations the results will be much different.

I think the money for Byrd or Ward is too much for us to shell out for that position. We need to add veterans to the mix at safety but not for top dollar.

I agree, we should cut Michael Bush and if we do we must sign another RB to take carries off Forte but that can't be one of these little guys. If we grab Thomas or Archer they can't block blitzers so they are purely a speed element on the outside. In other words they'd replace Ford, or just hold down Hester's spot on the roster and Ford is inactive most games. Either way we need someone bigger to share the load the load with Forte. I'd be very happy to see Ka'Deem Carey fall to us in the 4th. I don't care that he ran a 4.7 forty at the combine I've seen enough to know what he can do on the field, including enough speed to break long runs, and he is not easy to tackle. http://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2013...ideo-highlights

I think the Bears will do a deal 2yrs @ $4mil for McCown. Start trying to get beyond that and I see us moving on. I agree that in the event McCown goes elsewhere we would likely see Jordan Palmer back. If McCown is gone I think we will draft a young prospect early on day 3 unless someone falls they really value. The guy I'm curious about is Matt Schaub. It's not clear what his market will be after that horrendous season but I don't view him any differently than McCown, except McCown already knows the system. While we have needs all over the place I think we're going to get a lot more help for the defense via FA than the draft. That doesn't mean the defense won't be our focus in the draft, it will be, but after relying on two rookie LBs and others last year I doubt Emery wants to go into the draft knowing he has to rely on defensive rookies again to make the difference. He will want competition at all positions among rookies and vets.

I did some digging on this one. He didn't play in 2013 due to a contract dispute. Essentially he wanted to play in the NFL. After a court battle he won his freedom and signed with the Saints in Oct. He wasn't expected to play at all in 2013 because he hadn't been working out and was not in shape. They put him on their practice squad. Emery jumped in during the last week of the season and offered him a contract for our active roster. Thus he put the Saints in a bind where they had to promote him to their active roster, and thus keep him on the active roster for the playoffs, or let him go. Emery basically stole him from the Saints. George Halas had to smile at that move. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Williams_(wide_receiver)

Perfect no-risk signing. Reportedly he was healthy by the end of the season so he will have a full offseason to workout and learn the new defense.

It appears he has exactly what I would like to see us add to our offense and can do the special teams returner role as well. I hope he's in the weight room because he needs to get a lot stronger for the NFL. Despite that he did make a few contested catches in the highlight video. At a minimum it shows the Bears are looking to add a speed element to the offense. I wouldn't mind giving a tryout to the defender who ran him over at the goal line when he was running backwards. I've always liked guys who a) don't quit on plays and make arrogant showoffs pay for their stunts.

This is likely a no-risk signing or at least very small risk in terms of guaranteed money. No reason not to do deals like this with players who showed potential. Remember we traded for him right before the season started so he missed all of training camp. A full offseason to learn the offense should help him but I'm not very high on his potential. I expect he will find some competition for his job when he gets to training camp.

With the recent change allowing for lower cap hits for veterans than what their salary is we can more just as easily secure backup Oline talent via FA. Not saying I wouldn't like to see a couple young guys waiting in the wings but it isn't mandatory to get it via the draft. Regardless, I think we need to keep exploring both options to build the Oline depth. First time in a decade all we're worried about with the Oline is depth.

I like the signing, 1yr deal fits both team and player's performance IMO.

No. Too much talent in this draft to do that and we have too many holes. Clowney hasn't impressed me this year at all in the few times I watched him on the field. Whether that is due to injuries or not, he just looked average or even lackadaisical. Plus I don't like all the reports on his lack of work ethic either. Would I take him if we were holding the 5th pick, absolutely. But not giving up our draft for him given all the holes we have on D. This is also in part due the highly unusual fact that our offense is ready to win now. If our window of opportunity were further down the road I might consider the deal. In this case I want the best D we can get on the field in 2014 and 2015. I think Clowney won't grow up and realize his true potential until he gets closer to the end of his first contract. A guy like Donald, Jernigan will (since we're usually talking DT with our first pick).

I'm good with either Donald or Jernigan in Rd 1. I think we will have at least one of them there, if not both, when we pick. Different style players but the positives with either are something we can build around. I consider Jernigan more of a NT in the way Ratliff was in his prime. Regarding Michael Bennett: If the cap savings we get from cutting Peppers (assuming we cut him) only net us enough to pay Michael Bennett then we need to go another direction with that money. I'd rather get two or three good FAs versus just one very good one, and rely on the draft to bring in the very good talent. Bennett is a not elite enough to get that much money and having just won a Superbowl usually entices some team to overpay. I hope it isn't us.

If he ever learns how to play DE we could have a pretty good one in Washington. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-dra...ays-from-monday The best time this century for a defensive end at the combine came in 2002 when UAB's Bryan Thomas, at 6-4, 266, was clocked in 4.47 and was the 22nd overall pick (New York Jets). Clowney's 10-yard split was 1.56 seconds. Three others had a 4.53 -- Lawrence Sidbury Jr. (6-3, 226, Richmond, fourth round, 125th overall to Atlanta); and two in 2013 -- Margus Hunt (6-8, 277, SMU, second round, 53rd overall to Cincinnati), and Cornelius Washington (6-4, 265, Georgia, sixth round, 188th overall, Chicago).

http://walterfootball.com/combinerumors.php Chicago Bears: I gushed over Aaron Donald's performance at the Senior Bowl and have been told to expect much of the same during his combine workout on Monday. Donald, a 500+ pound bench presser, is expected to total in the mid 30's on the bench then run his forty somewhere in the 4.7's after tipping the scales in the low 290-pound area. I'm told Donald will also put up some pretty spectacular times in the agility drills. Where could Donald end up in May? After the combine we said teams late in the first round would have to start giving the Pittsburgh lineman consideration but recent rumblings have the Chicago Bears very interested in his services with the 14th pick of round one.

I agree … if we want a run stuffer go with Jernigan. If we want pressure up the middle go with Donald. In many ways Donald reminds of Dwight Freeney. Undersized and everyone kind of said great athlete but too small to be successful, then he just blew away the combine. Then he went after NFL QBs relentlessly. I saw some comment that Jernigan was often the last man off the snap so no shocker to see his 10yd split. Yet he's a beast to move out of the way even when he's double teamed and there's a lot to be said for having a guy like that in the middle. I went back and watched some highlights of Donald. He's a beast even when double teamed (see plays against Miami that almost went for a safety). It is almost comical to see what happens when teams pull the OG in front of Donald.

Been saying we need to add a speed guy out of the backfield. Mentioned D'Anthony Thomas as one target for the late rounds. Archer is likely going higher that a 4th Rd. DAT only ran a 4.5 forty which will only make him fall to the late rounds but I've seen him too many times blow past people and know he's faster than that. However it shakes out would love to see us add some serious speed to our offense.

…. with two Olinemen hanging on him.

I used to think I was the only one stunned that Urlacher didn't get any interest from any other team, then I listened to Urlacher on TV and realized he too was surprised. 32 teams, none of which got better with Urlacher. It is interesting that we look back at a MLB who was known for not being able to get off blocks by Olinemen and think he would have somehow been able to do so with street FA DTs playing in front of him. Had Urlacher been subjected to all that abuse he'd have wished he retired. We'd have been better with him than Bostic in the middle but not much.

http://www.chicagobears.com/team/roster.html Wootton per the team's site and I hate the fact that I always have to look up how to spell his name. I have no issues if Ealy is our pick at 14. It's hard to find pass rushers off the edge but if Jernigan is there too I think I'd take him. It's harder to find inside pass rushers and if you don't get any pressure up the middle then pressure off the edge is easily defeated.