AZ54

Didn't Nate Solder do something like 20 or 22 reps of 225lbs at the combine? Plus there were comments there that he didn't move as well as advertised. Seems he's not a first round talent. He might develop into something but he's not ready to contribute any time soon. I'd rather stick with Webb and see what he develops into in his second season. Adding someone like Carimi seems like it would do some good. Now that we cut Shaffer does it mean we have our three OTs in Williams, Omiyale, Webb? Or is Williams still a guard? Or are we willing to add one OT to the group and let them compete? Nobody will find that out until after the draft.

It's just a sign of explosiveness moving forward. Maybe it translates into quickness off the snap, good for run blocking unless you are in a zone blocking scheme?

Then he's the perfect fit for the Bears Oline draft profile.

If Pouncey is there he should be our pick and I'd be very happy with that.

We really really need Kreutz back. Another offseason with Tice calling the shots on who we bring in to upgrade the Oline. Tice found Webb, and while I know he didn't play great he improved a lot over the last 8 games, we got a lot out of a small school 7th rd pick at RT. First and foremost the team must decide what Williams is going to be...OG or OT so he can focus his offseason on that position. Regardless of where Williams lines up we need to have Tice focus on the early rounds and FA so we come away this offseason with a good G, C and OT prospect or proven vet.

I say Tommie Harris gets cut soon unless he agrees to a new deal with a much lower price tag.

The last safety we brought in after some serious injuries ended up working for NFL Network...Adam Archuletta. I watched Arch all through college and loved his game, he was fearless going after the ball. He was the same in St Louis but after his back injury he was never the same. Sanders had that same fearlessness and it's what made him great but he also paid the price for it. You have to wonder if he's even close to having the same mentality as a player. This is one of those things that a physical and a workout can not discover and there's no recent film on him.

Spend the money on the Oline and finding a DT who can get some pressure up the middle. Our safety group is solid and the areas above are not. With a better pass rush the safety play will be good enough. I realize they might not be household names but our safeties and defense held the vaunted Packers offense to an average 12 points in the last two meetings. Based on that it's hard to say the D is where we need to focus our money on improvement.

Whatever Tice says I'll go with it. lol I say that somewhat jokingly but in all seriousness if the Bears make no effort to bring him in then it's because Tice says he isn't worth it. I don't know what his injury history is and if there are some back or knee problems then it might have taken the edge off his performance. i also don't think it's worth trading for a guy like this. If he had shown signs of improving last season they'd be hanging onto him. Just wait until he's cut and then look to bring him in.

As a 5th Rd pick Knox has been a great find. He has his shortcomings but he's also still a relatively young WR, especially considering the leap he had to make from college to the pro's. While he's a lot like Berrian I like him better because I think he's more versatile at this point in his career. We can't however blame Knox for not becoming a true #1 WR in the NFL. He is what he is and that still makes a very valuable part of our WR corps. All the pundits talk about how great GBs WR corps is yet Knox had more yards than all but Jennings. Where he finished in overall yards among all WRs is pretty good considering the Oline that was protecting Cutler. I don't feel we must have a true #1 WR to fill out the group. Rather than spending all our money there I think if can get a big body type with good quickness (but not elite deep speed)who can run excellent inside routes and become our go to short yardage guy then it will open things up. That would help in the red zone too. Focus more on fixing the Oline so we can handle some deep drops and allow our fast guys to run all over the field.

St Clair gave up those sacks back when we were all about 3 and 5 step drops. Now when most drops are 5 steps and Martz would like to have an Oline capable of handling 7 step drops I can't see St. Clair succeeding.

I agreed with that in the past and there's still some validity to the argument. However, after this many years we have to accept the coaches decisions that he just doesn't have it. The bottom of the roster is best stocked with a veteran who has proven they can get it done, even if for just a few games, or a young guy hungry and working hard to prove he belongs. Wolfe hasn't proven he belongs so it's time for the next guy up.

There's no doubt Knox has to fight harder to be in the right position. You see that on some deep throws as well where he doesn't always shield the defender properly. He's still young but he'll be a valuable part of our offense for years to come.

Maynard had his share of poor punts this season so the Bears need to be serious about his competition this offseason.

The only problem with replacing Taylor with a late round rookie (or any rookie) is pass protection. Unga definitely has the size to succeed in this regard and with all this time to learn the offense I would hope he has a good clue what to do. My hope is that the team has enough confidence in Unga to add a RB in the draft without the feeling they must rely on the rookie. Then we at least have a 50-50 shot at having a solid backup for Forte. The Wolfe experiment comes to an end this year.

Nobody releases a good OT like this. period.

Hmmm...slow developing plays allowing Hester time to get open....does that include good pass protection from the Oline? I think everyone agrees Hester is a valuable weapon on underneath routes but until we can get a proven deep passing game he'll always have trouble finding open space. That means a WR who can make big plays downfield and an Oline that can give Cutler time to throw.

I've been calling for that move since November. It's immediately puts our D at the top of the league. We just need to shore up our CBs a bit. I don't know what his cap hit would but this move would likely cost us a shot at one of the top WR FAs as I doubt we'd have money left to even sign S. Rice. Then it's all offense in the draft...OG, WR..OT, late round RB & CB.

It's always easy to look back and question a move, or in this case moves. Yet the Vikings finished well behind us in the standings and we got pretty deep in the playoffs. Big change and for all the complaining about Taylor's and Manu's performance (some valid reasons) given their experience level in the pro's and for Manu in Martz' offense I'm not sure we can say it didn't benefit the team overall. Does anyone know how much Manu contributed to his teammates in film study? Was Chester Taylor better prepare to handle the pass protection assignments than a rookie or other FA RB? On an individual basis it's easy to say these FA signings didn't work out but overall they were significant contributors to our team getting to the NFC Championship. Now a year into Martz' system we don't need that veteran presence as much and can move on to better skills. I agree at this point we might as well keep Taylor into training camp unless there's another offseason bonus money he's due to get. Otherwise I take this as a good sign the Bears are serious about clearing cap space to sign some players. It is also a sign that the accountability they showed with players at the end of last season might stick around this offseason. I think that's a good thing.

Out of desperation I watched quite a few CFL games this past season and saw Fantuz play several times. From what I can tell: He is good at using his body to get position and goes after the ball aggressively. Good hands, very reliable even on bad passes. Speed.. hard to tell because the first thing you notice whenever you see a CFL game is the speed difference (lack thereof). I know in one game I saw Fantuz grab a quick slant and take it all the way pulling away from the DBs. I'd guess he runs about a 4.6 forty but he needs several strides to get up to speed as he's not a quick twitch type. Route running....hard to tell again because the CFL rules are so different allowing WRs to run full speed toward the LOS so CBs are almost always 10 yards off the ball. Coverage is often so loose even the old fan favorite Henry Burris can still complete passes in the CFL. Most WRS have it easy running around on underneath routes. Fantuz has quite a battle adjusting to the crowded traffic he'll see in the NFL right off the LOS. He has the size and strength to release against press coverage but he'll have to learn the technique because his quickness is not going to allow him easy separation. Then there's the whole issue with LBs who are faster than him. INTANGIBLES: He's got this aspect down pat both on and off the field. He's by far the fan favorite and likely the most respected player in the CFL. It's his jersey you see in the stands at games. It's his stats the announcers talk about. It's him they talk about when a big play needs to be made. And yes, he has his own version of a cereal like the old Flutie Flakes. What I like most about this is that the Bears organization has already recognized the need for a big WR. I hope Fantuz is just one option we bring into camp. In essence he replaces Iglesias and I think if we still had Iglesias around we'd all still be talking about the need for a big WR.

He's earned it and he'll get it. Bye bye Tommie Harris.

Cards need a QB and I don't know why they are even inquiring about trading Fitzgerald. But if they are then the only reason I could think of is to get a good young QB on the roster. They are not in position to get one this draft. If I'm not mistaken Fitz is halfway through a 4yr contract and there were rumors this season that he might leave if the Cards can't fix their QB situation quickly. Obviously these two actions are at odds with each other (i.e. you'd lose Fitz while gaining the QB he wanted you to have). However, in the NFL it's a lot easier to find WRs than QBs and this is a good WR draft. I could see the Cards dangling Fitz now while he's at the market peak to see if he could get them some young gun in exchange plus some picks. Another bad season catching passes from Max Hall or Skelton and his trade value likely will go down plus you get into all the new contract issues. Kolb is one of the top young QBs and he is already on the market. I don't mean to imply he's what the Cards want, but he could be. They have other options as well and could look at a veteran to fill the spot for a year or two while they see if Skelton can develop. But would that satisfy Fitz? If not they could be losing him for nothing. In any case I don't see us giving up the picks it would take to get Fitz nor do I see it making sense given that we have a serviceable WR crew, other FA WR options available, and far greater needs on Oline followed by DT.

You can't get Fitz and then three OL with our first three picks because we won't have them. IMO the only reason the Cards are dangling Fitz is to see if it will help them get a QB plus another pick. It's a good year for WRs in the draft so you take a step back for a year and let your young WR develop with the new QB (Kolb?).

We have already beaten two of the top 4 teams in the NFL this season: Packers and Jets. We beat another playoff team in the Eagles who were considered the best in the league at that time. Lost to another playoff team in NE. Beat Dallas too when they were the Superbowl favorites. BearFan2000 did a great job listing all the ups and down but looking back on it now nobody can say we don't belong where we are.

It's hard to predict a Superbowl appearance much less a win but IMO Cutler taking us to the NFC championship game in his second season with us, especially with the talent level on our offense, means the trade was a success. When I get to work tomorrow I'll check in with the Broncos' fans to see how they feel about the deal and earning the #2 pick in the draft. I know there are other factors on their side but there are other factors on our side when you consider our Oline, young WR corps, etc. It hasn't been an easy path for Cutler but in Rd 2 of the NFC playoffs he put up 35 pts. That's pretty good. I'm sure even Tom Brady would admit how good it is, perhaps Peyton Manning too.