AZ54

I agree in spots we've taken athletes vs. production/football player (Hester, DManning, Bradley) but with those picks not being terribly productive it would be nice to see a learning curve here and go after a football player in Rd 1, especially at WR. I hope we pass on DHB in Rd 1. Nicks, Robiskie, Britt all fit better what we need now although they aren't all worthy of #18. Trade down seems like the best course of action but who would want to trade up and why? I think we're stuck at #18 and will just have to take the guy we think works best for us.

I can see Loadholt being there in Rd 2. How many teams are going to take an OT with their first pick? Loadholt seems to be rated highest here on this board than anywhere else. I've heard more often of him going in Rd 2 or even Rd 3. http://cdsdraft.com/mocks/round-2.html http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospec...p;start_row=451

Without Duke or similar Rd 2 OG/OT talent I see some upgrade but not the type of upgrade that would give me confidence that we'll be able to dictate to teams what we want to do on offense. That's a bit of an over the top statement and I don't presume for our offense will suddenly become top 5. Rather just that it would be nice to see us able to do one of these two: run the ball effectively against an 8-man front (say consistent 3+ yard gains) or when we pass not to always see someone forcing Orton to move around the pocket. To get that now we have to add some elite young talent early in the draft. Add Britton and you can probably feel confident in our pass protection. Add Duke and you can probably hang your hat on consistency in our running game. At this point I'd take either.

We still might get our wish of Oline early in the draft but I think now there's a good possibility it's an OG in Rd 2. Williams is an unknown but by the second half of the season should be better than St Clair, Omiyale at LG, Kreutz, Duke, Shaffer. I think across the board the line is better than what we started with last year. On top of that there are now realistic options at depth. Omiyale can still be our backup OT with Beekman stepping in for him. Garza coming off the bench doesn't bother me much either. He's not great but as a backup I like him. On the flipside we could now add a starting caliber WR in RD 1 and possibly a true FS in Rd 2. Pick up the backup RT in Rd 3. Overall we should have upgraded all our key positions of need and be starting the season with an Oline that has much more depth than what we had last year and with these guys we should be able to open some good holes for Forte.

I guess you guys watched every Cards game last year like I did, and have watched most of them for the last 7 years of Boldin's career too. A couple years ago I said Boldin and Fitz were the top WR duo in the league and most on the board laughed with the typical "come on it's the Cards". Now everyone wants to give up the farm for him when I say he's slowed down. You can't argue the injuries because that's a statistical fact but I've watched this guy since his first year and he does not get the separation from DBs like he used to. I stated that he is still a very good WR and he would definitely help the Bears, and I love the way he plays the game. He was a bit of lockerroom cancer and isolated himself from his teammates during the Superbowl run. Is that what we want from our WR leader who we just gave a $20mil bonus too and gave up 1st Rd pick for? It's too much for the return on investment we'll see. I'm not saying that a team won't give up a 1st Rd pick for him just that we shouldn't. On the way home sports radio was talking about the KC offer to trade Gonzalez and a 2nd Rd pick for Boldin plus another player (not named). Of course the Cards fans say it's too little but IMO that's in the ball park of the value I was proposing. Tony Gonzalez is nowhere near what he used to be. I'll wait this one out. because it seems clear the Cards will trade Boldin, almost for sure before the draft.

I like this signing because we needed some decent depth. The Bears didn't promise him a starting role either so he knows he has to work for it. Add Britton in Rd 1 and we have the makings of a solid Oline with good depth. Find a starting caliber OG and we could get over the top, finally!

I would say Boldin is past his prime. See my post in the "no stinking draft" thread for details as to why.

Boldin's market/trade value is very similar to Brigg's situation. What would you guys give up for Steve Breaston? A younger guy who put up similar numbers to Boldin. Point is when Boldin went down due to injury, both in the regular season and in the playoffs the offense kept on rolling. Breaston ended up with 77 rec for 1008 yards. Boldin had 89 rec for 1038 yards. More rec equates to less ypc. The Cards run a pass happy offense so how do those stats likely translate to a Bears offense which spreads the ball around including to their RB....maybe 70 rec and 800 yards. How many realize Boldin has only had two full 16 game seasons in his career? This is a guy who is a physical runner, doesn't have great quickness or speed and relies on his size and strength to gain separation as well as yards after the catch. Those injuries take a toll and after 7 years he's slowing down and wearing down. He's still got a few good years in him though. Look at all the crap Bears fans give players who get injured every year. It won't be long before Boldin hears that. Is that worth $8mil/yr? Now we expect GMs to jumping all over him to give him $8-10 mil/yr and give up a 1st Rd pick. Why when you have a solid draft for WR all the way into the 3rd Rd? We are one of a few teams with a high need for WR help but the other teams might view themselves in a more of a rebuilding mode and prefer to invest in younger talent. Beyond that other teams might have just one hole at WR with a couple capable vets and would also prefer to bring in a younger guy to set themselves up for the future. You also have to consider the fact of Boldin's selfishness. Contrary to what most might think, the Cards have treated him outstandingly well IMO. They tore up his rookie contract after only two seasons and gave him what at the time was a high dollar deal. That has only happened to a handful of players in NFL history. Now the market has exploded and suddenly Boldin is demanding a new contract last offseason. The Cards tried to take the high road in negotiations but Boldin pretty much dragged them through the mud. The Cards were clear they had other priorities last year and they'd be willing to address his contract this year. Late in year Boldin pulls off the same selfish crap once he's injured in playoffs and starts whining on the sidelines, and starts bringing up the contract stuff again. You have to take a long hard look at how much of a team player Boldin is because it seemed clear he burned some bridges in the locker room during the playoffs. I like the way he plays the game, I'd like him as a Bear because I know he'll help us but he's not "the answer" on offense for us. He can help us just don't expect #1 WR performance. I'll stick with my offer of a 3rd Rd pick with a max of that plus swapping 2nd Rd picks although I prefer to give a conditional 2nd day pick in next years draft depending on his performance this year.

Gruden is a prick and while I think he has a great football mind his arrogance gets in the way of his own success. Stay away until the "golden boy" aura wears off.

I'm going to join the "out of my mind" group, and apparently fly solo on this one. There is no way I give up the #18 pick in the draft for Anquan Boldin. I will give up our 2nd Rd pick for him and if I can get it, preferably our 3rd. I said it weeks ago. Boldin is often hurt I can't recall the last season he didn't miss games due to injury. Yes, he's a great WR and I love his toughness; he'd be a great Bear. He's just not worth the #18 pick no matter how desperate we are. If all the Cards are asking for is a 1st Rd pick then that's their starting point. In my mind that equates to pick #32 and I'd counter with a 3rd Rd pick. My goal would be to get them to take our 3rd Rd pick and swap picks in the 2nd Rd. Then I'm taking Britton in Rd 1 and in Rd 2 will be a FS/OG and Rd 3 will be the opposite FS/OG. Best available after that.

They say very few people answer all the questions (50 questions in 12 min) so typical scores included a lot of unanswered questions.

You only got 5min to take that mini test. Score is simply the number of answers you got right in 5min. For those who ran through the sample questions keep in mind we did that cold. The players have agents who are giving them prep sessions with sample questions so it's safe to assume they are as prepared as they can be to take the test. If they sat around for a couple months and didn't prepare that's just as a bad an indictment on their work ethic ala Andre Smith.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0,7151782.story ===================== Offensive tackles: None of the tackles were too far off the acceptable mark. Andre Smith of Alabama scored 17, which is borderline. Faring much better was Arizona's Eben Britton with 31. Others: Eugene Monroe of Virginia had 24, Jason Smith of Baylor 23 and Michael Oher of Mississippi 19. Wide receivers: NFL teams would like for receivers' test scores to be about 18, but several of the top prospects fell below that mark. Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech scored 15, Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland scored 14, Percy Harvin of Florida scored 12 and Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina scored 11. The test result is particularly interesting in the case of Harvin, who will have more learning to do than the others based on the offense he played in at Florida and the fact he could be used in multiple roles. Jeremy Maclin of Missouri was outstanding by comparison with a 25 test score. ===================== DHB's score concerns me if we were thinking about taking him at #18. Below him is Hakeem Nicks is way down in DT territory with an 11! We just spent a season watching Bennett struggle to learn our playbook and quite honestly Hester has struggled to do the same. Some background: http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228.html Charlie Wonderlic Jr., president of Wonderlic Inc., says, "A score of 10 is literacy, that's about all we can say." If that's the case, more than a few pros are being delivered the Books-on-Tape version of the playbook. Each year, about 2.5 million job applicants, in every line of work, take the Wonderlic. The average NFL combiner scores about the same as the average applicant for any other job, a 21. A 20 indicates the test-taker has an IQ of 100, which is average. And if you want to take the test go here: (it's an old link) http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html

deleting double post

Outside of running a 4.3 forty DHB hasn't really done much of anything. He seems destined to be this years combine stud who turns into a dud. I hear absolutely nobody talking about anything he's done in college, just that he's fast and tall. Watching his highlight videos, many of the plays they show are him catching a short route and running the distance. That doesn't impress me as far as translating into an NFL WR. Then I keep hearing how he was limited because the coaching staff reigned in the offense and the QB was limited. Maybe, but part of the reason the coach did that could have because DHB wasn't that good running routes, or because of his questionable hands? Right now I want a WR not a track star.

Again, another good special teamer and another reason I think AP finds new home this year.

No reason not to get both.

I hope Harvin does sneak in there because it means some other WR who I value more (for our needs) will fall to us.

Pass on DHB in Rd 1. We're in no position to gamble on a WR. If we go WR in Rd 1 I prefer to take Nicks.

It's hard to know who is a leader until they are a leader. We simply are not in the locker room, and film room, etc. I will say that I think Williams might be that guy for us. First his play on the field needs to be competent but assuming he does that I think he has already shown some good things coming back last year and doing whatever he could to get some snaps. According to reports he has worked hard this offseason too.

I was expecting more from him since he started so quickly in college. The NFL is a different beast and Turner's offense isn't that simple, IIRC Olsen had some struggles with plays his first year too. At least Bennett was open to admitting it which I take to be a guy owning up to the fact it was his own limitations that kept him off the field. With an improved Bennett and Hester more up to speed as a WR things should be better for us at the #2 and 3 role. We need a #1 but a decent #2 opposite Hester will suffice this year. No doubt feedback from the minicamp is deciding how aggressively we pursue a veteran versus waiting for the draft. There was a comment today about Boldin's stock dropping: http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/03/fo...march_18_e.html Not sure where his value is but I was willing to give up our second but if it gets to where we have to give up our 3rd to get him I'd gladly do that. That allows us to use Rd 1 OT, Rd 2 OG/FS. Of those needs I prefer to go FS in Rd 2.

We had a somewhat decent, if inconsistent, passing game last year with a poor Oline. Oline isn't going to help all those drops that would have made a big difference in some games. Adding a rookie WR just isn't likely to change things all that much, history has shown that time and again and especially if the QB has no time to throw. Grab a RT with our first pick and Forte and Orton both get better. Those are known commodities so we can be more confident in that.

The Pats were a good team until they found a cornerstone in Brady, a guy likely headed to the Hall of Fame. Suddenly once you have that guy everything else looks so much better. Yet be realistic, the Pats haven't always won in dominating fashion. Take that QB level down a notch to occasional Pro Bowl level and are they still wearing 3 rings? I remember people criticizing their owner for being cheap when they let key players walk away and signed nearly washed up vets to fill in cheaper. I don't want to belittle their success but that one guy was key piece to the puzzle and he alone attracted several of those key vet players who at the end of their career just wanted a shot at a ring. Find a franchise QB and we'll attract some of those guys too.

I watched him at the pro day and despite the weight loss he's still sssllllloooowwww. No way I see him at OT in the NFL, just guard and he's a 3rd Rd pick at best.

I always felt he'd be back and that JA would match a reasonable offer. It doesn't even appear as if he came back to Bears to see if they'd counter. No biggie, time to move on.