jason

I guess I'm just thinking of a non traditional way to use 3-4 DEs. I don't want them to be space eaters who take up OL. I want them to attack so the O doesn't know where the next blitzer or player is coming from.

Would any of these drafts be somewhat acceptable? ALL BAMA DRAFT 1 - Amari Cooper, WR 2 - Arie Kouandjio, OG - Backfills for Long's move to OT 3 - TJ Yeldon, RB 4 - Austin Shepard, OT 5 - Xzavier Dickson, OLB 6 - Trey DePriest, ILB ALL FSU DRAFT Trade down for an extra third and X 1 - Eddie Goldman, DT 2 - PJ Williams, CB 3 - Rashad Greene, WR 3 - Mario Edwards, DE 4 - Josue Matias, OG 5 - Nick O'Leary, TE 6 - Karlos Williams, RB ALL OREGON DRAFT Trade down for an extra second and X 1 - Arik Armstead, DT 2 - Jake Fisher, OT 2 - Hroniss Grasu, C 3 - Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB 4 - Erick Dargan, SS ALL AUBURN DRAFT Trade down for future picks 1 - Sammie Coates, WR 2 - Reese Dismukes, C 3 - Gabe Wright, DT 4 - Cameron Artis-Payne, RB 5 - Nick Marshall, CB 6 - CJ Uzomah, TE ALL LSU DRAFT Trade down for an extra second and X 1 - La'el Collins, OT 2 - Danielle Hunter, DE 2 - Jalen Collins, CB 3 - Kwon Alexander, OLB 4 - Terrance Magee, RB 5 - Jermauria Rasco, DE ALL WASHINGTON DRAFT Trade up with whatever scenario works 1 - Danny Shelton, NT 2 - Shaq Thompson, OLB 2 - Marcus Peters, CB 3 - Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB Honestly, I'd be pretty happy with that Bama draft. I'm not a big fan of Shepard or Dickson, and I would like a DB in there somewhere, but overall that's not bad. Pick up Blake Sims after the draft for shits and grins.

I can envision a scenario where Allen or Young as 3-4 DEs would create confusion on the offense. They'd have to account for a rarely seen speed from 3-4 DEs. Will they go in or out? Will they crash the B-gap hard, or try a spin move? To be honest, gap pressure is gap pressure. It causes offenses to play defensively. Well, pressure does that. And that's what Allen/Young/etc. do. You're telling me that Allen and Young are suddenly ineffective because they move slightly to the side? That's just nonsensical to me. With an effective defensive plan, particularly one where the LB blitzes are unpredictable, that minimal strength difference is negated.

I just don't agree. A front 3 that lacks size can be utilized differently, with the same principles as a 3T DT in the 4-3. Instead of holding ground, he can be asked to attack more often. This leaves the LB, particularly the OLB, responsible for gap discipline and edge coverage. I don't see any issue, however, if the Bears trotted out a front three of Allen-Rat-McDonald then followed it up with a rotation of Houston-Ego-Sutton/Jenkins. If the front seven is moving around harmoniously, I don't think the size is as big of a deal. In fact, 3-4 defenses tend to cause more confusion because of that exact fluidity - it feels like there are more players on D than there really are. Personally, I'm kind of hoping for that to be honest. I'm hoping speed wins out in all positions other than the NT, and the defense, while light, flies all over the place making huge hits. I much prefer an attacking defense like the Eagles ran for years than a flaccid D that holds ground and lets the offense pound into it for minimal gain (i.e. the Lovie special).

I can take on SF. Also, I'll take Chicago since it was mentioned earlier and nobody has jumped on the grenade yet.

I still don't see how anyone can say the Bears are short on DE. There are several players who will potentially work there. The Bears already had Allen, Bass, Houston, Lane, Merrell, Washington, and Young. Admittedly, 3 of those names are throw-aways, but that still leaves Allen, Houston, Washington, and Young. I don't care what they say about Houston; he's playing DE with his 300lb ass. And THEN they went out and signed McDonald and Jenkins. And that's not even taking into account that Sutton is probably going to end up getting a shot there because he doesn't appear to be 1st or 2nd in line for the NT job.

That would be atrocious.

I will take TEN and SEA. Two good friends can help me out with their favorite teams.

Rat-Ego-McDonald? Rat-Ego-Mac? REM? Putting offenses to sleep! I'm sold.

Yes, it is. And yes, you're right about the others, but I didn't see a realistic situation where those guys start given the number of bodies the Bears have.

I feel the exact same way. I like that draft a lot. I know some would throw a fit about going offense-offense, but I like it. Also not a fan of McCarthy, unless we're talking Jenny, and it's the late 90s.

Basically what I've been saying for quite some time. Everyone here will basically say the coaches sucked the last several years. With Trestman and company, the defensive coaches were horrible. With Lovie, the offensive coaches were horrible (and some of the defensive guys too). No matter the tool in life, if you use it incorrectly it won't work well for you. Point a gun the wrong way and see how that works. Turn a screwdriver clockwise all the time and you'll never use it to its full potential. I think the same holds true for our defensive roster (hence my ridiculous layout of DL/LB combos).

As a side note, that breakdown would suck for the Bears. Each round would seem like somewhat of a reach for the positions the Bears need. I've looked at it, and I can't make a draft I would like a lot that doesn't have a reach or two.

I honestly think Cooper is going to end up an all-pro and potentially a HOFer (barring injury). His routes are so crisp, so precise, so deceptive, that it's just impossible for a DB to stay on him. Look at his 3 cone drill and 20 yard shuttle, combined with his collegiate production, for proof of this. I haven't seen a college WR get so wide open so often in a long time. It seems that two or three times a game you'd hear, "Amari Cooper, wide open!" I think a good comparison is Steve Smith or Marvin Harrison, guys who broke out of routes so hard that the DBs never really knew which way they were going until the last second. Meanwhile, White rarely seems to get that wide open, instead using his athleticism to out-run or out-jump the opponent. That works against college guys incredibly well, but everyone in the NFL is a superior athlete. Unless you're Randy Moss or a handful of other guys at most, that dwindles. The success rate for those guys is less likely than a guy with superior technical skills. When White slows down, loses a few inches on his vertical, or whatever, Cooper is still going to be putting DBs on roller-skates.

That draft sucks. Wrong WR at 1. Question at 2. No Safety to be seen.

Truth about Angelo. HE sucked at picking players for the most part, but always seemed to be a shrewd financial manager.

Yes. I distinctly remember seeing it from a coach quote somewhere.

Well, that just sounds stupid. If that dude is ever going to succeed, it's likely in his OLB home where he played in college.

That's kind of my point with the reeediculousness of the LB options.

The way I see it there are 12 realistic DL combinations right now: 1 Allen Ratliff Sutton 2 Allen Ratliff McDonald 3 Allen Ratliff Young 4 Sutton Ratliff McDonald 5 Sutton Ratliff Young 6 Young Ratliff McDonald 7 Allen Ego Sutton 8 Allen Ego McDonald 9 Allen Ego Young 10 Sutton Ego McDonald 11 Sutton Ego Young 12 Young Ego McDonald If Allen happens to stand up as an OLB, then that narrows things down on the DL, but it severely muddies the waters at OLB. However, here are the potential LB combos: 1 Allen Bostic Greene McPhee 2 Allen Bostic Jones McPhee 3 Allen Bostic Foster McPhee 4 Allen Greene Jones McPhee 5 Allen Greene Foster McPhee 6 Allen Foster Jones McPhee 7 McClellin Bostic Greene McPhee 8 McClellin Bostic Jones McPhee 9 McClellin Bostic Foster McPhee 10 McClellin Greene Jones McPhee 11 McClellin Greene Foster McPhee 12 McClellin Foster Jones McPhee 13 Allen Bostic Greene McClellin 14 Allen Bostic Jones McClellin 15 Allen Bostic Foster McClellin 16 Allen Greene Jones McClellin 17 Allen Greene Foster McClellin 18 Allen Foster Jones McClellin 19 Allen Bostic Greene Houston 20 Allen Bostic Jones Houston 21 Allen Bostic Foster Houston 22 Allen Greene Jones Houston 23 Allen Greene Foster Houston 24 Allen Foster Jones Houston 25 McPhee Bostic Greene Houston 26 McPhee Bostic Jones Houston 27 McPhee Bostic Foster Houston 28 McPhee Greene Jones Houston 29 McPhee Greene Foster Houston 30 McPhee Foster Jones Houston 31 McClellin Bostic Greene Houston 32 McClellin Bostic Jones Houston 33 McClellin Bostic Foster Houston 34 McClellin Greene Jones Houston 35 McClellin Greene Foster Houston 36 McClellin Foster Jones Houston Suffice to say, there are a ton of options at LB, and the Bears shouldn't be picking many in the draft. You have to see what these guys can do first, and the combinations are ridiculous. Who's to say combo 32 is not the best until it's tried? EDIT: There very well could be other options if Young is being considered at OLB as well.

My problem with drafting Shelton is that props have already been given to Rat and Ego as the NT. If that's the case - assuming it's not all smoke - then drafting Shelton basically throws at least one of those guys away. It just makes more sense to maximize who you have on the roster and use either Rat or Ego at NT. Then they can figure out WTF to do on the ends.

That's funny stuff, right there. OLB: McPhee, McClellin, ILB: Foster, Greene, Jones, Bostic DE/LB?: Young, Houston, Allen WTF is going to happen with that mess?

Consider me guilty of multiple counts as well. This reeks of a payout, maybe even extortion.

Agreed. I don't see what's wrong with making signings that improve the team in any way. There is ZERO doubt that Rolle improves the team. Same goes for McDonald. Same for McPhee. Same for Royal.

And that's considering PFF rankings, which are questionable at best, and worth less than what I wipe my ass with at worst. Wiz for $4 per year sounds like a good idea.