jason

We have two 7th rounders who are starters. We don't have two starters who are 7th rounders. Big difference.

Throwing in my two cents... I completely understand what you're saying, and it is universally one of the very first things people see (maybe also height, sex, big tits on a chick), and it's an obvious first trait indicator. To ignore the obvious comparisons people make between one white player and another, or one black player and another, is quite ignorant. That may not be everyone, but a vast majority of sports-writers, at the very least- do it. One may not agree with it, and would compare Urlacher with Derrick Brooks first before others, but it's much more common for people to compare white-white, black-black, etc.-etc. Bill Simmons has written about this more than one time for ESPN. Saying someone won't be good, however, because they're a white X or a black Y is very misguided; measurables make much more sense.

What's the over-under on the number of games missed because of injury by McClellin and Hardin combined?

God, let's hope so, because they sure aren't going to get immediate help from a 4th round and beyond LT. Otherwise Webb is still LT, the OL is not improved, and all the tools in the world will not help Cutler when he's running for his life and getting grass stains on his ass.

HAHA. Dude, your wet dream of two tall WRs has finally been set up. Break out the Jergens. Having said that, how many times does everyone have to tell you, Weems and Thomas will virtually never see the field as WRs. They were picked up as ST. Period. They got two WRs, Marshall and Alshon.

Meh. WR in Round 2 made a lot of sense, especially where he could have gone. But this pick makes me shake my head, just like McClellin. With one legit OT talent - albeit not great - left on the board, how do they not draft him? I guess they really are content with their OL.

This year will probably prove or disprove my point. Cutler + Forte + Bush + Marshall + Jeffery + Bennett + Hester = No excuses. If it doesn't turn into a top-10 offense (or very damn close), that validates what I've been saying for years.

I've been prepping for a marathon all day. As for the pick, I think it's a great value. I would have rather seen Mike Adams there, but it's hard to argue with Alshon where he was selected. Problem now: There is still a LT hole, and the talent at OT is absolutely non-existent (edit: Massie). BPA makes the most sense now.

HA! I tried to present an analogy, and because I'm hungry the first thing I thought of was food.

Who is the 4th best DT? Jerel Worthy? Because that's who the DT selection would be if they went that way.

I agree; it's a stretch. But it's not like Bush can't be a #2 RB and Marshall can't be a #1 WR in another system.

Why do people keep using this flawed logic? Until the Bears prove a track record of successful drafts, and a track record of consistent threats in the playoffs, and a track record of realistic chances at making Super Bowls, the logic of "it was a good pick because they liked him" is flawed. If I'm the cook for a Ruby Tuesday's in town, and we're consistently a middle-of-the-pack place, where we have some great meals and some bad meals, some devoted customers and some who think we suck, I can't just fire something up and say it's a great dish because I like it. A five-star restaurant where there are nothing but rave reviews and people fight to get in the door to dine on the chef's cooking, where women faint at the first taste of a specially prepared glaze of some sort, where the Japanese fly over their best chefs to find out what Kobe beef is supposed to taste like? Yeah, that place gets to cook anything and say it's great. The Bears are a Ruby Tuesday's.

That's quite a mouthful to chew, but if the intent was draft a versatile guy for a defensive scheme that would be in existence AFTER Lovie Smith - with the obvious indication Lovie Smith is not necessarily favored - then I think it's a world-class Chess move and Emery needs to start placing calls to Kasparov and Bobby Fischer.

With the fluid nature of the draft this year, I would love to see the Bears trade up into the second so they can get one of the OL picks and one of the WR picks from above. A combo of Mike Adams and Alshon Jeffery would be great.

You're right; he wasn't a reach. He just wasn't a great fit in many peoples' opinion. The comparisons to Allen and Matthews are interesting, but both of those guys have proven themselves to be very abnormal high motor guys. The combine is not the NFL field, and both Allen and Matthews have shown that it takes tranquilizers for them to stop chasing the ball.

Odd. I never noticed that. I wonder why everyone wasn't also labeling Mercilus a tweener?

Minnesota got the bears LT and the best FS in the draft. Scary.

Oh God. If Skip Bayless likes the pick we could be in serious trouble.

But GB and NE play what kind of defense again? Oh, that's right, 3-4. Which makes sense why they'd be high on McClellin. What do the Bears play? Not the 3-4? Oops. You are right, however, about NE and GB having great scouting. I hope your optimism pays off, and I hope the guy turns into a legit DE for 4 downs straight, but I'm pessimistic.

In order for it to be polarizing, don't people have to like the pick?

Which goes right towards what I said earlier. It's not a smart pick just because the Bears did something nearly none of us wanted or expected. It's only a smart pick when selections like this one turn the Bears into a perennial powerhouse that threatens for the SB every year. Until then, it looks like a bad fit from either a HC pushing his opinions on a GM or a GM taking a risk when one wasn't necessary.

That's what they're saying, and that's what I hope, but I don't see it. He's too small and weak to be an every down DE. That's why everyone said he fits as a 3-4 guy, not a 4-3 guy.

And just for the record, if he ends up doing well and getting 10 sacks as a situational pass-rusher, it's still not a smart pick. It's Mark Anderson 2.0. It's still a LB who they send after the QB instead of a DE, a player they could have drafted if that's what they actually wanted. It's adding to a position of strength (LB) when there are several similarly or higher rated players available at positions of need.

It could also be because he's got contacts all over the place and someone leaked that the Bears were dreaming about getting him.

That would make sense if the Bears were the Patriots and they were in the playoffs every year and a threat to go to the Super Bowl every year. But since they haven't, and they aren't, it doesn't make sense. If thousands and thousands of Bears fans think the Bears need one of a few positions, it makes sense if the Bears select a player for that position in the first round. It doesn't make a lot of sense to draft a guy who may or may not be that position, especially when there are other guys at those positions rated higher.