jason

And I still say that Terrell was one of those athletes - all too common nowadays - who is physically superior, but mentally inferior. He'd been the big man on campus since he was probably 10 years old. He gets to the Bears with swagger, does great in the first few chances he gets, and then gets put in the doghouse. It's actually a lot like this past year when I think about it. Terrell sits behind Dez White, an absolutely atrocious receiver who looked like he was holding bricks while trying to catch the football. Meanwhile, Terrell can't see the field because he's not a practice warrior. Fast forward to last year... Earl Bennett sits on the bench with an incredibly SEC pedigree. He's got soft, reliable hands, catches nearly everything, runs crisp routes, gets separation fairly well. Meanwhile, Rashied Davis runs across the middle doing his best Dez White impersonation, dropping several balls, barely getting separation, and running average routes (at best). Things never change around here with WRs. Combined with several other factors (e.g. OC, OL, cold weather, etc.) no wonder there isn't a viable WR who wants to come to Chicago.

And a speed guy? I think his name is Devin Hester. He's already on the roster.

I didn't see the question (nor did I see the OP's caveat with Sanchez). To be honest, I think it's almost an equally important need. However, I feel that the OL is in a much more dire need right now than QB, since Orton is probably more competent than the OL has been the past few years. Aside from that, I'd love to see a franchise QB get drafted, but I fear he'd be wasted behind this OL, and horribly under-utilized behind Turner's borderline retarded gameplans. The guy would end up leaving the Bears after his initial contract was up, and kicking ass elsewhere. Until this team (from ownership to coaching) gets serious about actually having a team that is dangerous on offense (rushing AND passing), I feel it's best if the attention is focused on the positions that will actually produce an offense that will benefit Chicago for the time being. And that, as cliche as it is, goes right back to rushing the ball and defense.

I'll go one further. To compare the Giants RBs with the Bears RBs is truly ignorant. Their OL is one of the best in the league, and the Bears' OL is one of the worst. Ward would be complete garbage in Chicago. Bradshaw? Pshaw!! Hell, I think even Jacobs would be significantly worsened behind the Bears' OL. He wouldn't have big holes to hit, thus utilizing his size and his momentum. He'd be forced to move laterally, thereby negating the one advantage he has, and everyone on this board would be talking about how bad he was, or how he tap-danced too much...when we all know the tap-dancing has more to do with the dance partner (read: OL). The Bears' RB situation is way, WAY down on the list of concerns. Forte is a stud, AP is a solid contributor (who would do similar things as Ward/Bradshaw behind the Giants' OL), and Wolfe is a guy who is just dying to get the ball like Sproles did this year - and consequently break ankles like Sproles did.

That would PISS ME OFF. It would be an absolutely atrocious selection when considering the needs of this team. It would be just like the Curtis Enis selection, and the Cedric Benson selection: a RB when it's not needed.

For the record, do you feel that what Vick did to dogs - through other people - is worse than what Jones did to people - through other people? It seems to me that if a boycott is called for Vick, then it has to be called for Jones.

I haven't looked at the rising and falling stocks after I posted it originally. At the time, they fit in most mocks at that spot. As for a 1-2 of Oher and Duke, I'd pass out and miss the rest of the draft. That would be an absolute A+ draft without going any further. The Bears could literally pick exclusively from the OVC from that point forward, and the overall grade could drop no lower than a B+ in my mind. Hell, they could draft 5 straight QBs after that, and it'd be an A-.

This line of reasoning - in bold - is infuriating. What are you basing this on!? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. When given the chance, Wolfe has done really well. He's looked fast, elusive, and competent. He's not a short-yardage, up the middle back. When he's used against the Vikings on a goal line situation, what the heck do you expect of him? Also, let's not forget that the Bears coaches haven't exactly been finding offensive diamonds in the rough, or showing any sort of competency when it comes to choosing starters and devising game plans. If the Bears had Darren Sproles instead of Wolfe, it'd be the same thing. Everyone saying he can't do this, can't do that. The difference is, Wolfe sits on the bench as the Bears show incompetency on offense, and continue to give opportunities to a guy who has reached his absolute apex - Adrian Peterson. Meanwhile, Sproles is on San Diego getting franchised because he rips up the field when he has been given a chance. Why do you guys hate the idea of Wolfe so much? It's absolutely without foundation from my point of view.

Hell yes. He'd be the perfect inside route runner that would... A] Give Devin more one on one opportunities B] Show Davis and Bennett a thing or two C] Open up the seam routes for Clark and Olsen I know he's lost a step, but I don't think he's gone so far down hill that he can't be productive. His stats weren't that bad last year for a #2 WR, which is what he was considering rise of Reggie Wayne.

WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Please.Please.Please.Please.Please.Please.Please.Please.Please.

Watching NFL Live tonight...saw that quite a list has developed on the FA market. Chris McAlister Dre Bly Sam Madison Leigh Bodden Drayton Florence Adam 'Pacman' Jones I wouldn't mind seeing one of the first three on the Bears, for the right price.

END OF THREAD

*cough* *cough* mock draft below

The answer to your Urlacher for Gross question is simply, yes. I hate the idea of getting rid of franchise guys. If Urlacher were in favor of it, I'd be disappointed. If it happened, I'd be even more disappointed.

Yes, because a pissed off Anquan Boldin on a Bears team that has a highly inefficent passing game behind a below average OL and an average QB is really going to take this team to the championships. If you're really in favor of this move, then surely you were in favor of getting Moss and/or TO in FA a few years ago. Afterall, if all that matters is winning, then why should it matter who the Bears sign or throw under the bus.

I think you're right, and that's what I'm afraid of.

Maybe you're content with St. Clair at RT, and Garza even being on the field, and being risky with Williams, but I'm not...and I'm fairly sure that any sane person who watched the Bears' offense last year realizes the OL has major deficiencies. I'd prefer to have another solid OT, and then let the situation dictate which one of the two legit, first round OT talents plays on the left, and which plays on the right (although I hope that Williams simply is considered the LT, and the pickups/moves are for RT and G). St. Clair can move to OG.

You may "digress" all you want, but you can't disagree with the fact that he was the best safety on the team last year. His skills have deteriorated, but he's still the best safety from the team last year. And when he was playing at the beginning of the year, he was playing fairly well. If the plan is to move Daniel Manning into that spot, then it's a mistake.

I don't know about you, but I view loyalty as one of the things I cherish. I hear over and over on this board about how they don't want player X or player Y because they are bad guys, or are in the media. That's an aspect exterior to the actual playing field. If you want to uphold that image, then keeping your career, face of the franchise guys is part of it. You don't send Montana to KC. You don't send Favre to NY. And you don't send Urlacher to Arizona. To do so would be a horrible PR move for the team and the majority of Bears' fans.

Agreed x 2.

So, you think the Bears should have... Hester Davis Bennett Holt AND Robiskie or Barden I just don't think that much is necessary. Who starts? We have to assume that Hester starts. And if Holt is picked up, then he starts. So, what you're saying is, we just throw away the Bennett pick...not to mention probably throwing away the Robiskie/Barden pick.

I don't get this move. He may be injured a lot, but some of it's just plain bad luck. The Lorenzo Neal thing was a cheap shot. And through all that, he was still THE BEST SAFETY THE BEARS HAD. Horrible move when considering the other needs of this team.

This comes as no surprise, and is not a big disappointment to me. Good luck to Tait in the future. If the Bears don't draft OL heavy NOW, then this front office is dumb as hell. One of guys who was considered one of the better members of the OL is leaving, and he didn't even play that well this year. That should be a big flashing sign to invest in the OL through FA or the draft.

I completely disagree with the major point of the writeup. In summary: 1) Benson will never come back to the Bears 2) The Bears would never pick up Benson 3) The problem wasn't really the RBs, it was the OL (big surprise) 4) The Bears may already have a complimentary RB (Wolfe), but the OC staff is incompetent and doesn't put their players on the field to give them shots. (Which is nearly the same reason that a WR that started most of the season got cut - Booker, and another had tons of drops - Davis, while a promising rookie languished on the bench.)

I don't disagree with the idea that we need WR help. However, it sure would be nice to see Bennett get on the field before the Bears chuck a high pick on a WR.