jason

I could only hope it played out that well. I wouldn't mind seeing Higbee replaced with OL; that would be damn near a dream draft.

I think you ALWAYS need to invest in OL. If OL is good, invest weakly. If OL is average, invest a lot or more. If OL is bad, invest heavily. It's the key to the entire offense. Right now Leno is average at best. Maybe a year under his belt he's average. In my mind that warrants mid-round (3-5) competition/replacement/depth.

And, personally, I think it's an ignorant trend. The fact that guys like Zach freaking Miller have the balls to ask for $5M a year when he has played one full year without injury, and even at that the jury is still out on his ability to produce consistently, is absolutely ridiculous. Meanwhile, RBs like Forte are a rare commodity. A guy who can proficiently run inside, outside, cut-back, pass-block, and receive out of the backfield are not common. A guy like Forte gets as many targets as the average TE, catches at a higher percentage, and on top of all that, he runs the ball. If the Bears give Miller $4-$5M a year for a 2-3 year deal, and Forte ends up signing with some other team for a comparable amount/length, I'm going to be pissed.

scs - YES:[ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1, CB before RD6], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, late focus TE over K, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6],NO:[Killebrew as SS] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD5 must have ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD, late focus TE over K] DBDB - YES:RD2 ILB > DE,NO:[Ragland RD1] killakrzydav - YES:CB potential, Kicker late, Prescott late,NO:[Ragland RD1] MOCK DRAFT VER 8.0 1. Ronnie Stanley, OT, ND 2. Sua Cravens, ILB, USC 3. Jayron Kearse, SS, Clemson 4. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU 5. KeiVarae Russell, CB, ND 6. Dak Prescott, QB, MSU 6. Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OG, TCU 6. Silverberry Mouhon, OLB, Cincy 7. Glenn Gronkowski, TE, KSU Minor change, as AZ (not Ashkum) isn't a big fan of Killebrew. He's out, Jayron Kearse is in. For me it's po-tay-to, po-tah-to. I like Kearse as a freakish SS option. Major objections?

You listed SS prioritized over CB as one of your qualifiers. Adam wanted a CB within 5 rounds. And killakrzydav also had CB as a position of need. I was just trying to fill in the slots based on the qualifiers.

Agree; except it's OT AND OG, because regardless of what Long does, his one OT position will be weak, and Slausson can't play forever.

Crazy how much we are agreeing lately. Have you been concussed? Ragland didn't get all those tackles by accident. And he didn't get all those tackles because he's slow. He played in the best conference and drilled guys who are going to play in the NFL. I want ILBs who drill RBs and drive back. Who wrap up. Who consistently find the ball carrier. Who absolutely plug holes. That guy is Ragland - best pure ILB in the draft.

ILB is the second Rd pick at this point, and I can't foresee another draftee being a better option. None who wouldn't be a reach at that point or who haven't already been eliminated (Scooby). I'm also having issues with a good Rd3 SS, since that's pretty much locked in. Any suggestions on a comparable SS at that point?

If that happens, Pace doesn't know what the hell he is doing. When a team has multiple missing pieces, you don't replace a great working piece for a potentially worse piece. You fix what's broken and try to keep the great working piece as long as it remains good. First it was Marshall, which was followed by drafting a WR. That was a mistake considering how well BM did and White not even seeing the field. This could potentially be the same type of move, just different position. Let's hope he's not planning this thought. If Forte is gone, Langford should be the main man, due for huge carries, 1000+yds, and 10TDs.

It's a mistake to forego the negotiation as if some moderate middle ground can't be reached. That is absolutely the first step towards everything in negotiation. It's not debatable. If you go to the table you never know what the other person is willing to offer. If their offer is too steep, then you pass. But you must try to see if you can get great value. That's negotiation 101. Injuries can't be helped. But if Langford + Carey fall off, then you'll certainly hear "I told you so" from me. Negotiate first, then tell him you can't do it. Unless you negotiate, you don't know what the other side is willing to concede.

I don't think it makes logical sense. Forte was easily the best RB the Bears had last year. -Better YPC than either Langford or Carey. Surprisingly, Langford was third. -Nearly broke 1000yds despite losing a huge chunk of his carries -Most receptions out of the backfield -Easily better receiver out of the backfield (76%) while Langford barely broke 50% This move is a mistake. It's particularly a mistake when Forte has stated he wants to come back to Chicago. When brokering a deal, both sides have to at least attempt to make a deal. The Bears should at least go to the table to see what he wants. To see if there is a middle ground. "Take it or leave it" is not negotiation. "We're not even interested" is not negotiation. This move is a mistake.

In general, agree with this thought. It's probably why I'm interested the athletic freaks and/or high-motor guys this year so much. To be honest though, I'd rather have the B+ guys with non-stop motors than the A+ guys with questionable effort. It's why I'm fond of ILBs who are known as tackling machines. Give me Ragland in the 1st, Scooby in the 3rd, and Kwiatkowski in the 6th/7th, and you have yourself a revamped LB corp that fits perfectly with the current talent.

I must say, I don't like the fact that the OL gets ignored in your mock, but that top 5 would have me jumping up and down. Jack would be value there since he's projected earlier, Lee goes bottom 1st in some drafts, Killebrew is a fast riser, a DT at 4 I'm meh on, and Hogan for the future...that would be pretty damn good.

Completely agree with the theory behind the 3-4. Beef up front. ILBs more athletic than OLBs. But OLBs must be able to get the edge fairly regularly.

scs - YES:[ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1, CB before RD6], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, late focus TE over K, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD5 must have ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD, late focus TE over K] DBDB - YES:RD2 ILB > DE,NO:[Ragland RD1] killakrzydav - YES:CB potential, Kicker late, Prescott late,NO:[Ragland RD1] MOCK DRAFT VER 7.0 1. Ronnie Stanley, OT, ND 2. Sua Cravens, ILB, USC 3. Miles Killebrew, SS, S. Utah 4. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU 5. KeiVarae Russell, CB, ND 6. Dak Prescott, QB, MSU 6. Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OG, TCU 6. Silverberry Mouhon, OLB, Cincy 7. Glenn Gronkowski, TE, KSU After the impasse, Adam allowed a gentlemanly compromise which created a slight dilemma. How to emphasize D in the first 5 rounds (per Alaska), focus on the OL (per Ashkum & AZ), prioritize SS over CB (Ashkum), have a CB within the first 6 rounds (scs), and how to squeeze in ILB, DB, OL, DL within the first 5 rounds given the other requests/stipulations/team needs. Since the OL focus got a heavy dosage with the first round pick, I believe the above mock satisfied all requirements. Unless I missed something, at this point there isn't much wiggle room about the positions being draft. If there is an objection, please state any objections to specific players. BTW - I look at this draft and can't say I love it. Personally, I think the team would be better off by doubling up on both ILB and OL during some point in the draft. But if the picks played out like they do above, I'd be fairly happy with it.

You misunderstand. If the 5th round is used for a CB, that means the OG gets bumped and then the OL is not prioritized as two posters have requested (three if you count me, but I'm trying to stay out). Also, Adam called for his DB in this post. If he intended CB, then I lost that in translation.

We are at our first true impasse for this effort. GOOD Stinger - NO:[Nkemdiche RD1] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD, late focus TE over K] DBDB - YES:RD2 ILB > DE,NO:[Ragland RD1] IMPASSE scs - YES:[CB before RD 6, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD4 ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, late focus TE over K, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] scs wants a CB before RD6. Picking one before, would either cross off Adam's 4RD position request or deprioritize OL, something AZ and ashkum want. So, since AZ and ashkum represent a quorum of sorts, who is willing to budge? scs - Are you adamant about the CB before RD6? Adam - Are you adamant about the first four rounds being ILB, DB, OL, DL (in any order)? Any other comments on this impasse are welcome. We'll decide as a group if scs or Adam are unwilling to budge.

scs - YES:[ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Stinger - NO:[Nkemdiche RD1] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, late focus TE over K, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD4 ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD, late focus TE over K] DBDB - YES:RD2 ILB > DE,NO:[Ragland RD1] MOCK DRAFT VER 6.0 1. Ronnie Stanley, OT, ND 2. Sua Cravens, ILB, USC 3. Miles Killebrew, SS, S. Utah 4. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU 5. Kyle Murphy, OG, Stanford 6. Dak Prescott, QB, MSU 6. Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB, Minnesota 6. Silverberry Mouhon, OLB, Cincy 7. Glenn Gronkowski, TE, KSU Major objections?

Good point. If Martellus is still with the Bears because he's under contract, then Gould deserves equal consideration for this experiment.

I like the idea. I think it's also how the Giants were successful with their slew of rushers. But who is available? I think Von Miller is the only guy, and he's 150% staying in Denver. Do you think the Bears' current OLBs can be guys that get the job done if the DEs are actually good players? I think it would help quite a bit if the OLBs knew the DEs were going to uphold their end of the bargain.

Overall I like it, but I'm not a fan of Cash in the 2nd round. Feels like a pretty big reach to me. If he is looking for a S hybrid with range, wing-span, and crazy athleticism, I'd rather have seen Jayron Kearse in that spot.

I didn't include the "no trade" stipulation in the rules at first, but I should have. The variables of trades makes an already difficult endeavor truly impossible. The same goes for FA consideration. Obviously both impact the draft, and the latter is guaranteed with all the cap space the Bears have, but it just makes this pointless. For the purposes of this exercise, assume Martellus Bennett is still with the Bears in 2016, and Zach Miller is not. I just can't see any way the Bears pay him what he wants. Do you believe a TE is more important than any of the positions listed? The players listed?

scs - YES:[ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Stinger - NO:[Nkemdiche RD1] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD4 ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD] DBDB - YES:RD2 ILB > DE,NO:[Ragland RD1] MOCK DRAFT VER 5.0 1. Ronnie Stanley, OT, ND 2. Sua Cravens, ILB, USC 3. Miles Killebrew, SS, S. Utah 4. Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU 5. Kyle Murphy, OG, Stanford 6. Dak Prescott, QB, MSU 6. Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU 6. Silverberry Mouhon, OLB, Cincy 7. Roberto Aguayo, K, FSU DBDB's insistence on ILB prioritization threw me for a bit of a loop, and took Adolphus off the board in RD2. We all agree that ILB is a major need. With Cravens, there is a guy who has all the tools & athleticism necessary to be a dynamite ILB who can cover passing lanes. The Bears have recent success with S-to-ILB transitions. Going in RD4, Bronson Kaufusi is considered by many as a 4-3 DE, but with his strength, athleticism, and freakish size he'd fit just fine as a 3-4 DE. BTW - I'm starting to really, really like this draft. It's filled with a ton of explosive athletes. Major objections?

We were not able to come to an agreement last year. I blame myself because I didn't lay out guidelines for the idea, and it turned into a "submit your own mock" thread where it was impossible for everyone to track each other's likes, dislikes, and stipulations.

scs - YES:[ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, Conklin RD1], NO:[Nkemdiche RD1, Scooby before RD4] Stinger - NO:[Nkemdiche RD1] Ashkum - YES:[OL focus, ILB RD1, Adolphus Washington RD2, prioritize SS > CB, OLB w/RD6] Alaska - YES:[QB Hogan, emphasize D 1st 5 picks], NO:[Prescott RD5] AZ54 - YES:[OL huge need, Jarran Reed, Hogan late, ILB in 1st 4 rds], NO:[A'Shawn Robinson RD1, Oakman, Conklin RD1, no DL double up RD1/2] Adam - YES:[RD1-RD4 ILB, DB, OL, DL any order], NO:[RB early, injury prone RD1] Mongo - YES:[Nkemdiche RD1], NO:[Ragland RD1] dawhizz - YES:[ILB RD1 (Smith > Ragland)] lemon - YES:[Ragland RD1, Prescott mid-RD] DBDB - NO:[Ragland RD1] MOCK DRAFT VER 4.0 1. Ronnie Stanley, OT, ND 2. Adolphus Washington, DE, OSU 3. Miles Killebrew, SS, S. Utah 4. Tyler Matakevich, ILB, Temple 5. Kyle Murphy, OG, Stanford 6. Dak Prescott, QB, MSU 6. Rashard Robinson, CB, LSU 6. Silverberry Mouhon, OLB, Cincy 7. Roberto Aguayo, K, FSU Scooby's pass coverage skills are questioned. Prescott is questioned for the 5th since he could go later. Developmental OLB in the later rounds. FWIW - I know Murphy played OT, but I think he'll be asked to move inside (so does Rob Rang). Also, I don't think Aguayo lasts until the 7th, but it's difficult to ascertain since there are multiple mocks that don't even list him. For argument's sake, he is there in the 7th for the Bears to snag. Finally, I really like the accolades, comparisons, and description of this kid Killebrew. He's described here as a "tightly bundled muscle hammer", and he'll probably move up quite a bit on the draft boards as the days approach. Objections?