Bears4Ever_34

There's a guy out there that I have had my eye on as a possible dark horse candidate to be the next WR drafted by the Chicago Bears. Given the recent signing of Devin Thomas, it's looking like the Bears are going to go away from a WR, atleast in the early rounds of the draft. This may or may not be the case, this could be a clever ploy at a smoke screen, but for the purpose of this topic, lets just assume it's not. This is a player that I think might be worth drafting in the 4th round or so, and just happened to be arguably the most productive WR in college football over the past 5-10 years. I'm talking about a player who caught 131 passes and 15 touchdowns his JR year and was well on his way to duplicating that season this past year before he got hurt. I'm talking about a guy that's been in a PRO system for 4 seasons where he's been the #1 receiver and thrived in it. I'm talking about a guy that for his career, combined for 349 catches, 46 touchdowns, and 4586 yards with a senior year cut short by 4 games with an ACL injury. The player I'm talking about is Ryan Broyles. Obviously the reason Broyles slips in the draft is because of his knee injury that he suffered late in the year for Oklahoma and hasn't gotten completely healthy yet. I figure if he is still available late in the 3rd round or possibly even in the 4th, would he be worth a pick? Here are his Strengths and weaknesses according to NFL.com Strengths Despite his stature, Broyles gets off the line of scrimmage well when given a free release or a chance to use a jab step that allows him to stem and get up field quickly. His overall football savvy and athletic ability should allow him to adjust smoothly to play at the next level. Although he can make catches across the middle, he is most effective in space or when being covered man-to-man, as he displays an uncanny ability to get open. Broyles is an incredible catcher. He can torque his body in any way necessary to secure balls thrown near him. He uses his body control to turn and secure the ball. Despite his small frame, he can turn and run through arm tackles at times. He is a great option as a short receiver, which allows him to utilize his quickness and agility to separate from defenders and secure a catch. Broyles has produced consistently in the Big 12, his transitional phase should be short, especially if he plays in the slot. Weaknesses Broyles is undersized and has struggled securing catches in space throughout his career. If cornerbacks get their hands on him at the line, he can struggle to break away and get into his route. It will be interesting to watch him work within an NFL system given the route tree he was running at Oklahoma which was somewhat basic. The torn ACL that cost him the ,end of the 2011 season may limit his already average straight-line speed and raise concerns about his durability. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/ryan-broyles?id=2532807 Here's another little nugget. He is strong for his size.

Consider the situation in which he would be put here. With Marshall, he no longer has the pressure of being a #1-- big difference. His deep threat ability compliments a Brandon Marshall as a #2. He's also not a stick out there, he has some size on him at 195 compared to a guy like Desean Jackson. All WR's that come into the draft deal with press coverage issues. There are very few NCAA defenses that press WR's off the LOS consistently like in the NFL. That's why there is a big adjustment for most guys coming into the league. I don't understand the RGIII thing. They were together for a couple seasons and each got better every year they were together. Did RGIII have alot to do with Wright's success? Absolutely. But Wright also had alot to do with Griffin's success.

We already have a ST guy in Weems, we didn't really need a 2nd guy; especially if it's going to take us out of the running for a #2 WR which we desperately need.

I don't get this move.

Why is he overrated? 5'10, 38 inch vertical, 4.4 speed, strong, elite quickness, catches the ball extremely well, plays inside and outside the numbers, etc.. He got better every year at Baylor. What's not to like?

smh @ overrated WR because he's short..

What is it about then? I know what you're saying, but it's not like Forte is just going to sit out for two full seasons. Because we could just franchise him again if we wanted to. I could be wrong but isn't it mandatory that a player must report to the team by week 10 if he's holding out? I thought I remember reading that somewhere. IIRC Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins both were hold outs for most of the season last year but reported to the team at the deadline. For me, it's a matter of 'knowing what you're going to get from player' as opposed to not. Can Michael Bush be a #1 back for us? I think so. But is he better than Matt Forte? Absolutely not. Is that rookie RB going to be the next Matt Forte? Who knows. The bottom line is, I don't want to settle on a late 2nd round pick when I can always just keep the guy and either hope he doesn't hold out or at least have him in the lineup for the stretch run. There aren't many guys that are willing to lose their entire salary for a full year because of a season long hold out. That's what would happen to Matt if he refused to play after that week 10 deadline (or whatever it is). In fact, I'm not sure if it has ever happened before. I would accept nothing less than a 1st round draft pick for him.

Their 2nd round and 4th round picks are essentially a 3rd and a 5th. Belicheck would be raping us in the ass with that move. To put it simply, does a back end 2nd round pick get you any closer to a Superbowl than what Matt Forte gives you? The answer is no, and it's not even close. I'm not doubting the rumor, because there is some substance to it-- Patriots lost their starting RB to free agency, we have a disgruntled star RB looking for a team to give him a long term extension.. It makes sense that the Patriots would be interested. But the deal is just woefully one sided that it doesn't even warrant a response until they get serious and add their two 1st round picks. The other side to this story is, do the Bears want to run the risk of potentially handing New England another Superbowl? You put Matt Forte with Tom Brady, in that system? Good god.. The Bears are going for it NOW. Not next season or the year after. They are putting all their eggs in one basket, and that's to win it all this year. The defense is getting older, Peppers, Urlacher, and Briggs are all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This may be the last quality season we see out of these guys before their skills begin to drastically decline. Trading Forte just to trade him makes no sense because you can hang onto him for another year after this one if you want to tag him again. I don't think the conversation can be taken seriously until the Bears ask New England for both of their late first round picks. If they aren't willing to do that, no deal.

Of course he won't play this year. He almost died on the field. Why would you rush this if you were him? Frankly, the Bears are doing him a favor by putting him on the PUP list. He's still going to get paid. He just needs to sit back and get healthy, but I don't believe he will be playing for the Bears when he is ready.

I don't know if it's true but so what. If he gets released that means things turn into a bidding war between several teams. I'll take the certainty over uncertainty when it comes to letting him hit the open market.

Reif's arm length is below average for an NFL tackle. That's why he is dropping. He's better suited to play guard.

Yeah he had a great year during their Superbowl run. 1,635 yards 12 TDs. But I don't believe he was getting paid like a Top 5 RB at the time, and that's the point. It's a passing league now. I don't have a problem paying Forte alot of money, but not to the amount he is asking. It's just dumb football if the Bears give in to him.

Martin is like most lineman in this draft, more of a run blocker than a pass protector. If I'm bringing in a tackle in this draft, I want the guy to be sound in the passing game. Especially if he's going to be my left tackle. The lineman class overall is a weak position in this draft. Coples would finally give us a viable pass rushing threat we have had on the other side of Peppers since he's been here. Ironically enough, both he and Peppers went to the same school and both came into the league with "Questionable motors." There's no way Lovie would pass up a guy like him if he indeed falls out of the top 15. Floyd has been my #1 target ever since the acquisition of Brandon Marshall. His skills are undeniable as a receiver but he has his issues. I have to pause now when I think about Floyd and Marshall on the same team together for reasons other than football. Could end up being a bad combo because of the legal troubles both guys are constantly involved in.

Good point. Lets take a look at the last decade of Superbowl winning RB's 2002 Patriots- Antowain Smith 2003 Buccaneers- Michael Pittman 2004 Patriots- Antowain Smith 2005 Patriots- Corey Dillon 2006 Steelers- Willie Parker 2007 Colts- Joseph Addai 2008 Giants- Brandon Jacobs 2009 Steelers- Willie Parker 2010 Saints- Pierre Thomas 2011 Packers- James Starks 2012 Giants- Ahmad Bradshaw We seem to be establishing a trend here. I don't see a single RB from any of these teams that were Top 5 big money guys.

He wasn't a starter because he was playing behind the #4 pick in the 2008 draft. He's not a superstar RB but he is more than capable of carrying the load for a team that needs him to. Did you not watch any Oakland Raiders football games last season?

How are the Bears treating him like crap? Good for them that they are being sensible with the situation and realizing that you shouldn't have to over pay for RB's in this league. The Bears offered him a fair contract. Look at what happened to the two best RB's in football that got paid last season. How did that turn out for Minnesota and Tennessee? These are the very reasons you never want to put all your stock in the most fragile position in football.

Matt has been getting some bad advice from his agent throughout this whole process. Should have just signed the offer the Bears gave him before. Now he has no leverage.

Multi dimensional player. Can run, catch, block etc.. Filled in for Darren McFadden last year and played well.

I assume Marion Barber will be cut shortly. Earlier on, I would have agreed but everyone has already signed. Michael Bush is a legit #1 RB in this league and he's signing here to be our #2. Also has been extremely durable throughout his career. It's a great move not only football wise but it also keeps us from worrying about Forte holding out.

Awesome! Now we have a real 1-2 punch. I'm excited for this offense.

Who gives a crap about his height. We have Brandon Marshall. Kendall Wright makes more sense now when you can pair him next to somebody with size. Steve Smith is a guy Wright is often compared to and for good reason. Smith was a 3rd round pick out of Utah and stood at a whopping 5'9 weighing 185 pounds who then went on to be a perennial pro bowler. Wright measured in at 5'10 195 pounds. Both have 38 inch verticals and the athletic ability to make spectacular plays. Being 5'10 doesn't really have to do with anything. If a guy can play, he can play. I don't think you can go wrong with either him or Stephen Hill. We have our #1, we just need a speed guy to compliment him. The Bears will have their options when it comes to their selection. I myself would love to see them add another quality receiver in the 1st but would understand if they went with a pass rusher or someone else that fell out of the top 10.

They lose two 2nd round draft picks as well. Goodell means business.

Don't you think Ryan is probably worth more than whatever we get out of our 4th round pick? I do. Sounds like a bargain deal to me, but Ryan is also a MLB.

That includes rookie pool I believe. The Bears also have a 3 mil veteran exemption that they can spend to add some extra space if they choose to.

Michael Bush is still out there, and Cutler and he have been texting back and forth. Wasn't that big of a fan a week ago when there were still other potential free agents available but now, everyone has pretty much signed with a team. Forte and Bush would be a pretty damn good combo of quickness and power. Basically an upgrade over Marion Barber. It would be more of a luxury than a need but if they're willing to spend some extra money, it might be worth it for a couple reasons. 1- Use him as leverage in case Forte decides to hold out during the season; meaning at worst, you atleast have Michael Bush, who proved to be one of the better running backs in football last year. Wouldn't be losing a whole lot. 2- Saves both Bush and Forte from having to carry the load over the course of a season. In this league, it is essential that you have atleast 2 solid runningbacks to get you through the season. After a while, using Forte as much as we have in the past will eventually catch up to him. He is a running back after all. These things tend to happen quicker than most positions in the league.