Building a winner

[ASHKUM BEAR]

I know it is early to talk draft, but building things is an interest of mine. Right now we are on the bye week and sitting at around a top 10 pick. Talkbears is a site I enjoy because it is small and the group that participates has passion and knowledge. I have spent nearly 15 years here it seems give or take. This offseason, we should have the resources to add some great players draft and free agent wise. Which way should a young GM go? This draft we can start the process 5-6 different position ways.

1-QB - Jay Cutler is showing he can be a good enough signal caller. How many years left can he be a guy to count on is my main concern. With a high pick, we can grab a guy to groom and hopefully take the reins. The top 2 QBs in this draft right now are Jared Goff and Conner Cook. Would taking one this year and letting them learn the NFL be the best decision going forward? With that in mind, we sacarfice a player that should be contibuting on the team for possible a season.

 

2-DT/DE - The Bears are young upfront now with Ratliff released. We still have Goldman, Sutton, Ferguson to look forward to. Washington will be in the mix again too. Would Joey Bosa or Robert Nkimdiche be a wise investment knowing we can add a dominant playmaker upfront? Defense is Bears football and Pace said from his hire that he will get the Bears back to it's roots of Monsters.

 

3-OT - The offensive engine is the guys on the line. We have seen many horrible years of protection and run blocking, yet have gave the grief to the QB or RB. This draft has two that should be great, Ronnie Stanley or Laremy Tunsil. With Leno emerging at LT, do you upgrade to potential probowl? Offensive line is still a need at RG, which should be addressed in the later rounds as well.

 

4-CB - Right now, the Bears seem thin in the backfield with patchwork players. Fuller is still learning and Porter/Ball are on prove it deals. Vernon Hargreaves, who has shutdown abilities gets compared to Darrell Revis. Would a shutdown CB be the best choice? It could make Fuller look better getting more match ups against #2's also.

 

5-LB - Chicago is known for great LB's and Fangio is the best LB coach in the business. Would Jaylon Smith who has drawn Patrick Willis comparisons give us the best shot? Not only is he a playmaker, but a great leader for the unit. Myles Jack will also be available.

 

6- S/CB - Amos has played above and beyond initial expectations and Rolle will be back in the mix. Would an Ed Reed leader and playmaker in centerfield be our best choice. Jalen Ramsey is a guy that will be a difference maker and can solidify the defensive backfield.

 

There is a lot of potential the Bears can go with to build upon. The question is which direction would be the best to build a solid future on if we had our choice?

[scs787]

A lot of course will depend on free agency. Bears have boat loads of cash and there could be a lot of intriguing players out there.

 

 

My dream free agent offseason would to snag Brandon Marshall(ILB) and Josh Norman/Sean Smith(CB).

 

Bringing in a shut down corner like one of those 2 would be HUGE. Marshall is just an all around stud.

 

From there there are still a lot of questions to be answered this season.

 

Is Leno a legit LT? Is Long a pro bowl OT?

 

If either of those answers are no, I think I'm going OT. Yes, Long has to show pro bowl potential or I'm moving him back to guard. If the answer for the Leno question is no, I would still give him a shot to compete at RT with Bushrod/Tayo. All the weapons on offense combined with a really good OL and I think the offense explodes, yes with Jay at QB. Right to left Leno/Rod/Tayo-Long-Grasu-Slaus-Stanley/Tunsil could be really good.

 

Are both guys real deal OTs? Then you move on to the next question.

 

Is Jenkins the player we saw get a few sacks in back to back games or is he the guy who has been average the other 4? What about Sutton and Ego? Are they starters or rotational pieces?

 

Goldman is a lock no matter what IMO, but are 2 of the other 3 starters? Jenkins has been bad in his career, and really has only had those 2 games this year, tough for me to say who he is. Sutton has shown signs of being really good, mainly in preseason, but has flashed from time to time in the regular season as well, is he a starter though? Ego is gonna be a tough one to gauge since he's out for the season and isn't really a guy who jumps out at you when he's on the field......Are 2 of those guys starters? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Bosa/Nkemdiche.

 

If Leno, Long(at OT), and 2 of Jenkins/Ego/Sutton are starters, then you move on to tge next question.

 

Is Kyle Fuller a starting CB or a bust at CB?

 

I'm not gonna put stock into Porter, though he could probably still be a stop gap. Yes, in my ideal offseason the bears brought in a shut down corner already BUT we also have to deal with Megatron/Tate and Nelson/Cobb 4 times a year plus most teams have pretty solid duos. Can Fuller be a #2? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Hargreaves.

 

If Fuller is a #2, then you move on to the next one.

 

Has SMC showed the team enough to bring him back and start him? What about Jones? What about guys like Timu and Anderson?

 

Again, yes, I did bring in Marshall, but look at what Fangio had in SF. Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. 2 elite ILBs. I think Marshall is already elite, but what about the other spot? They apparently really like SMC but to the extent of resigning him and counting on him? Jones has been meh to me so far. Timu and Anderson both showed signs in the preseason, but are they enough to say "Open competition for the other ILB spot" and to pass on a guy like Jaylon Smith? Smith and Marshall would be phenomenal in every aspect. Both can do it all.

 

Are they good enough at ILB? If so you move on to safety.

 

Amos looks like a keeper for sure and I do like having Rolle out there as a leader, but is he good enough as a football player? If the answer is no, then you look at Ramsey.

 

Are they good with Rolle starting another year?

 

Is the defense with the addition of a shutdown corner good enough already? Is the OT position set enough already?

 

If so THEN I consider taking Goff/Cook.

 

 

That is how I would approach things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[adam]

Yeah, I basically agree. I think the difference will be in how the team prioritizes the needs going into FA and then the draft.

 

QB - I don't think this is a team weakness or a need for at least the next couple of years. Cutler is only 32 and signed thru 2020. He seems really comfortable in this offense and will only get better. There is also low cap risk after 2016, so I don't think we target a QB in 2016 draft.

 

RB - Forte is going to be the big question mark going into 2016. I tried to look for RB's who entered Free Agency at 30 or 32 to see what type of deals they got:

 

AP - 30, 3-$42mil

Gore - 32, 3-$12mil

Sproles - 31, 3-$10.5mil

Forsett - 30, 3-$9mil

Williams - 32, 2-$4mil

 

So AP is the anomaly, especially since he was out of football a year (so you could technically say he got his at 29), but either way, if Forte's camp wants something closer to AP than Gore, there is no way. Forte averaged $7.6 over 4 years, but I can't see him getting that going forward. I would be open to a 2-3 year deal in the $5mil range though (it would be a pay cut), I just don't know if Forte would accept that. My question is, with Forte being such a huge percentage of the offense, can we afford to just cut sling without seeing what Langford can do?

 

My biggest concern on Forte:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/i...ff-after-age-27

 

 

WR - As long as we can sign Alshon to a long term deal and White comes back and produces like a first rounder, I think we are good for the next 5-6 years at that position.

 

TE - Bennett is signed thru 2016 (age 29 season), and is currently the 6th highest cap hit on the team. I don't know if he is worth that much money. He has flashes but has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Also, as everyone knows, a lot of Cutler's INTs have gone Bennett's way. This is not something we need to address this offseason, but could potentially be something we look before 2017.

 

OL - I like the team's mix of vets and young players. I think we need to either draft a stud OT, or another OG and go with Leno and Long at the bookends. Definitely need to draft in the first couple of rounds though.

 

DL - With the shift to 3-4, we have less DLinemen but each one of them is that much more critical to team success. I like Goldman and Jenkins, but it looks like we need to get an impact 3-4 DE as one of our top priorities this offseason.

 

LB - I actually like our OLB's and think the combination of McPhee, Acho, Houston, and Young is good but we need to get younger here. So I expect we draft an Edge Rusher/OLB early. The ILB's are questionable and I haven't seen enough consistency one way or another to form a solid opinion of them. Jones looks good one play and totally lost in another. SMC looked solid but not great before the injury. I still think we need an impact ILB to anchor the front-7.

 

DB - I am just going to lump all DB's into the same category as we seem to play with 5 DB's a lot. To me, the league is moving in this direction and you really need 5 strong DB's. I think Amos and Porter are the only keepers out of that group right now and we will need to pick up another Safety and 2x Cover Corners this next offseason.

 

Returner - I know we were spoiled with Hester, but having a primary returner who is an emergency backup at WR or CB is a need. I feel like we have neglected this phase of the game ever since we allowed Hester to walk and the kickoff were changed. However, we probably don't have the luxury (like Seattle) to draft like this.

 

 

So for TLDR:

 

2016 offseason acquisitions: 1x OL, 1x DL, 2x LB, 3x DB as the priorities. So those are 7 priority needs, if we can get 3-4 of them addressed in free agency, then we would have a chance to go BPA in the draft.

[AZ54]

Right now the most important need is more pass rush from the Dline. I don't think that changes between now and the draft. If a DE is rated high enough he'll be our pick if he's not rate that high we'll go BP. i

[scs787]

Yeah, I basically agree. I think the difference will be in how the team prioritizes the needs going into FA and then the draft.

 

QB - I don't think this is a team weakness or a need for at least the next couple of years. Cutler is only 32 and signed thru 2020. He seems really comfortable in this offense and will only get better. There is also low cap risk after 2016, so I don't think we target a QB in 2016 draft.

 

RB - Forte is going to be the big question mark going into 2016. I tried to look for RB's who entered Free Agency at 30 or 32 to see what type of deals they got:

 

AP - 30, 3-$42mil

Gore - 32, 3-$12mil

Sproles - 31, 3-$10.5mil

Forsett - 30, 3-$9mil

Williams - 32, 2-$4mil

 

So AP is the anomaly, especially since he was out of football a year (so you could technically say he got his at 29), but either way, if Forte's camp wants something closer to AP than Gore, there is no way. Forte averaged $7.6 over 4 years, but I can't see him getting that going forward. I would be open to a 2-3 year deal in the $5mil range though (it would be a pay cut), I just don't know if Forte would accept that. My question is, with Forte being such a huge percentage of the offense, can we afford to just cut sling without seeing what Langford can do?

 

My biggest concern on Forte:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/i...ff-after-age-27

 

 

WR - As long as we can sign Alshon to a long term deal and White comes back and produces like a first rounder, I think we are good for the next 5-6 years at that position.

 

TE - Bennett is signed thru 2016 (age 29 season), and is currently the 6th highest cap hit on the team. I don't know if he is worth that much money. He has flashes but has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Also, as everyone knows, a lot of Cutler's INTs have gone Bennett's way. This is not something we need to address this offseason, but could potentially be something we look before 2017.

 

OL - I like the team's mix of vets and young players. I think we need to either draft a stud OT, or another OG and go with Leno and Long at the bookends. Definitely need to draft in the first couple of rounds though.

 

DL - With the shift to 3-4, we have less DLinemen but each one of them is that much more critical to team success. I like Goldman and Jenkins, but it looks like we need to get an impact 3-4 DE as one of our top priorities this offseason.

 

LB - I actually like our OLB's and think the combination of McPhee, Acho, Houston, and Young is good but we need to get younger here. So I expect we draft an Edge Rusher/OLB early. The ILB's are questionable and I haven't seen enough consistency one way or another to form a solid opinion of them. Jones looks good one play and totally lost in another. SMC looked solid but not great before the injury. I still think we need an impact ILB to anchor the front-7.

 

DB - I am just going to lump all DB's into the same category as we seem to play with 5 DB's a lot. To me, the league is moving in this direction and you really need 5 strong DB's. I think Amos and Porter are the only keepers out of that group right now and we will need to pick up another Safety and 2x Cover Corners this next offseason.

 

Returner - I know we were spoiled with Hester, but having a primary returner who is an emergency backup at WR or CB is a need. I feel like we have neglected this phase of the game ever since we allowed Hester to walk and the kickoff were changed. However, we probably don't have the luxury (like Seattle) to draft like this.

 

 

So for TLDR:

 

2016 offseason acquisitions: 1x OL, 1x DL, 2x LB, 3x DB as the priorities. So those are 7 priority needs, if we can get 3-4 of them addressed in free agency, then we would have a chance to go BPA in the draft.

 

Agreed on all accounts.

 

I'm passing on Forte for anything over 4 mill a year. You can already tell he's starting to slow down.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Yeah, I basically agree. I think the difference will be in how the team prioritizes the needs going into FA and then the draft.

 

QB - I don't think this is a team weakness or a need for at least the next couple of years. Cutler is only 32 and signed thru 2020. He seems really comfortable in this offense and will only get better. There is also low cap risk after 2016, so I don't think we target a QB in 2016 draft.

 

RB - Forte is going to be the big question mark going into 2016. I tried to look for RB's who entered Free Agency at 30 or 32 to see what type of deals they got:

 

AP - 30, 3-$42mil

Gore - 32, 3-$12mil

Sproles - 31, 3-$10.5mil

Forsett - 30, 3-$9mil

Williams - 32, 2-$4mil

 

So AP is the anomaly, especially since he was out of football a year (so you could technically say he got his at 29), but either way, if Forte's camp wants something closer to AP than Gore, there is no way. Forte averaged $7.6 over 4 years, but I can't see him getting that going forward. I would be open to a 2-3 year deal in the $5mil range though (it would be a pay cut), I just don't know if Forte would accept that. My question is, with Forte being such a huge percentage of the offense, can we afford to just cut sling without seeing what Langford can do?

 

My biggest concern on Forte:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/i...ff-after-age-27

 

 

WR - As long as we can sign Alshon to a long term deal and White comes back and produces like a first rounder, I think we are good for the next 5-6 years at that position.

 

TE - Bennett is signed thru 2016 (age 29 season), and is currently the 6th highest cap hit on the team. I don't know if he is worth that much money. He has flashes but has been somewhat inconsistent this year. Also, as everyone knows, a lot of Cutler's INTs have gone Bennett's way. This is not something we need to address this offseason, but could potentially be something we look before 2017.

 

OL - I like the team's mix of vets and young players. I think we need to either draft a stud OT, or another OG and go with Leno and Long at the bookends. Definitely need to draft in the first couple of rounds though.

 

DL - With the shift to 3-4, we have less DLinemen but each one of them is that much more critical to team success. I like Goldman and Jenkins, but it looks like we need to get an impact 3-4 DE as one of our top priorities this offseason.

 

LB - I actually like our OLB's and think the combination of McPhee, Acho, Houston, and Young is good but we need to get younger here. So I expect we draft an Edge Rusher/OLB early. The ILB's are questionable and I haven't seen enough consistency one way or another to form a solid opinion of them. Jones looks good one play and totally lost in another. SMC looked solid but not great before the injury. I still think we need an impact ILB to anchor the front-7.

 

DB - I am just going to lump all DB's into the same category as we seem to play with 5 DB's a lot. To me, the league is moving in this direction and you really need 5 strong DB's. I think Amos and Porter are the only keepers out of that group right now and we will need to pick up another Safety and 2x Cover Corners this next offseason.

 

Returner - I know we were spoiled with Hester, but having a primary returner who is an emergency backup at WR or CB is a need. I feel like we have neglected this phase of the game ever since we allowed Hester to walk and the kickoff were changed. However, we probably don't have the luxury (like Seattle) to draft like this.

 

 

So for TLDR:

 

2016 offseason acquisitions: 1x OL, 1x DL, 2x LB, 3x DB as the priorities. So those are 7 priority needs, if we can get 3-4 of them addressed in free agency, then we would have a chance to go BPA in the draft.

Great breakdown. It will come down to BPA in the draft I hope and I would also prefer to be limited in FA to one or two major signings, other than our own. The one year deals in FA seem to be be the wisest moves. Your priorities have matched mine, except I have two OL and 1 QB. If we keep all 9 plus draft picks and add 3-4 FA's, we are looking at possibly a 1/4 of the team turn around.

With the needs about the same, my take on filling them would work as:

RD1- DB/DL/ILB. Bosa, Nkimdiche if we are high enough. Ramsey, Hargreaves, J Smith if we are between 5-10.

RD2- DB/DL/LB. Same position targets, fill one we missed

RD3- OL/QB get added in. I think we need a QB to groom and a better #2.

1-Jaylon Smith LB, 2-Nate Andrews S, 3-Nick Martin G, RD4- Maurice Canady CB would be ideal.

Free Agency, I would like CB a high target and why not Von Miller OLB orWilkerson DL? Possibly trade Young for a pick too. This offseason can put a huge shift to how the Bears are viewed by putting focus on the D and OL.

[adam]

Agreed on all accounts.

 

I'm passing on Forte for anything over 4 mill a year. You can already tell he's starting to slow down.

Yeah, I think Forte's situation and the amount he is offered from the Bears will be in direct relation to how confident they are in Langford going forward. Forte went from 4.6 to 3.9 YPC from 2013 to 2014 and is right at 4.0 this year. So the first dip already occurred. If he takes another dip and drops under 3.9 by the end of the year, then yeah, we can't pay him $5mil a year because the trend will more than likely continue.

 

We only have one more game before the trading deadline (Nov 3rd) and if we were not planning to re-sign Forte, I would rather trade him to a needy contender for more value than he will get as a comp pick. Same goes for Young, Houston, and Bushrod.

[scs787]

Yeah, I think Forte's situation and the amount he is offered from the Bears will be in direct relation to how confident they are in Langford going forward. Forte went from 4.6 to 3.9 YPC from 2013 to 2014 and is right at 4.0 this year. So the first dip already occurred. If he takes another dip and drops under 3.9 by the end of the year, then yeah, we can't pay him $5mil a year because the trend will more than likely continue.

 

We only have one more game before the trading deadline (Nov 3rd) and if we were not planning to re-sign Forte, I would rather trade him to a needy contender for more value than he will get as a comp pick. Same goes for Young, Houston, and Bushrod.

 

I know its cherry picking but if you take out the packers game (pack was missing a few key rush defenders) he's only averaging 3.5 YPC. Take out his 3 20 yard carries in that game and it goes to 3.4 YPC.

 

Yes he's leading the league in rushing but that is simply due to the bulk of his carries.

[adam]

I know its cherry picking but if you take out the packers game (pack was missing a few key rush defenders) he's only averaging 3.5 YPC. Take out his 3 20 yard carries in that game and it goes to 3.4 YPC.

 

Yes he's leading the league in rushing but that is simply due to the bulk of his carries.

Very true, he is definitely on the decline. I would like to see more of Langford going forward.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Very true, he is definitely on the decline. I would like to see more of Langford going forward.

If you can re-sign Forte to Frank Gore dollar range, do so. Langford looks promising, but he must not be doing some things right as of yet to earn more time. I think Fortes ability in the passing game is his biggest asset. If Forte wants more than the 4 million per year, then move on. Make it a 3 year with most money up front, that way year two does not hurt cap wise and year three is simple if they want to move on. If he wants more and gets more money, the higher the compensation pick the Bears get. No reason to part ways with one of your best players if he can be retained fairly.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

A lot of course will depend on free agency. Bears have boat loads of cash and there could be a lot of intriguing players out there.

 

 

My dream free agent offseason would to snag Brandon Marshall(ILB) and Josh Norman/Sean Smith(CB).

 

Bringing in a shut down corner like one of those 2 would be HUGE. Marshall is just an all around stud.

 

From there there are still a lot of questions to be answered this season.

Bb

Is Leno a legit LT? Is Long a pro bowl OT?

 

If either of those answers are no, I think I'm going OT. Yes, Long has to show pro bowl potential or I'm moving him back to guard. If the answer for the Leno question is no, I would still give him a shot to compete at RT with Bushrod/Tayo. All the weapons on offense combined with a really good OL and I think the offense explodes, yes with Jay at QB. Right to left Leno/Rod/Tayo-Long-Grasu-Slaus-Stanley/Tunsil could be really good.

 

Are both guys real deal OTs? Then you move on to the next question.

 

Is Jenkins the player we saw get a few sacks in back to back games or is he the guy who has been average the other 4? What about Sutton and Ego? Are they starters or rotational pieces?

 

Goldman is a lock no matter what IMO, but are 2 of the other 3 starters? Jenkins has been bad in his career, and really has only had those 2 games this year, tough for me to say who he is. Sutton has shown signs of being really good, mainly in preseason, but has flashed from time to time in the regular season as well, is he a starter though? Ego is gonna be a tough one to gauge since he's out for the season and isn't really a guy who jumps out at you when he's on the field......Are 2 of those guys starters? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Bosa/Nkemdiche.

 

If Leno, Long(at OT), and 2 of Jenkins/Ego/Sutton are starters, then you move on to tge next question.

 

Is Kyle Fuller a starting CB or a bust at CB?

 

I'm not gonna put stock into Porter, though he could probably still be a stop gap. Yes, in my ideal offseason the bears brought in a shut down corner already BUT we also have to deal with Megatron/Tate and Nelson/Cobb 4 times a year plus most teams have pretty solid duos. Can Fuller be a #2? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Hargreaves.

 

If Fuller is a #2, then you move on to the next one.

 

Has SMC showed the team enough to bring him back and start him? What about Jones? What about guys like Timu and Anderson?

 

Again, yes, I did bring in Marshall, but look at what Fangio had in SF. Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. 2 elite ILBs. I think Marshall is already elite, but what about the other spot? They apparently really like SMC but to the extent of resigning him and counting on him? Jones has been meh to me so far. Timu and Anderson both showed signs in the preseason, but are they enough to say "Open competition for the other ILB spot" and to pass on a guy like Jaylon Smith? Smith and Marshall would be phenomenal in every aspect. Both can do it all.

 

Are they good enough at ILB? If so you move on to safety.

 

Amos looks like a keeper for sure and I do like having Rolle out there as a leader, but is he good enough as a football player? If the answer is no, then you look at Ramsey.

 

Are they good with Rolle starting another year?

 

Is the defense with the addition of a shutdown corner good enough already? Is the OT position set enough already?

 

If so THEN I consider taking Goff/Cook.

 

 

That is how I would approach things.

I like Josh Norman, sign me up. Offseason, should we have enough cash re-sign: Jeffery, Jenkins, Acho, McClellin, Forte. Sign: Von Miller/Justin Houston OLB , Josh Norman CB

Release/trade: Bushrod and Willie Young (for 2 more 6ths to be modest)

Draft

1-Jaylon Smith ILB-Starts right away, with McClellin, Jones or Timu.

2-Carl Nassib DE-rotation guy with Jenkins/Feguson/Sutton. Having a huge yr at PSU.

3-Karl Joeseph S-can compete with Rolle or be groomed

3-Nick Martin G (trade 4th and 6th to move up) starts RG

4-Joe Haeg OT - swing OT(trade 5th and 6th to move up)

6-QB- Jacoby Brisset or Kevin Hogan to develop

6-Ryan Switzer NC WR/KR- returnman

6-Sean Davis DB MD-Great S, moved to CB. Needs some work at CB but a project

7-NT -Another Terry Williams type and I would also get Williams back on the PS soon.

[jason]

A lot of course will depend on free agency. Bears have boat loads of cash and there could be a lot of intriguing players out there.

 

 

My dream free agent offseason would to snag Brandon Marshall(ILB) and Josh Norman/Sean Smith(CB).

 

Bringing in a shut down corner like one of those 2 would be HUGE. Marshall is just an all around stud.

 

From there there are still a lot of questions to be answered this season.

 

Is Leno a legit LT? Is Long a pro bowl OT?

 

If either of those answers are no, I think I'm going OT. Yes, Long has to show pro bowl potential or I'm moving him back to guard. If the answer for the Leno question is no, I would still give him a shot to compete at RT with Bushrod/Tayo. All the weapons on offense combined with a really good OL and I think the offense explodes, yes with Jay at QB. Right to left Leno/Rod/Tayo-Long-Grasu-Slaus-Stanley/Tunsil could be really good.

 

Are both guys real deal OTs? Then you move on to the next question.

 

Is Jenkins the player we saw get a few sacks in back to back games or is he the guy who has been average the other 4? What about Sutton and Ego? Are they starters or rotational pieces?

 

Goldman is a lock no matter what IMO, but are 2 of the other 3 starters? Jenkins has been bad in his career, and really has only had those 2 games this year, tough for me to say who he is. Sutton has shown signs of being really good, mainly in preseason, but has flashed from time to time in the regular season as well, is he a starter though? Ego is gonna be a tough one to gauge since he's out for the season and isn't really a guy who jumps out at you when he's on the field......Are 2 of those guys starters? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Bosa/Nkemdiche.

 

If Leno, Long(at OT), and 2 of Jenkins/Ego/Sutton are starters, then you move on to tge next question.

 

Is Kyle Fuller a starting CB or a bust at CB?

 

I'm not gonna put stock into Porter, though he could probably still be a stop gap. Yes, in my ideal offseason the bears brought in a shut down corner already BUT we also have to deal with Megatron/Tate and Nelson/Cobb 4 times a year plus most teams have pretty solid duos. Can Fuller be a #2? If the answer is no, then I'm looking at Hargreaves.

 

If Fuller is a #2, then you move on to the next one.

 

Has SMC showed the team enough to bring him back and start him? What about Jones? What about guys like Timu and Anderson?

 

Again, yes, I did bring in Marshall, but look at what Fangio had in SF. Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. 2 elite ILBs. I think Marshall is already elite, but what about the other spot? They apparently really like SMC but to the extent of resigning him and counting on him? Jones has been meh to me so far. Timu and Anderson both showed signs in the preseason, but are they enough to say "Open competition for the other ILB spot" and to pass on a guy like Jaylon Smith? Smith and Marshall would be phenomenal in every aspect. Both can do it all.

 

Are they good enough at ILB? If so you move on to safety.

 

Amos looks like a keeper for sure and I do like having Rolle out there as a leader, but is he good enough as a football player? If the answer is no, then you look at Ramsey.

 

Are they good with Rolle starting another year?

 

Is the defense with the addition of a shutdown corner good enough already? Is the OT position set enough already?

 

If so THEN I consider taking Goff/Cook.

 

 

That is how I would approach things.

 

ON FIRE. :headbang :notworthy

 

No way in hell this team should be picking QB in the first. No matter what happens the rest of this season.

[jason]

Right now the most important need is more pass rush from the Dline. I don't think that changes between now and the draft. If a DE is rated high enough he'll be our pick if he's not rate that high we'll go BP. i

 

Agreed. The Bears get zero pass rush. Maybe the worst pass rush in the NFL. Like I said in a previous thread, I wouldn't mind just spending the majority of the draft giving Fangio toys to play with. Go 3-4 DE, 3-4 OLB, CB in the first three picks, in whatever order. Later picks: Backup QB, one OL.

[AZ54]

Agreed. The Bears get zero pass rush. Maybe the worst pass rush in the NFL. Like I said in a previous thread, I wouldn't mind just spending the majority of the draft giving Fangio toys to play with. Go 3-4 DE, 3-4 OLB, CB in the first three picks, in whatever order. Later picks: Backup QB, one OL.

 

I'm good with that.

 

Oline:

It's early but between Leno and Grasu playing well enough to be keepers and quite possibly starters long term it is taking pressure off the Oline needs. We don't have enough games with those players yet to make that determination but we will by the end of the season.

 

I don't see anyone trading for Bushrod, an average LT with a bad back this season. We can decide where to go with him in the offseason but kicking him over to RT with Leno at LT puts Long back at RG. That could be a decent starting 5 with Tayo developing as backup OT and maybe competing for the starting job at RT.

 

I figure Tayo must be showing something good in practice or they wouldn't have kept him on the active roster. If we cut/trade Bushrod before the start of next season it is because they feel Tayo is ready to play. Ducasse becomes backup OG and we can certainly (should) get more FA competition for that job too.

 

WR:

We will not be taking a WR in the 1st Rd no matter what next year. We actually are developing some good depth in Wilson and Meredith. Top 5 WR for 2016 could very well be set: White, Jeffrey, Royal, Wilson, and Meredith. If you want a 6th WR on the roster Bellamy has been productive but we will bring in some competition here likely in the form of a returner.

 

QB:

Cutler has shown enough and if this continues should be our starter next year. Bring in a day 3 QB in the draft to compete for a backup spot.

 

That leaves RB:

I'll assume Forte leaves. We will need to either bring in a decent FA or spend another 4th/5th Rd pick to bring in more competition for Langford and the players behind him.

 

 

 

On the defensive side of the ball there are far fewer reasons to be optimistic than the offense.

 

Safety:

We have the continually improving play of Amos. HJQ looks like a keeper long term but I'm not sure he'll develop into a starter. Rolle's contract says he'll be back in the mix next year. If you have an elite S in Rd 1 no issues grabbing that pick and that would make this a strong group. I'm not a big proponent of using early picks for safeties as I think Dline are more impactful.

 

CB: Who knows? Gotta have FA and early draft attention here.

 

OLB: McPhee and a couple serviceable players in Houston and Acho. Houston hasn't shown much yet in the pass rush but he is working his way back from the knee injury. We'll know more about him by the end of the year but regardless this group is missing one key component: Speed. That has to be addressed early in the draft.

 

ILB: I figure SMC sticks around as a starter because he's been solid. I wouldn't mind drafting a 2nd/3rd Rd player to lineup next to SMC. Jones is developing slower than I hoped but if he were the 1st backup next season that wouldn't be bad depth.

 

Dline: At the moment we have just Jenkins and Goldman. Sutton and Ferguson haven't shown enough to think either are more than rotational players. With Ferguson on IR we won't know if he can be more. Goldman might develop into a star but he hasn't flashed big plays often enough to make me think that will happen. If Goldman were next to a star player then I think teams would have a lot of trouble controlling the LOS against us. That makes all the other players behind them look better. Start here in the offseason.

 

I'm curious what Fangio and his crew will get out of Ziggy Hood. He is very athletic yet hasn't been able to turn that into production on the field. He clearly has the work ethic to get in shape for the job, at least he did a few years ago when this video was made. I'm not expecting much but then again I wasn't expecting much from Jenkins. Can Fangio help him find the missing piece to the puzzle? When you are signing guys off the street mid-season you can do worse than this one.

 

 

Equally interesting are the comments below the video from the Steeler fans.

 

[scs787]

Looking at next years draft, finding a pure speed rushing OLB might be hard to do. Certainly doesn't look like there will be one in the top 10 unless someone blows up the combine and/or you see Bosa as an OLB vs. DE.

 

Class looks really weak. Another poster mentioned Von Miller, and considering the class, that make some sense if he makes it out of Denver.

[scs787]

NFL Network claiming Forte still could be moved before the November 3rd deadline.

 

Makes a lot of sense long term. Need to see what we have in Langford.

[adam]

NFL Network claiming Forte still could be moved before the November 3rd deadline.

 

Makes a lot of sense long term. Need to see what we have in Langford.

I hope it is for at least a 4th. Here was the compensation for FA's based on APY:

 

3rd/4th: $8,198,308 APY

4th/5th: $5,703,872 APY

5th/6th: $4,300,752 APY

 

So I assume Forte would sign for between $4-5 million next year, so we would more than likely get a late 5th in terms of compensation. The crazy part is the team that we trade him to would essentially get the comp pick instead of us (if they don't re-sign him), so we are trading Forte and the comp pick (more than likely a 5th) for whatever we get. So I would hope it is at least a 4th.

 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

ON FIRE. :headbang :notworthy No way in hell this team should be picking QB in the first. No matter what happens the rest of this season.

 

Beat writer Brad Biggs thinks different this morning. He said the Bears should not pass up a 1st RD QB in this draft because they may have other needs to fill. Getting the QB position right is how teams become great. Other needs did not keep GB from taking Rodgers when they had Favre. It was an interesting point and understandable, just wanted to share Biggs view from today.

 

 

[Mongo3451]

Beat writer Brad Biggs thinks different this morning. He said the Bears should not pass up a 1st RD QB in this draft because they may have other needs to fill. Getting the QB position right is how teams become great. Other needs did not keep GB from taking Rodgers when they had Favre. It was an interesting point and understandable, just wanted to share Biggs view from today.

 

I agree with the assessment IF... and only IF, they think that QB will be that guy. GB was astounded that Rodgers fell to them. If that happens for us, so be it...

[ASHKUM BEAR]

I agree with the assessment IF... and only IF, they think that QB will be that guy. GB was astounded that Rodgers fell to them. If that happens for us, so be it...

 

I also agree.

 

You just do not take a QB because one is available, unless you are pretty sure you are taking a sure thing. With that in mind, if you do take QB then as a franchise you better be committed long term into developing that player. Which may take promoting Adam Gase to Asst Head Coach to try and hold on to him.

 

 

[scs787]

Yeah, there's not a QB worth sacrificing a potential day 1 starter.

 

Cook took a leap over Goff to me, but I still don't think he's a franchise QB, and you have to think you're drafting a franchise QB if you're gonna make that sacrifice.

 

I really don't think there's that big a drop from the guys going in the first to the guys you can get later.

[Chitownhustla]

Beat writer Brad Biggs thinks different this morning. He said the Bears should not pass up a 1st RD QB in this draft because they may have other needs to fill. Getting the QB position right is how teams become great. Other needs did not keep GB from taking Rodgers when they had Favre. It was an interesting point and understandable, just wanted to share Biggs view from today.

 

Big difference between GB and Bears

 

Bears have more needs than the GB Packers did

Bears will probably be drafting in the TOP 10, not 24th

Farve was 36 when they Drafted Rodgers, Cutler is only 32- if the Bears think they can get to where they want to go with Cutler they still have some time before drafting a QB in the first.

 

 

 

 

I would say that if Pace and Co think "THE" QB is sitting there when they draft I would say go for him.

[jason]

Beat writer Brad Biggs thinks different this morning. He said the Bears should not pass up a 1st RD QB in this draft because they may have other needs to fill. Getting the QB position right is how teams become great. Other needs did not keep GB from taking Rodgers when they had Favre. It was an interesting point and understandable, just wanted to share Biggs view from today.

 

I hate that line of reasoning. Green Bay is a far different team. A more stable franchise. Has had a successful offensive scheme for years and years. But, (Stephen A Smith voice) MORE IMPORTANTLY, the Packers sat Rodgers! In 2005, Rodgers fell to them in an odd scenario where he was considered by some to be the #1 QB overall, and teams kept passing on him. It was pure luck and an extreme example of BPA. Then their 1st round QB sat in 2005 while Farv threw a ton of picks. Then in 2006 the same thing happened. Guess what? Same thing in 2007. Then, finally, in 2008 they changed over.

 

Sorry, but that's a completely different scenario from this Bears team. If the Bears go 1st round QB, then he will be expected to start immediately or at the very least his second year. No way the Bears have time, resources, or talent to let a first round QB sit for three years.

[Chitownhustla]

I hate that line of reasoning. Green Bay is a far different team. A more stable franchise. Has had a successful offensive scheme for years and years. But, (Stephen A Smith voice) MORE IMPORTANTLY, the Packers sat Rodgers! In 2005, Rodgers fell to them in an odd scenario where he was considered by some to be the #1 QB overall, and teams kept passing on him. It was pure luck and an extreme example of BPA. Then their 1st round QB sat in 2005 while Farv threw a ton of picks. Then in 2006 the same thing happened. Guess what? Same thing in 2007. Then, finally, in 2008 they changed over.

 

Sorry, but that's a completely different scenario from this Bears team. If the Bears go 1st round QB, then he will be expected to start immediately or at the very least his second year. No way the Bears have time, resources, or talent to let a first round QB sit for three years.

 

 

Looking at the Rogers case it would look like the best thing to do is sit a rookie QB for 1 to 2 years. Let him learn the system and coach him up on technique. With the amount of spread offenses in college this is probably more true then ever. \

 

 

Take Baylor for example, they call a play and the team lines up, then everyone turns to the sideline and gets any audible that are being called. The coaches read what the defense is showing and makes the calls. The QB does very little pre snap reads.

Its one of the knocks on RG3, some of these spread QB's will need time to develop, more so then QB's playing in pro style offenses.

 

I think if Cutler performs well for the entire season the Bears could have a Packers type situation where they sit a rookie QB for 2 years before having him play.

 

Maybe the Bears can bring in some Defensive talent through FA (they will have a lot of cap space) allowing them to take a QB early, if they think they have special QB they can draft.

 

 

 

 

 

[bowlingtwig]

Yeah our situation is nothing like that of GB. Rodgers was supposed to go #1. But then oddly fell to 24. I've listened to some of GB former front office execs who were in that room when there pick came up. They all say that they didn't really want to take Rodgers because that it would upset Favre. They actually made phone calls to try and trade out of it so they could get the other guy they actually wanted(name escapes me). They couldn't find any takers willing to meet the price to move up so they took Rodgers because he was BPA by far over the rest of there board. I hate when ppl use that scenario but forget to mention the actual details of that. If you listen to those guys they will even tell you that they weren't completely sold on him either and player he is now is so far more than what anyone thought he would ever become. Think about this. Rodgers simply rarely ever even makes a mistake. We've never seen his type of play before in the modern era. It's unfathomable what he's doing. And of course it pisses us off because he's made a career of tormenting us while we made every mistake out there at that position in most of our lives. I'm waiting for when father times taps Rodgers on the shoulder because GB will fall hard and quick. They simply can't get that lucky again and make it 3 straight HOF QBs