Willie Young Heads to IR

[AZ54]

Torn tricep. I still think OLB will be highest draft need next year.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...1007-story.html

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Torn tricep. I still think OLB will be highest draft need next year.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...1007-story.html

I tend to agree. Floyd has yet to show dominance and the vets are falling (McPhee, Young now done, and Houston gone before the start). The Leno signing tells me we were already planning to look elsewhere round one than o-line which was my early priority. Now we are looking at Arden Key or Harold Landry OLB if we picking top 5 unless we can move down. WR will most likely be our next target round 2. CB, S, ILB, OT are all other needs. What was starting to look like a year away keeps drifting on me. I can't wait for the year we draft and say we can take BPA's.

[AZ54]

I tend to agree. Floyd has yet to show dominance and the vets are falling (McPhee, Young now done, and Houston gone before the start). The Leno signing tells me we were already planning to look elsewhere round one than o-line which was my early priority. Now we are looking at Arden Key or Harold Landry OLB if we picking top 5 unless we can move down. WR will most likely be our next target round 2. CB, S, ILB, OT are all other needs. What was starting to look like a year away keeps drifting on me. I can't wait for the year we draft and say we can take BPA's.

 

Usually every year in FA you can add depth at WR, CB, S, and ILB. OT is more challenging to fix via FA and so is OLB if you want starter quality.

 

If Eddie Jackson develops as we hope at FS then we are trying to find someone to play SS which is much easier to fill.

 

ILB will still be deep next year with Freeman, Kwit, and Trev. With those three out this week it looks bad.

 

Our CBs have played well. Not great. If we bring Prince and Fuller back and add a good young talent we should be ok here next year. All the good CB talent that was drafted this year could mean quite a few good vets are released for salary cap reasons.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Usually every year in FA you can add depth at WR, CB, S, and ILB. OT is more challenging to fix via FA and so is OLB if you want starter quality.

 

If Eddie Jackson develops as we hope at FS then we are trying to find someone to play SS which is much easier to fill.

 

ILB will still be deep next year with Freeman, Kwit, and Trev. With those three out this week it looks bad.

 

Our CBs have played well. Not great. If we bring Prince and Fuller back and add a good young talent we should be ok here next year. All the good CB talent that was drafted this year could mean quite a few good vets are released for salary cap reasons.

You are right on FA for finding plugs, I expect the Bears to repeat like they did last season. Find a couple guys you can give more than a year to, like Cooper, Wheaton, Demps and Sims and then a handful of one year prove it deals. You rarely find the OT and OLB in FA and will likely have to invest high there.

 

Hopefully Eddie J develops into a long term FS. We eventually will need to find that SS, but with Demps signed and the guys we drafted we will only be looking at late round hopefuls.

 

I would not be surprised if we draft another ILB, like we did with Kwit. Since Urlacher and Briggs, we haven't had a dual that can stay healthy or on the field for the majority of the season. Freeman will be on his final year, they may look for a kid to groom.

 

The Bears will have some work to do, Fuller and Prince have played decent and we may have competition in re-signing them.

 

As for early draft thoughts, I juggle between drafting OT like McGlinchey or OLB like Key. Since we don't have a 3rd rd pick, I would love to trade down especially if we stay in the top 5 as we are slated now but Trubisky may turn this season around.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

This would be one way I would address needs, especially if we can trade down. Doubled up on OT's, CB's, WR's, and OLB's.

 

Round 1 Pick 9 (CINN): Connor Williams, OT, Texas (A+)

 

Round 2 Pick 5: Courtland Sutton, WR, Southern Methodist (A+)

 

Round 2 Pick 9 (CINN): Ronnie Harrison, SS, Alabama (A)

 

Round 3 Pick 9 (CINN): Lorenzo Carter, OLB, Georgia (

 

Round 4 Pick 5: Jordan Thomas, CB, Oklahoma (A)

 

Round 4 Pick 6: Porter Gustin, OLB, Southern California (

 

Round 5 Pick 5: Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon (

 

Round 6 Pick 5: Davontae Harris, CB, Illinois State (B+)

 

Round 7 Pick 5: Jake Wieneke, WR, South Dakota State (A+)