Jalen Carter to visit

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Ryan Poles will bring Jalen Carter in for an interview.  

 

[AZ54]

Smart move and have those mental health professionals sit in on the meetings.  

[BearFan2000]

20 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

Smart move and have those mental health professionals sit in on the meetings.  

For sure.  He could possibly be there at 9 given the situation, and his talent on the field would make him a steal at 9 as long as the off the field stuff doesn't become a lingering issue.  Have to do the due diligence and get a feel for Carter the person to gauge if he's worth taking.  

[BearFan PHX]

I think at this point, they are proving to themselves that they are right to pass on him even at 9 - like giving him a last chance to break that belief.

I dont see him on the Bears. He's a Raider lol

[AZ54]

Depression or anxiety can affect people in different ways.  Sometimes that might appear as work ethic issues but can be helped with treatment (see Darren Waller).  It could be immaturity or attitude as well but it's worth trying to find out.   After celebrating a national championship he watched two friends get killed in a car accident in which he had some role.  Then the arrest on day 1 of the combine and all the press coverage and questions from teams.   It would be a lot for anyone to deal with let alone the top pick in the draft and all the media attention.  Due diligence is warranted.  

[CrackerDog]

I wouldn’t take him unless he’s cleared and if by some miracle he’s cleared, he won’t be there at 9.  

[BearFan PHX]

7 minutes ago, CrackerDog said:

I wouldn’t take him unless he’s cleared and if by some miracle he’s cleared, he won’t be there at 9.  

well he is cleared in a sense, he already pled no contest and got probation, and 80 hours of community service. In doing this, he cannot be prosecuted for any other crimes related to that day.

We also found out today that he didnt leave the scene of the accident until after the police showed up, and they sppoke to him so he wasnt drunk. after they said he was free to go, he left, and then when they asked him to return two hours later he did.

my issue has nothing to do with any of that, cuz hes clear to play, and i like my 3Ts nasty.

my issue is that he is known to not have a love for the gmae, and his response to this was to get fat and not finish drills rather than to get angry and attack.

I FULLY agree that different people respond to stress and depression differently. I dont judge him as a person., I judge him as a destroyer of the man in front him. when things get tough I want a fighter, not a runner.

[jason]

No way in hell I'd pick this guy at 9.

• Arrest - Poor decision making
• Overweight - Poor self-control
• Didn't do all the drills - Poor accountability

Smells like Alonzo Spellman to me. Hard pass.

[ChileBear]

8 hours ago, jason said:

No way in hell I'd pick this guy at 9.

• Arrest - Poor decision making
• Overweight - Poor self-control
• Didn't do all the drills - Poor accountability

Smells like Alonzo Spellman to me. Hard pass.

Alonzo Spellman for sure. I'd skip him as well.

[Stinger226]

9 hours ago, jason said:

No way in hell I'd pick this guy at 9.

• Arrest - Poor decision making
• Overweight - Poor self-control
• Didn't do all the drills - Poor accountability

Smells like Alonzo Spellman to me. Hard pass.

I doubt they do but they have to check it out. 

[Pixote]

Poles will have a tough decision if Carter is there at #9. On one hand, you don't want to miss on your 1st round pick (the first time you have had one since taking over as GM) so you take a pass on a guy who is sliding down the boards. BUT, there is a possibility this guy is the next Aaron Donald. If so, it would be a brilliant selection. This pre-draft meeting with him is critical.

I'm not worried about the street racing episode. He wasn't racing. He wasn't drunk. He cooperated with the police. If he wasn't a celeb FB player, it would have never even been in the news.

The only thing I want to know is where his head is now? Why wasn't he better prepared for his pro day? Is he struggling because of the loss of his friend? The adverse publicity during the combine? The reports of him slipping down the draft boards?

My guess? He has worked his ass off, played a brilliant career, and now sees everything he strived for falling apart. He needs help.

[BearFan2000]

I think it can be a tough position to be in if at #9 he's still on the board, or it can be an opportunity.  If we're not fully comfortable with taking the risk of spending a top ten pick on a guy with so many question marks, I'd bet that there's another team that might be interested in trading up. I wouldn't want to drop too much further but, if we're sitting there at #9 he's on the board and you there are other players on your big board that you have grade around the 9th pick are also still there.  And say the Eagles, Titans, or even Texans call.  I'd definitely be open to taking offers.  

More and more I'm leaning hard towards the position that he's not worth the risk and what's at stake for the Bears should we take the chance and he turns out to be a waste.

 

[Stinger226]

The incident wears heavy on him with losing his friends. He wasn't responsible but he was there, traumatic experience for a young kid . The interview is the key. I think it's very possible, he will be there. How lucky will  Poles be to get the # 1 player in he draft after trading back.

[BearFan PHX]

I think it's fine to NOT take guys who end up being great. That doesnt really hurt you. Most players go to other teams, so that's normal.

What hurts you is missing on the guys you DO take. So if Poles takes a player who turns out to be excellent, but Carter turns into Aaron Donald, while sportswriters will talk about what we missed, all that matters is how our team plays.

The bigger risk here is taking Carter and having him flame out. That would hurt us, wasting a top 10 draft pick. But if we take another player who plays well, then it deosnt matter that we didnt get Carter, even if he becomes a great player.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

8 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

The bigger risk here is taking Carter and having him flame out. That would hurt us, wasting a top 10 draft pick. But if we take another player who plays well, then it deosnt matter that we didnt get Carter, even if he becomes a great player.

Agreed and I think this is the key here.  Todd McShay appeared on a podcast some months ago (I have yet to listen to it) and sometime before the accident where he said he thought Carter had a lot of red flag character issues.  This despite many of Carters friends and teammates flaming McShay to the contrary.  Also before the accident, Carter was stopped last September for doing 80+ in a 35 zone so we know he’s prone to youthful (and maybe careless) indiscretion.  The question is, do the Bears want to deal with that question mark of a risk? Can they afford to? 
 

With Poles signing some pretty strong players on the defensive side so far I think the need is more along the offensive oline than it is dline.  Focus should be there for the 1st round (if Jason could see me now).  

[BearFan PHX]

Yeah the key here is to get someone that WILL play well for you, even if that means passing on a possible stud who MIGHT pan out.

I mean, let's say he had no red flags, and was everyones consensus #1, and lets say that we knew he was gonna be available at #9, if he got hit by a bus and killed the week before the draft, it's not like the Bears couldnt win a Superbowl, or many of them, as a result.

So if we whiff on a generational 3T, but gain a quality starter who contributes a lot to wins, that's fine. That's all you NEED to do.

It's safer to pass on him, or better yet someone takes him before us, and we snag another player who has a great career.

[AZ54]

3 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

Yeah the key here is to get someone that WILL play well for you, even if that means passing on a possible stud who MIGHT pan out.

I mean, let's say he had no red flags, and was everyones consensus #1, and lets say that we knew he was gonna be available at #9, if he got hit by a bus and killed the week before the draft, it's not like the Bears couldnt win a Superbowl, or many of them, as a result.

So if we whiff on a generational 3T, but gain a quality starter who contributes a lot to wins, that's fine. That's all you NEED to do.

It's safer to pass on him, or better yet someone takes him before us, and we snag another player who has a great career.

flashbacks of Jerry Angelo preferring the higher floor.  

[BearFan PHX]

4 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

flashbacks of Jerry Angelo preferring the higher floor.  

there are overly safe plays, and unnecessary risks. the trick is knowing one from the other.

Are you going on record saying you'd take Carter? I keep thinking of Eddie Goldman, and Roquan and a few others who's hearts werent in it?

[BearFan PHX]

one more point - Angelos floor was about ability. I dont question Carters ability - I question his heart and commitment.

[Mongo3451]

I'm glad he's coming in for a visit, because it creates a learning opportunity for me.  I already laid down my condemnation of Carter for coming into his pro day overweight and out of shape, so maybe he can get some redemption.  If he can come in and convince Poles, who will smell BS, that he has grown from his past and football is first, I'll be glad to have him.  Me and my sofa judgement still asks, would Jordan or Payton fail a workout?

[AZ54]

8 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

one more point - Angelos floor was about ability. I dont question Carters ability - I question his heart and commitment.

I want being critical  this is a valid point for all prospects    we see every year where some GM will swing for the fences   

[Pixote]

Before "the incident" that led to his friends death. Before his pro day. There was an interview with his HC from Georgia where he was asked about Carter's commitment to 'the game." Now, it could be just BS, wanting to help Carter. However, he stated that Carter on more than one occasion played with injuries that could have kept him on the sidelines in street clothes. He insists that Carter refused to excuse himself, saying he wanted to be on the field with his teammates. That the kid is committed to the game of football and anyone saying otherwise is wrong.

So why did he show up for his pro day out of shape? I'm far more concerned about that than the street racing and unfortunate death of his friend. Where was his agent? If this kid is struggling and needs grief therapy, which I suspect is the case, get him some help! 

I want Poles to be thorough in his evaluation. It wouldn't hurt to have a therapist on hand to assist in the interview process. If he truly believes Carter is no more of a risk to fail than the Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown, Kevin White, or Curtin Enis sure fire selections, than I'm on board. Every pick is a risk. The year we took Enis at #5 Minnesota drafted Moss at #21. Enis was the sure fire pick, Moss was the one with the red flags.

Assuming he is even there at #9.

 

[Connorbear]

On 3/17/2023 at 11:55 AM, Pixote said:

Poles will have a tough decision if Carter is there at #9. On one hand, you don't want to miss on your 1st round pick (the first time you have had one since taking over as GM) so you take a pass on a guy who is sliding down the boards. BUT, there is a possibility this guy is the next Aaron Donald. If so, it would be a brilliant selection. This pre-draft meeting with him is critical.

I'm not worried about the street racing episode. He wasn't racing. He wasn't drunk. He cooperated with the police. If he wasn't a celeb FB player, it would have never even been in the news.

The only thing I want to know is where his head is now? Why wasn't he better prepared for his pro day? Is he struggling because of the loss of his friend? The adverse publicity during the combine? The reports of him slipping down the draft boards?

My guess? He has worked his ass off, played a brilliant career, and now sees everything he strived for falling apart. He needs help.

I agree he needs help. However, he didn't cooperate with the police initially. He lied on several occasions. 

His talent is tantalizing but it's a hard pass. 

Peace

 

[Pixote]

2 minutes ago, Connorbear said:

I agree he needs help. However, he didn't cooperate with the police initially. He lied on several occasions. 

His talent is tantalizing but it's a hard pass. 

Peace

 

Well, I'm a bit confused. I thought it was posted on this forum, in one of the threads, that he fully cooperated with the police. Maybe the member who posted that information can bring it back to the front (I'm a bit lazy and don't want to search all of the posts that have been made over the past several weeks. LOL)

 

[ChileBear]

14 minutes ago, Pixote said:

Well, I'm a bit confused. I thought it was posted on this forum, in one of the threads, that he fully cooperated with the police. Maybe the member who posted that information can bring it back to the front (I'm a bit lazy and don't want to search all of the posts that have been made over the past several weeks. LOL)

 

My understanding is that he changed his story to the authorities multiple times. Yeah, young kid involved in a deadly car accident i can see his angst. But, there were two people killed and to not come forward with the real story up front screams unreliability and not facing up to responsibilty in the most fundamental way.