Bears pre-draft workouts and Pro Day visits

[defiantgiant]

Since there's nothing happening on the free-agency front any time in the foreseeable future, I thought we should have a running thread for all the draft prospects the Bears are putting through private workouts, and all the Pro Days they're sending coaches to. After all, it's the only thing that's going on between now and April. So I've listed all the workouts I could find so far, along with a quick report on the lesser-known guys and on which coaches the team sent to see each dude.

 

Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin - Tice worked him out at Wisconsin's Pro Day. We all know this guy. I think most of us would be pretty happy to see him in a Bears uniform.

 

Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida - Tice is at Florida's Pro Day today to look at Pouncey, and had a private interview with him at the Combine. Same as with Carimi, I think most of us would love to get this guy if he makes it to the bottom of the 1st, and it's nice to see that the team's showing a lot of interest.

 

John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin - Also went through drills with Tice at Wisconsin's Pro Day. Big, powerful guy, but doesn't seem as polished as you'd expect from a Wisconsin lineman. From his interviews with the media, he seems like a pretty intelligent, hardworking kid, though. If he's got the drive to get better, he could be a nice developmental pick. He certainly has some potential as a mauling RG type, with some coaching from Tice and company.

 

Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State - I know a bunch of us here like this guy. Much bigger than any of our current WRs at 6'2" and 209 pounds, with a long reach and great hands. Good-not-great speed (mid-4.5s in the 40) but great body control to change directions smoothly. Extremely productive in college. The Bears put him through a private workout Tuesday, but they only sent some offensive QC coach who I've never heard of.

 

Shane Vereen, RB, Cal - This was an interesting one. Vereen would probably take a 3rd-rounder to get, and he might not even fall to the Bears at the bottom of the 3rd. It'd be cool if he did, though: he's a ready-made third-down back with nice speed and great shiftiness, plus he can pass protect and catch the ball. Surprisingly strong for a guy who's just 5'10" 210 pounds - he put up 31 reps on the bench. The Bears sent Tim Spencer to work him out, but they might just be doing their due diligence.

 

TJ Yates, QB, UNC - Dude is just not that good a quarterback, in my opinion. I guess he's a good game manager-type who can work the short passing game, but he really just doesn't have much arm or great accuracy beyond short little dump-off passes. I've seen a fair amount of ACC football since I moved back to VA, and Yates really took a nose-dive once he didn't have a totally ridiculous WR group (Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, and Brooks Foster, all of whom are now in the NFL.) Even as a late-round selection, I don't really see it with this guy. Bears sent Shane Day, the QBs coach, to work him out.

 

Scott Tolzien, QB, Wisconsin - Martz was at Wisconsin's Pro Day, and worked Tolzien out one-on-one. Somebody who's watched more Wisconsin games than I have this season could answer this better than I can, but doesn't Tolzien kind of suck? Granted, their offense is from the 1940s and they just run the ball out of jumbo sets a million times a game, but I can't remember ever seeing Tolzien really make an impressive throw. Somebody help me out here - why is Martz looking at this guy?

 

Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho - same as Tolzien, Martz was at Idaho's pro day, although it's not clear if he did any individual work with Enderle. Big guy, pretty good arm, and can be accurate at times. Improved dramatically between 2008 and 2009, posting a nice completion percentage and great TD-Int ratio, but didn't have as good a year statistically in 2010. Could be a deep, deep developmental guy, but I have to think there are better prospects out there.

[madlithuanian]

Thanks for posting this! My lak of info this draft is horrible. This is a really nice list of potentials...

 

Since there's nothing happening on the free-agency front any time in the foreseeable future, I thought we should have a running thread for all the draft prospects the Bears are putting through private workouts, and all the Pro Days they're sending coaches to. After all, it's the only thing that's going on between now and April. So I've listed all the workouts I could find so far, along with a quick report on the lesser-known guys and on which coaches the team sent to see each dude.

 

Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin - Tice worked him out at Wisconsin's Pro Day. We all know this guy. I think most of us would be pretty happy to see him in a Bears uniform.

 

Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida - Tice is at Florida's Pro Day today to look at Pouncey, and had a private interview with him at the Combine. Same as with Carimi, I think most of us would love to get this guy if he makes it to the bottom of the 1st, and it's nice to see that the team's showing a lot of interest.

 

John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin - Also went through drills with Tice at Wisconsin's Pro Day. Big, powerful guy, but doesn't seem as polished as you'd expect from a Wisconsin lineman. From his interviews with the media, he seems like a pretty intelligent, hardworking kid, though. If he's got the drive to get better, he could be a nice developmental pick. He certainly has some potential as a mauling RG type, with some coaching from Tice and company.

 

Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State - I know a bunch of us here like this guy. Much bigger than any of our current WRs at 6'2" and 209 pounds, with a long reach and great hands. Good-not-great speed (mid-4.5s in the 40) but great body control to change directions smoothly. Extremely productive in college. The Bears put him through a private workout Tuesday, but they only sent some offensive QC coach who I've never heard of.

 

Shane Vereen, RB, Cal - This was an interesting one. Vereen would probably take a 3rd-rounder to get, and he might not even fall to the Bears at the bottom of the 3rd. It'd be cool if he did, though: he's a ready-made third-down back with nice speed and great shiftiness, plus he can pass protect and catch the ball. Surprisingly strong for a guy who's just 5'10" 210 pounds - he put up 31 reps on the bench. The Bears sent Tim Spencer to work him out, but they might just be doing their due diligence.

 

TJ Yates, QB, UNC - Dude is just not that good a quarterback, in my opinion. I guess he's a good game manager-type who can work the short passing game, but he really just doesn't have much arm or great accuracy beyond short little dump-off passes. I've seen a fair amount of ACC football since I moved back to VA, and Yates really took a nose-dive once he didn't have a totally ridiculous WR group (Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, and Brooks Foster, all of whom are now in the NFL.) Even as a late-round selection, I don't really see it with this guy. Bears sent Shane Day, the QBs coach, to work him out.

 

Scott Tolzien, QB, Wisconsin - Martz was at Wisconsin's Pro Day, and worked Tolzien out one-on-one. Somebody who's watched more Wisconsin games than I have this season could answer this better than I can, but doesn't Tolzien kind of suck? Granted, their offense is from the 1940s and they just run the ball out of jumbo sets a million times a game, but I can't remember ever seeing Tolzien really make an impressive throw. Somebody help me out here - why is Martz looking at this guy?

 

Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho - same as Tolzien, Martz was at Idaho's pro day, although it's not clear if he did any individual work with Enderle. Big guy, pretty good arm, and can be accurate at times. Improved dramatically between 2008 and 2009, posting a nice completion percentage and great TD-Int ratio, but didn't have as good a year statistically in 2010. Could be a deep, deep developmental guy, but I have to think there are better prospects out there.

 

[defiantgiant]

Thanks for posting this! My lak of info this draft is horrible. This is a really nice list of potentials...

 

Thanks, glad you liked it. I'll add one more to the list:

 

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU - the Bears are bringing him in for a private workout on Thursday. They didn't send any coaches to his Pro Day at TCU, as far as I know. I could see him being a pretty ideal QB for a Martz offense, with some time. He's got a good enough arm to hit all the throws, solid accuracy, and seems very aware of what defenses are doing (at least when I've seen him play.) He ran TCU's offense extremely well and had great numbers as a senior (completed over 66% of his passes, over 9 yards per attempt, 26 TDs to just 6 interceptions) not to mention leading them to a 12-0 season and a win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. There really aren't any holes in his game, despite not having the sheer physical talent of a Cam Newton or Jake Locker. In this year's QB class, I could see a lot of teams starting to look seriously at Dalton toward the end of the 2nd round. This seems like it's just Chicago doing their due diligence in case he falls WAY farther than is likely.

[Stinger226]

Thanks, glad you liked it. I'll add one more to the list:

 

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU - the Bears are bringing him in for a private workout on Thursday. They didn't send any coaches to his Pro Day at TCU, as far as I know. I could see him being a pretty ideal QB for a Martz offense, with some time. He's got a good enough arm to hit all the throws, solid accuracy, and seems very aware of what defenses are doing (at least when I've seen him play.) He ran TCU's offense extremely well and had great numbers as a senior (completed over 66% of his passes, over 9 yards per attempt, 26 TDs to just 6 interceptions) not to mention leading them to a 12-0 season and a win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. There really aren't any holes in his game, despite not having the sheer physical talent of a Cam Newton or Jake Locker. In this year's QB class, I could see a lot of teams starting to look seriously at Dalton toward the end of the 2nd round. This seems like it's just Chicago doing their due diligence in case he falls WAY farther than is likely.

Add to that list Corbin Bryant/dt from NW.

Also Jamel Hamler/wr/Fresno State met with the bears at the combine

[balta1701-A]

It seems like the Bears are targeting replacements for Hanie/Collins in this draft in addition to the positions we knew about. That's interesting.

[GrizzlyBear]

It seems like the Bears are targeting replacements for Hanie/Collins in this draft in addition to the positions we knew about. That's interesting.

 

Nah they dumped collins so need a third. They want Hanie back.

[balta1701-A]

Nah they dumped collins so need a third. They want Hanie back.

If they're drafting one as highly as the guys they're scouting are likely to go, they're looking for a guy who can replace Hanie as well...maybe not this year, but the year after.

[defiantgiant]

It seems like the Bears are targeting replacements for Hanie/Collins in this draft in addition to the positions we knew about. That's interesting.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Collins is history, but I'll be interested to see what they do with Hanie. It seems like there are two ways they could go:

1. Cut Collins, promote Hanie to the #2, and draft a #3 QB to develop.

2. Cut Collins, let Hanie walk, sign a vet in FA (whenever that happens) and draft a #3 QB to develop.

 

Also, here's a couple more prospects for the file:

 

Doug Hogue, OLB, Syracuse - has a private workout today for the Bears. I like this guy a lot as a Day 3 pick. He's going to have a long learning process, having only switched to OLB from halfback a couple of years ago. But he's got the ideal mix of size, speed, athleticism and coverage ability to be Briggs' successor on the weak side, and he should be an immediate contributor on special teams. Briggs is going to turn 31 this year, so he should have a couple of great seasons left; that gives a developmental guy like Hogue plenty of time to learn before they hand him the reins.

 

Ryan Jones, CB, NW Missouri St. - small-school kid, don't really know anything about him. He has a workout with Chicago in the beginning of April. He's got good size/speed numbers (5'11", 197 pounds, 4.38 to 4.42 in the 40.) Productive guy: he's racked up 11 interceptions (2 for TDs) and 24 passes broken up over the last two seasons, plus 111 tackles over that same span. If he works out well, I wouldn't mind taking him in the 7th or as a priority UDFA.

[dawhizz]

Yeah, I'm sure Collins is history, but I'll be interested to see what they do with Hanie. It seems like there are two ways they could go:

1. Cut Collins, promote Hanie to the #2, and draft a #3 QB to develop.

2. Cut Collins, let Hanie walk, sign a vet in FA (whenever that happens) and draft a #3 QB to develop.

 

Also, here's a couple more prospects for the file:

 

Doug Hogue, OLB, Syracuse - has a private workout today for the Bears. I like this guy a lot as a Day 3 pick. He's going to have a long learning process, having only switched to OLB from halfback a couple of years ago. But he's got the ideal mix of size, speed, athleticism and coverage ability to be Briggs' successor on the weak side, and he should be an immediate contributor on special teams. Briggs is going to turn 31 this year, so he should have a couple of great seasons left; that gives a developmental guy like Hogue plenty of time to learn before they hand him the reins.

 

Ryan Jones, CB, NW Missouri St. - small-school kid, don't really know anything about him. He has a workout with Chicago in the beginning of April. He's got good size/speed numbers (5'11", 197 pounds, 4.38 to 4.42 in the 40.) Productive guy: he's racked up 11 interceptions (2 for TDs) and 24 passes broken up over the last two seasons, plus 111 tackles over that same span. If he works out well, I wouldn't mind taking him in the 7th or as a priority UDFA.

 

From what I've heard, there won't be any UDFAs this year, since the lockout keeps teams from signing any players at all. It'll be interesting to see how that affects teams drafting and whether there will be more of a premium on 7th round picks. Not that the Bears have to worry about that (thanks, Harvey Unga!).

[sulster]

Rodney Hudson only participated in offensive line drills which were directed by Chicago Bears OL coach and former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice and spent some time working at center and snapping the ball. Says moving from guard to center if needed is just fine with him. He plans to watch the draft at home with his family.

 

 

[azbearsfan]

I agree with Mad, great thread. Keep it coming.

[jason]

Thanks for the post! For the most part I like the list. But the fact that they're even looking at a RB who could go in the mid-rounds is disgusting to me. Horrible, horrible direction if they're even thinking about it.

 

Since there's nothing happening on the free-agency front any time in the foreseeable future, I thought we should have a running thread for all the draft prospects the Bears are putting through private workouts, and all the Pro Days they're sending coaches to. After all, it's the only thing that's going on between now and April. So I've listed all the workouts I could find so far, along with a quick report on the lesser-known guys and on which coaches the team sent to see each dude.

 

Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin - Tice worked him out at Wisconsin's Pro Day. We all know this guy. I think most of us would be pretty happy to see him in a Bears uniform.

 

Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida - Tice is at Florida's Pro Day today to look at Pouncey, and had a private interview with him at the Combine. Same as with Carimi, I think most of us would love to get this guy if he makes it to the bottom of the 1st, and it's nice to see that the team's showing a lot of interest.

 

John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin - Also went through drills with Tice at Wisconsin's Pro Day. Big, powerful guy, but doesn't seem as polished as you'd expect from a Wisconsin lineman. From his interviews with the media, he seems like a pretty intelligent, hardworking kid, though. If he's got the drive to get better, he could be a nice developmental pick. He certainly has some potential as a mauling RG type, with some coaching from Tice and company.

 

Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State - I know a bunch of us here like this guy. Much bigger than any of our current WRs at 6'2" and 209 pounds, with a long reach and great hands. Good-not-great speed (mid-4.5s in the 40) but great body control to change directions smoothly. Extremely productive in college. The Bears put him through a private workout Tuesday, but they only sent some offensive QC coach who I've never heard of.

 

Shane Vereen, RB, Cal - This was an interesting one. Vereen would probably take a 3rd-rounder to get, and he might not even fall to the Bears at the bottom of the 3rd. It'd be cool if he did, though: he's a ready-made third-down back with nice speed and great shiftiness, plus he can pass protect and catch the ball. Surprisingly strong for a guy who's just 5'10" 210 pounds - he put up 31 reps on the bench. The Bears sent Tim Spencer to work him out, but they might just be doing their due diligence.

 

TJ Yates, QB, UNC - Dude is just not that good a quarterback, in my opinion. I guess he's a good game manager-type who can work the short passing game, but he really just doesn't have much arm or great accuracy beyond short little dump-off passes. I've seen a fair amount of ACC football since I moved back to VA, and Yates really took a nose-dive once he didn't have a totally ridiculous WR group (Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, and Brooks Foster, all of whom are now in the NFL.) Even as a late-round selection, I don't really see it with this guy. Bears sent Shane Day, the QBs coach, to work him out.

 

Scott Tolzien, QB, Wisconsin - Martz was at Wisconsin's Pro Day, and worked Tolzien out one-on-one. Somebody who's watched more Wisconsin games than I have this season could answer this better than I can, but doesn't Tolzien kind of suck? Granted, their offense is from the 1940s and they just run the ball out of jumbo sets a million times a game, but I can't remember ever seeing Tolzien really make an impressive throw. Somebody help me out here - why is Martz looking at this guy?

 

Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho - same as Tolzien, Martz was at Idaho's pro day, although it's not clear if he did any individual work with Enderle. Big guy, pretty good arm, and can be accurate at times. Improved dramatically between 2008 and 2009, posting a nice completion percentage and great TD-Int ratio, but didn't have as good a year statistically in 2010. Could be a deep, deep developmental guy, but I have to think there are better prospects out there.

 

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

I agree also. This is cool. However, jason: relax man. Typically, the Bears do private workouts and scout guys who they never actually draft. There is probably some facts against this but it seems like it. Point is: there is a 0% chance they draft Vereen. As an SC fan, I've seen him play and I think he'll make a good pro but hopefully it's in another city. The Bears have the most underrated RB in football already.

[defiantgiant]

Figured this should go in here: the Bears' coaches were out in force at the Illinois Pro Day. Marinelli ran Corey Liuget through his positional drills, and Tim Spencer worked some with Mikel Leshoure. My two cents:

 

Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois - apparently Marinelli was happy with Liuget's workout. The way his stock is climbing, Liuget may not even make it to the Bears' 1st-round pick. If he does fall that far, and there aren't any top-tier o-line prospects left (which is very possible - there are only like six 1st-round offensive linemen this year) I wouldn't mind spending a #1 on a three-technique DT, especially one as talented as Liuget. He doesn't have the insane first step that Tommie had coming out of college, but he's much stronger and can definitely rip off a block and shoot through his gap. He misses more tackles than you'd like once he's in the backfield, but I think that could just be a technique thing. He's inconsistent with his tackling: sometimes he'll get low and wrap up, but a lot of the time I see him grab a guy around the shoulderpads and try to throw him down. That works if you're freakishly strong like Ndamukong Suh, but Liuget isn't on that level. Still, that's a minor concern; Marinelli should be able to work on his technique and pad level.

 

Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois - probably not in the cards for Chicago. I'd love to get him as a power-running complement to Forte (who still catches the ball well enough to play in Martz's offense) but he's going to go in the 2nd round somewhere, maybe even the late 1st. After Mark Ingram, Leshoure's clearly the second-best RB in this draft. It's a shame, because he'd make for a nasty 1-2 punch with Forte, but there's no way the Bears should even consider drafting a running back before the 3rd or 4th round.

 

Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois - do not want. Great size/speed/athleticism prospect, but I'm wary of linebackers with subpar instincts. It seems like guys who really struggle to see a play develop (usually) don't get much better at it in the pros. Besides, Wilson's best fit is in a 3-4 defense, where he could use that straight-line speed as a pass-rusher and have less responsibility on the back end. He could be an asset as a 3-4 OLB, but I don't think he'd help the Bears.

[jason]

I agree also. This is cool. However, jason: relax man. Typically, the Bears do private workouts and scout guys who they never actually draft. There is probably some facts against this but it seems like it. Point is: there is a 0% chance they draft Vereen. As an SC fan, I've seen him play and I think he'll make a good pro but hopefully it's in another city. The Bears have the most underrated RB in football already.

 

I'm cool with draft smoke-screens, but if they are wasting too much time on scouting a mid-round RB, then it's a waste of resources. At a certain point they should be devoting their time to improving what's wrong, not trying to deceive opponents about a 3rd or 4th round RB who the Bears probably won't draft. The bad part is, most teams probably realize the Bears shouldn't draft a midround RB, but past draft choices have been iffy enough that they have to worry about it, smokescreen or not.

[flea]

No problem with them scouting a RB. Forte is all we are sure off. Taylor was not good, Bell is most likely gone after seeing no time last year, Wolfe is gone & who knows what we have with Unga

[defiantgiant]

No problem with them scouting a RB. Forte is all we are sure off. Taylor was not good, Bell is most likely gone after seeing no time last year, Wolfe is gone & who knows what we have with Unga

 

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Wolfe is gone, Bell has shown flashes but who knows if he can sustain it, and Unga is a total unknown. Taylor is better than Kevin Jones or Adrian Peterson, but he's still not good. His only real value is that he lets Forte stay rested through the season. If they want to spend a Day 3 pick to try and upgrade over Taylor, I've got no problem with that.

 

Shane Vereen in the 3rd would be a little too rich for my blood, but if we're talking about spending a 4th on Jamie Harper from Clemson or Delone Carter from Syracuse, I'd be OK with it. I'd rather get Harper, since he can catch and lead-block well enough to play a little FB on top of being a short-yardage/change of pace RB. That would give Martz some interesting options out of any two-back formation. Having two backs in the backfield who can each run, catch, and pass-protect could make for a pretty creative pro-set package. Between those two and Olsen at the TE, it'd be a total guessing game about who's staying in to block and who's running a route. It'd be especially dangerous with our personnel, since both Forte and Olsen can run vertical routes like another wide receiver.

[Stinger226]

the Bears were at Davon House,s workout at New Mexico State--- a 4.32 speedster with a 6'1-200lb body. (DB)

a possible 3rd round pick by most mock drafts.

 

the Bears were at Marylands pro day, maybe checking out Torrey Smith/wr.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

Ross Cochran, OLB, North Dakota- I know nothing barely anything about the guy besides his height and weight (6'2", 245), but Brad Biggs tweeted about 45 minutes ago that the Bears scheduled with him for April 16.

 

EDIT: I looked him up on Google, and I found this on CDS. He sounds like a late round guy--

Strengths

Big, rocked-up OLB. Emotional. Will get involved in a lot of tackles. Slightly-above average pursuit. Has gotten better every year, and may be one of those late bloomers who becomes a better pro than college performer. Has all the computer numbers.

Weaknesses

Grab tackler. Doesn't play as well as his measurables. Not much of a factor in pass defense. Workout warrior. Has talent, but will need to continue to develop it to have a shot.

[bradjock]

I'm cool with draft smoke-screens, but if they are wasting too much time on scouting a mid-round RB, then it's a waste of resources. At a certain point they should be devoting their time to improving what's wrong, not trying to deceive opponents about a 3rd or 4th round RB who the Bears probably won't draft. The bad part is, most teams probably realize the Bears shouldn't draft a midround RB, but past draft choices have been iffy enough that they have to worry about it, smokescreen or not.

 

FYI, I swore it was a waste of resources to draft J Webb in the 7th round when had Omiyale (please hold your vomit) Chris Williams, and Shafer on board to play offensive tackle. J Webb would have been an UFA and would be a candidate for the practice squad. No way a bad rookie beats out a bad veteran.

 

I'm highly skeptical of J Webb. But the truth is, you take the best player available. It's cliche', but thats what you better do. If we think this guy is the real deal, you draft him, and everything will sort itself out later.

 

 

[jason]

FYI, I swore it was a waste of resources to draft J Webb in the 7th round when had Omiyale (please hold your vomit) Chris Williams, and Shafer on board to play offensive tackle. J Webb would have been an UFA and would be a candidate for the practice squad. No way a bad rookie beats out a bad veteran.

 

I'm highly skeptical of J Webb. But the truth is, you take the best player available. It's cliche', but thats what you better do. If we think this guy is the real deal, you draft him, and everything will sort itself out later.

 

There is a huge difference between a mid-rounder (i.e. 3rd/4th) and a 7th round guy who almost never makes the team. The 7th round draft pick has such a ridiculously low possibility of making the team and contributing that it's not really a risk. It's just picking up a guy who lasted until the later rounds.

[bradjock]

There is a huge difference between a mid-rounder (i.e. 3rd/4th) and a 7th round guy who almost never makes the team. The 7th round draft pick has such a ridiculously low possibility of making the team and contributing that it's not really a risk. It's just picking up a guy who lasted until the later rounds.

 

But at the time we picked J Webb, the "experts" were saying there were better/more talented players available and that we could have signed J Webb as soon as the draft was over. Not to mention, you rarely see a rookie have success at the offensive tackle position, not to mention one who was drafted in the 7th round.

 

I would have guessed that any guard we had drafted in the 7th round would have had a better chance of making the team. I'm still skeptical about how good J Webb will be.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

Chicago Bears OL coach Mike Tice worked out Arkansas OL DeMarcus Love.

South Florida DB Mistral Raymond has had private workouts for the Patriots Bears Vikings.

 

both per NFLDraftBible on twitter.

[Stinger226]

Tenn-chat/DB/ Skriner works out for Hoke. Sounds like what we would do with our 3rd or 4th round pick. My only problem with him would be at least a 6' at that spot. He is only about 5' 10".

[defiantgiant]

A couple of late-round linebackers for the file...

 

Sidney Tarver, LB, Tennessee State - The Bears were at his Pro Day. I know nothing about the guy as a player, but apparently he did very well in his positional drills. His measurables are all what you'd want for a 4-3 outside 'backer: 6'3", 236 pounds, and a 4.65 in the 40 (on a wet track.) He put up a 10'6" broad jump, a 32" vertical, and 23 reps on the bench. If anybody knows anything about whether this kid can play, I'd be interested to hear it.

 

Lawrence Wilson, LB, UConn - Met individually with Bears personnel during his Pro Day. Wilson, I think, is the ideal kind of LB prospect to target. He's undersized (6'1" 229 pounds) for any scheme except a Tampa-2, which will push his draft value down significantly. For a Tampa team like the Bears, that could make him a great value in the 4th or 5th round. He reminds me a lot of Pisa as a player. For a linebacker, he's incredibly smooth and rangy in coverage, and he has legit 4.5-4.6 speed. He doesn't have a lot of power as a hitter (as you'd expect) but he's an insanely productive tackler (449 career tackles, 123 last season alone) because he wraps up and doesn't take bad angles. I like him a lot as a prospect, and I'd be happy if the Bears got him on Day 3 to develop as their Sam 'backer of the future.

 

And then there's an interesting DB prospect:

 

Curtis Brown, CB, Texas - Has a private workout with the Bears coming up. He's probably going to go in the late 2nd to early 3rd, but I wouldn't completely hate the pick if there's no good d-tackle available when the Bears pick in Round 2. Has exceptional speed and quickness, can cover in man at least as well as in zone, if not better. Used to play receiver and has great hands for the interception. Can go up vertically and take the pass away from the WR, at 6 feet tall with a 39" vertical. The one hole in his game (especially for a Tampa-2 team) is his tackling, which is going to need work. He can't keep shoulder-rocketing guys as a 185-pound DB, he's going to need to learn to break down and wrap up. Still, he could generate a lot of turnovers and wouldn't be a bad pick if we already have an o-lineman and there's no good 3-technique on the board.

 

...and one guy who I know some of you will be glad to see on the list:

 

Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State - Had a private workout with Mike Martz. A slow 40 at the Combine hurt his stock some, but he ran a 4.52 at his Pro Day, which is definitely adequate. Doesn't have great straight-line speed, but can change directions in an instant when he makes a cut. Showed great hands at the Senior Bowl, which had been a concern previously. Like Randall Cobb, Brown definitely looks like a Mike Martz wide receiver, but doesn't look like a #1 guy on the outside. If they drafted him, I'd wonder about where they'd play him: I think his best fit is in the slot, where Earl Bennett is already doing a great job. If they think Bennett can play more on the outside, though, I'd be happy to get Brown into the mix.