ASHKUM BEAR Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 It's been a little quiet lately (besides reading the "great debates" by Wesson and Jason), so lets start a discussion on players that may surprise us a little by contributing more than we might expect in 2012. I'm gonna give an offensive and a defensive player that I think will make a mark on the 2012 season. Offensively, I think we will see some great plays this year and I hope Alshon Jeffery makes a mark, but the one guy I think that will surprise us all with making big plays is TE Evan Rodriguez. I think he will rack up a lot of YAC and be Cutlers check down and them two will develop great chemistry. Defensively, I think Shea McClellin will also make his mark, but the surprise player will be S Brandin Hardin. He has great physical tools, size, and once Lovie gains trust or Major Wright goes down Hardin will come in and make the backfield a nightmare for opposing WR's. I think he will make his mark later in the season, but when he does it will be a bigger one than any of us would've thought. I can't wait for training camp to open and have a feeling Bourbonnias won't be ready!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I say Bush and Hardin. Bush will provide a 1-2 similar to Philly's Thunder and Lightning did, and something the Bears have never really had. Hardin is a steal and is going to be a dominant rookie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I won't pick Hardin, he sat out a year with an injury and he's learning a new role. That will take time. On D I think it will be Henry Melton. It will be his second year playing at this weight and position plus this time around he has a full offseason to work with Marinelli. The addition of another fast edge rusher in SMC helps Melton too. On offense, tough call but I don't see it being Rodriguez. He might play a part in our offense but first has to beat out Kyle Adams. Rodriguez should be the better blocker so I expect he'll do that but will he be a better WR? If Rodriguez is used primarily as a blocker he won't appear to have that much of an impact. I'll take Chris Williams. He's been a work out warrior the last two summers and it shows. Now he's headed back to his more natural LT position to compete for a starting job. He's also at a point where his next contract looms so he is fully motivated to make it work at LT and he has a full offseason with the coaches to get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesson44 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 IMHO I think Davis at TE will be the breakout player on offense. Last year he had like 18 catches and five for TD's. With Martz gone and his lack of use of a pass catching TE....with the Bears new offense we will see Davis getting more of a chance to catch the ball. On defense I will say that McClellan & Paea will be the players that will suprise us this year. If we get good play out of these two then our defense will be better than it was last year....we still have mostly all the starters comiing back. I will also look at two battles that are going on too, with Roach & Hayes at OLB and Webb & Williams at LT. Should be interesting to see who wins and how they affect the team chemistry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Who I hope breaks out Carimi McClellin Davis If those three do, the Bears will be in GREAT shape in 2012. Who I think will break out Carimi Davis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Who I hope breaks out Carimi McClellin Davis If those three do, the Bears will be in GREAT shape in 2012. Who I think will break out Carimi Davis I was thinking of new acquisitions, but if I go with players from last year Carimi is definitely #1. Davis to me is questionable because with the acquisition of Marshall and the drafting of Jeffrey, I don't know how critical Davis will be to the offense. Especially if Rodriguez gets some playing time. I agree with McClellin to a degree, but I am already expecting a lot out of him for a 1st round pick, so I don't know how much of a surprise he will be if he excels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I was thinking of new acquisitions, but if I go with players from last year Carimi is definitely #1. Davis to me is questionable because with the acquisition of Marshall and the drafting of Jeffrey, I don't know how critical Davis will be to the offense. Especially if Rodriguez gets some playing time. I agree with McClellin to a degree, but I am already expecting a lot out of him for a 1st round pick, so I don't know how much of a surprise he will be if he excels. One thing about that TE slot...it's so much more important when you have a legit passing game around it. The TE, outside of New England, is that position which piles up the yards over the middle when the offense wants to drop back and throw the ball to the WR but the WR is being covered up, leaving the middle of the field open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Im betting on Paea..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 One thing about that TE slot...it's so much more important when you have a legit passing game around it. The TE, outside of New England, is that position which piles up the yards over the middle when the offense wants to drop back and throw the ball to the WR but the WR is being covered up, leaving the middle of the field open. Sure, but what would Davis have to do to be considered a breakout player? 50 receptions? 600 yards? 8 TDs? Also, for the criticality of our offense, where would the TE position rank? I would say TE would be near the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Offense We better hope it's either Williams or Carimi, otherwise Cutler will take a beating again this year. Defense I'd say since people are high on Paea and Melton, it's a safe bet to say one of them will breakout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Offense We better hope it's either Williams or Carimi, otherwise Cutler will take a beating again this year. Defense I'd say since people are high on Paea and Melton, it's a safe bet to say one of them will breakout. What would Melton have to do to be considered a surprise? IIRC, he led all DT's in sacks last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 What would Melton have to do to be considered a surprise? IIRC, he led all DT's in sacks last season. He could stomp on an O-Lineman's arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesson44 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 He could stomp on an O-Lineman's arm. Melton is no longer a suprise by what he did last season. We are counting on him doing the same and or even better this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 What would Melton have to do to be considered a surprise? IIRC, he led all DT's in sacks last season. What if he gets 12+ sacks? He would go from the relative unknown to the next Warren Sapp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 If Melton gets good enough to where teams need to double team him off the snap then that's a welcome surprise. I'm sure Peppers would thank him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 I'm going to take Carimi & Williams on O. Conte for D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 What if he gets 12+ sacks? He would go from the relative unknown to the next Warren Sapp... He said "surprise," not "unknown across the nation to very well known." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 He said "surprise," not "unknown across the nation to very well known." Oh, my reading comprehension is off the charts, so you'll need not worry about that. I think you need to check the context again... Question: Would you NOT be surprised if he had 12+ sacks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASHKUM BEAR Posted July 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2012 Offensively, I think we will see some great plays this year and I hope Alshon Jeffery makes a mark, but the one guy I think that will surprise us all with making big plays is TE Evan Rodriguez. I think he will rack up a lot of YAC and be Cutlers check down and them two will develop great chemistry. Report from day one TC: "The guy who appeared to be the most consistent Thursday, at least in terms of catching the ball, was rookie tight end Evan Rodriguez, who struggled during minicamp" I still sticking with this guy being a rock for Cutler. Hopefully they continue developing a chemistry early on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears4Ever_34 Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Offense: Cutler- for obvious reasons. I think he puts up over 3500 yards, probably closer to 4,000 and lets say 25 touchdowns or somewhere near that. Evan Rodriguez- I'm sticking to what I said coming into the year, I think this Rodriguez is going to surprise a lot of people with his speed at the TE position. He's not going to be rookie of the year or anything but I think he could end up being a 3rd down converter in this offense and someone who opens up the field with his versatility. Defense: DJ Moore- I think this is the year DJ becomes one of the guys on defense. He's done it in spurts here and there, but I think he can become a regular contributor next season and cause havoc for opposing offenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Offense: Cutler- for obvious reasons. I think he puts up over 3500 yards, probably closer to 4,000 and lets say 25 touchdowns or somewhere near that. Evan Rodriguez- I'm sticking to what I said coming into the year, I think this Rodriguez is going to surprise a lot of people with his speed at the TE position. He's not going to be rookie of the year or anything but I think he could end up being a 3rd down converter in this offense and someone who opens up the field with his versatility. Defense: DJ Moore- I think this is the year DJ becomes one of the guys on defense. He's done it in spurts here and there, but I think he can become a regular contributor next season and cause havoc for opposing offenses. If that's the case, he'll be in another uniform next season. Orlando Scandrick got a huge deal last offseason, about $6m/year, from Dallas as their best nickleback. If Moore has a good season, he'll want that same amount, and with guys like Melton, Cutler, Urlacher, maybe Hester, etc looking to get new deals in the next year or two, that'll be almost impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Offense: Cutler- for obvious reasons. I think he puts up over 3500 yards, probably closer to 4,000 and lets say 25 touchdowns or somewhere near that. Evan Rodriguez- I'm sticking to what I said coming into the year, I think this Rodriguez is going to surprise a lot of people with his speed at the TE position. He's not going to be rookie of the year or anything but I think he could end up being a 3rd down converter in this offense and someone who opens up the field with his versatility. Defense: DJ Moore- I think this is the year DJ becomes one of the guys on defense. He's done it in spurts here and there, but I think he can become a regular contributor next season and cause havoc for opposing offenses. Cutler would not be a surprise. I figure Moore will do about the same, and now he has more competition in Hayden, Wilhite, Frey, and McCoy. Rodriguez has looked good in TC, hopefully he continues to improve. A 2TE set with him and Davis with Marshall on the outside would cause a bunch of mismatch problems for the D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears4Ever_34 Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 Cutler would not be a surprise. I figure Moore will do about the same, and now he has more competition in Hayden, Wilhite, Frey, and McCoy. Rodriguez has looked good in TC, hopefully he continues to improve. A 2TE set with him and Davis with Marshall on the outside would cause a bunch of mismatch problems for the D. He wouldn't be a huge surprise. I guess I was thinking more in terms of a breakout season for him as a Bear's quarterback. The media is skeptical to include Cutler in with the "Elite" tag to his name, but I think a great year for him could put him in that category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted July 29, 2012 Report Share Posted July 29, 2012 He wouldn't be a huge surprise. I guess I was thinking more in terms of a breakout season for him as a Bear's quarterback. The media is skeptical to include Cutler in with the "Elite" tag to his name, but I think a great year for him could put him in that category. Think of it this way. Do we think of last year's Eli Manning season as a surprise season or not? It was head and shoulders above any season he's had before, but he's always been a talented guy and has had success before. Cutler can pull the same trick this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 What would Melton have to do to be considered a surprise? IIRC, he led all DT's in sacks last season. He takes the step from "pretty good but under the radar DE" to "Warren Sapp creating chaos for QBs". In other words, he goes from being an appreciated but under-recognized DT in the NFL to one of the top handful of guys considered to be the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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