With the draft only two weeks away, today we begin to look at what this Bears team really needs. I say really because most of the analysis you read on ESPN.com or hear from Mel Kiper comes without any of those individuals watching a single team they're discussing on a day-to-day basis. Mel Kiper doesn't know Adrian Peterson's contribution on special teams. He knows Adrian Peterson's 40 time and his durability issues at Oklahoma.
Let's be very clear from the outset: the Bears have ONE need. One and one only. Depth on the offensive line and in the secondary are not needs, they're wants and good ones. A new quarterback isn't a need, it's a Chicago pipe dream that belongs in the The Iceman Cometh.
No, the only NEED the Bears have entering this draft is at linebacker - quite possibly the team's greatest strength in the 2006 season. Lance Briggs' potential holdout would lead to Leon Joe starting at linebacker.
Leon...no.
There are some fine linebackers in this draft. Lawrence Timmons (Florida State) and Patrick Willis (Mississippi) being two of them. But the guy I like...
Paul Posluszny. Penn State. This would give us three white linebackers. That makes me laugh and would continue to do so all season long. He's that kind of all-hustle, all-workmanlike performer that just seems to look good in the burnt orange and navy blue.
I want Paul.
#2 richard p. grigutis said . . .I disagree that LB is the first priority. I think that Lovie and Co have a pretty good idea of who can play, and who cannot. Personally, I am eager to see if Jamaar Williams can make Bears fans forget about Lance Who-shall-be-nameless, as he languishes in his self-imposed exile, turning down half-million-dollar paydays every Tuesday (Har-de-har-har).
I would say that O-line, Safety, and WR are the areas that the Bears will focus on in the draft. Course, I may be wrong...
April 14, 2007
#3 Al Sharpton said . . .i love the poluszny kid. he uotplayed aj hawk when the nittany beat the ucs 2 years ago. if he's back from the broken leg and it appears he is DO IT. we need help all over every year especially w/ the way the leagues set up now. but i'd say we need o linemen soon as the current setup is pretty long in the tooth. maybe free agency next year.
April 15, 2007
#4 jeff said . . .This kind of bigotry will not stand! I will have your job!
April 15, 2007
#5 allflagsburning said . . .don't disagree with you, ted. but my point is that there's only one position on the field where the bears don't have a proven starter if lance armstrong doesn't play.
April 15, 2007
#6 Reverenddave said . . .Well, i really hope Lance Armstrong doesn´t play for the Bears this year...way to much into chemicals anyway that dude...on topic: getting Rex another weapon on the receiving end wouldn´t hurt...and some stud-OL to keep him healthy...
April 15, 2007
#7 Al in WI said . . .Im not pulling for Poluszny just cause i can see you saying "That just makes me laugh" and then drinking a schlitz everyday for the whole 08 season. And that makes ME laugh.
April 15, 2007
#8 Pissed off said . . .I have to say that I think there will a cover two style backer in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Jon Beason from Miami might fall there anyway. I still say that we need more playmakers on offense. Wr, or TE in the first round, then we can focus on LB, D-Line, and O-line in the mid rounds, and in that order of importance.
Our wide outs and tight ends are solid but not great, and we still need more versatility.April 15, 2007
#9 Posluszny said . . .Hey windy city....if you read this I said we own the pack at Lambeau...I meant the past few years.....in the last few years WE DO OWN THE PACK in lambeau. When was the last time we lost there, before Lovie was here!
Call me crazy but I think an underrated need we have is at RB.
April 16, 2007
#10 thegreenmenace said . . .http://stopgeek.com/the-superbowl-summed-up-in-one-image.html
April 16, 2007
#11 Al in WI said . . .crazy.
if we are sticking with REX, and I am glad we are, we need a TE. And though Desmond is money in Madden 360 he doesn't do jack in reality.April 16, 2007
#12 Max said . . .Clark had a solid first year with the Bears in '03, was terrible in '04, and '05 and had a good year last year. But he's over 30 and is inconsitant so we could use an upgrade. Besides after him on the depth chart is terrible.
April 16, 2007
#13 Joe Mama said . . .Where is the love for AP. The man has done nothing but perform for us. Yet it seems like everyone thinks we need another running back.
I love Rashied, but I know that Wide Receiver is a position we need to address before running back. O-line and D-line. Maybe cornerback and perhaps a linebacker ( i do like Paul). i.e. pick the best available player at those 5 positions with the 31 pick. The only excuse is if the other Adrian Peterson slides, oh i dont know, 27 spots to us.
ok. . . and maybe the cat from Rutgers, Brian Leonard. But thats it.
April 16, 2007
#14 Pissed off said . . .I think we should take the best player available. Remember last year when we took manning and hester and everybody was bitching? I think the nfl draft is the most overhyped event in all of sports. every mock draft the so called experts make is always totally blown up when draft day actually arrives. i'm going to to sit back and put my faith in the brain trust cuz they have hit on a lot of guys none of us have ever heard (or ever cared about) in the past few years. i.e. hester 2nd round, tillman 2nd round, lance 3rd round, vasher 4th round, all of which were key parts of our super bowl run. just sit back, relax and enjoy mel kiper's hair-do and watch berman and mortensen talk for hours about the same guys over and over again.
April 17, 2007
#15 Al in WI said . . .The more I think about it I would like to trade Briggs for the 6th pick to Washington, if not for the great player we are going to get with that pick then for the excitement of having a 6th pick. Lets face it, theres a good chance that if we have the 6th pick that player could be just as big of a contributor as briggs was, this year. I dont want to give up our 31st or 37th too but man wouldnt it be exciting having that 6th pick and we are already a super bowl contender, most team with the 6th pick are rebuilding.
On another note I listen to a lot of Minnesota sports radio (KFAN) and they had the newly aquired Viking Bobby Wade on and he was trash talking....saying he's exited to go up against Vash, Peanut and Manning Jr....mainly saying he can school them, I cant wait for the Bears Vikes game now. I hope the Bears players heard that comment. Bobby Wade, I cant believe it, its sooo funny.
Yes Max, I am a bit concerned about RB because we had a sweet tandem last year and who knows what we'll get out of the Ced, AP combo? If I knew they'd both be healthy all year I'd be cool but ced has durability issues and I have doubts that one or the other can carry the whole load alone. We will have to see but I'd like to see us draft a RB with one of those first two picks if a good one is still out there, I guess I'd be for drafting the best available player too. Look at where the Colts got Addai last year and he's damn good.
April 17, 2007
#16 Max said . . .Po'd: I'm glad you've discovered the Viking radio network at play. Those are some great quotes, I imagine the "homer" hosts were right there cheering him on too. That station is must listen too during the season because of how rah-rah they get in preseason and then how suicidal they are by mid season it's great. Just so you know they've been Super Bowl bound now for at least 12 years on that station. That is if not for the refs, and poor coaching of they're all-star team. (I live in they're listening area, so it's good to vent)
Anyways, I looked at they're schedule and I predict that unless they have phenominal draft that team is in the 3 or 4 win catagory this year.April 17, 2007
#17 allflagsburning said . . .PO'ed, I understand where you are coming from and it is hard to argue that one or the other could carry the team by themselves, because they probably couldn't. But it seems like most other people are jumping on AP not being a good back up. They want a running back drafted to take the back up role to Benson and put A.P. on third string and I think thats ridiculous. He has proven he is capable. He has shown he is reliable and he has earned that back up role, which I believe he will do a damn good job in.
April 17, 2007
#18 JB said . . ....and other than just beeing a good runningback AP seems to be one of the finest charakter-guys in the locker room which deserves to be honored...he definately should get a serious chance at the #2 spot on the depth chart this year... aquiring a #3 in the late rounds might be an option though ...
April 18, 2007
#19 jdawg said . . .As an aside to some of you that may not be in the know, AP is the all-time leading rusher in college history...the man knows how to run the ball. Also, he was the guy running stairs in that champion or russel athletic commercial talking about heisman trophy winners and working hard...AP is a stud.
I guess I would say our biggest need is TE. After Dez, we don't have anything to write home about, and Dez isn't anything more than a post script. I'm comfortable with Kiper's 4 round mock where he has us taking Zach Miller with the 37th pick.
I like Paul, but I doubt he'll be there when we pick. It's more likely we'll take Beason, or if the Bears Brass feels comfortable with what we have behind he who shall remain nameless, look for them to take a big wideout to stretch the field or an OL, Staley or Grubbs.
And guys; they're = they are, they're going to draft calvin johnson; there = location, the ball is over there; their = possessive, their running back is a stud. Sorry, it's just been bugging me.
April 18, 2007
#20 Pissed off said . . .The Bears will get another RB either through the draft, FA or a trade. A team must have three because the RB takes so much punishment.
You know, I haven't chimed in here in a while because there's just no way to know what JA is going to do. The last semi-predictable pick he made was Benson, since then it been pretty much impossible to read his mind. This kind of has made me lose interest in the whole affair until after draft day.
I will say this, I don't think we'll be moving up in the draft (at least not to the 6th pick). I get the feeling that our FO just doesn't like the risk/reward in picking that high. Everyone wants Benson to have a break-out year, myself included, but does anyone think we've gotten our money's worth?
April 18, 2007
#21 Pissed off said . . .Al, I actually love KFAN. I listen to it religiously throughout the day because my only other option around here is ESPN radio and I really dont care THAT MUCH about the Yankees and Red Sox. Plus the Twins are my team and I dont mind the T-wolves either (though the Suns are my BBALL team). Most of the hosts are objective except PA & Dubay is pretty much homersota.
April 18, 2007
#22 Mad Braynard said . . .Every real Bears fan already knows that AP was the all time college rushing leader. Honestly who's been messing up the they're, there and thiers. Thats like 1st or second grade shit but I applaud your mention of it. I'm picky about shit like that myself.
I would love if we drafted Dwayne Jarret. It would also be sweet if we drafted Michael Bush, Kenny Irons or Brian Leonard.
I love AP but I'm not sold on him as a horse, as a backup fine but havent seen enough to see if he'd be a good starter if Ced went down, thats why we need another RB.
April 18, 2007
#23 Al in WI said . . .Damn, that was one expensive hat...
April 18, 2007
#24 Coxy said . . .I do listen to KFAN, but I have a real hard time getting over the who-raw BS they spew on the PA & Dubay show before each season. They are so over the top in their homerisms it's just sickening. I get so tired of listening about great Daunte was or how anyone that doesn't think he's the greatest qb in NFL history is a racist. That type of shit is what I'm refering to. I'm very glad 670 wscr is online now, that has helped.
Anyways, I think I'd feel better about the rb situation if Benson and AP weren't both so injury prone. Remember, AP was the #2 in '03 and got hurt in his first start leading to Brock Forsey. But the economics dictate that we'll take someone in the mid to late rounds and I'm fine with that. Hopefully it will be a scat back style guy, because we lack that type of player. I also wouldn't mind the Bears picking up Jarrett Payton for a tryout. I think he would give 110% for the Bears.April 18, 2007
#25 Pissed off said . . .The commissioner should be fined. They have promoted Vitamin Water more than Urlacher did. After hearing about the fine, I am quite thirsty for vitamin water now.
As an aside, I have never liked the phrase 110%. It has never made sense to me.
April 18, 2007
#26 mikebdot said . . .Why not give 120% instead of 110%, it only seems logical....right? Anyway I'll pass on Jarret Payton but I still would like to draft a semi-high profile RB like Bush or Irons. We have other pressing needs though as well.
April 19, 2007
#27 Z said . . .I always prefer to give an infinite amount of percent.
April 19, 2007
I will keep my faith in the Bears brain trust and hope they can keep up their great picking acumen. They seem to do better later in the draft than with their early picks. Impressive. I say best player available with a leaning towards unfortuantely now LB, TE, WR, then OL, DL, S and for some future CB and RB in that order.
Obviously the player not to be named causes the sudden LB need and I think a good catching TE would help Rex a lot to dump off to. Even though we are stronger at OL even with the age factor, I think protecting Rex is more of a priority than the potential lightness at DL. The rest are the order of what I think are potential injury shortages (S and RB) versus potential inability to re-sign the CB's. Also RB's seem easiest to get in trades or free agency for very little in draft picks I see ( TJ).
Quick BBall: The Bulls beat the Heat in an awesome game shutting Shaq down. Deng was incredible and Gordon was everywhere. Bench played good too. Hope it continues.
April 22, 2007
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