Just wanted to check-in with everybody on what will be going on with us here from now until the draft.
(1) We'll start breaking down offensive line talent in the draft in the weeks ahead, surveying the landscape of "expert" opinion and bringing them directly to you.
(2) We've designed a t-shirt that we think is pretty damn funny and very site-specific. Once it's ready-to-go we'll sell them on here...and believe, they'll be worth the ten bucks or whatever we're going to charge you.
(3) The 2008 schedule gets announced on April 3rd reportedly. It is one of my favorite days of the year. I'll have it on here the second it becomes available to the media.
(4) Last year the Sunday night game writers went pretty damn well (I thought) sans some technical difficulties in December. We'll do that again in 2008 and I've got a bunch of people I'm considering for it. If YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING ONE OF OUR SUNDAY NIGHT WRITERS, please email us at dabears@dabearsblog.com and let us know.
I'll still be around with the regular news-of-the-day type stuff but this next month tends to be the slowest in the NFL. Keep up the good work in the comments.
#2 Phil from SATX said . . .I prefer draft day to the day they release the schedule. Of course, I don't live in Chicago and thus don't care so much when the home games are. My liquid assets always seem tight...stupid homeownership...
March 17, 2008
#3 Phil from SATX said . . .Maybe Jerry Angelo is stupider than I think. In Biggs' blog, they're talking about us interested in Gosder Cherilus. That's okay, no problem there.
From the blog:
The Bears tabbed guard Josh Beekman in the fourth round last year and are taking a hard look at one of his former Boston College linemates.
Cherilus is 6-6, 315 pounds and some believe he is athletic enough to play on the left side even though he always performed better on the right side in school. Angelo has said he likes the linemen BC produces because they are tough, in the mold of Marc Colombo, his first pick as Bears’ GM in 2002. End of quote.
Okay, first of all, how did Colombo work out for us? Merely another 1st round bust, even if it might not have been due to lack of talent. Second, he's apparently not too interested in playing Beekman, at least based on the last year, when Beekman couldn't play his way onto the worst line in football.
So he's making all his decisions based on liking BC and their offensive linemen? Sounds kind of like making all your decisions on whether players have a past with Lovie, or with Turner, or because they're from Illinois. I don't remember BC as THAT much of a football powerhouse. Anything wrong with other programs, like USC or Notre Dame or Oklahoma?
Again, no problem with Cherilus, who's apparently about 3 rounds better than Josh Beekman, but that all sounded pretty stupid.
March 17, 2008
#4 JB said . . .Also, I'm all over the t shirt thing, nice! Let us know. But my family will totally make fun of me over it, because they're always riding me about my obsession with
da bears blog
BTW, I am interested in knowing others' habits - this is the only Bears blog I am interested in reading apart from getting news off of Biggs' blog - and never posted on any others, because, really, what's the point? how about the rest of you?
March 17, 2008
#5 mikebdot said . . .Phil...there is something wrong with Notre Dame, but that's a completely different thread. I understand what he's getting at and although I'd have liked to see some other people get some playing time last year, I'm not too worried about it. Beekman was projected to go a little higher than we got him...he was a value pick there as I remember Kiper having him early 3rd. Anyways, I really believe he'll be given every opportunity to compete for a job next year.
I'm really not that worried about WR like some of you, and although it would seem obvious for an OT at 14, if there is a run, i don't want to reach. And if we can't trade down, take someone like a Mendenhall...why not? I fully endorse taking the best talent on the board...especially at a need position. I understand it's a deep RB class, but we're going to need to take one at some point, why not a guy who is just dripping with potential? so no one yells at me, i want an OT, but don't force it if it aint there.
March 17, 2008
#6 PolygonHell said . . .Phil: Occasionally I go here:
http://www.webwaymonsters.com/phpBB2
I posted a lot at first then realized they're a bunch of tools. They do, however, post pretty much every story that comes up fairly quickly and that's really the only use I get out of it now.
http://www.windycitgridiron.com is ok, but once again, they're all pretty retarded. WCG is the main poster and he's become quite a defeatist.
It seems like a lot of Bears fans are very unhappy with the current course of action, but just two years ago we went to the Super Bowl and last season we played fairly well considering how banged up our defense is. I think if we sign Hester, Urlacher, and Harris in this off-season, everyone should just shut the hell up because that is very very important to me.
I'd also like to see at least one free agent O-line player signed, but if that doesn't happen, I guess we know what the draft will look like. Plus, it would be pretty much a certainty that we would pick up a post June 1 cut player as well.
People forget that there are a few different places where players can be picked up before camp, including trades on draft day itself.
March 17, 2008
#7 Pissed Off said . . .I'm thinking the draft plays out like this at this point
1 OT or tradedown - I don't see us taking Mendenhall here even if he's availble.
2-4 QB - I think we'll take Flacco if he's still there at 2 otherwise I think it'll the late 3rd picl otr 4th
2-4 WR
2-4 RB
2-3 OG
With the latter picks based on best available.
With the possibility of a safety pushing one of those picks later.March 17, 2008
#8 tenacious d said . . .To be honest I like hearing about all the moves...or in the case of the Bears....all the lack of moves but I am about ready for the draft. Lets fast forward and see what the hell this team is going to look like. Then lets fast forward to preseason so we can at least watch some of these guys to formulate opinions. I cant make any opinions abou the current crop of young'ins we have but I can say that last year, those who made up the line, made it suck, badly. I'm sure I'm not done talking about this same shit over and over but I wish I could say I was.
There are so many needs I just hope Jerry is able to make adjustments on draft day...that could be the key to how good our draft is.
March 17, 2008
#9 AfroCelt said . . .We have so many holes ( OT, OG, WR, RB, QB) and I'm betting that Jerry would love to trade down (maybe multiple times) in this draft. At this point we need warm bodies, and he's shown a propensity for it in the past. It's not a sexy move and I'll admit that I've hated it when he's done it. The only way it works is if you trade back up to target specific players, and we never seem to get that part right.
March 17, 2008
#10 jeff said . . .@ Phil
This is pretty much my one stop shop, especially since I have this thing about reading the morons at the newspapers, especially J. M.
March 17, 2008
#11 Shady McBears Fan said . . .well, it's something i'm working on guys...with noah...we want to make this a spot you can hit in the morning and all the newspaper stories and bears stories around will be here for you to take a look at....hopefully it'll be active by the start of the season
March 17, 2008
#12 jeff said . . .If we become a game night writer, do we get a free t-shirt?
March 17, 2008
#13 Bears99 said . . .nobody gets a free t-shirt.
March 17, 2008
#14 Rancid said . . .I still love how JA still hasnt picked up a free agent OL. Its going to work wonders if we just bank on the draft
March 17, 2008
#15 JB said . . .I've been in and out of here without posting in the last few days/weeks. It's hard to post lately. Nothing is happening. As soon as any level of talent becomes available we spend a couple days obscessing about it until the guy signs somewhere else for a contract that you would think we could have beaten. The weird thing is, I'm not nearly as frustrated as most of you. I don't fully trust JA, but I feel like something's coming. It doesn't stop me from offering my own idea though, which is . . .
Offer Max Starks a contract. He is the first guy since the Hutchinson/Burleson fiasco to have the transition tag placed on him. No one has showed any interest in him .(I'm guessing because of the tag) This is why I said on here a couple months ago that we should transition tag BB. If we had, maybe we'd still have him. I don't necessarily think we should piss off the Steelers and do a poison pill thing, instead just make a good attractive offer and find out how badly Pittsburgh really wants to retain his services. I think he could start at guard or tackle for us.
March Madness is second only to Bears football in my list of sports that I get into watching. Maybe that's why I'm not going nuts about all this. At least there's something on for the next month that can get me screaming and yelling at the tube again (usually for teams and players I had little or no knowledge about the day before). I don't think we going to see anything new out of Halas Hall until the draft.
March 18, 2008
#16 JM said . . .i'm down for a t-shirt...i wouldn't even mind making sure it's a decent quality and throwing a couple extra bucks in for it...i guess i'd like the shirt to wear on the weekends or under my new hester jersey and not just another to workout in.
I agree with some on here that aren't worried about the lack of moves. I think that FA is a little overrated in terms of evaluating "who got better and who got worse" like the espn analysts. We still have an amazing core of defensive players that should be healthy after spending most of last year in the trainers room.
So, let's be patient, enjoy the draft next month, welcome a new crop of rookies, and, let's be honest, we can welcome the old crop of rookies as well (payne, dusty, bazuin, wolfe, beekman).
March 18, 2008
#17 jeff said . . .Would we rather the Bears be more like the Jets? They are the sexy pick with all the FA pickups right now. Seems to me like they are overspending for a quick fix. I still trust jerry and lovie, although last year rocked the foundation a little. Trust!!!
March 18, 2008
#18 jeff said . . .JM, don't know where you are but in new york they are the furthest thing from the sexy pick. most papers here (and i agree) are describing these moves as desperation on the part of a young coach, young gm who fear for their jobs.
the jets won 12 less games than the pats last year. assuming the pats decline to 11-5, 12-4 (which feels right with their defensive issues), the jets would still have to improve SEVEN games to catch them. faneca's great but the other guys aren't going to change things drastically. jets probably get to 7-9, maybe 8-8. and that's a hell of an improvement.
March 18, 2008
#19 Duff Diggler said . . .however, for a sexy pick. the cleveland browns. they added a legitimate number two line up beside braylen and two mammoth defensive tackles. if derek anderson plays well, i think they can win it all.
March 18, 2008
#20 Bearfan34 said . . .I know CB is one of our stronger positions, but wouldn't you pull the trigger on a 2nd and a 6th for DeAngelo Hall and then move P-nut to safety (depending on the receiver)?
March 18, 2008
#21 mikebdot said . . .Just win baby!
As always,
Bear Down!
March 18, 2008
#22 mikebdot said . . .Duff: D'angelo Hall is a bit of a bastard. So, no thanks.
March 18, 2008
#23 Gin said . . .Plus, Tillman would become a liability in the run game. I know he's a sound tackler and all, but going against a TE, FB, or lineman will be much tougher than trying to get around a WR.
March 18, 2008
#24 JB said . . .If Jake Long, Ryan Clady, Chris Williams and Jeff Otah are gone, then what do people want? Lets say we dont/cant trade down.
We can't take another OLine that high. That's just horrible value there.
What do the OLine people want then?I say Mendenhall or Stewart.
Thoughts?And this is the only bears site I check...
March 18, 2008
#25 Phil from SATX said . . .which was my point in #4 gin.
regarding hall...no, we're solid at corner. peanut does not make sense at safety, he makes sense at corner, where he is. he's one of the best in the game, even if he hasn't had the post season awards to back it up. this isn't a video game where you go out and make crazy trades. hall has some legit talent, but he just isn't needed. if ray lewis wanted to be traded, would you want to bring him on? i just don't see how hall would be much of an improvement over what we have in tillman/vasher that would be worth a 2 & 6...and by the way, a 2 &6 sounds ridiculous...no one wants a 6 just thrown in...i think he'll go for more than that...
March 18, 2008
#26 Megan said . . .Gin: A couple of thoughts there. First, I don't think there's much chance all 4 of those guys are gone by 14 - certainly there's been no suggestion of that in the mocks I generally peruse. Clady is sure to be gone but either Otah or Williams should be there, maybe both.
Second, the Bears seem to be in an excellent spot to trade down this year, and my guess would be they might only have one of those two graded that high. There are impact players on the board that teams will want to be sure to get (like Mendenhall, Jonathon Stewart, Aqib Talib, and Malcolm Kelly). So I think it's better than 50/50 this year that the Bears WILL trade down, probably not out of the round but maybe as far down as they can reach while still staying there. If neither happens, then they just pick the best on the board at the time, and if that person happens to be a RB, WR or safety, so much the better.
Remember, as it was pointed out several days ago, as excited as you would get about a Mendenhall or a Stewart, remember this is pre-draft, never-played-a-down love for these guys, and we already know how easily and often 1st round picks (especially RBs, especially Bear-picked RBs) disappoint from the lofty expectations they generate.
And with the money that will be dedicated to that top 14 pick, if that happens, I don't think we have to worry about Jerry reaching either. He won't be picking an Olineman at that spot who he has rated 10 spots lower - here cheapness and good sense fortuitously intersect.
No to an expensive FA corner - we already got the best tandem in the league, imo. Don't want to screw that up.
March 18, 2008
#27 Pissed Off said . . .okee dokee jeff/noah, I will buy a t-shirt and I will wear it proudly. Seriously, NO free ones for those who write a winning game night column? (I would be willing to pay a few extra bucks for my T to support a winning column t-shirt->? Think about it?)
I think that it would be great to start off the day with the latest and greatest Bears' news! Capitol idea Jeff!
Phil- I go to ChicagoBears.com and that's about it. I'll read Haugh, that's it-I only blog here. I have an "account" with ChicagoBears.com but I don't like what those guys post, not as fun as here.
March 18, 2008
#28 Phil from SATX said . . .Cherilus would be an option if those 4 other lineman are gone but as Phil said, I doubt 4 will be gone by 14. But if it did happen I can see us trading down...not too far though.
I love Deangelo Hall which obviously isnt the popular opinion here but he's a damn fine corner, an upgrade to both of our current guys no questions in my opinion. But you cant argue that he's a dillhole. I would be in favor of getting the guy but then Vash would be the odd man out, not Peanut, Tillman is the better corner. However I wouldnt move the odd man out to safety, I'd use him as a nickel corner, you know in sets with 3+ WRs plus lets face it, Tillman or Vash or both usually miss some time every year. I'm getting sick of all these stellar players becoming available (or at least speculating about thier availability) at positions we are already strong. Why cant we talk about a kick ass WR or O-lineman or something thats available...oh wait we have....and the BT didnt do shit.
BTW Jeff, great shirt idea, cant wait for it, and getting all the "bears news" daily on this site as well is a FANTASTIC idea...one stop shop baby.
March 18, 2008
#29 ASab said . . .Let us all try to feel a little better. T shirts help. So does reading this article.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=sando_mike&id=3287448
We're actually mentioned in a good light - premise being that the teams that DIDN'T act in the first 11 days of FA may be the real winners.
Appreciate Rancid's evenness (even as he admits it may be due to distraction over March Madness)
March 18, 2008
Do you guys think Otah is a worthwhile pick at #14? He seems to be a project and we need players who can come in and make an impact. If Clady and Williams are gone by the time we pick, I think we should trade down. If we can't trade down I would have to consider taking Mendenhall. I would then target a olinemen like Sam Baker, Tony Hills or Anthony Collins in the 2nd round.
Do you think that we need to take a QB with a 1st day pick this year? I like Flacco but I don't think it is worth trading back into the 1st round for him or Brohm. I would rather wait and take Henne in the 3rd round and a WR with our other 3rd rounder.
March 18, 2008
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.