The video posted here are Frey’s high school highlights. Why not?

From National Football Post:

A taller corner with good size and overall length for the position. Possesses average bend when asked to sit into his stance and when asked to turn and run does a decent job keeping his pad level down and cleanly getting out of his transition. However, isn’t real quick footed or physical. Struggles off the line to slide his feet laterally and stay in front of his target. Too often is forced to extend his arms with his feet stuck in the mud and gets overextended off the line. For his size doesn’t play as physical as he should when trying to re-route because of his struggles with balance. Is easily slipped on contact and has a tough time collecting himself and getting back up to speed. Displays solid straight-line speed for his size, but not the kind needed to make up for a false step.

Gets upright when trying to re-direct laterally and simply doesn’t exhibit the kind of initial burst need to close on the football and eliminate initial separation off the line. Does possess a great feel in zone coverage either. Has a tendency to get caught with his eyes in the backfield and take false steps away from the action allowing receivers to slip behind him. For his size isn’t a great tackler and doesn’t breakdown well when attacking downhill.

Impression: Possesses solid speed and god size, but lacks ideal balance and quickness when trying to hold his own off the line in man.

Talk about a selection that signals the offensive philosophy change.

If Rodriguez makes the team he will most likely take Tyler Clutts’ roster spot. He can line up at fullback, tight end, H-back…etc. He’s a versatile talent but an unconventional type player. I will hopefully have more to say by the end of the weekend once I’ve made a few calls. (I know his high school football coach in North Bergen, NJ.)

The decision to pass up on Massie here is a simple one: Massie is a right tackle in the NFL. He does not translate at all as a left tackle in the league. And the Bears believe Gabe Carimi will be their right tackle for the next decade.

Q: Will the Bears look at the quarterback position on day three of the NFL draft?

I think it would be fascinating if Kirk Cousins is still on the board when the Bears pick in the fourth round. Cousins is not a special-type quarterback but he reminds some folks, including me, of Jon Kitna. With the Bears only signing Jason Campbell to a one-year contract and Josh McCown being mediocre the Bears may be looking to develop Jay Cutler’s longterm backup.

Q: Why haven’t the Bears addressed the offensive line?

The answer is simple: they like their offensive line and they love their offensive line coach, Mike Tice. The Bears rushed for 2,014 yards in 2011 and you simply can’t achieve those kinds of numbers with bad line play. This is especially true when you consider the Bears had three backs record 100-yard rush games even after opponents realized Caleb Hanie was incapable of completing a pass.

Yes they struggled in pass protection but they only allowed five sacks in Cutler’s last five games under center. Two of those were admittedly Cutler’s fault. The question of the 2012 season may very well be this: will J’Marcus make significant improvement from year one at left tackle to year two? If he does the Bears are going to have one of the most dynamic passing games in the sport. If he does not the Bears will need to supply assistance on the left side of the line continually and look to find a longterm answer at the position next offseason.

Q: Why has Ole Miss tackle Bobby Massie slid to the third day of the draft?

Nobody knows. Mel Kiper looked stunned on ESPN and Mike Mayock admitted, on camera, he needed to revisit the tape in order to understand how a player’s draft stock could decline so majestically. (He did not use the word “majestically” but he should have.) Whatever the case may be I think the Bears should find a way to grab him in the fourth round. Not because I know anything about the player but because I can’t imagine he won’t enter the NFL with a rather massive chip on his shoulder. Massie came out early. Articles were written Wednesday that he might go in the first round. Now he’s available on the weekend and will most likely be a longshot to make an NFL roster in 2012. I’d like to see him fighting for that spot in Bourbonnais.

Q: What position might the Bears surprise fans by attacking?

Running back. There are three or four talented backs still available in this draft, especially Washington’s Chris Polk and Miami’s Lamar Miller. We know Michael Bush and Kahlil Bell will be arriving at Bears camp this summer. We do not know about Matt Forte. Phil Emery and the organization might be best served to send the Double Deuce a clear message they are prepared to move on without him.

From PFW:

Positives:

Excellent size and athletic ability. Has played corner and safety and has extensive experience locked in man coverage. Good balance, hip flex, change of direction and body control for his size. Can turn and run vertical. Zone-aware. Supports the run aggressively. Heavy hitter. Plays with awareness and football intelligence. Has the traits and mentality for special teams. Outstanding character and makeup.

Negatives:

Could improve press technique. Average pedal fluidity. Lacks ideal explosion and recovery burst to survive on an island. Stressed by smaller, quicker receivers (gives up separation at the top of stems). Minimal ball production. Does not always arrive under control to tackle. At times gets wired to blocks. Relatively inexperienced (only one full season as a starter).

Summary:

Intriguing size-speed prospect who looks like a safety and was athletic enough to play corner in college. Has desirable intangibles and at worst should be a versatile, valuable backup and core special-teams player. Has more upside than former OSU safety Sabby Piscitelli, who was overdrafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007.

The Bears have added the complementary weapon for Brandon Marshall they desired. Big man. Terrific red zone threat for Cutler. Bears will have an exciting offense this year, folks. Enjoy the video.

I’m fully expecting a run on offensive linemen and wide receivers early in the second round tonight. With those two positions clearly on the Bears radar it will be interesting to see if they attempt to move forward.

I will be back with some information once Phil Emery makes his first selection of the evening. The Bears pick 50th and 79th.

PS. Thanks to the boys from the blog for coming last night. It was a damn good time and we, um, mildly escaped a barroom brawl.

Does Shea McClellin fit the Lovie Smith’s defense? I’m not sure. But selecting him with the 19th pick in last night’s first round sends a clear message to those who hadn’t yet heard it: Phil Emery is in charge.

The official Bears blog koozie (grainy picture but it’s the Bear down logo and it’s cool) will be available for general sale in the weeks to come. But I’m going to give some away to ya’ll for spending tonight on the site.

Here are the rules. Guess whom the Bears will select in the first round. That is all. Guess the pick. Guess it right and I’ll send you a koozie. YOUR PICK MUST BE IN BY THE MOMENT THE COLTS GO ON THE CLOCK. NO LATE SELECTIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

One catch. If I send you a koozie I want you to take photographs with the koozie. At the local bar. With your family. On vacation. In front of historic landmarks. If you send me a photograph I’ll post it on the site and give you a chance to be the star of DBB for a few hours.

My guess for the 19th pick yesterday was Kendall Wright. Today I’m clueless again so I’ll take a shot and say Mike Mayock is right and it’ll be Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse. (But Wright or Stephen Hill in this slot would not surprise me in the least). For what it’s worth I had dinner last night with Adam Oestmann from Chicago Bears Huddle and Your Boy Roy. Oestmann thinks Courtney Upshaw is heading to Chicago. Roy could not stop talking about Andre Branch.

So good luck and enjoy what I think is going to be a terrific draft night.

NOTE: Don’t forget that I’ll be hosting the first ever DaBearsBlog First Round Draft Party Thursday night at Cortland’s Garage in Bucktown. At the party we’ll be giving away a pair of lower tier tickets for the October 28th Bears vs. Panthers game at Soldier Field. (There will also be a $25 open bar from the second the Colts go on the clock until the final pick of the round is made.) For full details on the party, CLICK HERE.

Osi Umenyiora is talking.. This in itself is not surprising. That he’s talking to Tom Rock of Newsday is a bit more of a surprise.. Having failed to receive the lucrative contract extension he sought from the New York Giants it seems he is using the week leading up to the draft to make the case that trading him is the best option for all concerned. PFT breaks down the scenario:

Umenyiora, who has fought with the Giants about renegotiating his contract for most of the last few years, told Rock that a team trading for him wouldn’t need toredo his contract. Umenyiora has complained about his backup status with the Giants and could feel like a starting role on another team would best set him up to hit free agency next year. This would be the optimal time for the Giants to trade Umenyiora, something he clearly knows, and making his willingness to play under his current deal — a reasonable $3.975 million for this season — is a good way to generate some interest.

If the cost is not excessive, this is a no-brainer decision for the Bears organization looking to win big in 2012. Why?

1. Umenyiora was the best pure pass rusher on a defensive front that included Justin Tuck and JPP. If he were able to work opposite Julius Peppers, facing consistent one-on-ones with opposing tackles, they would form one of the league’s most formidable rush duos.
2. It is a contract year and the Bears know they’d  getting a player looking to stay on the field for as many snaps as possible and play as well as he had in his career. It is not a move for the long-term. It is a move to win now.
3. It would enable the Bears to draft a project on the edge – someone who will not be forced to make a major contribution in his rookie season.

He wants out of New Jersey and the Giants know they can get something now. If Phil Emery can get them to take a third-round selection the real question is…why not?

NOTE: Don’t forget that I’ll be hosting the first ever DaBearsBlog First Round Draft Party Thursday night at Cortland’s Garage in Bucktown. At the party we’ll be giving away a pair of lower tier tickets for the October 28th Bears vs. Panthers game at Soldier Field. (There will also be a $25 open bar from the second the Colts go on the clock until the final pick of the round is made.) For full details on the party, CLICK HERE.

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There is general opinion circulating across the Bears media landscape that Phil Emery must target a starter, an immediate contributor, with the 19th overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. It is poppycock. Sure every GM wants their first round pick to become a major contributor from day one. This is why they’re paid so handsomely. But “targeting a starter” in the first round or any round of the draft leads to reaching on unworthy talents and Emery will not bypass players he’s graded highly for a lower-rated player fitting a need. He will do what most GMs around the game do: take the best player on his board.

The reason why is simple: 2012 is not about Phil Emery. Emery will enter the coming campaign with a roster that is 88% belonging to Jerry Angelo and he will have gone through an entire off-season/draft process without his own scouting and organizational personnel in place. I don’t care what he says about the talent currently assembled in the scouting department. I don’t care what he says about wanting players who can help the Bears win now. I don’t care what he says about Lovie’s contribution to the college evaluation process. If the Bears fail to make the postseason next year Phil Emery knows he will be showing Lovie the door and bringing his own man in to coach. He knows he has to be concerned about drafting for that coach as much as for the current man.

And how many real starting positions are available for the Bears with the 19th pick? Pretty much all of them! That’s how the NFL operates these days. No team has a great player at every position and no team has any depth at all. Hell, the Giants have a need at wide receiver and they have the best receiving corps in the league.

Outside of quarterback and running back you could make a successful argument the Bears’ first round pick would have an opportunity to start anywhere on the field. Mark Barron could easily win a starting safety job in camp. Kendall Wright could fill the Johnny Knox void. Coples, Ingram, Mercilus? It seems difficult to make the Bears defensive line rotation never mind become a three-down bookend to Julius Peppers. I continue to argue Dont’a Hightower is the most undervalued player in this draft and someone is going to draft a ten-year starter at linebacker. I don’t think anyone outside Gabe Carimi is safe on the Bears offensive line.

Emery admitted in his Monday presser he feels no pressure. Why should he? He’s guaranteed two or three more drafts at Halas Hall. He starts with the nineteenth overall pick Thursday night. And he’ll be taking the top name on his board.