For the first time since the advent of free agency, NFL franchises will draft prior to the acquisition of free agents.  This was the message of football-business expert Andrew Brandt on the Four Letters and this is a message that should resonate with NFL fans.  Why?  Because 32 teams are competing for a Super Bowl title and, of the true contenders, it may very well be the front office that handles the confusion of the next few days that ends up hoisting the Lombardi in Indianapolis next February.

The league will be open for business as of 7 AM (CT) tomorrow morning with player trades possibly as early as the beginning of the second round (depending on legal disputes).  If the 8th Circuit rejects the league’s proposal, free agency is likely to begin Monday morning.  NFL franchises do not generally excel at operating on the fly.  They are rigidly planed organizations.  Bill Parcells used to have his travel arrangements for the entire season finalized before the start of training camp and would be upset when those plans were altered by anything non-natural.  32 NFL franchises will be forced to change their agendas.  And change is basically overnight. 

Are Jerry Angelo and his new right-hand Tim Ruskell up to this task?  We are soon to find out.  The Bears have specific needs overall, desperately seeking offensive line help and a big target, playmaking wide receiver.  What were the Bears targeting in the free agency market?  How confident are they about convincing a Sidney Rice-type to join Jay Cutler in Chicago?  Can Jerry move back in the draft to acquire talent off another roster (available tomorrow) with a pair of second-round selections?  Who knows.

The Bears are a Super Bowl contender in 2012.  Will their front office adapt to the insanity of this week and put them in a better position to win their first title in 26 years?  We start answering those questions tonight.

When the evening finds us at pick twenty-nine
Select then a player for the offensive line

As pressure does mount, these choices seem hard
So find thee a tackle, a center, or guard

For Kreutz hath been the roots of this unit since Dick
But Olin’s now rollin’ to the retirement shtick.
7-3’s a mountain, either a mountain or hill
But a mountain’s no good with no position to fill

The young kid from Vandy hath not been so dandy
Moving around like a beagle in heat
Frank often stank though the pundits thought him handy
I saw him struggle to keep 6 on his feet

Roberto.
Does anybody ever write about Roberto?

So when the evening finds us at pick twenty-nine
Select then a player for the offensive line

Austin the Tarheel, that wideout from Pitt
May be great players, may be the shit
But one thing’s for certain, or I could be insaney
Without offensive linemen
Get used to Caleb Hanie

I’ll be doing a rolling Twitter commentary here for the duration of the first round, followed by an analysis of the selection (if Jerry doesn’t pull a Jerry and trade out of the round altogether).

Here’s my draft week plan.  I’ll have threads up for each of the draft rounds and then I’ll go and find all the information I can on each of the players selected by the Chicago Bears.  (Saturday might be a bit trickier as I’ll be on the golf course.)  I’m hoping they are all offensive linemen.

MARTZ REJECTS CONTRACT EXTENSION

PFT reported a day or so ago that Mike Martz rejected a one-year contract extension that would have kept him as the offensive coordinator of the Bears throughout the term of Lovie Smith’s tenure.  Why did he reject it?  Because it included no pay raise.  (Dave Toub rejected a similar offer.)  These rejections are not substantial but they are telling.  PFT relegates the story to the Bears being “stingy” but that notion feels antiquated in the wake of their signing high-priced free agents like Julius Peppers and making Lovie Smith one of the richest head coaches in the league.  The truth is the Bears still do not have 100% faith in their head coach and see no reason to overpay the staff of a head man they will fire at the first sign of a dismal season.

STEVE SMITH DOES NOT PLAN TO RETURN TO CAROLINA

A very detailed report has Steve Smith cleaning out his locker and luxury suite in Carolina, as he does not expect to return to the team this season.  If you don’t think Smith has more in the tank, you’re crazy.  His career has has been derailed by that cavalcade of crap quarterbacks they keep lining up under center down there.  If the Bears can get him for a mid-round pick, they should do that immediately.

MOCKING THE MOCK DRAFTS

Great piece in the Orlando Sentinel on the bullshit industry that has been spawned by the high profile of the NFL draft.  To read it, click here.

Austin’s college career left much to be desired (nine career sacks), but talent will keep him in round one. The nation’s former top defensive tackle recruit has rehabbed his stock with an exceptional offseason, dominating at the East-West Shrine and standing out at the Combine and Tar Heels’ Pro Day. 

Yes Austin was an underachiever during his time at North Carolina but that’s not why the Bears should leave him be.  Yes Austin was dismissed from UNC after inappropriate contact with an agent in 2010 but that’s not reason enough for the Bears to look elsewhere.  No the Bears should not even consider selecting Marvin Austin with the twenty-ninth overall pick in the draft because Marvin Austin’s defensive tackle skills would make him terrible at blocking for the quarterback.

To look at the previous post, listing the schedule, click here.

Analyzing potential draft picks is the element of NFL writing I find most boring.  Coming in a close second is analyzing the schedule on the day of its release.  No one knows in April how good the Broncos or Chiefs will be in November.  No one knows if the Vikings will solve their quarterback issues or if the Green Bay Packers will stay healthy.  Three words pretty much sum up the coming season, when the discussion is happening in April: no one knows.

The NFL confirmed tonight that the Chicago Bears will face the Tampa Bay Bucs in London on October 23rd.  The remainder of the schedule is to be announced Tuesday evening.

The NFL should not be playing football games in Europe.  It is a stupid, ridiculous idea predicated upon the misguided belief of Roger Goodell and several owners that American football can somehow usurp the real football played with feet in England, France, Germany and beyond.  As somehow who loves soccer as a sport perhaps more than American football, I could put that myth to bed in Goodell’s mind if he’d just pick up the phone and call me.  But alas, he never does.  Oh Roger, why don’t you call anymore?