Here are five thoughts on the Bears possible approach.

(1) Go get Eric Weddle. Why?

• Antrel Rolle is shot and has been for some time. (Even when he wasn’t shot, he couldn’t cover anybody.)
• Weddle may come with a significant yearly price tag but at thirty-one years old the length of the contract will most likely be tolerable.
• Weddle can bring toughness, versatility and leadership to a secondary desperate for all three.
• Adrian Amos already has the best secondary coach in the NFL. Line up Weddle beside him and you’ll see his development expedited.

(2) The Bears targeted Pernell McPhee quickly a year ago and landed their man. Would they do so again? Yes. Because adding Malik Jackson to their defensive line will turn around their poor rush defense almost immediately. There’s concern, of course, because paying defensive linemen has bitten several clubs in the ass. But you have to spend all that cap space somewhere, don’t you?

(3) The Bears should go into 2016 with Charles Leno and Kyle Long as their starting tackles. Both showed enough a year ago to warrant another season at those positions. But don’t be surprised if they look to free agency for a tough presence in the middle of the line. Is Alex Boone a great guard? No. But he’s got some badass in him. And he shouldn’t be too expensive.

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I hate the Combine.

Hate it.

Pure, unadulterated hate.

Why?

Three reasons.

• It’s stupid. Football has become overcomplicated to an insane level I can’t stomach. Does a man’s hand size equate to his being a better thrower of the football? Perhaps. But the truth is I simply don’t care. If there was no Combine and the players were selected based purely upon their performance on the college football field (you know, like it was when Walter Payton got drafted), you trying to tell me teams would do a worse job of talent evaluation? Teams are shitty at it now and there’s three months of evaluation!
• A collection of wealthy, overwhelmingly white men sit and evaluate the physical attributes of a collection of unemployed, overwhelmingly black men. They are trying to determine whether their physical abilities suit the needs of the labor force. Do they pay the men? Absolutely. But if you don’t see the similarities between the Combine and slave auctions it’s because you don’t want to see them.
• This stupid event gives credence to the inanity of people like Mike Mayock, who will cite a player’s measurables exhaustingly when he’s ACTUALLY CALLING A GAME. The Draft Industrial Complex is the biggest waste of money and resources in the sports world.

Editor’s Note: I will not watch any of the Combine. My thoughts on the charade are well known. So thankfully, Andrew is around.

I don’t care what anybody says, the NFL combine is a valuable part of the predraft process. It has become popular to understate the value of the NFL Combine but if it didn’t matter, teams wouldn’t send every scout and coach they have. The common theme amongst former scouts is that the workouts are mostly to confirm what they have seen on tape. A lot of times, however, it makes them re-watch the tape and, sometimes changes their views on certain players. We, as fans, and NFL teams are going to get a lot of valuable information this week.

The best skill position players in the league are almost always athletic freaks. Two years ago, Aaron Donald went from being a guy mocked in the third round to a consensus top-15 pick just by putting on a show at the combine. There are certainly exceptions to the rule, but not many.

The elite talents are usually obvious on tape, but the numbers are about more than separating the elite. NFL teams have minimums or bench marks that they look for at each position. Just last year, Greg Gabriel deemed current Baltimore Ravens tight end Maxx Williams as being not good enough to be selected in the first round seconds after he ran the 40-yard dash, claiming Williams needed to break into the 4.6-range to be drafted in the first round. Greg was right.

The two most important parts of the combine are the physicals and the interviews, neither of which we get to see. But there’s still valuable information that we can learn.

Here are a few things to watch for the Bears this year:

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Ian Rapoport reported last week the Bears are open to not bringing back Alshon Jeffery in 2016. Here are some thoughts.

• I’ve never believed the theory that the Bears selected Kevin White in the 2015 draft because of a best player available philosophy. I believe they selected White because they envision him as a dynamic, game-changing, number one wide receiver. By the same token they don’t view Jeffery that way. Does Jeffery have that potential? Absolutely. But is he among the game’s best at the position? No.
• Leaking this news to RapSheet serves a particular purpose for the Bears. They have now let people in Jeffery’s camp know they are comfortable with him walking out the door. It’s very clear the Bears don’t intend to break the bank for Jeffery so they are trying to convince him to take a team friendly, long-term deal.
• The Bears have a ton of cap space. Not sticking Jeffery with the franchise tag makes zero sense if they believe he’s part of their future.
• If Ryan Pace decides to move on from Jeffery, he better be sure. Letting a terrific player leave your organization in his prime, especially if he succeeds elsewhere, is not something fans let a GM forget.

There is no question Matt Forte lost a step and little disagreement about the Bears decision to let him go. But the reality of the situation is that by exiling Forte the club has created a big hole at the running back position. Forte, even after injury and the emergence of Jeremy Langford, was getting nearly 60 percent of the carries and was the team’s best back by every conceivable measurement.

Langford is most known for his speed and explosiveness but Forte led him in runs of fifteen yards or more by the staggering total of 10-3. Ka’Deem Carey is known for running hard and breaking tackles but — according to Pro Football Focus — Forte averaged more yards after contact (2.24-2.05) and broke a tackle once every 9 touches. Carey did once every 9.2 touches.

Even if you were to combine Langford and Carey into one back, they weren’t as good as Forte. Langford averaged 1.76 yards after contact and broke a tackle once every 17 touches and Carey has never had a run longer than 15 yards. (He’s had runs longer than 10 yards just twice.) Forte also averaged about a half-yard more per carry overall than the other two combined.

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Dannehy with Hatman

Having some trouble with the sound quality when transferring Soundcloud to WordPress so I’m simply embedding Andrew’s Tweet in this space. Dan Hatman is a quality follow on Twitter and his conversation with Dannehy is worth your time.

A little dated due to technical difficulties, a pod with @Dan_Hatman where we discuss Fox/Broncos and Forte: https://t.co/fpfniD4OfY

— Andrew Dannehy (@ChiBearsAD) February 14, 2016

THREE THOUGHTS FROM AROUND THE BEARS

• After a few days I can honestly say I didn’t like the 30-for-30 on the 1985 Bears. Why? (1) There was very little new information in the film. Having seen/read just about everything on the subject, ESPN offered a survey course on a subject I’ve devoted my life to. (2) The film wasn’t made very well. The focus – especially the Buddy Ryan excess – was off. The score was bizarre. The narration was poorly written and poorly cast with Vince Vaughn. (How can you not have an iconic Chicago voice attached to a project like this? Adam Jahns narrating would have sounded far better.) If you’ve never heard of this team, it’s a worthwhile investment of your time. If you know a lot about them it offers little more than a few smiles and a chance to dive once again into nostalgic waters. People who call this one of the best 30-for-30s are lost.

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Potential Bargains

None of these guys are sure bets, but they shouldn’t cost much. They may have injury baggage or low production but the potential is there. The Bears hit on a player in this category last year with Tracy Porter. They missed with Alan Ball.

Tyvon Branch, S, Kansas City

Pros: Had a really strong finish, playing a lot for the Chiefs over the second half of last season. Has been a good player for most of his career, registering more than 70 tackles four times. Vic Fangio has had a lot of luck getting the most out of safeties. Branch won’t turn 30 until next December.

Cons: Played a combined five games in 2013 and 2014. Doesn’t have the kind of ball skills the Bears need with just five career interceptions. Was destroyed by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last year. Might just be a rotational safety at this point in his career.

Jermaine Kearse, WR, Seattle

Pros: Good hands, athletic, solid after the catch and a good run-blocker. Only 25 and has never really been featured, playing for a running team. Has played well in a number of very big games.

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Building Blocks

These are the guys to watch. In his postseason presser, Ryan Pace said the team wasn’t going to spent big on one guy, instead spreading their money out. That could mean multiple players from this tier.

Malik Jackson, DL, Denver

Pros: He gained much more recognition in the playoffs as one of the best pass rushing and run-stopping defensive linemen in the league. Jackson constantly drew double teams, freeing others up for sacks.

Cons: The draft figures to be strong along the defensive line this year and Jackson is likely looking for a big pay day — which could explain why the Broncos extended Derek Wolfe instead. With Eddie Golman already in place, the Bears could sign a significantly cheaper veteran and develop linemen behind him.

Jaye Howard, DL, Kansas City

Pros: A good athlete who is really tough against the run. Showed some pass-rush ability. Dominated Vlad Ducasse and Hroniss Grasu. Would immediately be the team’s second best defensive lineman.

Cons: Kind of a one-year wonder. Played less than half of his team’s snaps every other year. Kansas City usually took him off the field in passing situations. Committed eight penalties last year. If Jackson and Wilkerson get huge contracts, Howard’s price could be driven up. The question needs to be asked again: Do you pay for a player, or draft and develop behind him?

Danny Trevathan, LB, Denver

Pros: Instinctive and rangy, Trevathan has been a key to the Broncos defense this year after missing most of the 2014 season. He has excelled in coverage and shows really good instincts. Rated by Pro Football Focus as one of the best tacklers in the league.

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