I have never lied. (Is that true?) I enjoy the release of the upcoming schedule far more than the NFL draft. I am someone who travels with extensive itineraries, does vast amount of research, knows the oldest bar in every town I’ll find. The NFL schedule is like a treasure map. The booty is football.

Here’s what should happen this year.

THURSDAY NIGHT OPENER

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks

No brainer of no brainers. When you have an opportunity for a Super Bowl rematch, involving Peyton Manning, to kick off your season, you do it. I have also been an advocate for the NFL opening the season with non-conference games (with no tiebreaking implications) and this game fits the bill.

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Once again, this feature will fill the Wednesday void throughout the 2014 season and sneak in each week until then on random days. 

Around the League Tweets, Dayton Flying Since ’13! 1 of 10. If you change evaluation of a player based on pro day, you lose all credibility.

2 of 10. No two figures mean more to Buffalo Bills fans than the late Ralph Wilson & the seriously ill Jim Kelly. Tough week in Western NY.

3 of 10. Most Bills fans I know believed once Ralph died the hourglass would flip on the team in Buffalo. Would be a sports tragedy.

4 of 10. If you had an emotional reaction to goalpost dunk ban, I question your stability. Unless you’re under 12 this shouldn’t matter.

5 of 10. So you can’t use the N-word or dunk. Goodell would have a heart attack watching the basketball court near my apartment in Queens.

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IS 2014 DL BETTER THAN 2013 ON PAPER?

Moon Mullin opens his CSN column, which dropped late Wednesday night, with a statement:

And now for a cold splash of perspective, one which I strongly suspect Bears general manager Phil Emery understands from painful experience:

Jared Allen or no Jared Allen, the Bears’ projected defensive line going into 2014 is arguably not as good as the one positioned to take the opening opponent’s snap in 2013.

I quite literally can’t disagree with this statement more. Here’s why:

• Everyone needs to stop with the Corey Wootton/Stephen Paea stuff. Without seeing these two players as overwhelming positives there was no way for Moon to make the statement his column makes and neither Wootton nor Paea is an overwhelming anything. They were and are below average defensive linemen who’ve been overly celebrated due to a dearth of talent along the line.
• The Bears now have three defensive ends (Houston, Young, Idonije) better than their second best defensive end a year ago.
• 2014 Jared Allen is an upgrade over 2013 Julius Peppers.

What do the Bears still lack? An interior pass rusher. That is why I stand by my belief that Phil Emery should swallow his mysterious medicine and draft the best defensive player in college football last year, Aaron Donald.

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Sean Jensen received a text from Jared Allen stating the Bears push “came out of nowhere”. We’ve gotten used to that approach from Phil Emery during his short Chicago Bears tenure. Here are a few thoughts on the signing.

• The Bears added two defensive ends in free agency who excel in run support but are a bit lacking when it comes to pressures, disruptions, sacks. Now they’ve added one of the best 4-3 pass rushers in the sport. I’m not a huge of fan of big contracts to veteran defenders but the Bears needed sacks and they bought some. With the welcome return of Izzy Idonije Bears now have talent and depth at end.
• I’ve said many times I thought the Emery/Trestman regime would yield a championship contender in 2015. I still believe that, which is why I think it’s important to note the Bears gave Allen a second guaranteed year. Bears still have two gaping holes at safety and question marks at both linebacker and defensive tackle. But expectations for 2014, barring major injuries, should be no less than a playoff appearance.
• Kyle Long in 2013. Jared Allen in 2014. The Bears have added something I always thought they lacked in the Lovie Smith era: tough guys. They added some bloody noses. Some alley fighters. And while I can’t stand Jared Allen off the field, I’ll have little issue rooting for him on it.

Last year Phil Emery rebuilt the Bears offensive line in March and April. This year he rebuilt the Bears defensive in a few March week. Jared Allen is a Chicago Bear.

If you follow DaBearsBlog on Twitter, you know that I’m going to win a billion dollars soon. So…I got that going for me. Which is nice. In the meantime I’ll continue living my life among the not-so-rich.

Three thoughts…

1. Everyone spent a month telling me that Lovie Smith was going to purge the Bears roster of all their talented players. Everyone spent a month telling me the allure of Lovie Smith would be too great for them. Corey Wootton. Minnesota. Henry Melton. Dallas. Julius Peppers. Green Bay. Charles Tillman. Home. Devin Hester. Atlanta. Major Wright. Mutual of Omaha. The only player Lovie pulled off the Bears roster was a man who owes his career renaissance to the man replacing Lovie. Is that ironic? It might be. I’m actually not sure.
2. I don’t understand fan reaction to players leaving their favorite team. There is no reason to root against Josh McCown or Devin Hester or Henry Melton now that they’re no longer a Chicago Bear. If there was no salary cap, all of these men would remain in the navy blue and orange for years to come but running a modern organization is about making difficult decisions without the luxury of sentiment. I hope Devin Hester breaks the record Week One for Atlanta, as long as the Bears don’t open the season there. Because nobody will remember him returning kicks for the Falcons. They’ll remember him returning kicks on the Drive.
3. A majority of the Tweets and emails I receive ask one question, “Who do you see the Bears drafting with the fourteenth pick?” Here is my answer: I don’t know. But one thing I truly believe is that no position on the defensive side of the ball is off the table. Yes there are pressing needs at DT and safety but if Emery identifies a potentially game-changing pass rusher, he’s taking him. If he identifies a potential shutdown corner, he’s taking him. I don’t think any of the moves made in free agency actually influence the draft approach, despite what Emery said in his press conference. As a matter of fact, I think Emery’s press conference statement that free agency will clue the media in to his draft approach is an old fashioned, transparent smokescreen.

Enjoy the weekend, poor people.

Around the League Tweet, Sponsored by Advil Cold & Flu. 1 of 10. Brandon Weeden & Tony Romo is officially my favorite position room in the NFL.

2 of 10. When the Colts released a statement following owner Jim Irsay’s arrest, who was “the Colts”? Wasn’t “the Colts” in a Carmel clink?

3 of 10. Would pay to see March scrimmage between Panthers current WRs and Jets current cornerbacks. Best play: Dee Milliner.#Serious

4 of 10. Hey James Jones. Aaron Rodgers ain’t walking through that door in Oakland. I’m not sure who is but I’m pretty sure he’ll stink.

5 of 10, Two Parts. Pro days are to NFL what agent showcases are to professional theatre actors. You do the monologue well, you get an agent. You get a guy to help find work. You don’t get lead in Goodman Theatre’s Iceman Cometh. Because the showcase isn’t real.

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I like pictures. My mind processes information visually. So I did a drawing of the Bears starting lineup as of today. Figured I’d share it. Why not? It’s my damn blog.

I remember sitting in that beautiful stadium they’ve got down there in Nashville. Right off the water. Lower Broadway’s honky tonks  audible from my seat. I remember seeing Matt Hasselbeck throw passes to receivers and expect those receivers to hold onto the ball. The silly man actually believed his receivers had the option! He should have known better.  Charles “Peanut” Tillman did not force one or two fumbles that afternoon. He forced four, cementing his legacy as the greatest forcer of fumbles the NFL has ever seen. And in my mind, on that warm November day in Tennessee, Tillman cemented his place in Canton.

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Around the League Tweets, Free Agency Ya Next Tuesday! 1 of 10. Aren’t the Oakland Raiders lucky the Cleveland Browns exist?

2 of 10. Can’t imagine Darren Sproles would have chosen Philly as an FA. Doubtful he wanted a team with a more dynamic, faster back.

3 of 10. One of my biggest surprises: Andy Reid letting Dexter McCluster leave KC w/out a fight. Struck me as pivotal weapon for Chiefs.

4 of 10. Harbaugh acquiring Blaine Gabbert & Jonathan Martin is him sending message: I can get to NFC title game w/the worst players in NFL.

5 of 10. There’s only player outside a Chicago Bears uniform I pull for to win Super Bowl: Steve Smith. Pound for pound best player in NFL.

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