Chicago Bears: Pick 117

With Chicago continuously screwing the pooch in draft picks this year and last, I have a better chance of making a list of who they probably shouldn't take only to be correct when they take them. Instead, here are a couple of guys still on the board who I would like to see in a Bears uniform.

Barret Jones, C, Alabama
Jones is the top-rated center on my value board and I had him as the 5th or 6th best offensive lineman. Roberto Garza isn't getting any younger so it's time to pull the trigger.

Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
How he's lasted this long amazes me but would make a great replacement for Izzy Idonize and a 3-down Defensive End.

Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia
For the jersey sales alone the Bears should sign this kid. That and he is a top talent at a spot that turns over a lot due to inconsistency and injury.

Jordan Poyer, CB, Oregon State
Bears are still in need for depth in that secondary and Poyer is the highest rated CB on the board.

UPDATE 11:35 AM: Okafor off the board so I am going to take a risk on the red-flag character issues and say go get WR Da'Rick Rogers from Tennessee Tech.

Chicago Bears: 12 (more) Prospects at #50

With the first round gone, it's time to move on to the next 12 prospects (plus 4 from the previous article) who could be around at #50.

Top Guys

1. Arthur Brown, ILB\OLB, Kansas State *
Brown is a physical specimen who can play inside or outside linebacker. After watching 2 of 3 starters leave, Chicago is needy at the position. Brown is a guy who could step into the middle or play the strong side. A tackling machine.
Chance of being on the board: 30%.

2. Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU *
Minter is a prototype MLB who grinds it out. Known more as a sure tackler than a "knockout" hitter, Minter is the kind of player that can provide solid play between the ends. In the right system, Minter could have a long career in the NFL. I prefer Brown because of his versatility but Minter is still a top prospect. If Minter is on the board, it'll be interesting to see if he is weighed as the heir apparent for Brian Urlacher.
Chance of being on the board: 35%

3. Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
Short is very impressive with possibly the best potential at this position. In college, he held strong against run and was a disruptive presence against the pass. He saw a lot of double teams which makes people question his consistency and drive. Placed on defensive line like the Bears, Short could become a future star.
Chance of being on the board: 25%

4. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
Blessed with size and strength, Okafor has played both inside and out. He's not the blazing speed Rush End teams covet but he would make a solid, DE. In Bears parlance, I would liken Okafor to a better Izzy Idonije.
Chance of being on the board: 65%

5. David Amerson, CB, NC State
Impressive size, speed and ballhawk ability Amerson has fallen to the 2nd-round because of inconsistencies his Junior season. Amerson however is a rare commodity at Corner who, once he establishes his confidence, can excel at the NFL level.
Chance of being on the board: 75%

The Other Guys

6. Robert Woods, WR, USC
Woods is a polished route runner, physical and has good speed but will not run away from anyone. Despite Chicago looking for homerun threats, Woods could establish himself as a threat at Wide Receiver and break into the lineup if Alshon Jeffrey struggles.
Chance of being on the board: 20%

7. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State 
Hankins fits more of the form of the NT or run stuffing Defensive Tackle. Solid at the point of attack, Hankins will find a nice fit in any 3-4 or 4-3 defense just as long as he's not asked to rush the QB effectively for 4 quarters.
Chance of being on the board: 30%

8. Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
Warford I have higher rated than Long and a guy who could actually come into the mix and start right away. When you're as thin as the Bears o-line, Warford could provide a serviceable starter as a rookie and be a mainstay until he leaves or the Bears find someone better.
Chance of being on the board: 50%

9. Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi State
Slay has been in the shadows of Jonathan Banks but shows good coverage, recognition and playmaking ability. The knock on Slay is that he needs to become a more willing tackler which may be tough given the step up to the NFL and its size and speed.
Chance of being on the board: 95%

How about NO

Keenan Allen, WR, California *
The Bears are loaded with possession receivers so adding Allen makes no sense. His 40-times were slow and his injury history is enough to steer clear of the Cal product.

Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame *
The Notre Dame crowd around Chicago loves Te'o however he falls below on my value board of even Ogletree. Te'o may have a bright future in the NFL or he might fall on his face much like he did against Alabama. Regardless, the guy is surrounded by questions and not worth a 2nd-round pick with better prospects on the board.

Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
Moore has the numbers to back up his value; however, he's too small and not explosive enough to warrant a 2nd-round pick. There's a better chance that his skills just do not translate at this level.

Cornellis Carradine, DE, FSU
Carradine turned in an impressive senior season after being pressed into service due to injury. He is still very raw and - near the end of the season - was injured himself. Carradine is only 5 months off an ACL injury and probably looking at a "red-shirt" rookie season. He's a good prospect if you can bury him on the IR for a year.

Margus Hunt, DE, SMU
Hunt is a physical freak that could boom or bust. Some scouts even relate him to Bears DE Corey Wootton. I can't see the Bears drafting a Wootton-clone despite his upside.

Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
A tall, skinny, straight-line runner but unpolished and raw. Hunter is more of a project with great athleticism and tremendous upside. However, the Bears - with only 5 picks - cannot waste their 1st and 2nd round picks on offensive "projects".

Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers
Despite being high on value, Ryan does not translate well to the NFL. He often struggles with physical receivers and though he possesses decent measurables, there is question if he can make it at the next level

* Means noted in the first article on the 20th pick.

Phil Emery "Angelo's" Another 1st Round Pick

In Phil Emery's inaugural draft I was highly critical of taking Shea McClellin with the 19th overall pick. Not only was McClellin rated as a tweener (OLB\Rush DE) and suited for a 3-4 defense, he was rated 53rd on my big board. Many top prospects still remained in several positions that could have bolstered the Bears but Emery stubbornly forged ahead despite Bruce Irvin (the OLB\DE he coveted was taken at the 15 position and rated even further back on my value board) decided to continue to pinpoint DE. Given the state of the Bears offense (namely OL and WR), Emery could have gone in several directions but remained stubborn.

This year was no different. Emery finally decided that o-line was the top priority this draft only to watch all the top talent including the best Tackles and Guards go off the board in the first 15 picks. Chicago tried to trade back for more picks but it was a buyers market so they forged ahead. With guys on the board like 2 and 2A Cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Desmond Trufant, DT Sharrif Floyd and a wealth of top-rated Linebackers ... Emery opted to take the 8th or 9th best offensive lineman who's started a whopping 4 games in college. Long rated 54th on my value board (at least he's consistent) and rated at best a mid-2nd to 3rd-round pick by most experts.

The 1st-round, for intelligent drafting organizations, is a place where you find athletes who can make an immediate impact on your team. Not only is Kyle Long going to be a 25-yo rookie with little playing experience, a history of substance abuse, AND an underachiever; he provides no immediate improvement to the Bears o-line!

Phil Emery tried to bolster his choice saying that “We see a player who is going to contribute right away” already penciling Long in at Left Guard. Emery went on to say that "Kyle was the player that we targeted,” the general manager said. “We targeted him for the last couple of weeks. He had to be gone for us to move back. We were not going to move off that spot if Kyle Long was still there.”

If that is true, than Emery and the entire scouting department should be fired. When you have a top-20 pick and you are targeting an unproven, 25-yo Guard\Tackle tweener instead of finding the best player on the board when you have deep holes needed filled ... that's the recipe for being mediocre for years to come. Take into account that Emery's words completely and utterly contradict what was being said by not only Kyle Long but Marc Trestman.

“It’s been clear from the beginning in conversations with (Trestman) that I’m a very raw player,” Long said. “And they’re on the same page as me in that I think my best ball is ahead of me.”

Does that sound like a guy who the head coach is going to place at starting Left Guard in four months time?

Noted publisher of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush was left in shock with the results of the day. “I believe we heard Emery quoted several times in the last couple of weeks (saying) that there’s a couple of guys that we love – that we know what we’re going to do when we get there," said Arkus on 670 The Score. "If this was it, wow. I’m a little taken back by this one. I was bummed with Shea McClellin last year. This (pick) makes that look like they (got) Barry Sanders with Shea McClellin. I don’t get this pick. It’s disappointing”

Emery once again showed his inability to work the first round of the draft or be flexible in his approach. The same lack of production in early rounds cost the last GM his job. In the do-or-die, win-it-now world of the NFL, once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern. Phil Emery, your tenure is now on the clock.

Maryland Sorority Girl Reacts to Bear's Draft

For those of you that have your heads stuck under rocks, which apparently is the majority of this organization, we have been FUCKING UP in terms of scouting and interviewing college prospects. I've been getting texts on texts about people LITERALLY being so fucking AWKWARD and so fucking CLUELESS. If you're reading this right now and saying to yourself "But oh em gee Julia, I've been having so much fun with my coworkers this week!", then punch yourself in the face right now so that I don't have to fucking find you at Halas Hall to do it myself.

I do not give a flying fuck, and fans do not give a flying fuck, about how much you fucking love to talk to other scouts. You have 361 days out of the fucking year to talk to them, and this week is NOT, I fucking repeat NOT ONE OF THEM. This week is about building an organization through the draft, and that's not fucking possible if you're going to stand around and talk to each other and not scout our prospects. Newsflash you stupid cocks: FANS DON'T LIKE BORING DRAFT PICKS. Oh wait, DOUBLE FUCKING NEWSFLASH: FANS ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO WATCH US IF WE FUCKING SUCK, which by the way in case you're an idiot and need it spelled out for you, WE FUCKING SUCK SO FAR.

"But Julia!", you say in a whiny little bitch voice to your computer screen as you read this email, "I've been really happy with our draft picks, doesn't that count for something?" NO YOU STUPID FUCKING ASS HATS, IT FUCKING DOESN'T. DO YOU WANNA KNOW FUCKING WHY?!! IT DOESN'T COUNT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN FUCKING UP AT COMBINE FUCKING EVENTS TOO. I've not only gotten texts about people being fucking STUPID at the combine (for example, being stupid shits and saying stuff like "durr what's a ‘tweener?" or "durr we need to spend more time with Mike Glennon" is not fucking funny), but I've gotten texts about people actually cheering for the opposing teams on draft day. The opposing. Fucking. Team. ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!! I don't give a SHIT about sportsmanship, YOU CHEER FOR OUR GODDAMN TEAM AND NOT THE OTHER ONE, HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO A DRAFT? ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND? Or are you just so fucking dense about what it means to make people like you that you think being a good little supporter of the draft is going to make our fans happy? Well it's time someone told you, NO ONE FUCKING LIKES THAT, ESPECIALLY OUR FUCKING FANS. I will fucking cunt punt the next person I hear about doing something like that, and I don't give a fuck if you TRADE ME TO THE RAIDERS, I WILL FUCKING ASSAULT YOU.

"Ohhh, I'm now crying because your email has made me oh so so sad". Well good. If this email applies to you in any way, meaning if you are a little asswipe that stands in the corners in the war room or if you're a stupid shit that thinks J’Marcus Webb is a real football player, this following message is for you:

DO NOT GO TO TONIGHT'S DRAFT.

I'm not fucking kidding. Don't go. Seriously, if you have done ANYTHING I've mentioned in this email and have some rare disease where you're unable to NOT do these things, then you are HORRIBLE, I repeat, HORRIBLE PR FOR THIS ORGANIZATION. I would rather have 4 scouts that are fun, talk to prospects, and not fucking retarded than 80 that are fucking faggots. With that in mind don't fucking show up unless you're going to stop being a goddamn cock block for our organization. Seriously. I swear to fucking God if I see anyone being a goddamn Jerry Angelo at tonight's event, I will tell you to leave even if you're Phil Emery. I'm not even kidding. Try me.

And for those of you who are offended at this email, I would apologize but I really don't give a fuck. Go fuck yourself. BEARDOWN YOU COCK-WALLETS!

Looking Back: 2010 Chicago Bears Draft

Most experts tell you that it takes 3 years to evaluate a draft. Normally, a Jerry Angelo draft it takes 30 seconds followed by copious amounts of alcohol to forget that he actually existed ... this is not one of those drafts:

Rnd    Pick    Name               Pos    School
3        75      Major Wright     DB    Florida      
4        109    Corey Wootton  DE    Northwestern      
5        141    Joshua Moore    DB    Kansas St.      
6        181    Dan LeFevour    QB    Central Michigan      
7        218    J'Marcus Webb  OT    West Texas A&M    

First overall and 3rd-round pick Major Wright struggled his first two seasons as a Bear often being called "Major Wrong" for his propensity to be out of position and liability in coverage; part of this can be attributed to the Bears continuously trying to take square-peg, Strong Safeties like Wright and force them into the gaping hole at Free Safety. But, as last year shows, Wright has solidified himself in the Bears secondary and began shoring up his deficiencies in the pass game. Wright still doesn't wrap the way I'd like to see ANY NFL defender do when making a tackle, but he's come a long way since those first two seasons.

Second overall and 4th-round pick Corey Wootton will be forever beloved in the NFL for knocking the complete shiat out of Brett Fav-ruh. Wootton has shown flashes as a rush end but now he is penciled in as the starting DE with the loss of Izzy Idonije to free agency. Wootton has tremendous upside but his ability to hold up against the run on a consistent basis is still a question mark.

Final pick J'Marcus Webb was a raw prospect taken in the 7th-round who had the size and athleticism to be a Left Tackle, someday. Unfortunately for Webb - and Jay Cutler - he was pressed into action as years of ignoring the O-line in drafts resulted in a mish-mash of poorly skilled blockers. Webb has had 3 maddening seasons with Chicago bouncing from Right to Left tackle while all the while consistently grading out just above Chris Williams and "Turnstyle at Gate B". With that being said, the Bears have gotten far more mileage from this 7th-round pick than any other in recent history with the exception of Mike Green.

Joshua Moore and Dan LeFevour both lasted a couple of seasons in the NFL but neither are in the league at this time. One of the issues - value versus need - was that LeFevour was chosen when you already had a still-new franchise QB that you paid for dearly. Taking him in the 6th round was a very good value pick that I agreed with; however, that doesn't necessarily mean it was a good pick. Chicago was in a "win it now" mentality and using one of your five picks on a project QB seemed like a waste of a pick especially when you they had a need at every offensive skill position.

With what he had to work with, this was actually one of Jerry Angelo's better drafts. You can scratch your head at the taking of a QB in the 6th round but 3 out of the 5 players taken have played their way into prominence (or infamy in the case of Webb). A rare B-grade for JA ... It still didn't save his job but we've seen the recaps of his other drafts.

2013 Draft Big Board

1	Luke Joeckel	OT	Texas A&M
2	Eric Fisher	OT	Central Michigan
3	DeMarcus Milliner	CB	Alabama
4	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida
5	Dion Jordan	OLB	Oregon
6	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
7	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
8	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
9	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
10	Barkevious Mingo	OLB	LSU
11	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
12	Jarvis Jones	OLB	Georgia
13	Jonathan Cooper	OG	North Carolina
14	Bjoern Werner	DE	Florida State
15	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
16	Kenny Vaccaro	FS	Texas
17	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
18	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
19	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
20	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame
21	Keenan Allen	WR	California
22	Damontre Moore	DE	Texas A&M
23	D.J. Fluker	OT	Alabama
24	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington
25	Arthur Brown	OLB	Kansas State
26	Alec Ogletree	OLB	Georgia
27	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA
28	Sylvester Williams	DT	North Carolina
29	Johnathan Hankins	DT	Ohio State
30	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
31	Kevin Minter	ILB	LSU
32	Manti Te'o	ILB	Notre Dame
33	Eddie Lacy	RB	Alabama
34	Matt Elam	SS	Florida
35	Cornellius Carradine	DE	Florida State
36	Jonathan Cyprien	SS	Florida International
37	Matt Barkley	QB	USC
38	Larry Warford	OG	Kentucky
39	Kawann Short	DT	Purdue
40	Alex Okafor	DE	Texas
41	Jesse Williams	DT	Alabama
42	Johnthan Banks	CB	Mississippi State
43	Robert Woods	WR	USC
44	Margus Hunt	DE	SMU
45	Justin Hunter	WR	Tennessee
46	Zach Ertz	TE	Stanford
47	Barrett Jones	C	Alabama
48	Khaseem Greene	OLB	Rutgers
49	Giovani Bernard	RB	North Carolina
50	Jamar Taylor	CB	Boise State
51	Quinton Patton	WR	Louisiana Tech
52	Eric Reid	FS	LSU
53	John Jenkins	DT	Georgia
54	Kyle Long	OT	Oregon
55	Mike Glennon	QB	North Carolina State
56	David Amerson	CB	North Carolina State
57	Tyler Wilson	QB	Arkansas
58	Logan Ryan	CB	Rutgers
59	Johnathan Franklin	RB	UCLA
60	Terrance Williams	WR	Baylor
61	Darius Slay	CB	Mississippi State
62	E.J. Manuel	QB	Florida State
63	Corey Lemonier	OLB	Auburn
64	Da'Rick Rogers	WR	Tennessee Tech
65	Jordan Poyer	CB	Oregon State
66	Ryan Nassib	QB	Syracuse
67	Markus Wheaton	WR	Oregon State
68	Montee Ball	RB	Wisconsin
69	Brandon Williams	DT	Missouri Southern State
70	Travis Kelce	TE	Cincinnati
71	Joseph Randle	RB	Oklahoma State
72	Blidi Wreh-Wilson	CB	Connecticut
73	Sio Moore	OLB	Connecticut
74	Stedman Bailey	WR	West Virginia
75	Bacarri Rambo	FS	Georgia
76	Phillip Thomas	FS	Fresno State
77	Menelik Watson	OT	Florida State
78	Justin Pugh	OT	Syracuse
79	Sam Montgomery	DE	LSU
80	Jamie Collins	OLB	Southern Mississippi
81	Terron Armstead	OT	Arkansas Pine-Bluff
82	D.J. Swearinger	FS	South Carolina
83	Gavin Escobar	TE	San Diego State
84	Aaron Dobson	WR	Marshall
85	Andre Ellington	RB	Clemson
86	Robert Alford	CB	Southeastern Louisiana
87	Kiko Alonso	ILB	Oregon
88	Dallas Thomas	OT	Tennessee
89	Vance McDonald	TE	Rice
90	Brennan Williams	OT	North Carolina
91	William Gholston	DE	Michigan State
92	Brian Schwenke	C	California
93	Le'Veon Bell	RB	Michigan State
94	Oday Aboushi	OG	Virginia
95	T.J. McDonald	FS	USC
96	Brandon Jenkins	DE	Florida State
97	Sean Porter	OLB	Texas A&M
98	JJ Wilcox	SS	Georgia Southern
99	Travis Frederick	C	Wisconsin
100	Tyler Bray	QB	Tennessee
101	Shamarko Thomas	SS	Syracuse
102	D.J. Hayden	CB	Houston
103	Stepfan Taylor	RB	Stanford
104	Chase Thomas	OLB	Stanford
105	Tyrann Mathieu	CB	LSU
106	B.W. Webb	CB	William & Mary
107	Jordan Mills	OT	Louisiana Tech
108	Will Davis	CB	Utah State
109	Jon Bostic	ILB	Florida
110	John Simon	DE	Ohio State
111	Bennie Logan	DT	LSU
112	Jelani Jenkins	OLB	Florida
113	Ryan Swope	WR	Texas A&M
114	David Quessenberry	OT	San Jose State
115	Gerald Hodges	OLB	Penn State
116	Zac Dysert	QB	Miami (Ohio)
117	Leon McFadden	CB	San Diego State
118	Chris Faulk	OT	LSU
119	Kevin Reddick	ILB	North Carolina
120	Dion Sims	TE	Michigan State
121	Mike Gillislee	RB	Florida
122	Cornelius Washington	DE	Georgia
123	Jawan Jamison	RB	Rutgers
124	Landry Jones	QB	Oklahoma
125	Nick Kasa	TE	Colorado
126	Marquise Goodwin	WR	Texas
127	Reid Fragel	OT	Ohio State
128	Kenny Stills	WR	Oklahoma
129	Ricky Wagner	OT	Wisconsin
130	Tharold Simon	CB	LSU
131	Chris Harper	WR	Kansas State
132	Tony Jefferson	FS	Oklahoma
133	Ryan Otten	TE	San Jose State
134	Khaled Holmes	C	USC
135	Robert Lester	SS	Alabama
136	Marquess Wilson	WR	Washington State
137	Micah Hyde	CB	Iowa
138	Joseph Fauria	TE	UCLA
139	Dennis Johnson	RB	Arkansas
140	Alex Hurst	OT	LSU
141	Brian Winters	OG	Kent State
142	Dwayne Gratz	CB	Connecticut
143	Jordan Reed	TE	Florida
144	Alvin Bailey	OG	Arkansas
145	Marcus Lattimore	RB	South Carolina
146	Nico Johnson	ILB	Alabama
147	Malliciah Goodman	DE	Clemson
148	Akeem Spence	DT	Illinois
149	Lavar Edwards	DE	LSU
150	Duke Williams	SS	Nevada
151	Matt Scott	QB	Arizona
152	Jordan Hill	DT	Penn State
153	Christine Michael	RB	Texas A&M
154	Zaviar Gooden	OLB	Missouri
155	DeVonte Holloman	OLB	South Carolina
156	Cobi Hamilton	WR	Arkansas
157	A.J. Klein	ILB	Iowa State
158	Shawn Williams	SS	Georgia
159	Joe Kruger	DE	Utah
160	Kenjon Barner	RB	Oregon
161	Everett Dawkins	DT	Florida State
162	Xavier Nixon	OT	Florida
163	Devin Taylor	DE	South Carolina
164	Lerentee McCray	OLB	Florida
165	Kwame Geathers	DT	Georgia
166	Tavarres King	WR	Georgia
167	Josh Boyce	WR	TCU
168	Michael Buchanan	DE	Illinois
169	Montori Hughes	DT	Tennessee-Martin
170	Terry Hawthorne	CB	Illinois
171	T.J. Barnes	DT	Georgia Tech
172	Ace Sanders	WR	South Carolina
173	Aaron Mellette	WR	Elon
174	Zac Stacy	RB	Vanderbilt
175	Kerwynn Williams	RB	Utah State
176	Steve Williams	CB	California
177	Nickell Robey	CB	USC
178	Mychal Rivera	TE	Tennessee
179	Mike Edwards	CB	Hawaii
180	Adrian Bushell	CB	Louisville
181	Chris Gragg	TE	Arkansas
182	Josh Boyd	DT	Mississippi State
183	Johnny Adams	CB	Michigan State
184	Levine Toilolo	TE	Stanford
185	Earl Wolff	SS	North Carolina State
186	Denard Robinson	WR	Michigan
187	Sean Renfree	QB	Duke
188	Marc Anthony	CB	California
189	Knile Davis	RB	Arkansas
190	Quanterus Smith	DE	Western Kentucky
191	Ryan Griffin	QB	Tulane
192	Steve Beauharnais	ILB	Rutgers
193	Mark Harrison	WR	Rutgers
194	Michael Williams	TE	Alabama
195	Ray Graham	RB	Pittsburgh
196	Chris Jones	DT	Bowling Green
197	Stansly Maponga	DE	TCU
198	Stefphon Jefferson	RB	Nevada
199	Jack Doyle	TE	Western Kentucky
200	Travis Long	OLB	Washington State
201	Mario Benavides	C	Louisville
202	Jake Knott	OLB	Iowa State
203	Quinton Dial	DT	Alabama
204	Travis Bond	OG	North Carolina
205	Kapron Lewis-Moore	DT	Notre Dame
206	Bruce Taylor	ILB	Virginia Tech
207	Omar Hunter	DT	Florida
208	Trevardo Williams	OLB	Connecticut
209	David Bakhtiari	OT	Colorado
210	Kyle Juszczyk	FB	Harvard
211	J.C. Tretter	OG	Cornell
212	Josh Evans	FS	Florida
213	Brandon McGee	CB	Miami (Fla.)
214	Hugh Thornton	OG	Illinois
215	Ty Powell	OLB	Harding
216	Etienne Sabino	OLB	Ohio State
217	Conner Vernon	WR	Duke
218	Jeff Locke	P	UCLA
219	Brandon Magee	OLB	Arizona State
220	Corey Fuller	WR	Virginia Tech
221	Rontez Miles	FS	California (PA)
222	Lonnie Pryor	FB	Florida State
223	Eric Martin	OLB	Nebraska
224	Michael Ford	RB	LSU
225	Earl Watford	OG	James Madison
226	Josh Johnson	CB	Purdue
227	Keith Pough	ILB	Howard
228	Braxston Cave	C	Notre Dame
229	Sanders Commings	CB	Georgia
230	Cierre Wood	RB	Notre Dame
231	Eric Herman	OG	Ohio
232	Zach Line	FB	SMU
233	John Lotulelei	OLB	UNLV
234	Rodney Smith	WR	Florida State
235	P.J. Lonergan	C	LSU
236	Cory Grissom	DT	South Florida
237	Garrett Gilkey	OT	Chadron State
238	Mike Catapano	DE	Princeton
239	Matt Furstenburg	TE	Maryland
240	Jasper Collins	WR	Mount Union
241	Tommy Bohanon	FB	Wake Forest
242	Travis Johnson	OLB	San Jose State
243	Ryan Jensen	OG	Colorado State - Pueblo
244	Quinn Sharp	P	Oklahoma State
245	Latavius Murray	RB	UCF
246	Anthony McCloud	DT	Florida State
247	Daimion Stafford	FS	Nebraska
248	Jeff Baca	OG	UCLA
249	Jason Weaver	OT	Southern Mississippi
250	Herman Lathers	OLB	Tennessee

Where do we go from here?

I hate to break the news to everyone but Chicago isn't making the playoffs this year. The team has more problems than solutions so now the unenviable task of cleaning up his own clusterfuck falls on the shoulders of Jerry Angelo. I of course want wholesale changes including the firing of Ted Phillips, Jerry Angelo, and Greg Gabriel. However, since that's not exactly a plan I guess I need to offer something up or quit my bitching.

This year:
1. Put Pace on the bench and get Chris Williams at LT. Williams is not a RT and will never be one. He was drafted to play LT and Pace is done. If Williams cannot do the job it's better to know that now and - if he sucks - see what we have in Omiyale because he's sure as shit not a guard.
2. Put Shaffer in at RT for evaluation. If he sucks, Lance Louis can use the reps. If they both suck then put Pace in. If all 3 suck then we know where we need to focus next FA period and draft.
3. Move Hester to the slot and let Knox and Bennett play. Knox has game-changing ability and keeping him off the field is galactically stupid. Bennett needs to be more consistent and show more to make it on the field next season.
4. Either put Manning at FS and leave him there or put him at Nickel and leave him there. Pick a fucking spot.
5. Put Briggs in the middle. A WLB's best attribute is usually his ability to get sideline to sideline and blitz the QB. Briggs can do the former, but sucks at the latter. Jamar Williams is a playmaker and could bring your best 2 LB's on the field.
6. Give Tim Shaw a shot at the revolving door at SLB. We're in evaluation period from here on out so why not give the kid a shot, he's hungry and has a nose for the ball.

Offseason
1. Cut Pace - he's old and done
2. Install Beekman as the starting center. Give Kreutz the option to stay on or be traded. Kreutz has deteriorated greatly over the last 2 years and is no longer needed as the offense's vocal leader now that Chicago has their franchise QB.
3. Make a decision on LT. Let Williams and Omiyale battle it out for the position.
4. Cut Craig Steltz. On a scheme that needs a pass defensing free safety, Chicago has a log-jam of run-stopping strong safeties.
5. End the Garret Wolfe experiment. I don't care what he does on ST he's just not good. That was a huge reach and waste of a 3rd-round pick.
6. If Urlacher is back and the rest did him good move him back to the middle and Briggs to WLB. This will put Williams back to the bench but we need to hold onto him. If Urlacher is in decline like he has been, then give him the option to stay on as backup or trade him.

7. Move Hester to slot permanently and get him back to returning kickoffs and punts. You have the most dangerous weapon football so USE HIM AT WHAT HE DOES BEST YOU ASSCLOWNS!

8. Trade Tommie Harris. I don't care if once traded he wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Allow me to paraphrase Mike Singletary in saying with Tommie you can't count on him, you can't play with him, you can't win with him.

9. Fire Ron Turner and find a competent (read experienced) offensive coordinator who can build his playbook around the franchise QB.

10. Fire Rod Marinelli. I keep hearing about how our guys are out of their gaps and that's why we're getting our asses handed to us on a weekly basis. Marinelli was brought in to fix the d-line and so far it looks like he's doing as good of job with it as he did with the Lions. Last year the d-line compiled 23.5 sacks. This year they are projected to get 24.6 sacks. Wow, that's some terrific turnaround there!
11. Waive bye-bye to Mark Anderson and Ogunleye. Don't get in a bidding war just let them go and take the compensatory pick(s) if they do anything next season.



Free Agents and Draft
When you talk about FA signings and the draft you need to have a fluid plan that can adjust accordingly based upon circumstances (e.g. bidding wars, susprise cuts, etc.). Here are the places Chicago needs to upgrade without delay:



1. Chicago NEEDS a veteran WR. When you look at the roster and it consists of a 2 converted DB's, a 2nd-year man who didn't get on the field his rookie year, and a rookie ... Well it's not very much of a stretch to realize Chicago is in dire need of a veteran WR to help Cutler. I would like to see Chicago make a play for one of these 4 guys:

A. Brandon Marshall of the Donkeys - The disgruntled WR wants out of Denver and maybe Chicago could get a nice "hometown discount" for reuniting him and Cutler - the guy who helped get him to those Pro Bowls.

B. Vincent Jackson of the Bolts - Big, fast, and smart. The guy is a nightmare to opposing defenses and would give Cutler a big, sure-handed target. Cutler is a fan of big receivers, let's get him what he needs.

C. Steve Breaston or Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals - Breaston is headed to free agency and the Cardinals will want to lock him up or send him packing. With the shenangians of Boldin this would prove a ripe time to pluck Breaston with a high offer or pluck Boldin if Arizona is committing to Breaston.



2. The Bears are also in need of a formidable free safety who can cover. Since Mike Brown, no one has come close to filling those shoes. I'd like to land one of these three guys:

A. Nick Collins of the Packers - Collins would have the benefit of knowing his opposition quite well and we get the added bonus of screwing the Packers which always makes me smile.

B. Will Allen of the Bucs - Hey if we're going to be Tampa North, at least let's get one of their actual good players. If we can waste a fucking 2nd-round pick on Gaines Adams we could find a nice contract for Will Allen.

C. Josh Barrett of the Donkeys - Barrett fared well his rookie season after being called up from the practice squad due to injuries. Barrett (for those who remember admonishing Angelo for no getting him 2 drafts ago) is the prototype of a cover-2 free safety. This year, with the regime change, Barrett is struggling to get in at the Nickel position. A 2011 6th or 7th-round pick could entice a trade.



3. Find a pass rusher. This team needs someone who can rush the passer. I love Alex Brown but he's a solid, all-around player. We need someone to put opposite of him that can be a disruptive force on opposing QB's. Ogunleye and Anderson will both be gone so it's either promote from within or take a look at these 3 guys:

A. Aaron Kampman of the Cheesedicks - Kampman finds himself in a new 3-4 scheme and his 2.5 sacks this season will not be sending him back to Honolulu. Kampman is a natural fit in a 4-3 and would a great rush end for Chciago. Also, with the down year he's coming off, he could be had at a reasonable contract price one would hope.

B. Julius Peppers of the Panthers - At 29 he's still performing at a high level. You have to admit the freak is a presence on pass rushing situations. Rotating him with Izzy to spell the guy would be a great idea as well.
C. Elvis Dumervil of the Donkeys - Has proven to be a force in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. He'll command big bucks but he's worth every penny.


4. Upgrade the offensive line. An offensive lineman can be found in the later rounds but here are 3 guys up for free agency that could help immediately. I would like to see Chicago land one of these three:
A. RT Winston Justice of the Iggles - Watched him at USC and he's as solid as they come at the right tackle position.
B. LG Logan Mankins of the 18-1's - Agile and can both run and pass block. Mankins would be an intant upgrade for Cutler's blind side.
C. RG Jahri Evans of the Saints - Evans will more than likely get a long-term deal so it's a bit of a reach. But the guy is a beast.

With these free agent targets we turn toward the draft. I believe that realistically you can find at least 2 free agents on the list of 17. From there the draft has to be to plug the places that you missed. I always feel that o-lineman can be found in the later rounds and luckily we at least have some high 3rd-5th round picks. If Chicago ignores all of the FA's please let them address the veteran WR. We cannot have inexperienced guys like this and a lack of a #1 or even #2 when we finally have a franchise QB. I guess we will see what happens in the coming months but I am not going to hold my breath. Will you?

Sunday Night Football = Monday Morning Hangover

Let's be honest folks. If you're like me you are jacked for Sunday Night football tonight. You woke up pissed that there was no noon kickoff. If you live in the midwest you get to wacth such thrilling games as Jets vs. Pats and the Browns vs. Lions. Fuck me with a rail road spike!

But it's now 4:20pm and I'm popping the first Miller Lite of the day. Well the 3rd because I took my son, my dad, and my best friend to lunch, but you get the point. Anyway, it's time to start the tailgate and gag through this shit-fest that is the AFC East that no one gives a fuck about except for Massholes and fucktards from New York!

So now we have to wait patiently through the current suck-fest and grin and bear it. Sure if I played fantasy football still this game may have some semblance of ineterest but I highly fucking doubt it. Fuck the Pats and their douche fans right in their big fucking CHOWDAH holes. And fuck New York.

Now let's get drunk and yell at the tv shall we!?!?

Stop ... Homer Time!

Just looked over this weeks matchups this week and 5dimes Sportsbook has Chicago at -1(115). For those of you who don't know what that means, it means fricking GAME OF THE YEAR. I'm taking out a second mortgage to play this. You think Seneca Wallace is going to be able to NOT fuck himself in this game? They're missing their left tackle and probably Walter Jones as well and you got a Bear team off a win over the Super Bowl Champs. Cutler is starting to spread the ball, wide receivers and tight ends alike are stepping up, and the damn defense is rallying without Brian Urlacher. On top of that Seattle's lone win this season came over the hapless Rams when they were fully healthy.

Of all the games on the board, I would put down Cedric Benson's stash (or the street value equivalent) on the Bears this week.

Who ya got on Gameday? - Part 3

With the signing of Rod Hood and some waffling due to Hunter Hillenmeyer, here is my latest stab at the final 53. Notice, Garret Wolfe is gone replaced by Rashied Davis and Hillenmeyer replaces Kevin Malast:

Offense - 25

Quarterbacks(2)
J. Cutler
C. Hanie

Running Backs(3)
M. Forte
K. Jones
A. Peterson

Fullbacks(1)
J. McKie

Wide Receivers(7)
D. Hester (returner)
E. Bennett
Iglesias
Knox
Aromashodu
Rideau
R. Davis

Tight Ends(3)
G. Olsen
D. Clark
K. Davis

Tackles(4)
C. Williams
O. Pace
Shaffer
Balogh

Guards(4)
R. Garza
J. Beekman (can play center)
Omiyale (can play tackle)
Buening

Center(1)
O. Kreutz

Defense - 25

Defensive Ends(5)
A. Ogunleye
A. Brown
M. Anderson
I. Idonije (can play DT)
Melton

Defensive Tackles(4)
T. Harris
A. Adams
J. Gilbert
M. Harrison

Linebackers(7)
B. Urlacher
L. Briggs
P. Tinoisanamo
J. Williams
N. Roach
D. McClover
H. Hillenmeyer

Cornerbacks(5)
C. Tillman
N. Vasher
Z. Bowman
C. Graham (can play safety)
R. Hood

Safeties(4)
C. Steltz
K. Payne
A. Alfalava
D. Manning (can play nickel)

Special Teams - 3

Long Snapper(1)
P. Mannelly

Kicker(1)
R. Gould

Punter(1)
B. Maynard

Mike Mulligan wants to give Rashied Davis medal for trying, roster spot

If you can read this love-fest\man-crush that Mully has for Rashied Davis click here otherwise I'll give you the gist.

All Rashied Davis has needed is an opportunity. You suspect if the Bears just give him one now, a legitimate chance to make the roster, they'll be delighted with the results.
Yes, that's exactly what they need. A 30-year old wide receiver coming off a season where he put up career numbers and was still the weakest link in a receiving corp that was god-awful.

You remember Davis. He's the cornerback-turned-receiver who helped the Bears get to the Super Bowl, catching a game-winning touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 of the 2006 season and making a clutch third-down conversion to set up Robbie Gould's game-winning field goal in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs.
Yeah, and I remember Rex Grossman was the guy that made those throws ... where's he nowadays?

He's the guy who didn't play high school football but wound up using a junior-college stop to earn his way to San Jose State. He's the guy who put in four bloody years with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League to get a shot with the Bears. He's the guy who took a leave of absence from a job at Best Buy so he'd have employment to fall back on when he first joined the Bears in 2005.
I hear Best Buy is hiring!

Davis also is the guy with the most experience among Bears receivers -- yet he isn't one of the seven who has caught a pass from Jay Cutler this preseason.
74 catches in 4 seasons, how will the Bears EVAR replace that?!?

The greatest NFL fairy tale remains the inspirational story of Kurt Warner going from stock boy at the Hy-Vee grocery store to Super Bowl MVP.
I thought it was when Warner drew a picture of Jesus ...

But Davis has a unique history, too. He is a 5-9, 187-pound former bouncer who proved tough enough to control rowdy crowds while subsidizing his time as an Arena Football player.
Which is great if Capt. Neckbeard was still stumbling around with his bottle of Jack but Rashied's services are no longer needed.

All of which makes his lack of playing time this preseason difficult to figure.
If you're a mouth-breathing fucktard like Mully.

Will this be the week he gets a chance to play with Cutler and thereby an opportunity to keep his job?
Will this be the week that Mully finds his first clue? Will Hanley beat him with a tac hammer after he reads this?

''Would I like more reps? Yes, I would. That's all I have to say,'' Davis said, begrudgingly completing an interview after the Bears' 17-3 victory over the New York Giants on Saturday.
Like my dad says, "shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which gets filled the fastest." Actually this may be the most apt metaphor for what I think of Rashied Davis's hands.

Davis caught one pass from backup quarterback Caleb Hanie in the Giants game after catching two the week before at Buffalo. It's not the production he would have hoped for, but typically he made the best of his opportunity by standing out on special teams.
So a 30-year old, 74 catch receiver who can "stand out" on special teams. I mean, that is a rare fucking quality! Jesus, why haven't we signed this guy to Elicha Manning fucking money?!?

Still, it has to be unsettling to Davis that he's being judged on previous work instead of being given a chance to build a chemistry with Cutler, especially considering the Bears are in a numbers crunch at receiver.
Yes, because judging him on his previous work to get to the NFL should outweigh his shitty 4 seasons with the Bears. Mully should be a fucking AIG fund manager ... Hey this guy worked really hard to get here but he totally sucks HOWEVER the government just gave us a bunch of free money so let's see what he can do with it and completely ignore his previous body of work!

Tall receivers Brandon Rideau and Devin Aromashodu have been Cutler's favorite targets during spots in training camp. Aromashodu made a spectacular diving catch Saturday to set up a touchdown pass to Desmond Clark. That will help him a ton, but it also begs the question of whether Davis, Rideau, Iglesias or Knox would have made the same play if given the chance.
Who knows? You know what you answered your own fucking question. Cutler likes tall receivers. Davis is short. It's so unfair!!!

Davis hasn't lost repetitions only to the taller guys. In some formations in practice, Hester and tight end Greg Olsen have been split wide with Bennett in the slot -- a natural position for Davis.
Yeah because God knows that putting Bennett in the slot while creating mismatches outside is a fucking crime against football. Jesus, a sportswriter\talk-jock cannot be that fucking dumb ... oh wait HE FUCKING IS!

All he needs is a chance, and frankly, he deserves one.
Clearly based upon your article that told us: he's not been very good in the past, the franchise QB likes tall receivers, and Davis hasn't done much even against 2's and 3's in the preseason. If that's not cause for "DESERVING" a chance I don't know what is.

Can someone cockpunch this idiot the next time he does a remote? Anyone? Please?

Who ya got on Game Day? - Part 1

On July 8th I sent myself an e-mail with my projected roster for opening day. With preseason winding down, I am ready to take another stab at it and will in part 2 of what I call "Who ya got on Game Day?" Back on the 8th, this is how I felt Chicago would shake out and go into Cheeseland for their Sunday night throwdown. After Saturday's game, expect Part 2 where I'll have my revised edition, but until then:

Offense - 26
Quarterbacks(3)
J. Cutler
C. Hanie
B. Basanez

Running Backs(3)
M. Forte
K. Jones
G. Wolfe

Fullbacks(1)
W. Ta'ufo'ou

Wide Receivers(6)
D. Hester (returner)
E. Bennett
Iglesias
Knox
Rideau
Davis

Tight Ends(4)
G. Olsen
D. Clark
K. Davis
M. Gaines

Tackles(4)
C. Williams
O. Pace
Shaffer
Balogh

Guards(4)
R. Garza
J. Beekman (can play center)
Omiyale (can play tackle)
Buening

Center(1)
O. Kreutz

Defense - 24
Defensive Ends(5)
A. Ogunleye
A. Brown
M. Anderson
I. Idonije (can play DT)
Melton

Defensive Tackles(4)
T. Harris
A. Adams
J. Gilbert
M. Harrison

Linebackers(6)
B. Urlacher
L. Briggs
P. Tinoisanamo
J. Williams
Freeman

Cornerbacks(5)
C. Tillman
N. Vasher
T. McBride
Bowman
Moore

Safeties(4)
C. Steltz
K. Payne
C. Graham (can play corner)
D. Manning (can play corner, returner)

Special Teams - 3
Long Snapper(1)
P. Mannelly

Kicker(1)
R. Gould

Punter(1)
B. Maynard