2009 Chicago Bears offseason

[Soul]

The Afalava pick is intriguing to me. Here's a guy who I didn't see on the sites I usually look at for prospects. Yet he's got good size for a safety, and ran a 4.47 which is decent speed for a SS. He's known as a big hitter. Sounds pretty much exactly like what you would want.

 

With a DUI on his record and some uneven play in college. Somebody compared him to Mike Brown, which is laughable. Mike Brown was a steady force at a big time college program, very smart and dependable. This guy is a wild card. If all goes well, he might come close to what Brown did in the NFL. But odds are he'll be lucky to be half the player Mike was for 1/3rd of the time he lasted.

 

I didn't know about the DUI. The Bears' area scout says he was slowed by a groin injury last year, which he played through. So hopefully that accounts for some of the uneven play.

 

Obviously he is a project at this point. I like some of the things I've seen, which is admittedly not much.

[WrigleyField 22]

Here's the thing about the O-Line. We will only have 7 or 8 OLineman on the roster. 6 are virtual locks to make the roster, IMO (Pace, Williams, Shaffer, Omilaye, Beekman, Kruetz). Garza is pretty close to being a lock, and Buenning isn't a bad back up option. So you certainly couldn't invest a high pick on OL, knowing you really don't really have a spot for them. Yea, I wanted to see a 6th or 7th rounder, but at that point is there much difference between those guys and UDFA? They are possible Practice Squad material for a few years and then may make an impact down the road.

 

Looking ahead to next year, I'll want to see some OL emphasis, but there just isn't the roster spots for this season. OLine was a huge need for us, and then we went a signed 3 FA, one who is a lock to start and the other 2 who will compete for starting jobs. The available spots kind of dried up, even for a back up spot.

[jersey cubs fan]

Here's the thing about the O-Line. We will only have 7 or 8 OLineman on the roster. 6 are virtual locks to make the roster, IMO (Pace, Williams, Shaffer, Omilaye, Beekman, Kruetz). Garza is pretty close to being a lock, and Buenning isn't a bad back up option. So you certainly couldn't invest a high pick on OL, knowing you really don't really have a spot for them. Yea, I wanted to see a 6th or 7th rounder, but at that point is there much difference between those guys and UDFA? They are possible Practice Squad material for a few years and then may make an impact down the road.

 

Looking ahead to next year, I'll want to see some OL emphasis, but there just isn't the roster spots for this season. OLine was a huge need for us, and then we went a signed 3 FA, one who is a lock to start and the other 2 who will compete for starting jobs. The available spots kind of dried up, even for a back up spot.

 

If you drafted a guy in the 3rd/4th, Garza doesn't have to be a lock. The only reason he is essentially a lock is because they have no more depth beyond him.

[jersey cubs fan]

So rawaction, are you happy with the undrafted free agent FB, or was there somebody you wanted earlier?

[rawaction]

So rawaction, are you happy with the undrafted free agent FB, or was there somebody you wanted earlier?

 

Who did they get? I didn't want a FB until the 6th round at earliest. And that was assuming they filled all their other needs, which they did other than OL.

[Guest]

Man, Don Banks of SI really seems to have it in for the Bears. They can do no right in his world....

 

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

 

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

 

Yes, I'm sure the Bears drafted him solely because of a youtube video, and did no other scouting or research.

 

Don Banks apparently is a massive dumb ass.

[jersey cubs fan]

So rawaction, are you happy with the undrafted free agent FB, or was there somebody you wanted earlier?

 

Who did they get? I didn't want a FB until the 6th round at earliest. And that was assuming they filled all their other needs, which they did other than OL.

 

Can't remember where I saw it, but I think it was a Hawaiian sounding name from a school out west, like Oregon or Cal.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Missouri backup QB Chase Patton and Missouri K Jeff Wolfert have tryouts within the next week with the Bears

[Soul]

Man, Don Banks of SI really seems to have it in for the Bears. They can do no right in his world....

 

I don't know what to make of this pool-jumping story that has apparently made Bears third-round pick Jarron Gilbert a bit of a YouTube sensation. The San Jose State defensive tackle made waves (sorry, couldn't resist) last summer when he was video-taped jumping out of the shallow end of a pool after being told that ex-Rams, Redskins and Bears safety Adam Archuleta had once performed the same feat.

 

OK, I get it that it means Gilbert is one very strong dude. Granted. But does it ensure that he can really jack up the Bears' pass rush? I don't think so. No more than Kyle Boller being able to throw it through the goal posts from midfield on his knees made him a great quarterback in Baltimore when he was taken in the first round out of Cal in 2003.

 

Yes, I'm sure the Bears drafted him solely because of a youtube video, and did no other scouting or research.

 

Don Banks apparently is a massive dumb ass.

 

It's difficult to assume anything else about the guy when he writes something like that.

[Banedon]

Peter King with even MORE in depth SI analysis:

 

Chicago. Traded out of day one and took a bunch of guys. Failed to get Anquan Boldin in trade, but didn't try very hard. Forget who's in the nine-man class. The Bears' draft is Jay Cutler.

 

The Bears "took a bunch of guys". Thanks for the report Peter!

[brinoch]

That's just lazy.

[Guest]

Peter King with even MORE in depth SI analysis:

 

Chicago. Traded out of day one and took a bunch of guys. Failed to get Anquan Boldin in trade, but didn't try very hard. Forget who's in the nine-man class. The Bears' draft is Jay Cutler.

 

The Bears "took a bunch of guys". Thanks for the report Peter!

 

While another report said the Bears had the best offer out there.

 

If I am reading his last two sentences right, I agree with him. Cutler defines this draft class.

[Banedon]

I dropped him a note:

 

Peter,

 

Thanks to your insightful draft analysis, I'm now aware that the Chicago Bears "took a bunch of guys". Before that, I was afraid we'd drafted a team of oddly shaped potatoes. That's the kind of insightful analysis I can only get from SI.

 

Craig

[Smack]

I dropped him a note:

 

Peter,

 

Thanks to your insightful draft analysis, I'm now aware that the Chicago Bears "took a bunch of guys". Before that, I was afraid we'd drafted a team of oddly shaped potatoes. That's the kind of insightful analysis I can only get from SI.

 

Craig

 

haha, nice :good:

[Guest]

I dropped him a note:

 

Peter,

 

Thanks to your insightful draft analysis, I'm now aware that the Chicago Bears "took a bunch of guys". Before that, I was afraid we'd drafted a team of oddly shaped potatoes. That's the kind of insightful analysis I can only get from SI.

 

Craig

 

But, see. Where you screwed up is you have to read that blurb 10 times without a break. When you read it like that, it seems like a very lengthy and in depth analysis just like you were looking for.

[Banedon]

But, see. Where you screwed up is you have to read that blurb 10 times without a break. When you read it like that, it seems like a very lengthy and in depth analysis just like you were looking for.

 

Hell, I'd have been happy if he could actually name a single player drafted by the Bears.

[Guest]

If nothing else, it would be nearly impossible to forget the name of the guy whose name sounds like the creator of Jackass.

[jersey cubs fan]

He was too excited to tell us about his crap that would not flush to spend any time researching actual names that were drafted.

 

 

I think the Bears draft was pretty interesting. They hit the positions they needed, and they got some nice names. They got a possession receiver, which they needed, and a speed guy who could fill a niche. I didn't quite get the reach on the 4th round end, who by my count was the first guy on the board who did not have his measurables listed next to his name on nfl.com.

[Tyrant]

He was too excited to tell us about his crap that would not flush to spend any time researching actual names that were drafted.

 

Coffee-poop is a demon.

[Guest]

I was thrilled with the draft. I think they got several solid contributors right out of the gate. Unless one of the top receivers slipped to their pick, which they didn't, I was fine with them trading down.

 

There were some solid OL guys available in the later rounds where they drafted Knox and then Freeman. They could have taken Jamon Meredith with one of the picks and Duke Robinson or Xavier Fulton with the other.

 

I like the Knox and Freeman picks, but it's a bit disappointing they ignored the line when there seemed to be solid picks available to them at the time.

 

I guess there is still hope that the line they revamped this offseason will be solid enough to give Cutler the time to move the ball down the field.

[cubweiser03]

I like Angelos' draft this year. Alot of the players drafted have some good scouting grades by different services. The only pick that i might be critical of is Henry Melton, all the other ones are great values according to the scouts rankings. Iglesias at #99 was sweet. DJ Moore was a nice grab too, he should compete against Manning for the nickel back right away. At least 4 of these guys should see the field this year non-special team wise; Gilbert, Iglesias, Moore and Knox(in the slot), maybe Freeman and Melton. Angelo made up for the lack of the 1 with value and depth.

[Soul]

Peter King with even MORE in depth SI analysis:

 

Chicago. Traded out of day one and took a bunch of guys. Failed to get Anquan Boldin in trade, but didn't try very hard. Forget who's in the nine-man class. The Bears' draft is Jay Cutler.

 

The Bears "took a bunch of guys". Thanks for the report Peter!

 

While another report said the Bears had the best offer out there.

 

If I am reading his last two sentences right, I agree with him. Cutler defines this draft class.

 

I just don't understand why these guys continue to disregard later-round talent when probably fully half the guys they write about didn't get picked high.

 

You'd think they would learn. But no.

 

The next time King writes an article that extolls the glories of Tom Brady, perhaps King's editor should remind him that he's writing about a scrub that nobody cared about on draft day.

[Banedon]

Peter King with even MORE in depth SI analysis:

 

Chicago. Traded out of day one and took a bunch of guys. Failed to get Anquan Boldin in trade, but didn't try very hard. Forget who's in the nine-man class. The Bears' draft is Jay Cutler.

 

The Bears "took a bunch of guys". Thanks for the report Peter!

 

While another report said the Bears had the best offer out there.

 

If I am reading his last two sentences right, I agree with him. Cutler defines this draft class.

 

It wasn't really that part that I was bickering about. But if you're going to bother to write up an article profiling the draft from each team's point of view, shouldn't the name of someone that you drafted come up? Even if he said "They made some nice picks with Gilbert and Iglesias, but Cutler will define this draft"....well then ok! That makes sense. It's the "bunch of guys" comment that I had an issue with.

[SpongeWorthy]

I honestly thought the Melton pick would create a little more buzz. I remember a couple years ago when he was kind of a Fridge-like folk hero at Texas because he was a short-yardage/goal line guy.

[Soul]

Before the draft, I was thinking we needed to address WR, and then defense.

 

I was pretty happy to see that we did exactly that.

 

I agree it would have been nice to grab another big body to develop for the OL, though it didn't surprise me that Angelo didn't do it given the work that's already been done.