2014 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread

[WrigleyField 22]

Raw just brought up an interesting point to Biggs on Twitter and I figure it'll come up here fairly often over the next few months.....Biggs mentioned he thinks the Bears would draft almost solely defensively.....Raw brought up the need to keep giving to the strong side of our team as well. Closer to a 50/50 split on picks.

 

So, while it's obviously too early to know exactly what we'll have coming back or what we do in FA, what possibilities could you see us using draft picks for on offense?

 

If McCown isn't re-signed, QB is an obvious one, maybe even an early rounder. But I could see a late rounder used even if he is brought back.

 

I doubt we'd draft a RB even if Bush is cut. My guess is we can find a journeyman number 2, if Ford doesn't appear to be the answer.

 

What if Watkins were somehow on the board at 14? It'd be hard for me to pass him up, even with the needs on the other side of the ball. At any rate, I could see a late round pick used on a WR that may have kick returning ability and/or a blocking TE type, even if I think thats more likely to get addressed in FA.

 

Definitely think we'll take an O-Lineman, maybe 2, if Garza is not brought back.

 

So while I figure most of the early round picks will eventually go towards the D-Line and the secondary, I think Raw is right, in that we'll still draft some offensive help as well.

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

[cubbyvirus00]

Holmes made some great points today. Emery has been making a trend with his picks. He's picking athletes and drafting then to change their position. Hardin, Erod, Shea, Long, Bostic etc

[WrigleyField 22]

Holmes made some great points today. Emery has been making a trend with his picks. He's picking athletes and drafting then to change their position. Hardin, Erod, Shea, Long, Bostic etc

What? The biggest change is Hardin and the college CB to NFL S pick isn't that weird. Shea was definitely a tweener position, but he didn't change his position. These guys are pretty much playing their prospect positions.

 

Long I think played a little of each at Oregon and is new to any position anyways, and may yet bump out to OT but started at OG due to inexperience. Bostic played inside at Florida and was rated by most pundits as a ILB prospect. ERods role changed a bit but he was a rookie with a unique skill set and an uncreative OC. But he basically lined up in the same spot, but was just used as a lead blocker instead of a pass catcher.

 

The best case to this theory is Shea but in reality the "position" is pass rusher and if your a 3-4 it means OLB and if your 4-3 it means DE. Bad fit, but he was put into the same role.

[Banedon]

Holmes made some great points today. Emery has been making a trend with his picks. He's picking athletes and drafting then to change their position. Hardin, Erod, Shea, Long, Bostic etc

What? The biggest change is Hardin and the college CB to NFL S pick isn't that weird. Shea was definitely a tweener position, but he didn't change his position. These guys are pretty much playing their prospect positions.

 

Long I think played a little of each at Oregon and is new to any position anyways, and may yet bump out to OT but started at OG due to inexperience. Bostic played inside at Florida and was rated by most pundits as a ILB prospect. ERods role changed a bit but he was a rookie with a unique skill set and an uncreative OC. But he basically lined up in the same spot, but was just used as a lead blocker instead of a pass catcher.

 

The best case to this theory is Shea but in reality the "position" is pass rusher and if your a 3-4 it means OLB and if your 4-3 it means DE. Bad fit, but he was put into the same role.

 

They're playing their positions now, but each of them may be changing next year, per the press conference today. They specifically mentioned Shea as an LB, Bostic maybe having to move outside, that Hardin was a CB that couldn't cut it as a S.

 

The problem is that it ignores those that didn't switch positions. Frey, Jeffrey, Mills...

 

From the press conference yesterday, I kinda wonder if Emery has learned a bit from some of these "athlete" picks. We'll see.

[UMFan83]

So WR Antonio Brown cant play in the pro bowl.....was replaced by Cordelle Patterson. Come on, I get that he's got a lot of return TDs, but Alshon Jeffery definitely deserves to go over him.

[Banedon]

So WR Antonio Brown cant play in the pro bowl.....was replaced by Cordelle Patterson. Come on, I get that he's got a lot of return TDs, but Alshon Jeffery definitely deserves to go over him.

 

Brown was in as a WR and returner. I'm sure they did that to fill the returner role, which Jeffrey isn't. :(

[rawaction]

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

 

Nix had knee surgery (I believe). That's the only reason he's below Hageman. People don't really know what to expect from him, but I think he'll be fine. Hageman is intriguing though. Strong as an ox. 6-6 in the middle of the D would be beautiful. But despite being bigger, I think Nix is quicker off the ball. Also allows you to put him at nose if there's a hybrid D or 3-4 D in place.

[WrigleyField 22]

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

 

Nix had knee surgery (I believe). That's the only reason he's below Hageman. People don't really know what to expect from him, but I think he'll be fine. Hageman is intriguing though. Strong as an ox. 6-6 in the middle of the D would be beautiful. But despite being bigger, I think Nix is quicker off the ball. Also allows you to put him at nose if there's a hybrid D or 3-4 D in place.

My thoughts exactly.

[Soul]

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

 

Nix had knee surgery (I believe). That's the only reason he's below Hageman. People don't really know what to expect from him, but I think he'll be fine. Hageman is intriguing though. Strong as an ox. 6-6 in the middle of the D would be beautiful. But despite being bigger, I think Nix is quicker off the ball. Also allows you to put him at nose if there's a hybrid D or 3-4 D in place.

My thoughts exactly.

 

Nix had season-ending knee surgery this year, and the Bears absolutely must hit on these defensive draft picks. I have no idea how Emery will draft at this point, but it seems like a pretty big risk to pick Nix when you already know coming in that he's got a health issue.

[WrigleyField 22]

Holmes made some great points today. Emery has been making a trend with his picks. He's picking athletes and drafting then to change their position. Hardin, Erod, Shea, Long, Bostic etc

What? The biggest change is Hardin and the college CB to NFL S pick isn't that weird. Shea was definitely a tweener position, but he didn't change his position. These guys are pretty much playing their prospect positions.

 

Long I think played a little of each at Oregon and is new to any position anyways, and may yet bump out to OT but started at OG due to inexperience. Bostic played inside at Florida and was rated by most pundits as a ILB prospect. ERods role changed a bit but he was a rookie with a unique skill set and an uncreative OC. But he basically lined up in the same spot, but was just used as a lead blocker instead of a pass catcher.

 

The best case to this theory is Shea but in reality the "position" is pass rusher and if your a 3-4 it means OLB and if your 4-3 it means DE. Bad fit, but he was put into the same role.

 

They're playing their positions now, but each of them may be changing next year, per the press conference today. They specifically mentioned Shea as an LB, Bostic maybe having to move outside, that Hardin was a CB that couldn't cut it as a S.

 

The problem is that it ignores those that didn't switch positions. Frey, Jeffrey, Mills...

 

From the press conference yesterday, I kinda wonder if Emery has learned a bit from some of these "athlete" picks. We'll see.

Even a LB moving from inside to outside or vice versa isn't the most unusual thing or some sign of a trend. I think Briggs was evaluated as a possible ILB and Urlacher started as a OLB and struggled. If it had been Anderson to go down instead of Williams, I think it's very likely Bostic is still the replacement. It's just relative position versatility.

[rawaction]

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

 

Nix had knee surgery (I believe). That's the only reason he's below Hageman. People don't really know what to expect from him, but I think he'll be fine. Hageman is intriguing though. Strong as an ox. 6-6 in the middle of the D would be beautiful. But despite being bigger, I think Nix is quicker off the ball. Also allows you to put him at nose if there's a hybrid D or 3-4 D in place.

My thoughts exactly.

 

Nix had season-ending knee surgery this year, and the Bears absolutely must hit on these defensive draft picks. I have no idea how Emery will draft at this point, but it seems like a pretty big risk to pick Nix when you already know coming in that he's got a health issue.

 

Wasn't an ACL or anything. He should be able to at least to pro day stuff, though I doubt he'll be ready for the combine. Nix is a legit top 10 talent, knee will probably keep him on the board til the teens at least.

[WrigleyField 22]

Holmes made some great points today. Emery has been making a trend with his picks. He's picking athletes and drafting then to change their position. Hardin, Erod, Shea, Long, Bostic etc

What? The biggest change is Hardin and the college CB to NFL S pick isn't that weird. Shea was definitely a tweener position, but he didn't change his position. These guys are pretty much playing their prospect positions.

 

Long I think played a little of each at Oregon and is new to any position anyways, and may yet bump out to OT but started at OG due to inexperience. Bostic played inside at Florida and was rated by most pundits as a ILB prospect. ERods role changed a bit but he was a rookie with a unique skill set and an uncreative OC. But he basically lined up in the same spot, but was just used as a lead blocker instead of a pass catcher.

 

The best case to this theory is Shea but in reality the "position" is pass rusher and if your a 3-4 it means OLB and if your 4-3 it means DE. Bad fit, but he was put into the same role.

 

From the press conference yesterday, I kinda wonder if Emery has learned a bit from some of these "athlete" picks. We'll see.

Not sure what there is to learn really. None of these guys was a workout warrior in the classic sense. The biggest lesson is perhaps to care a little bit more about scheme for (especially on defense). The lesson for Hardin is more about health and the lesson about Erod more about character. But even still that doesn't mean you never take those risks. It takes quite a large sample IMO to tell if a guy really has trends, and if we include what info we have on Emery's non-GM influence there really is only one true trend I can see, which is he likes size at WR.

[davell]

Jennings got 4/22.4 with 11.815 guaranteed.

[WrigleyField 22]

Jennings got 4/22.4 with 11.815 guaranteed.

Seems about right.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Hageman is really still a work in progress too. He's a lot like Melton, came to school to play FB, then TE and finally moved to D if I remember correctly. I wouldn't hesitate on either Nix or Hageman, but the homer in me would choose Hageman

[Banedon]

Jordan Mills having surgery today, per Matt Forte tweet.

[Guest]

As it stands now you'd have to take Watkins at 14. Things will change a lot, but right now that value sounds too enticing to pass up.

 

I just don't see it happening.

 

It looks like on most mocks, we're picking Hageman with Nix still on the board. Is the consensus Nix has dropped below him? Either would be good.

 

Nix had knee surgery (I believe). That's the only reason he's below Hageman. People don't really know what to expect from him, but I think he'll be fine. Hageman is intriguing though. Strong as an ox. 6-6 in the middle of the D would be beautiful. But despite being bigger, I think Nix is quicker off the ball. Also allows you to put him at nose if there's a hybrid D or 3-4 D in place.

 

Yeah, Nix had minor meniscus surgery.

 

I think one reason mocks pass him for the Bears is that he's being pigeon holed as a 3-4 NT. Obviously there's a chance the Bears switch to a 3-4 or hybrid defense but even otherwise, I don't think Nix needs to be locked into a 3-4. He'd be just fine in a 4-3.

[WrigleyField 22]

Hageman seems like he may fly up the boards. I can definitely see the injury concern if we had our choice of both, but Nix could provide real value if he drops. Obviously teams should have a real strong grasp on their medicals so if a Emery did pick him I'd trust it. I am all for BPA though. I don't think there's a spot on D where the 14th pick wouldn't provide an upgrade. On offense, obviously we wouldn't get a QB and a G or T would be hard to justify unless you thought Slauson could move inside to C. The thing is, I don't see a RB or TE being best available at that spot. So it comes down to mostly if you would take a WR there and to that I'd say yes (although I may disagree on rankings and Watkins may be the only guy I really see as BPA there).

[Guest]

I just don't see Watkins slipping out of the top ten barring injury and doubt any other WR is worth it vs. BPA on defense.

[rawaction]

Hageman is really still a work in progress too. He's a lot like Melton, came to school to play FB, then TE and finally moved to D if I remember correctly. I wouldn't hesitate on either Nix or Hageman, but the homer in me would choose Hageman

 

Yep, he was a FB/TE then moved to DT. Great athlete at his size. Was a really good HS basketball player too, like scholarship worthy. But because he's not a finished product, he has more than normal bust potential. I wouldn't complain about either (as they're probably my 1a and 1b right now) but I'd feel more comfortable with Nix. Both have scheme versatility.

[rawaction]

I just don't see Watkins slipping out of the top ten barring injury and doubt any other WR is worth it vs. BPA on defense.

 

Watkins won't get past Detroit at 10. I hope to God, he's gone before 10.

[WrigleyField 22]

I just don't see Watkins slipping out of the top ten barring injury and doubt any other WR is worth it vs. BPA on defense.

 

Watkins won't get past Detroit at 10. I hope to God, he's gone before 10.

Amen to that.

[USSoccer]

Why would the Bears use the #14 pick on a WR with Bennett, Marshall, Jeffery and Wilson already on the team and under contract?

 

Shouldn't fixing the terrible defense take priority?

[jersey cubs fan]

Why would the Bears use the #14 pick on a WR with Bennett, Marshall, Jeffery and Wilson already on the team and under contract?

 

Shouldn't fixing the terrible defense take priority?

 

The best player available should take priority. Defense can be improved with depth. And WR turnover happens quickly.

[Guest]

Why would the Bears use the #14 pick on a WR with Bennett, Marshall, Jeffery and Wilson already on the team and under contract?

 

Shouldn't fixing the terrible defense take priority?

It's BPA to an unnecessary extreme, especially considering the incredible depth of this year's WR class.