2014 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread

[rawaction]

So ultimately it rules out Louis Nix for the 14th pick due to the Bears sticking to a 1 gap scheme.

 

 

My guess is it's down to DT Timmy Jernigan, CB Justin Gilbert or LB CJ Mosley. I think it would be too early for DE Kony Ealy.

 

Keep an eye on RaShede Hageman. He'll have a huge combine. Former basketball player, 6'6", 318 and supposedly has over a 30" vertical and runs well under 5.0 in the 40.

 

Also, there's a rumor the Bears really like Aaron Donald. But with the rumors the Bears and Melton have been constantly talking and have mutual interest, I'd imagine a 3-tech DT won't be a priority if Melton signs. That'd eliminate Donald and Jernigan.

 

I'd say it'll come down to Ealy, Hageman, or Calvin Pryor. Eliminated Mosley because they had 2 rookies fail as starters last year...do they want to do that again? That'd be 3 of the top 4 picks in 2 years on LBs. Gilbert is possible, but I don't see Emery valuing CB enough to take one at 14. I think Clinton-Dix is out as they want Conte to be able to compete. Both Conte and HCD are FS only. Conte can't compete with a 1st round pick that talented.

[cubbyvirus00]

So ultimately it rules out Louis Nix for the 14th pick due to the Bears sticking to a 1 gap scheme.

 

 

My guess is it's down to DT Timmy Jernigan, CB Justin Gilbert or LB CJ Mosley. I think it would be too early for DE Kony Ealy.

 

Keep an eye on RaShede Hageman. He'll have a huge combine. Former basketball player, 6'6", 318 and supposedly has over a 30" vertical and runs well under 5.0 in the 40.

 

Also, there's a rumor the Bears really like Aaron Donald. But with the rumors the Bears and Melton have been constantly talking and have mutual interest, I'd imagine a 3-tech DT won't be a priority if Melton signs. That'd eliminate Donald and Jernigan.

 

I'd say it'll come down to Ealy, Hageman, or Calvin Pryor. Eliminated Mosley because they had 2 rookies fail as starters last year...do they want to do that again? That'd be 3 of the top 4 picks in 2 years on LBs. Gilbert is possible, but I don't see Emery valuing CB enough to take one at 14. I think Clinton-Dix is out as they want Conte to be able to compete. Both Conte and HCD are FS only. Conte can't compete with a 1st round pick that talented.

 

 

Donald looks to be a workout warrior type which Emery will love.

[Banedon]

Also, there's a rumor the Bears really like Aaron Donald. But with the rumors the Bears and Melton have been constantly talking and have mutual interest, I'd imagine a 3-tech DT won't be a priority if Melton signs. That'd eliminate Donald and Jernigan.

 

http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=9424

 

I gushed over Aaron Donald’s performance at the Senior Bowl and have been told to expect much of the same during his combine workout on Monday. Donald, a 500+ pound bench presser, is expected to total in the mid 30’s on the bench then run his forty somewhere in the 4.7’s after tipping the scales in the low 290-pound area. I’m told Donald will also put up some pretty spectacular times in the agility drills. Where could Donald end up in May? After the combine we said teams late in the first round would have to start giving the Pittsburgh lineman consideration but recent rumblings have the Chicago Bears very interested in his services with the 14th pick of round one.

[Guest]

[minnesotacubsfan]

[expletive] Donald, that guy is a skinny ass midget DT

[ctcf]

Josh Norris ‏@JoshNorris 15m

Aaron Donald first "unofficial" forty: 4.65. 10 yd of 1.59

 

Josh Norris ‏@JoshNorris 11m

#TeamDonald

 

Josh Norris @JoshNorris

Aaron Donald second "unofficial" forty: 4.66. 10 yd of 1.63. Outstanding.

 

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet

As impressive as Clowney’s 40 was, Pitt DT Aaron Donald’s 4.65 at 285 may be just as impressive. Lit it up at Senior Bowl too.

[Old Style]

Seahawks just released Red Bryant to clear room to try & re-sign Michael Bennett. Red would be a good addition to our DL.

[Banedon]

Football only was part of the conversation when Oklahoma center Gabe Ikard had a one-on-one chat with Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer at the NFL Scouting Combine.

 

“My meeting with coach Kromer at the combine was very laid-back,” Ikard said. “We talked about his family, my family and told some pretty entertaining stories.”

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/25813347-419/oklahomas-ikard-may-be-wise-pick-if-garza-leaves-bears.html

[ctcf]

Durn

 

A source tells Profootballtalk the 2014 salary cap could be a "few million" higher than $132 million.

The cap could reportedly spike as high as $135 million, which would be a 9.75 percent increase on 2013. That would be extremely good news for a crowded free agent market, and means we could see fewer cap casualties than in recent years. The 2013 market was extremely soft, so soft that there were whispers of collusion. It appears we're going to be in for a much more active 2014.

[cubbyvirus00]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFL-Draft-101.html

 

 

 

Um, why didn't you follow your own system Jerry?

 

Chris Williams and Carimi both had a F grade medical

[Guest]

Carimi had medical issues entering the draft?

[ctcf]

Wow so apparently Jerry was a bigger [expletive] than previously anticipated.

[Banedon]

Carimi had medical issues entering the draft?

 

Angelo must've had a different grade system at the time...because he was a "yellow", not a letter grade.

 

Scouts for two NFL teams told the Tribune they had a yellow medical grade on Carimi entering the draft. Before the Dec. 11 game in Denver, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo acknowledged the Bears had a similar grade on the player they selected with the 29th overall pick.

 

The scouts for the other teams were clear the medical grade would not have prevented them from drafting Carimi, but that it was an assessment he might require "maintenance" during an NFL career after a decorated run with the Badgers that was capped by him winning the 2010 Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman.

 

"We had a concern when he came out," Angelo said. "He dislocated his knee (in college). And we had a medical grade. (It) was a concern, but he played with it. And we've had guys do it and play with it, no more so than a guy gets an ACL, gets his knee repaired and you draft him. As long as he passes your medical filter, you're fine. Most of these guys have something. He had something. He played a ton.

 

"Nobody flunked him (medically). Sometimes, you get a knee and you say, 'Well, there's a lot of gray' and then you say, 'We don't want to get even close to that.' It wasn't that. His knee was structurally sound, everything was fine."

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-12-20/sports/ct-spt-1220-bears-carimi--20111220_1_gabe-carimi-surgery-outland-trophy

[jersey cubs fan]

Carimi had medical issues entering the draft?

 

Angelo must've had a different grade system at the time...because he was a "yellow", not a letter grade.

 

Scouts for two NFL teams told the Tribune they had a yellow medical grade on Carimi entering the draft. Before the Dec. 11 game in Denver, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo acknowledged the Bears had a similar grade on the player they selected with the 29th overall pick."

 

It wasn't that he had a different system, it was the scouts for other teams had a color coded system and Carimi was a yellow. Presumably that's a caution sign, or similar to what Angelo had for his C grade. That is why Angelo was quoted as saying they had "a similar grade".

[Banedon]

That is why Angelo was quoted as saying they had "a similar grade".

 

Ah, yeah that makes sense. So it doesn't seem like had an F medical like cubbyvirus said. It was a concern, but not to that level.

[jersey cubs fan]

That is why Angelo was quoted as saying they had "a similar grade".

 

Ah, yeah that makes sense. So it doesn't seem like had an F medical like cubbyvirus said. It was a concern, but not to that level.

 

Yeah, those guys were probably somewhere in the middle, but above F no doubt.

 

A: Clean, no major surgeries, no missing of practices or games

B: Overall good, missed some practice time and games with small injuries

C: Had major surgery but came back from it, no real missed time

D: Multiple surgeries, missed practice time and games throughout career, risk

F: Too many medical issues and concerns, won’t hold up and hasn’t in college

 

Hardin was probably an F, which makes it even more insane that he was as high as a 3rd round pick.

[Soul]

Wow so apparently Jerry was a bigger [expletive] than previously anticipated.

 

What do you mean?

[cubbyvirus00]

That is why Angelo was quoted as saying they had "a similar grade".

 

Ah, yeah that makes sense. So it doesn't seem like had an F medical like cubbyvirus said. It was a concern, but not to that level.

 

A bit dramatic yes, however there's a tribune article out there that was quoted as saying there are very few cases of a player regaining full strength and mobility after dislocating a knee. Not a common injury. Angelo basically took him anyway then he promptly went out a dislocated the same knee a second time in game 2 in his rookie season.

[Banedon]

That is why Angelo was quoted as saying they had "a similar grade".

 

Ah, yeah that makes sense. So it doesn't seem like had an F medical like cubbyvirus said. It was a concern, but not to that level.

 

A bit dramatic yes, however there's a tribune article out there that was quoted as saying there are very few cases of a player regaining full strength and mobility after dislocating a knee. Not a common injury. Angelo basically took him anyway then he promptly went out a dislocated the same knee a second time in game 2 in his rookie season.

 

I certainly wasn't arguing it was a good pick.

[jersey cubs fan]

There is nothing wrong with signing veteran players in free agency. We had very good success with the veteran players we signed in Chicago and Tampa, particularly on the offensive line, where we had some injuries and younger players who failed to meet expectations. The key here, however, is to not enter the marketplace as a hostage to a number of positions that require upgrades.

 

The part I took issue with is the notion that they had very good success with veteran offensive lineman in Chicago. Angelo absolutely went into multiple offseasons as a hostage to the need to acquire offensive linemen specifically because he never drafted them after his first draft. It wasn't that "young players failed to meet expectations" it was because he ignored the offensive line and relied on 30 years for too long.

[UMFan83]

Roberto Garza resigned with the Bears...

 

Brad Biggs @BradBiggs

#Bears have re-signed C Roberto Garza to a 1-year contract.

 

$1.5 m

Edited February 27, 2014 by UMFan83

[WrigleyField 22]

Angelo did well with vet offensive lineman once and we went to the Super Bowl. He held onto Miller and Brown too long and then never replicated that success while also busting on both his first round OL. Like most things Angelo the early years were far superior.

 

Edit- actually three or four good vet FA as Garza and Tait also ended up being nice signings. Anything post 2006 was just awful though.

[jersey cubs fan]

Angelo did well with vet offensive lineman once and we went to the Super Bowl. He held onto Miller and Brown too long and then never replicated that success while also busting on both his first round OL. Like most things Angelo the early years were far superior.

 

Edit- actually three or four good vet FA as Garza and Tait also ended up being nice signings. Anything post 2006 was just awful though.

 

He did okay, forced to overspend on veterans, but it's not like that is what led to the Super Bowl. It was Urlacher, Lovie and one or two Angelo drafts that created a monster defense.

[Guest]

Roberto Garza resigned with the Bears...

 

Brad Biggs @BradBiggs

#Bears have re-signed C Roberto Garza to a 1-year contract.

 

$1.5 m

 

Have to draft his replacement this May.

[rawaction]

Roberto Garza resigned with the Bears...

 

Brad Biggs @BradBiggs

#Bears have re-signed C Roberto Garza to a 1-year contract.

 

$1.5 m

 

Have to draft his replacement this May.

 

Naw. I don't think so. They re-signed Boggs too. He'll be the back-up. I think the defensive needs and back-up needs at RB, TE, WR and maybe even QB trump backup C.