2014 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread

[Guest]

If Tillman really is open to a move to safety, maybe we can draft a starting corner in the 2nd, DT in the 1st?

[Guest]

If Tillman really is open to a move to safety, maybe we can draft a starting corner in the 2nd, DT in the 1st?

 

They have to take a corner by the end of day two no matter what position Tillman plays.

[ctcf]

Kyle Long @Ky1eLong

PEAAAAAAAAANUTTTTTTTT

[JonJayCutler]

Yes! Still not over Hester being gone, but this definitely helps.

[Guest]

If Tillman really is open to a move to safety, maybe we can draft a starting corner in the 2nd, DT in the 1st?

 

They have to take a corner by the end of day two no matter what position Tillman plays.

 

Yeah, I figure they will. Just saying is that an overall better situation for our roster vs. Tillman at corner and one of the new guys at safety with the rookie as a rotational guy.

[davell]

Man, this is good news all around. Reasonable contract, possible move to Safety. Awesome. Proves Peanut isn't a [expletive] meatball, by figuring out he's older and needed to adapt.

 

Emery has had a hell of an offseason. Still think DE, CB, and DT will all see picks within our first 4, but no idea in what order. I'm guessing we're done with FA now, other than minimum level signings. Although Slauson, DJ, and Anderson all came extremely cheap last year. But I think this wraps up the major moves at least. Capping off a very nice plan by Emery.

 

Added Safety competition, a starting CB, a vet LB, and 2 starting DE that are younger, without even dipping in to Cutler 's contract. Not even counting the long term deals given to Jay, TJ, and Slauson.

[rawaction]

Just guessing that the Bears are waiting on Tillman OR Melton, as the last major move. First one willing to come back at their price, gets a deal.

 

If Tillman re-signs, I'd imagine they'd go after a Pat Sims type. Someone not getting a ton of interest, and could sign a cheap 1-2 year deal.

 

If Melton re-signs, I'd imagine guys like Tarrell Brown, Terrell Thomas, or Cortland Finnegan would be targeted on a cheap 1-year deal...maybe not even guaranteed money with the last 2.

 

Then, the Bears go into the draft looking for the best defensive player available. DT, CB, S, LB, DE could all be in play, as all could still use 1 more body even with 2 signings from the above mentioned.

 

If that's the case, I hope Tillman comes back. I'd rather be forced to go DT in round 1 than CB.

 

 

In my opinion, CB is a position that you don't use a 1st round pick on unless you're getting a near-generational talent. I might be inclined to use a 1st at the very backend of the round on a CB, but that's my limit. I don't see one of those special CBs in this draft. It's pretty rare that you don't have to develop a CB, regardless of the round, so I'm more inclined to use lower round picks. I'd be ok with a 2nd, and even a late round pick, both being used on a CB, assuming we address a need with the 1st.

 

Exactly how I feel. If I take a CB in the top 20, I want Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson, etc. I want a guy that has elite size/speed combination and has dominated the position in college. If not, I'd rather wait a round on a guy, because the CBs ranked in the 20-90 range are pretty much all alike. Justin Gilbert is close to the elite class of CB talent wise, but he wasn't a shutdown guy in college and really struggled as a junior.

[ConstableRabbit]

Very, very happy with this offseason. Can't wait til the draft.

[rawaction]

Yeah, I reasonably pleased with this offseason. As weird as it sounds, I actually am happy that they haven't touched Cutler's contract. Was arguing about it today, and his 22.5 Mil cap hit is huge, but by front loading that much this year on his contract, the Bears will be in excellent shape in the future. 15.5 next year. 16Mil the year after, then it's a year to year contract for Cutler, with no more guaranteed money.

 

The Bears are set to have about 50Mil available next offseason under the cap. They'll have to sign Marshall and re-negotiate a bigger contract for Jeffery, but the rest of the offense is pretty much set in stone for 3 years....save for C, which is typically an easy/cheap find. On D, they'll have to go thru the CB, DT, S and LB thing again, but they'll be able to be in on all the big players, if they so choose.

 

I'd like to have gone a little bigger at S and a different direction at MLB, but can't blame them for not getting into the bidding wars for the big names.

[RynoRules]

I think I have said this before, but Tillman is the most underrated Bears player in history. He's arguably better and more important to the D than Urlacher was. Now he moves into the Charles Woodson portion of his career. He might be able to make this work for more than a year.

[Guest]

I think the free agent pick ups improve the chances that they trade down in the draft to stock up on more picks.

 

Glad to see Tillman back.

[davell]

With lots of rumors the cap is heading towards 160 mill within a couple of years, it's going to make it much harder to find impact FA, in my opinion. I figure teams will do their best to lock their own guys up.

 

From that standpoint, I was hoping we would go in to Jay's contract, to add Byrd or Ward. Don't get me wrong, I really, really like what Emery has done, but adding an elite playmaker conceivably could have moved the D back in to top 10ish territory, with some help from the draft and the other FA moves we made. Along with what can be a top 3 type offense, it could have turned us in to a very legit Super Bowl contender, in my mind.

 

Hell, still can be as-is, with a good draft. Just would have been easier.

[RynoRules]

One of the things to keep in mind here is that our offense is Top 5 in football. Our D just needs to be decent (middle of the pack), not great, in order to contend for an SB.

[Brian]

Really happy Peanut is back, hope he stays healthy

[UMFan83]

Peppers just signed a 3 year deal with the Packers...

[Banedon]

Whelp...Peppers to GB for 3yrs.

[UMFan83]

Have to admit, I wasn't expecting that.

[Banedon]

Have to admit, I wasn't expecting that.

 

Nobody was.

[Banedon]

Filed to ESPN: Agent Carl Carey adds Julius Peppers' 3-year deal to Green Bay is "for $30M max, $7.5M guaranteed & $8.5M in tot 1st yr sal."

[RynoRules]

Filed to ESPN: Agent Carl Carey adds Julius Peppers' 3-year deal to Green Bay is "for $30M max, $7.5M guaranteed & $8.5M in tot 1st yr sal."

 

Wow. Better make sure Bushrod has him.

[KingCubsFan]

I think I have said this before, but Tillman is the most underrated Bears player in history. He's arguably better and more important to the D than Urlacher was. Now he moves into the Charles Woodson portion of his career. He might be able to make this work for more than a year.

I love Peanut, but there's no way he was more important than Urlacher to that defense, nor was he better than Urlacher. It seems like a few meatball comments since retirement have really skewed the view on Urlacher's career. He was awesome.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think I have said this before, but Tillman is the most underrated Bears player in history. He's arguably better and more important to the D than Urlacher was. Now he moves into the Charles Woodson portion of his career. He might be able to make this work for more than a year.

I love Peanut, but there's no way he was more important than Urlacher to that defense, nor was he better than Urlacher. It seems like a few meatball comments since retirement have really skewed the view on Urlacher's career. He was awesome.

Agree

[Banedon]

http://imgur.com/x7U5VLy.jpg

[RynoRules]

I think I have said this before, but Tillman is the most underrated Bears player in history. He's arguably better and more important to the D than Urlacher was. Now he moves into the Charles Woodson portion of his career. He might be able to make this work for more than a year.

I love Peanut, but there's no way he was more important than Urlacher to that defense, nor was he better than Urlacher. It seems like a few meatball comments since retirement have really skewed the view on Urlacher's career. He was awesome.

Agree

 

 

I did say "arguably", that is he's in the conversation.

 

That said, I tend to agree with both of you. However, I can't recall a more productive Bear who received / receives fewer broad-based recognition than Tillman.

[jersey cubs fan]

He's widely respected and praised on any primetime game