rawaction

At this point, I'd overpay/overdraft for an impact player. It's the biggest need on the team. However, like I said before, I don't see TE as that impact position.

Me either. Even Jermichael Finley. While having a Jimmy Graham or Rob Grontkowski would be very nice, it's not at all necessary. What people fail to mention about these great TEs is that they play along side 1000 yard WRs. How many TEs are putting up huge numbers with WRs like the Bears who can't put up 600 yards at any spot? Tony Gonzalez with the Chiefs??? I know he had Derrick Alexander early in his career and Eddie Kennison, but it seems like he was the main weapon on that team. Antonio Gates in his first 5-6 seasons??? I think you can find TEs putting up #s with "not-so-good" WRs... In all 11 of Gonzalez's good seasons in KC, he played with a WR that had over 850 yards in every single year. 7 of those 11 he played with a 1000 yard WR. And in 2 of the seasons where the WRs had less than 1000 yards (but over 850), Gonzalez was not the leading WR on the team.

Me either. Even Jermichael Finley. While having a Jimmy Graham or Rob Grontkowski would be very nice, it's not at all necessary. What people fail to mention about these great TEs is that they play along side 1000 yard WRs. How many TEs are putting up huge numbers with WRs like the Bears who can't put up 600 yards at any spot? Plus, I think the matchup issues are overrated also. Take any 6'3-6'5" TE and most LBs won't be able to cover them, if for nothing else but simply the fact that LBs can't cover all that well for the most part. And DBs won't be able to cover them, because none of them have that type of size. There's no reason Kellen Davis couldn't be a big factor in the offense if he was used properly. That being said, I would completely expect the Bears to draft a TE early and/or re-sign Davis because of the unnecessary emphasis everyone has put on the TE position.

If you're looking at a Seattle TE, John Carlson would be the way to go. I know Carlson just missed the year with a torn labrum, but when you throw in similar measurements. Similar production (with Miller having more catches and Carlson better in red zone). And the fact that Miller would take draft picks, plus is still owed 10 Mil guaranteed money over the next 2 years of his 5 year, $34Mil contract while Carlson is a free agent that should be pretty cheap.

I think Sanu is a possibility to go in the late 1st (depends on the WRs gone when SF drafts, I'd imagine they'd take 1). If not, looks like he could go to the Colts with their 2nd. If you take Adams in the 1st, unless you trade up, you're probably looking at a Juron Criner, Brian Quick, Rueben Randle type.

If not, we'd be in the range where we could trade up to get him fairly easily. That said, I don't like that Emery quote about adding to our strengths thru FA at all. Cutler needs immediate help and WR help is available thru FA moreso than in the draft, certainly in impact guys right off the bat. Well, he's a college scout. That's going to always be his stance. I still think they add someone via free agency. The Bears probably need to draft 2 WRs if they don't sign anyone. They gotta replace Williams and Hurd (the roster spots, not the lack of production) off of last year's roster. I don't know that Bennett, Hester, Knox and Sanzenbacher with 2 rookies, even if they are a 1st and a 3rd round pick is going to be enough to turn the offense around. And with SD talking about bringing VJax back, Bowe possibly being franchised, DeSean possibly being franchised, and Colston's not leaving NO....this may be the only choice. Use the 1st pick to develop a potential star WR, use FA to get a reliable target right away, but not necessarily a guy the whole offense revolves around.

Adams is probably going to be a top 20 pick at this point. He was the only of the top OTs eligible for the Senior Bowl. He had a good week of practice and was the only player on the field that could block Quinton Coples in the game this past weekend. That being said, I doubt the Bears go OT in the 1st round for the 2nd year in a row. Mike Tice came out and said that he's comfortable with the OL and thinks putting them on an island less and getting rid of the ball quicker will help all of them (particularly Webb). He also said they won't go OL unless a stud falls to 19. The Bears are pretty good at picking what most perceive as their biggest need. Last year OT was the biggest need, they got Carimi. The year before everyone said S was the biggest need, they drafted Wright with their first pick. Before that it was Chris Williams when they were desperate for OT help. When everyone said they were a TE away, they got Olsen. Even going back to Tommie Harris and Urlacher, the Bears took their biggest need when they had to. That leads me to believe the 1st pick is WR or bust. Emery also said they will look to add to their strengths in free agency and look to build the team in the draft. Another thing that points to WR drafted over signed (though I think they do both, but maybe not as big a FA name as people want). That being said, Emery has all the signs of being a guy that values character a little too much. Makes me wonder if Michael Floyd is even an option with his baggage. At that point you're looking at Kendall Wright or Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery would be similar to the Baldwin pick for KC last year. Good Soph year, down JR year but all the talent in the world. Wright, I'd hope would be accompanied by a signing of a WR with some size. But I like him a lot also, probably moreso than Jeffery.

I am. Russel Wilson has looked pretty good. I'm intrigued by him, depending on where he goes. I had no clue he was only 5'11". Closer to 5'10" than 5'11".

Whoa! NEWSFLASH! IU just beat Iowa for the first time since Feb 2008, and they've finished bottom 3 in the conference that year and every year since. Hell, IU only has multiple wins in conference vs. Michigan, Penn St, Iowa, and Minnesota over the last 4 years. Of course, no IU player had ever beaten Kentucky, Ohio St, or anyone in the B1G/ACC challenge. Meaningless and nitpicky but IU beat Iowa in 2009. That's what I meant. I typed it wrong. I knew it was the 08-09 season, when Verdell and crew were freshmen.

Whoa! NEWSFLASH! IU just beat Iowa for the first time since Feb 2008, and they've finished bottom 3 in the conference that year and every year since. Hell, IU only has multiple wins in conference vs. Michigan, Penn St, Iowa, and Minnesota over the last 4 years. Of course, no IU player had ever beaten Kentucky, Ohio St, or anyone in the B1G/ACC challenge.

Hopefully, IU doesn't take that they scored 103 points away from this game, rather than the fact they gave up 89. Won't get 15 dunks against anyone else in America.

Agreed. If the Bulls win this it will be a huge accomplishment. On the road, missing Deng, and the Heat have played one of their better offensive games in the last couple years vs. the Bulls.

that means nothing for us unless he wants to be our passing coordinator, which he won't. Why not? If the Bears come calling....it's either the Bears job or no job. Gets to work with an elite talent at QB and probably with an offense that seems to be focused on becoming more explosive in the pass game. And it's not like Christensen gets credit for being the mastermind behind the great Colts offense. Peyton Manning basically called his own plays, so it's not like NOT calling every play will turn him off completely from the job.

CBS affiliate WSCR-AM in Chicago reported Saturday that new Bears GM Phil Emery will not retain current player personnel director Tim Ruskell. Emery worked for Ruskell in Atlanta and Ruskell also interviewed for the Bears GM post.

Some good news for the day. Colts are going to make Bruce Arians their offensive coordinator. This means Clyde Christensen is OUT as OC. This could be significant because Lovie wanted Christensen back in 2009 when the Bears got Martz. But Christensen was not available because Tom Moore retired and the Colts promoted him in order to keep him from leaving for an OC job.

Its official. It's Emery. MEH

ESPN has them if you look at the team stats for the last 5 years.

Johnson - 135, 143 Jackson - 100, 107 Johnson's last 2 years targets. Jackson's 3rd and 4th years. Johnson didn't do much his first 2 years and can't find targets pre-2007 for Jackson. 115 was Jackson's targets this year.

Thru 1st 4 years: Johnson - 170 catches, 2189 yards, 19 TDs, 12.9 ypc Jackson - 130 catches, 2233 yards, 16 TDs, 17.2 ypc Sure Jackson doesn't catch 75 passes like Johnson has the last 2 years, but Jackson has 3 seasons with more yards than Johnson's best season. And the yards per catch can't be discounted.

Yeah, not into Stevie Johnson. I have changed my stance on Vincent Jackson some, and I'd much rather pay him #1 WR money than Johnson even with him being 3 years old. Johnson's not a bad WR, but he's not a great one either. Not even close. He was clearly the #1 target in Buffalo and barely had a 1000 yard season, when his QB threw for 3800. All the other teams in the top 12 in passing had their top WRs put up a higher percentage (or similar) of their teams receiving totals than Johnson and most of them had a lot of competition for balls (Welker/Grontkowski, Colston/Graham, Cruz/Nicks, Wallace/Brown, White/Jones, Nelson/Jennings).

Yeah, the Zeller treatment made no sense. Neither did subbing in Remy Abell after he sat for the first 36 minutes of the game. Why not bring in Roth there? And what happened to Victor Oladipo being a much improved offensive player? He's disappeared in conference. Crean needs to get him involved if this team is going to do anything. Him being able to get to the rim opens up things for everyone else.

That's stunning that Ross didn't make it to a second interview. Maybe he bailed once he realized the amount of stupid they had going on there. No, he was informed he wouldn't be invited back for another interview. He also didn't get a 2nd interview with the Colts, FWIW.

Doubt it. My guess is Brewer starts at the 3. And it's basically he and Korver there til Deng gets back. Hamilton handles the 2G, with the Bulls playing a lot with Rose and Watson together at 1 and 2 or Brewer/Korver together at the 2 and 3.

Not official yet per the Bears skjensen Sean Jensen Indications are Phil Emery of the Chiefs will get a second interview and so will Jason Licht of the Patriots. Raye, Ross & Ruskell out.

I hope so too, but at this point, I'm 95% sure it will be the dude from KC who used to be here. 1. He used to work for the Bears. 2. He's worked with Ruskell before. 3. Apparantly the new guy has to keep Ruskell and Lovie. He seems the most likely to do so for more than 1 year. But Ross is everything this franchise needs. A young up-and-coming football mind who could be here for the long haul and create some stability in the organization.