Outshined_One

I'm back and forth on Atkins. I thought it was a mistake for the Cubs to push him to AA this past season, but, at the same time, his K and HR rates don't exactly scream future stud to me.

I think it'd be justified under a few circumstances. It essentially boils down to whether the Bears think Cedric Benson is good enough to be the primary RB in this system. Honestly, I think he is good when he has an effective complement (see: Thomas Jones). I don't think Garrett Wolfe has the potential to be more than a special teams guy due to his size, so I'm a fan of someone like Chris Johnson or Steve Slaton to fill that role. 3rd down backs can usually be found in the 4th/5th round. On the other hand, if the Bears are ready to give up on Benson or think he needs a kick to the rear, someone like Mendenhall or Stewart would be a good pick. The running game last season was abysmal, whether you think it was Benson's fault, the OL's fault, Turner's fault, or some combination of the above. An upgrade at RB might do this team a lot of good. Honestly, my semi-realistic wish list at 14 looks something like this... 1) Ryan Clady 2) Brian Brohm 3) Jeff Otah 4) Kenny Philips 5) Rashard Mendenhall 6) Jonathan Stewart I need to brush up on my scouting reports for guys like Chris Williams and Gosder Cherilus. I've heard differing reports on where they're likely to end up at the next level. If either or both has the goods to be a LT, that'll move them up around Jeff Otah's level. If RT is in their future, they'll be below Stewart.

How far back are you looking?

I like Brohm, but not at 14. If the Bears were picking 18-25, I'd love him there. He may be worth the pick, but I don't want a QB in the top 1/2 of the 1st round. I think guys like that get too much guaranteed money, whereas a late 1st rounder is usually similar in talent, yet much more affordable. I love Josh Johnson. The Bears have been enamored with mobile QBs forever, just can't seem to pull it off. As for Flacco, uh, what's wrong with another Drew Bledsoe? Bledsoe was a franchise QB for a good while, and lost his jobs to younger franchise QBs (Brady, Romo). Bledsoe was hurt by the fact that he came into the league about 10-15 years too late. It's incredibly difficult to be a traditional dropback passer in the NFL today if you do not have the kind of footwork needed to move around in the pocket, especially considering more and more teams either have effective blitzing packages or have very good defensive lines that can generate pressure on the QB. It seemed like every team that had him for the past 6-7 years was eager to push him out the door for a perceived upgrade. From what I've seen of Flacco, I'm not very confident he has the tools needed in his feet and legs to survive in the NFL. His throw on the run in GoCubsGo's video was ugly from a mechanics perspective. If he repeats that, he'll be throwing a lot of wounded ducks on the run. That's not good. Honestly, if Brohm didn't have injury problems, there would be no doubt in my mind that he would be a best QB prospect in the draft. Last season, he was the only good player on that team. He managed to effectively transition into a new style of offense after Petrino left Louisville. He studies the game like a fiend. He has all the physical tools needed to succeed in the NFL. Moreover, I think he is the closest to positively contributing to a team in the NFL of any other QB in this draft. I'd have no complaints if the Bears selected him at 14.

LOL I can't wait to trade for him again!

There were a few rumors, but they never amounted to anything.

That was pre age-gate. I'm thinking more along the lines of trotting out Shawn Estes instead of him and trading Cruz for a pile of useless garbage. I'm still bitter about how he got jerked around under Baylor and Baker.

Thank God we were never subjected to Darren in the dugout. Dusty would only drag him out for press conferences when the press was circling his rotting corpse. Oh yeah, and one more for good measure: "You can tell your uncle stuff that you could not tell your dad. That is kind of the role of an uncle. I feel very much like a father sometimes but sometimes I feel like a teammate. "

Seriously. Did anyone ever see Vince Young? Ugliest QB in major college history, but also one of the five best college players of all time. Pryor is going to be a QB. No, he wasn't one of the 5 best. I can see a case for one of the five best QBs of all time. But even that's stretching it.

In all fairness, Dusty never got his hands on a large number of those prospects. My point was to show that the Cubs' farm system was actually well-regarded and that Dusty actually had exposure to a good number of them.

Damn Jim, you should never have broken the seal. Now your night's going to be ruined.

DaJuan Morgan is on the rise. He could be available in the second round. Kevin Payne might be better than we think, though.

most scouting reports that I've read dont say this, but he does seem to have happy feet. He has bad footwork, a slow drop back, and almost no mobility whatsoever. I'm willing to bet the guy never had to face off against a quality pass rusher during his time at Delaware. I like his frame and his arm, but I just don't get why everyone thinks the guy is going to be a first day (first two rounds now!) pick.

In all fairness, other than Prior and Cruz I don't see how Dusty would have had an impact on the development of any other prospects on that list. I mean, c'mon, Nic Jackson? I'm willing to make an argument for Cedeno and Choi. The overuse of Zambrano could really come back to haunt us down the line. You can try making an argument for Kelton and Bobby Hill, but I never thought much of them in the first place.

Dude is amazing, problem is the word is out on how much the Bears love him, so there is a good chance he will be gone by the Bears 2nd round pick..so they may have to trade down in the first. Its funny, he left Pitt because they wouldn't give him a shot over Palko..anyone wanna guess what genious made that call? He's a freaking statue in the pocket. The guy's footwork is not all that good. He'd get killed behind this offensive line.

Some quick thoughts about the upcoming draft, free agency, and the Bears' needs. 1) This is a deep, deep draft for OL. By the time the Bears pick, there is a very good chance they could have a potential franchise LT staring them in the face. Guys like Ryan Clady, Jeff Otah, Chris Williams, and Gosder Cherilus all could be available by the time the Bears pick and all of them project to at least be a starting RT in the pros. By the time the second and third rounds roll around, the likelihood of finding a starting LT drops, but there is still some quality to be had. I like Anthony Collins and Carl Nicks, quite honestly. On a side note, I'd have no problems with the Bears picking two OTs in the first and second rounds. 2) I see two potential options for Bernard Berrian. It depends on how much he values himself, how much he enjoys playing for the Bears, and how much he likes Chicago. Either he gets a deal that's below market value, but still pays him nicely, or he'll bolt. I don't see the Bears franchising him and I don't see the Bears offering him a big money deal. Given that he's the best WR on the Bears right now and everyone else is either old or unproven, I think there's a good enough chance the Bears will sign him in the offseason not to be too worried about him leaving. 3) RB is the biggest tossup this year in the draft for the Bears, imo. Cedric Benson hasn't shown he is a star at RB. He could be slightly above average, but I'm not a big fan of his potential. If the Bears think they have something in Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe as his backups/counterparts, then the Bears won't go anywhere near RB. If they think Benson needs replacing, Stewart, Mendenhall, and Jones all could fit the bill as his replacement. If the Bears aren't sold on Wolfe, someone like Chris Johnson or Steve Slaton could make a lot of sense in the later rounds. 4) There are only two guys I'm really sold on at QB in the draft who are attainable by the Bears: Brian Brohm and Josh Johnson. Woodson spooks me because of his delivery and mechanics. Henne hasn't quite sold me. Flacco is massively overhyped and strikes me as another Drew Bledsoe in the making. Erik Ainge's durability and inconsistency are enough to make me leery. However, I really like Brohm's dedication and what he can do with his arm. Johnson is really intriguing as a potential dual threat, but he'll need time to develop. I can see the Bears taking him with one of their third rounders. I don't see Matt Ryan making it to the Bears.

For those of you wondering about the Cubs & Top 100 prospects from 2002 (offseason Dusty was hired) to 2006 (offseason Dusty was fired) using BA... 2002 2) Mark Prior 6) Juan Cruz (now THAT was a screwup of epic proportions you don't hear much about!) 40) Hee Seop Choi 45) David Kelton 48) Bobby Hill 68) Nic Jackson 80) Carlos Zambrano 2003 22) Hee Seop Choi 47) Angel Guzman 53) Andy Sisco 72) Felix Pie 100) Nic Jackson 2004 26) Angel Guzman 56) Justin Jones 65) Ryan Harvey 77) Andy Sisco 85) Felix Pie 92) Bobby Brownlie 2005 21) Brian Dopirak 31) Felix Pie 66) Ryan Harvey 88) Angel Guzman 2006 27) Felix Pie 85) Mark Pawelek 94) Ronny Cedeno Ahhhhhhhhh memories. I'd also like to toss Rich Hill onto the pile of pitchers Dusty Baker screwed around with. Thankfully, he was saved.

In 2002 the Cubs had 5 of the Top 50, 7 of the Top 80. And one of them will likely never throw the ball the same way he did before Dusty got his hands on him. Prior or Wood? That would be Prior, since Wood was well past his prospect status in 2002. Craig Wilson's resemblance to Kerry Wood has always been decidedly weird to me.

Francoeur's a mediocre defensive outfielder. Really? I admit on defense I base my opinion mostly on rep(foolish to an extent). I don't give a lot of credence to any of the defensive metrics as it seems every year the newest one is proved to be flawed. His arm is terrific, but his range is so-so.

If this turns into a Joe Flacco love-fest, I might have to stop talking to other Bears fans.

So we're sure this is officially official? I'm still doubtful! :lol:

How can you miss Gallagher when he has only pitched 14 innings? In those 14 innings he has given up 19 hits and 14 ER to go along with 12 walks. Not that Marshalls track recored is very good, I would certainly prefer to trade Gallagher over Marshall at this point, especially if it nets us B. Roberts. Welcome aboard!

hes going to get 15-20 HRs minimum and 40-50 doubles. give him a .300 BA (pretty likely) and 70-80 walks (pretty likely) that makes him comparable to JD Drew in 2006..which was a .300 EqA. and Fred Lynn (career .297 EqA). I'll go on record as saying that this kind of production out of Fukudome will have me tap-dancing in the streets. Them's some good numbers.

Kind of impressive to see a malnourished kid grow that tall, though. If there's a lack of calcium in his diet, Lord knows how tall he actually should be!

I'M NOT DRUNK, YOU'RE DRUNK!