My belief in trading down is this: If some team calls you and offers the sun, moon, and stars for the #7 pick. You pull the trigger. If the team with the #14-18 pick offered their 1st, 2nd in 2015, 2nd in 2016, and a 3rd this year--I make it. If you actively go looking around to trade down, and you make it your plan A--you're a retard. You devalue your pick and position at the bargaining table. And other teams hold the bargaining advantage........and you will not get a kings ransom. Let them come to you. If the Skins were dumb enough to hand over 3 1sts for the number 2 pick that was RG3........you CAN find a sucker. Not 3 1st round picks sucker, but their first, 2 2nds, and a 3rd. Maybe two 1sts. If that Amari Cooper kid falls to #7--you can get what the Bills gave up for Sammy Watkins. He's athletic and smart enough to play Mike, though if you plugged him in at Sam or Will, he'd probably be more effective right away. He's a sideline to sideline linebacker that's physical. The best one in the draft. He was the captain of his team. Plus he wants to win. He's got that contagious attitude. I've mentioned the story about how the Huskies failed to punch the ball in on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down at the goal line. Thompson went to his coach and said 'put me in' and on 4th down, dragged 3 guys into the endzone after it looked like he was caught in the backfield. Thompson and Bryce Hager are the two smartest LBs in the draft. Both could make the idiot Bostic more effective by telling him what to do.
That's 101. You don't actively shop it. It is always for sale. You have some players you are going to take. #7 is a prime movement spot. Those phones blow up in the top ten. We have dug such a deep hole we need those mid round hits. How much of our depth last year consisted of UDFAs? We have missed so much and blown our top picks. We need to catch up in the mid rounds. I would take him. Cover Marshall, Jeffery, Cooper, Bennett, and Forte. I like Bostic at SAM. Fuck we need a MIKE. He could make some of these guys in the back seven serviceable.
You'd be surprised....... In recent years (2011-2013) SF and NE actively traded down for the sake of doing it and accumulating picks. 2011 New England traded out of the 28th spot to the 33rd, and missed out on Mo Wilkerson and Cam Heyward. Ras-I Dowling was selected. They then traded out of the 60 spot for the 73, missing out on Randall Cobb, Justin Houston, and DeMarco Murray. Yeah. An extra 3rd was worth that. Ryan Mallett and Jake Baquette are lighting up the league right now. So is Logan Ryan (future 3rd round pick from a trade in 2013). THe Browns at 12 will need a WR. Kings ransom or bust if Cooper is there. The Texans at 16 need a WR. Kings ransom or bust.
Cooper won't make it past the Jets, so forget all that talk. I don't think the draft process can pick his game apart that much. He can ball. Still a long ways to go. I still need to pick my prospect, but it is boring in the top ten...
Cooper is a stud, I would be shocked if he was still on the board when we were picking but would be ideal for a trade down situation since that is not a need of the Bears. The Bears are in a good spot to trade down and get good value. Unless there is a no-brainer stud who surprisingly drops, all offers should be considered. I fully agree with both of you that trading down to trade down is not a smart move. I REALLY don't like trading up in the first round and we are not in a position to do that anyway.
As long as we hit in the first three, it will be a strong draft. Should get an ok player early in the 4th. The more picks in the top three rounds, the better. The depth on this team is an absolute disaster. I can't remember where I saw that, maybe one of you guys posted it. We are dead last in drafted players on the roster. We are one of the oldest teams in the NFL, yet we have zero leadership. That is fucking unacceptable. We knew the drafting was bad, this has to get better...
I read somewhere during the season that we only had 3 guys on the roster that were on second contracts with the team that we actually drafted. I think they were only Briggs, Tillman and Forte. That is absolutely pathetic.
Do you know who has the most drafted players on their roster? Green Fucking Bay. They don't really sign FAs either. Pretty much in house ( Reggie White and Charles Woodson? ). WE HAVE TO DRAFT BETTER!!!
Yes and no...... Take away the guy under Center from Green Bay, how good is that team? Because they strike me as an 8-8, very, VERY pedestrian team without him. So yes, we do have to draft better, I don't want to be the free agency winners all the time. 100% right on that. But the thing about GB not signing free agents is totally embellished. Without Rodgers, that team is another brick in the wall.
Bingo, this is my problem with the love that GB gets, without a superstar QB who instantly elevates the whole team they are garbage (or mediocre) and could have a lot more churn to stay competetive. But they hit on the big ones, two franchise QBs in a row.
Loving everything going on here. Looking forward to the next few months, when more evaluations and film of are available. Just looking at the draft order, and the prospects at the top of the draft... There's no excuse not to get a playmaker, in one way or another. Whether they go for a stud OT, or a destructive pass-rusher, or a top-tier LB, there's going to be major talent there. Exciting stuff, and it'll change the players I study during preparation. I usually never even look at the guys who you know are going to go before Chicago. But, in this situation, just about everybody is on the board. Here's to hoping one of the big defensive linemen fall - that's top of my wishlist, prior to real footage study.
Watching the EW Shrine Game atm...... This Duke quarterback Boone has zero chemistry with the guys, and that's to be expected. So far with 4 throws, he zigs and his WRs zag. He's overthrowing his 6'6 and 6'5 WRs and a 6'7 TE. This Louisville RG John Miller is mauling and manhandling the DT he's going up against. The pocket collapses and he's still 5 yards ahead still at the line of scrimmage abusing this poor defensive linemen. Tre McBride from William and Mary is going above and beyond. Terrence McGee, the RB from LSU is the only bright spot for the East.
This John Miller kid is dominating. Terrence McGee just ran behind him untouched for 9 yards...... A lot of sloppy play so far. Za'Dareus Smith (5 tech in Kentucky's 3-4, RDE in a 4-3) is beating his guy for the East. Jake Ryan at LB was at Mike and Sam, and he's also handling his business. Otherwise the Punter O'Neal for the West pinning down the East inside the 5 yard line is notable. Brandon Vitabile, my kid from NU is excellent in pass protection.
Defenses are dominating. Anthony Chickillo, Za'Daraeus Smith, and Jake Ryan are carrying the east. Smith is leading the pass rush. He, Chickillo and Daryl Waud (canadian) all getting constant pressure.
I'm watching this game too, offense has been garbage, QB's are horrible. Smith has been an absolute beast, in the backfield all day. Very impressive.
Game finished, as you probably read--not an offensive tour-de-force by any means......but several standout players that need to be on the bears' list. The linemen dominated this game. John Miller, was the 10th ranked OG on CBSucks' draft sheet, with a 6-7 round projection. He likely just vaulted into the 4-5 range. There are a lot of interior OL this draft, and with a top heavy OC and OG class, this guy is a hidden mid-late round gem. Not joking. Running behind him, backs gained 8-9 yards a carry--which is why Terrence McGee looked a lot better in some runs than others. Unliked size at 6'2, 315, but his lower body burst and footwork are phenomenal. Taller DLinemen may swat a ball down or two. This kid was flawless. Can Matt Slauson play Center? Can this kid play Center? I mentioned MyCole Pruitt from SIU at TE. Excellent as a pass blocking/run blocking TE. Reminded me a lot of Matt Spaeth--picking up the slack of his shitty LT. Za'Dareus Smith showed the world Bud Dupree (Kentucky's 3-4 rush LB projected to be a top 15 pick) wasn't the only boss on that defense. Constant pressure. Elite awareness. Knew to get his hands up when opposing QBs set. Plus in run game and pass rushing. He just worked his way into the 3-4th round. Projects to be more of a 5 tech, thats what he was at Kentucky, but in a 4-3 formation he was excellent. Josh Shaw, CB from USC had an excellent game, but I wont buy too much into him schooling the other team. The quarterbacks were atrocious this game. Predictable. Stared down guys they were throwing to. Shaw to me is still a 4-5 round pick. Had a great interception, but the opposing QB stared down his WR and Shaw jumped the route. I love his size and speed. Projects into a #2 CB. Plus man coverage. Tre McBride is a burner from William and Mary who made the most of QBs he wasn't familiar with. Some nice catches, some nice speed. He can start and stop.......which is great for a highlight reel. What worries me is he likes to run out of bounds/not get hit. Cant do that at the next level. Guys will hit you. Daryl Waud and Anthony Chickillo, DEs from University of Manitoba (Waud--same university as Izzy Idonije) and Chickillo from the U. Constant pressures. Waud has a nice bull rush and hand/foot work. Very fundamentally sound. But seemed a one trick pony. Rotational pass rusher for now unless he can add another pass rushing move. Chickillo overpowered an inferior OT. Fun to watch if he's on your team. Jake Ryan was excellent. Played Mike and Sam in the East's 4-3 and did it well. In a watered down offense/defense, he snubbed out 2 screens early, a couple tackles, and man covered a TE and FB well. Looks slimmer, down from 245 and didn't appear to be hobbled/bothered by a knee injury suffered a year ago. Senior Bowl next week. Its actually in Chicago.
I agree. He actually reminds me of Chris Borland in the fact that he won't wow you with his measurable and speed and will drop because of that but is just a very good instinctive football player. Plays at full speed every play. I liked him, what is he currently projected at 4th or 5th round? Hot freaking garbage. When I saw UGA"s QB, Hutson Mason, out there I new it was bad. That guy was flat out horrible. Had Chubb and Todd Gurley running the ball but still couldn't complete a pass. I felt bad for the WR's in this game because they had no chance to showcase anything with all those turds throwing the ball. Smith and Chickillo were the stars on defense, just mandhandling whomever was blocking them. I want to want Smith at the combine because that dude really impressed me with how disruptive he was on almost every play he was in there. Senior Bowl should be a lot more fun to watch, this game was painful at times.
Here is a list of accepted Senior Bowl invites, for the upcoming Senior Bowl this Saturday from Soldier Field. http://www.seniorbowl.com/accepted-invites.php I'll do a quick write up in a bit of who's there worth watching/who I'll be keeping an eye on. Lots of big names all of us following College Ball have been high on. Some familiar, some new.
