Tag: NFL

Predicting the 2014/2015 NFL Season

That Empty Feeling…

Last season went by super fast, and now we only have a few days until we’re really back in action. Before the greatest sport in the world begins again. Everyone should know by now that I’m a Bears fan, and at times my bias may show – but I’ve always felt I’m fair in the playoff predictions. Now, just like last year, my prediction process functions like this: I start by writing down every game, every week. Then I go over each and every game, and pick a winner for the game in question. That leaves me with a record for every team, following that I predict the playoffs, as it would play out with my predictions in mind. That is how I give you my complete predictions for this NFL Season. Final note before we begin, I’ve added a section for some specific awards I’ve tried to predict already – enjoy.

◊American Football Conference

Can Brady Pick The Broncos Apart?

Going over this division by Division, and I’m leading with the AFC North. I’m really starting to like what Coach Lewis is building in Cincinnati, and I’m stating that truthfully, well knowing that Andy Dalton got a deal that was.. Uhm.. Too big. I like what he has to work with though, and the Red Rifle HAS to start delivering big time. I think he will this year. I have him winning this division at 12-4 – and heading into the playoffs with the Baltimore Ravens (wildcard) at 9-7. These two teams beat out a lackluster Steelers team (7-9), and an overrated Cleveland Browns (3-13) team.

Now, going into the south we spot my division winners, the Indianapolis Colts (9-7). This division is not very good, frankly. The Colts are rather good, and limp into the playoffs with the defensively led Texans (9-7), through to the promised land through a wildcard. The Titans are irregular (4-12), and I don’t feel they have much to offer this year. I really like what Khan’s Jaguars are doing, building an interesting team – hopefully with Blake Bortles this year – however, I don’t see them getting more than 5 wins.

In the AFC Wild Wild West, the Denver Broncos are kings. And that does NOT change this year. I have them finishing 14-2, and they’re going straight into the AFC Playoffs with the no. 1 seed. The Chargers (7-9), Raiders (5-11) and Chiefs (6-10) all miss the playoffs – they’re just not that good… Yet. I see something in the Chargers; however, I don’t think they’re ready.

Finally, the AFC East features only one playoff contender – seeing as the wildcard spots have already been taken by the Ravens and the Texans. Here in the eastern division, I see the Patriots slowly, but surely, becoming very strong and very confident. They’re much better than the rest of their division I’m afraid. The Jets (3-13), Bills (4-12) & Dolphins (5-11) will have a tough year, and they could end up losing some coaches at the end of the year. Take all of this with a grain of salt though, as I’m primarily an ‘expert’ in the NFC North. If you can even say that.

◊National Football Conference

Go Deep…

Beginning with the NFC North, my Bears will have an interesting season. Going up against a tough division with a new-look defense, after an abysmal season. However, Cutler has got an amazing offense to work with, and if the defense is league average – they can go far. I have them winning the division and going 12-4. Now, I have a few surprises in the NFC predictions – and the first one is that the Green Bay Packers won’t go to the Playoffs this year. I have them finishing 2nd in the division at 11-5, but you’re going to see better 2nd ranking records than that. To finish off the division I have the Lions (6-10) and Vikings (5-11) finishing 3rd and 4th.

This year I have high expectations for the NFC South. To me, it is one of the toughest years for the division contenders in a long time. Some things don’t change however, and the New Orleans Saints take the division at 14-2; Drew Brees is becoming the best quarterback in the league. I have the Panthers as a top team this year, and rank them at 12-4, and taking a wildcard spot in the playoffs. Finally, Lovie Smith’s Bucs (6-10) and Mike Smith’s Falcons (9-7) finish 4th and 3rd.

The strongest division in the NFL, the NFC West, will once again have participation in the playoffs from Seattle (13-3) and San Francisco (12-4) – but don’t count out the rest. I have a very strong Cardinals team finishing 7-9, and that’s not their season ceiling at all – while the Rams finish 10-6. If the 49’ers perform worse than 12-4, the Packers/Bears or Rams will take their wildcard spot.

Finally, the NFC East features a battle-hardened Washington squad, get ready to see RGIII take the division title. I have them finishing 10-6, beating out the 7-9 Eagles, who fall to the floor after a great rookie HC season for Chip Kelly. The Giants and Cowboys are not ready yet, at all, and both finish 4-12. However, the Giants could surprise some people if they get their quarterback some confidence.

♥Championships

Who Will Play At The University of Phoenix Stadium?

In the AFC Wildcard Round, the Ravens faces off with the Indianapolis Colts – and Joe Flacco’s experience and proven playoff success will lead them past Luck’s Colts. Meanwhile, the Patriots take a win, by beating the Houston Texans – who can only perform defensively against the NE-units. In the NFC Wildcard Round, the 49ers and Bears beat the Redskins and Panthers respectively.

The real competition begins in the divisional round, as I have the Broncos and Patriots knocking the Ravens and Bengals out, respectively. In the NFC, I have to make some tough decisions as my Bears face the New Orleans Saints and the defending Super Bowl champions face the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers will fall to the Seahawks, due to home-field-advantage – but it shouldn’t be the most entertaining game this round. The Bears offense will be doing everything possible to keep up with the Saints offense, but in the end will fall short…

For the AFC and NFC Championships, the matchups are as follows: The Patriots vs. the Broncos & the Saints vs. the Seahawks. All four quarterbacks has at least one Super Bowl ring, but it won’t be the offensive talents that decide these games. The defensive units in Denver and Seattle, will give us a Super Bowl rematch between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.

This is what Peyton Manning needs, another try at another Super Bowl ring – trying to solidify his place in NFL history as the best ever. But it won’t be easy. The Seattle defense has NOT gotten worse, and they will have to do something special to keep up. In what I predict to be a very tight game, I have the Seattle Seahawks defending their Super Bowl title from last season – not due to Sherman, necessarily. But this team is set-up to win; and they will.

♣Awards


This year I’ve written a list of players that will be viewed as award-material. On the following list you’ll probably see some surprises that will shock you, or maybe you’re still infuriated at my Playoff Prediction – sound off in the comments. Some of the names have notes added to them, just in case you were wondering where I’m coming from when making these predictions.

  • Most Valuable Player – Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints. For me, Drew is becoming the best quarterback in the NFL – I only see one guy better than him – Peyton. This year will be big for Brees – future Hall of Famer.
  • Offensive Player of the Year – Drew Brees, Quarterback, New Orleans Saints.
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year – Kelvin Benjamin, Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers. Now, I almost picked Blake Bortles here in stead – a great young QB, but I’ve been liking what I’ve seen from Benjamin, and I cannot wait to see him in the regular season.
  • Defensive Player of the Year – Luke Kuechly, Linebacker, Carolina Panthers. The best middle linebacker in the NFL.
  • Defensive Rookie of the Year – Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End, Houston Texans. They may have some trouble offensively, but defensively they’re rock solid. This pick will go over well in Houston. Star.
  • Coach of the Year – Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints.
  • Comeback Player of the Year – Jay Cutler, Quarterback, Chicago Bears. Cutler’s last full season was in 2009 – and he only played 11 games in the regular season last year. Jay Cutler will return with a bang – with the best receiving duo in the NFL, Bennett & Forte. This unit has to succeed. Quick stat prediction? 25 Touchdowns, 16 Interceptions – 4.500 yards.

Pre-Season Notes – Chicago Bears – Final Notes

David Bass has gotten interesting…

Just a few days ago, the Chicago Bears concluded their Pre-Season with a loss to the Cleveland Browns – who were fielding starters against the 3rd string Bears. The Bears dropped to 2-2 overall, but who cares about the Pre-Season record? No one, exactly. Today I’ll hand out the final standout notes, for the game against the Browns – note the final scores for the players I’ve followed – and, give out awards for the best rookie of the Bears Pre-Season, and the best overall player of the Bears Pre-Season.

I wrote down a few standouts, and even crossed out the name of one (Demontre Hurst). Defensively, I liked what I saw from defensive end David Bass, and cornerback C.J. Wilson. The former made it to the team, and the latter did not even make it to the Practice Squad. Good luck young man. Offensively, I loved what I saw from Santonio Holmes, Shaun Draughn and Josh Bellamy. Santonio and Shaun both made it to the 53-man roster, and Josh made it to the Practice Squad. Below are the final overall scores for the players I’ve followed.

  • #25 – Ka’Deem Carey: 3 pts.
  • #12 – David Fales: 1 pt.
  • #36 – Jordan Lynch: 2 pts.
  • #23 – Kyle Fuller: 4 pts.
  • #95 – Ego Ferguson: 0 pts.
  • #45 – Brock Vereen: -1 pt.
  • #93 – Will Sutton: 0 pts.
  • #16 – Pat O’Donnell: 3 pts.
  • #57 – Jon Bostic: -1 pt.
  • #50 – Shea McClellin: -4 pts.

Overall Player of the Pre-Season: David Bass, #91, Defensive End.

Overall Rookie of the Pre-Season: Kyle Fuller, #23, Cornerback.

Pre-Season Notes – Chicago Bears – Game 3


Well, that didn’t go according to plan. In what was supposed to be a game about new beginnings, the Bears did little to fix their defensive reputation from last season. In fairness, though, these were the World Champions. Friday the Bears dropped to 2-1 in their Pre-Season schedule – which really isn’t all that important. Today, I’ve decided that the result itself did not warrant standouts to be mentioned. Firstly, there weren’t many – secondly, we had no chance to make anything standout really. David Fales, Jordan Lynch and Kyle Fuller did not appear, and their respective overall scores of -1, +2 & +4 do not change. The less said about this game, the better – so let’s get the scores out and over with.

  • #25 – Ka’Deem Carey: 2+ points, 1- point; Average Performance – [3 points].
  • #95 – Ego Ferguson: 1+ points, 1- point; Average Performance – [0 points].
  • #45 – Brock Vereen: 0+ point, 1- point; Below Average Performance – [-1 point].
  • #93 – Will Sutton: 1+ points, 1- point; Average Performance – [0 points].
  • #16 – Pat O’Donnell: 1+ points, 1- point; Average Performance – [3 points].
  • #57 – Jon Bostic: 2+ points, 1- points; Average Performance – [-1 point].
  • #50 – Shea McClellin: 1+ point, 1- point; Average Performance – [-4 points].

Rookie of the Game: Pat O’Donnell

Player of the Game: Willie Young

 

Pre-Season Notes – Chicago Bears – Game 2


In continuing with the tradition mentioned last week, today I will give out scores for specific performances and note standouts. Yesterday the Bears hosted a Pre-Season game against the Jacksonville Jaguars [which resulted in a 20-19 Bears win] – and that’s the focus of today’s post. First of all, here are the scores for the specific players I’m watching this year [note the overall score for the player in brackets].

  • #25 – Ka’Deem Carey: 3+ points, 2- points; Average Performance – [2 points].
  • #12 – David Fales: No Participation – [-1 point].
  • #95 – Ego Ferguson: 0+ points, 1- point; Below Average Performance – [0 points].
  • #45 – Brock Vereen: 1+ point, 1- point; Average Performance – [0 points].
  • #93 – Will Sutton: 0+ points, 1- point; Below Average Performance – [0 points].
  • #23 – Kyle Fuller: Early Injury, no notes – [4 points].
  • #16 – Pat O’Donnell: 3+ points, 0- points; Above Average Performance – [3 points].
  • #36 – Jordan Lynch: No Participation notes – [2 points].
  • #57 – Jon Bostic: 2+ points, 0- points; Above Average Performance – [-2 points].
  • #50 – Shea McClellin: 1+ point, 0- point; Average Performance – [-4 points].

Moving on now to standouts. Onca again our Special Teams performed poorly, and actually I only saw Pat O’Donnell as a positive experience. Offensively, though, we saw some nice things on the field. Jay Cutler, and his O-Line, was amazing – and he felt so comfortable. Honestly, if he performs like this in the regular season, we’ll have a great season. As for the 2nd and 3rd strings? Well, I soured somewhat on Jimmy Clausen – but not due to him performing badly; actually, Jordan Palmer was just that good. Defensively, I loved what I saw from Stephen Paea and ‘Peanut’. For the second week in a row, I loved what I saw from Trevor Scott – he’s a lock for the 53 man squad. Finally, the interception from C.J. Wilson needs to be noticed. Nice job, young man.

Rookie of the Game: Pat O’Donnell, Punter.

Player of the Game: Jordan Palmer, Quarterback.

 

Pre-Season Notes – Chicago Bears – Game 1

Last year I made it a tradition for me to watch the Chicago Bears Pre-Season games in their entirety, compile notes – note standouts and specific performances. I’m not too certain, though, whether I’ve ever released those notes. This year I am releasing them, though, and it all began yesterday when the Philadelphia Eagles took on my Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for the opening Pre-Season Game.

For this year’s Pre-Season I’ve chosen to keep an eye on the following list of players; and each player will score points based on his performances each week:

  • #25 – Running Back – Ka’Deem Carey – Rookie.
  • #12 – Quarterback – David Fales – Rookie.
  • #95 – Defensive Tackle – Ego Ferguson – Rookie.
  • #45 – Safety – Brock Vereen – Rookie.
  • #93 – Defensive Tackle – Will Sutton – Rookie.
  • #23 – Cornerback – Kyle Fuller – Rookie.
  • #16 – Punter/Holder – Pat O’Donnell – Rookie.
  • #36 – Running Back/Quarterback – Jordan Lynch – Rookie.
  • #57 – Linebacker – Jon Bostic – Second Year.
  • #50 – Linebacker/Defensive End – Shea McClellin – Third Year.

Before rating these specific performances of note, I’ve compiled a list of standouts from the game – which cannot include the players above. In a game where very few Special Team highlights for the Bears were noted, I’ve decided to gloss over that section – and in stead, first look at the defensive standouts. Safety Ryan Mundy and cornerback Sherrick McManis both picked off Nick Foles, and are obvious standouts defensively. Second year Linebacker Khaseem Greene outplayed every 2nd & 3rd string linebacker in the game, and hopefully he can continue to get better – and maybe even battle for a spot with the 1st string. Undrafted rookie cornerback Al Louis-Jean also managed to get a pick, and showed solid movement on the interception itself. Jeremy ‘Jay’ Ratliff also performed well in the game, provided good pressure. My premier defensive standout, however, was defensive end Trevor Scott. He showed an ability to pressure the Quarterback, and was solid on all the snaps he played.

Offensively we have a lot of people to note as well, first and foremost we have our Franchise Quarterback – Jay Cutler. After a poor opening drive, he came back on his second and final – and led his team back in the redzone, and then to the endzone. Cutler managed to find Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall, Dante Rosario and Zach Miller – the latter two being premier offensive standouts. Look out Martellus Bennett. I also have two standouts for the 3rd stringers. First and foremost, former CFL Wide Receiver and Punt Returner Chris Williams performed well, and even had a 70+ yards Touchdown to cap off his night. Finally, I must congratulate 3rd string Quarterback Jimmy Clausen – he’s managed to perform at a level that exceeded that of 2nd stringer Jordan Palmer.

Now we move on to the specific ratings.

  • #25 – Ka’Deem Carey: 2+ points, 1- point; Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 1 point.
  • #12 – David Fales: 1+ point, 2- points; Below Average Performance; Game 1 Score: Negative 1 point.
  • #95 – Ego Ferguson: 3+ points, 2- points; Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 1 point.
  • #45 – Brock Vereen: 2+ points, 2-points; Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 0 points.
  • #93 – Will Sutton: 1+ point, 1- point; Average Performance; Game 1 Score: o points.
  • #23 – Kyle Fuller: 4+ points, 0- points; Above Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 4 points.
  • #16 – Pat O’Donnell: 1+ point, 1- point; Below Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 0 points.
  • #36 – Jordan Lynch: 3+ points, 1- point; Above Average Performance; Game 1 Score: 2 points.
  • #57 – Jon Bostic: 0+ points, 4- points; Below Average Performance; Game 1 Score: Negative 4 points.
  • #50 – Shea McClellin: 1+ point, 5- points; Below Average Performance; Game 1 Score: Negative 4 points.

Rookie of the Game: Kyle Fuller, Cornerback.

Player of the Game: Zach Miller, Tight End.

 

NFL Draft 2014 Review: Chicago Bears

David Fales, QB, San Jose State – 6th Round Pick, Chicago Bears.

The wait is over. After having watched the entirety of the 7 rounds we can now take a step back and look at what we got. Now, I will not be grading our Draft Class, for they haven’t played yet – but I will see if I agree with the picks we’ve made, and if we’ve filled the holes we have on our team – the needs we have on our team. So without further ado:

KYLE FULLER

For some this was their top cornerback (it was not for me, but he was up there), and by that respect it’s a good pick. Now, here’s why many Bears fans are upset with this pick, we had our choice of safeties here… HaHa and Pryor were both there, and the former ended up with Green Bay… Still, this pick gets us a future replacement for Peanut Tillman, as well as scores us a starting Nickelcorner – and that’s an important position to fill when you have opponents like Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, Randall Cobb etc. I like this pick, but I would’ve taken HaHa Clinton-Dix.

EGO FERGUSON

We needed a Defensive Tackle, and we got one here. I would’ve reached for a safety here – but Ego fills a need as a 2-technigue. I don’t know a lot about this guy.

WILL SUTTON

When we picked our second Defensive Tackle, this one being 3-technigue, a lot of Bears fans were going crazy – in a good way. There’s been some problems with his weight, but he gained weight for the sake of his team, and he’s down to 290 pounds now, I believe. Good pick – but where is our safety?

KA’DEEM CAREY

Value Pick. Ka’Deem Carey is tough to bring down, though as quick as Forte. Here we have a guy to take over for Michael Bush as the short yardage guy, and backup Running Back. I cannot argue with this pick.

BROCK VEREEN

Then we traded back into the fourth round, and that was exciting. Brock Vereen was our guy, a safety from Minnesota. He was on my list for Day 3 in my Day 2 Review, and I’m glad we got him.

DAVID FALES

Here’s a guy I love. Back in January I started looking for a young backup, and then I saw David Fales – and I loved what he showed, how promising he was. Then I ranked the QB’s a few weeks ago, and I mentioned him as a guy I’d love for Trestman to get his hands on. I called this pick, and I love this pick.

PAT O’DONNELL

Punters are people too. This guy is built like a linebacker, and looks to have a big kick. You cannot argue with picking a punter in the 6th round (the best punter in the draft), after having seen Podlesh last year.

CHARLES LENO JR.

Building depth on our offensive line, that’s very important – and who knows, he may be the next Jordan Mills.

– I’m Jeffrey Rex.

NFL Draft Day 2 Review: Chicago Bears 2014

So, guess what? We did not draft the safety we need – thus leaving a lot of options open on day 3. After having taken nickel-corner Kyle Fuller in the first, we grabbed Ego Ferguson, LSU, a defensive tackle who’s to play 2-technigue. In the 3rd round, when we were all complaining about not taking Louis Nix (who actually dropped deep into the 3rd round), we picked up Will Sutton from Arizona State – also a defensive tackle, probably looking at 3-technigue. People really like Will Sutton, whereas Ego was a different story – however, having added both I feel comfortable with our defensive line going forward.

REMAINING NEEDS

Well, we still need a safety – but remaining needs also include a backup QB (though Emery might disagree), a backup running back, added receiving competition and some more linebacking power. I’ve got a list of guys I’d like to share, a list of guys who I’d love to see in a Bears jersey or I think are positional needs that still have value, though not all of them are THAT realistic:

  • Ed Reynolds, Safety, Stanford (PAC-12).
  • Brock Vereen, Safety, Minnesota (Big Ten).
  • Jonathan Dowling, Safety, Western Kentucky (Sun Belt).
  • Craig Loston, Safety, LSU (SEC).
  • Marqueston Huff, Safety, Wyoming (Mountain West).
  • Dion Bailey, Safety, USC (PAC-12)
  • Shayne Skov, Linebacker, Stanford (PAC-12).
  • Michael Sam, Defensive End, Missouri (SEC).
  • Andre Williams, Running Back, Boston College (ACC).
  • Martavis Bryant, Wide Receiver, Clemson (ACC).
  • Marcel Jensen, Tight End, Fresno St. (Mountain West).
  • Devin Street, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh (ACC).
  • Aaron Murray, Quarterback, Georgia (SEC).
  • David Fales, Quarterback, San Jose St. (Mountain West).
  • A.J. McCarron, Quarterback, Alabama (SEC).
  • Tajh Boyd, Quarterback, Clemson (ACC).

PREVIEW DAY 3

On day 3 we still have 4 picks, 1 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th and 2 in the 6th. Now, I don’t think we need more than 2 or 3 prospects, and if possible I’d like to see Phil Emery trade up a bit to grab the guy he wants. If we leave day 3 with Craig Loston, Shayne Skov and David Fales – for example – I would be happy with this draft.

– I’m Jeffrey Rex.

NFL Draft Day 1 Review: Chicago Bears 2014

So, that was one hell of an opening day. From the shocking Buffalo-trade to the last minute Bridgewater-steal, we had intense debate and intrigue. The big theme of the night was the wait of the QBs. Bridgewater waited all night, Garoppolo was NOT picked and Manziel was picked as #22 (3rd time Cleveland pick a QB at that position). Now, this Day 1 Review will focus on my Bears, as we look at what went right and what went wrong.

NO CIGAR

Close, but no cigar Bears fans… Aaron Donald did indeed drop down in the draft – and as we sat hoping all the pieces would come together, the St.Louis Rams called the Pittsburgh Defensive Tackle, and got defensively greedy. A lot of us would’ve loved Donald, but we also knew it was a stretch to say we would get the opportunity – meanwhile we felt comfortable that some Defensive Tackles would drop (and some did). Now, I was not that deflated by the ‘loss’ of Aaron Donald – for my two top Safeties were still there for us to pick – Calvin Pryor and HaHa Clinton-Dix; I anxiously waited for Emery to make the pick…

JOKE’S ON US

Indeed, the joke is on us – for while Phil Emery decided not to pick a safety – and stuck with a guy he “loves” – HaHa dropped down to #21 and was picked up by the Packers… Also, Calvin Pryor fell to the Jets. Now, who did we get then? Mike Mayock’s 13th ranked player in the entire draft. That sounds great, but we did not fill an immediate need. No safety, no Defensive-line help. Instead we strengthened our Cornerback position. Now, guys, don’t freak out. While we’ve still got Peanut and Jennings – this guy is not JUST the future cornerback, he will also feature in the battle for the nickel-spot. And the nickel position is of importance in today’s NFL. We face people like Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew and Randall Cobb – you’d want a Cornerback taking care of them. Expect to see Virginia Tech Cornerback Kyle Fuller a lot for the Bears – as he is also a top rated Special Teams-player.

PREVIEW DAY 2

With the 2nd and 3rd round picks being announced starting 7 pm Eastern (US), we must now look forward and take a peak at the players we might need. Defensive Tackle and Safety still need to be filled properly. Starting with Safety, we may have a problem. Buccannon, Ward, HaHa and Pryor all went in the first round, and though the remaining players may not be the best in the draft – we desperately need a new Safety – we’re gonna reach. Lamarcus Joyner (Florida State) ranked 65th on Mayock’s Top 100 is still there, as well as his teammate Terrence Brooks and guys like Marqueston Huff. On D-tackle Timmy Jernigan’s still there and so is Hageman & Nix. We have options, but we need to be aware and take the bigger need – not the better player. Go with a safety.

– I’m Jeffrey Rex.

My Draft Board: Chicago Bears

GM Phil Emery of the Chicago Bears.

In this post I will be mentioning players I will be keeping an eye open for, as the Draft begins and moves ahead. Players that I wouldn’t mind having with the Bears. Now, I’m going to be realistic, so no Khalil Mack or Jadeveon Clowney – seeing as they won’t drop to our position, and we can’t trade up. Without further ado, let the Draft Board begin.

Positions of Need

  • Safety.
  • Defensive Tackle.
  • Cornerback.
  • Linebacker.
  • Backup Quarterback.
  • Backup Runningback.

Starting chronologically on the positions of need, we have the safety position. My favourite player who could supposedly get in our reach is HaHa Clinton-Dix from the University of Alabama. I’ve been eyeing this guy for a long time, pretty much the entire off-season. Now, chances are he perhaps won’t be there, teams a couple of picks prior to our 14th pick do want secondary help, and that might hurt our chances at him. If we’re unlucky, and HaHa has already been taken before we get to him, then Calvin Pryor from Louisville is another popular choice. I know more about HaHa than I do about Calvin, but I believe Calvin’s very physical in nature and aggressive in style (which could be a problem and a point of emphasis for scouts). Alternatively, in the second round Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois would be a popular pick for our Illinois team.  Also, I’ve heard a lot of good about Deone Bucannon, who could be an option if we trade back.

The Bears recently lost Henry Melton, and even though we’ve signed a lot of D-line stars, we still need a young and strong Defensive Tackle to fix our D-line. Aaron Donald would be a dream pick here, but odds are he won’t be there at 14. Now, if we cannot get him it might be better to look at Defensive Tackle in the second round with Dominique Easley.

At Cornerback I really like Darqueze Dennard, but I’ve been told that he’s had a lot of injury problems, and that might hurt his chances with the Bears. Now, Justin Gilbert would fix a lot of things for the Bears, he’d bring added physicality, fresh talent at cornerback and kick-returning abilities. I don’t see Justin falling to 14 either, though. I’ve heard a bit about Pierre Desir of Lindenwood, and I could see him as an option in rounds 3 or 4. Perhaps even in the second.

C.J. Mosley would be great for the Bears at Linebacker, but don’t expect us to pick him as we just grapped 2 linebackers in the draft least year, and signed a few in free agency. Ryan Shazier could take over for Lance Briggs, though, one day – and we should seriously consider him if dropping back in the draft.

Looking at the backup positions I see Andre Williams from Boston College as an option at Running Back, he’s not a pass catcher – but he could fill the need for a strong running back to block and score on short yardage plays like Michael Bush did for us last season. As for backup quarterback? Well, we probably won’t grab one in the early rounds, thus eliminating a lot of people from the equation. David Fales from San Jose State might be an option, though, as a work-in-progress for Trestman.

Enjoy the Draft!

– I’m Jeffrey Rex