RealGM

OK, its become obvious that JA and Lovie have been completly honest with us all along. Despite being $30 million under the cap, they have been VERY modest in FA (obviously saving up their cash for a run at Ben Roethlisberger next year )

So this is what happend. Lovie took the team to the Superbowl in 2006. Flexed his muscle and got rid of the coaches that helped him get there and replaced them with NFL rookie defensive line and back coaches and his buddy as a rookie DC, etc. Lovie tried to play Tony Dungy the teacher and it blew up in his face. Lovie also brought in his guy Adam ArchucrazyIsucka - convincing JA to trade Chris Harris (oh boy that's like a kick in the crotch right now). Other players that couldn't see the field here saw modest to solid improvement elsewhere.

Fast forward 2.5 years and internally within the organization IMO Lovie has lost ALL credibility when it comes to anything other than coaching defensive Xs & Os (and motivation). All Lovie's horses and all Lovie's men have been canned.

So now the pendulum swings the other way and JA takes the "It wasn't ME it was THEM!" stance and feels that he put the pieces in place - he has his defensive end (Mark Anderson - who Lovie's coaches screwed up) his possession receiver (Earl Bennett) and a safety good enough in Craig Steltz to cut veteran team leader Mike Brown. He's drafted his LT and has a QB serviceable enough to manage the offense to respectability.

So let's pretend he's right. Lets say:

(1) Anderson returns to rookie form under new coaching,
(2) bennet steps up and becomes a decent possession man to counter Hester's improvement as the deep threat,
(3) Steltz steps in and doesn't get blasted on a goal line stance ala 2nd Vikings game and
(4) That the new defensive backs coach understands that if you keep lining up 8 yards off the line, opposing QB's will keep throwing the quick slant (add other coaching idiot moves here).

Now was that so hard to imagine?

So, if we pretend that JA is right about all that and say he goes RT, S, RB and DE (not in that order) on day 1 in the draft. My question is:

AT WHAT LEVEL (NOT RECORD) DOES THIS TEAM COMPETE?

A) SUPERBOWL THREAT
B) NFC TITLE GAME
C) DIVISION TITLE
D) WILD CARD
E) OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

Hoo boy. That's a whole lot of "ifs" you put out there in your fantasy world.

I think the biggest thing you missed is Orton showing his 2008 first half form for an entire season. If that was #5, I'd say NFC title game - the ceiling's the limit.

The problem is #1 and #4 are the only real possibilities in my book. Anderson still has the potential and Lovie (not the DB coach) has the ability to change up how our corners line up.

Yeah, I can't see #3 happening just yet - but I can see them taking a S in the 2nd round that steps in as a starter - Patrick Chung? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_37qMvwSMwo)

emperorjones wrote:Yeah, I can't see #3 happening just yet - but I can see them taking a S in the 2nd round that steps in as a starter - Patrick Chung? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_37qMvwSMwo)

First - that 'Paper Planes' remix is TIGHT!

I've seen Chung on some mocks in the past going to us in Rd2. As long as he's good enough to avoid the Lovie red-shirt year and can hit the field right away as a starter, I'm down with that.

I've bee studying the draft more than ever this year. I could see us making a serious upgrade to our WR core by taking two wide outs say in the 1st & 3rd. If we then took a Safety (2nd round) and a ROT (3rd round) to complete day 1 (and assuming no reaching!) Particularly if we traded down to the low 1st round & picked up our WR and were able to move one of our 3rd round picks up into the 2nd round. I'd LOVE to have two second round picks in this draft.

We could look pretty good on paper. So then we'd be banking Rod Marinelli getting the D Line together. That's really rolling the dice - but is also a question I think fans have to take a wait and see approach on.

emperorjones wrote:I've bee studying the draft more than ever this year. I could see us making a serious upgrade to our WR core by taking two wide outs say in the 1st & 3rd. If we then took a Safety (2nd round) and a ROT (3rd round) to complete day 1 (and assuming no reaching!) Particularly if we traded down to the low 1st round & picked up our WR and were able to move one of our 3rd round picks up into the 2nd round. I'd LOVE to have two second round picks in this draft.

We could look pretty good on paper. So then we'd be banking Rod Marinelli getting the D Line together. That's really rolling the dice - but is also a question I think fans have to take a wait and see approach on.

Well we didn't get that second 3rd round pick yet - it's no guarantee. And if we do, we're not allowed to trade it though we could trade the one we already have if you're looking for two second rd picks. Like I said before, I'm down with moving down in Rd1 to take DHB, Nicks, or Britt. I'm thinking either safety or OT (leaning towards OT) in Rd2.

Been going back and forth with the walterfootball.com mock draft guy (he mentions my email in his latest mock - thanks, dude) and he seems insistent we're going DE. Couldn't disagree more - Lovie thinks Marinelli is going to turn the current guys around and Ogunleye is in his contract year.

Ok let's examine #2 in your list of if Angelo was right. Earl Bennett. David Haugh was on ESPN1000 the other day talking about Bennett. Allegedly teammates of Bennett are SHOCKED that he is even in the NFL. Shocked. Haugh said the likelyhood of him ever making an impact on any NFL is slim to none. Now just because Haugh says something doesn't mean its true. BUT he clearly spends time with the team and if teammates are totally bewildered by him, it doesn't bode well for his future. We need to brace for the possibility that Bennett will not be in the league in 2010.

#1 (Anderson returning to form) and #3 (Steltz being legit) are flat-out pipe dreams. I know this thread is based on assuming those pipe dreams are reality. But even in my wildest imagination I can't.

As far as the first four rounds of the draft, I hope DL, two WR's, and either a OL or LB (depending on who is available). Who know's whats running through Angelo's mind.

SpinninHouse wrote:Ok let's examine #2 in your list of if Angelo was right. Earl Bennett. David Haugh was on ESPN1000 the other day talking about Bennett. Allegedly teammates of Bennett are SHOCKED that he is even in the NFL. Shocked. Haugh said the likelyhood of him ever making an impact on any NFL is slim to none. Now just because Haugh says something doesn't mean its true. BUT he clearly spends time with the team and if teammates are totally bewildered by him, it doesn't bode well for his future. We need to brace for the possibility that Bennett will not be in the league in 2010.

If true, this is more than troubling. If Bennett isn't for long it makes even less sense that we didn't take a look at WR in free agency. GMs that waste high picks on guys like Bazuin and Bennett aren't GMs for long. I'll reserve judgment until we hear how Bennett looks in camp. Your comment would explain why he didn't get a chance last year despite a battered WR corps, though. Angelo has this habit of picking guys waay before they're slotted - I think he falls in love with guys which is a bad trait for a GM to have. I know I was screaming out Early Doucet's name for that pick.

#1 (Anderson returning to form) and #3 (Steltz being legit) are flat-out pipe dreams. I know this thread is based on assuming those pipe dreams are reality. But even in my wildest imagination I can't.

I don't know why Anderson can't return to form - at least he's done it before. Throw in that Marinelli "magic" and I think it could happen. Steltz is probably special teams fodder but he'll get every chance.

SpinninHouse wrote:Ok let's examine #2 in your list of if Angelo was right. Earl Bennett. David Haugh was on ESPN1000 the other day talking about Bennett. Allegedly teammates of Bennett are SHOCKED that he is even in the NFL. Shocked. Haugh said the likelyhood of him ever making an impact on any NFL is slim to none.

If true, I call Bul$$it on David Haugh on this one. That's PURE Hindsight. Why would his teammates be shocked? Why would anyone be schoked? He's the all time conference receiver and caught an SEC-record 236 passes for 2,852 yards in three seasons at Vanderbilt. He was projected to go anywhere from rounds 3-6. That's a podcast I'd like to hold on to.

David Haugh quotes during the draft: "Bears On A Roll - Wide receiver Earl Bennett fits the profile of the Bears' first two draft picks in that there might have been other players still on the board with more impressive physical credentials and possibly bigger potential, but none as predictable....The Bears are having a good draft following their philosophy of filling needs, according to their plan."

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson wrote: "I like what the Bears did early today. They took Vanderbilt receiver Earl Bennett and LSU safety Craig Steltz. These are two very good value picks. Bennett could polished and could step in and make an impact for the receiver-hungry Bears."

The truth is no one has any idea because the Bears held him out last season. When they held out Beekman the year before, I was on these boards mocking them along with others when they penciled him in as a starter at the start of camp - having not played the year before. We have to wait and see.

Bennett Highlights:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/specials/draft/2008/video/?c=Player&p=215786&s=3031103&i=213757

Scouts Inc analysis:

Strengths Appears to read defenses well and locates seams when sees zone coverage. Footwork is sound, makes crisp cuts and gears down quickly when running comeback routes. Has adequate top-end speed and tracks the deep ball well. Shields defenders from the ball and can make tough catches in traffic. Tough and is fearless going over the middle. Shows good body control and can adjust to passes thrown behind him. Shows good sideline awareness and does a good job of keeping both feet in bounds. Can make the first defender miss, picks up yards after contact and can produce after the catch. Reads blocks well, shows good instincts as a runner and is effective when used on screens. Confident and wants the ball in key situations. Gets adequate hand placement, keeps feet moving and flashes the ability to sustain blocks. Has experience returning kickoffs as well as punts, has experience throwing the ball and is versatile.

Weaknesses

Doesn't have prototypical burst and is going to have a harder time separating from man coverage at the NFL level. Though generally snatches the ball out of the air, occasionally looks upfield before securing the ball and is vulnerable to dropping passes that should catch. Gets caught watching the play and needs to do a better job of working back to the quarterback when the protection starts to break down. Lacks great elusiveness, doesn't show a second gear when gets a seam and isn't much of a big-play threat after the catch. Takes poor angles to blocks and struggles to get into position as a result.
Overall

Bennett should come off the board early on Day 2.


NFL Combine analysis
Analysis

Positives: Well-built athlete for the position. ... Good overall musculature with a proportionate build throughout. ... Good initial quickness off the snap. ... Good burst in and out of his routes. ... Smart receiver who varies his speed and use head and shoulder fakes to help create separation from defenders -- even those with more natural athleticism. ... Secure hands for the reception and will body-catch, when needed, if he anticipates a big hit. ... Not afraid to go over the middle. ... Good vision, acceleration, and strength in fighting through tackles to generate positive RAC yardage.

Negatives: Lacks elite overall athleticism and has only moderate deep speed. ... Has been the centerpiece of the Vanderbilt passing attack throughout his career, helping pad his statistics.


You guys should be surprised if you read that THE EMPEROR JONES is in the NFL, not Earl Bennett.

I can back up Haugh on that one. Bennett is one of those guys who looks great in practice, then when it's time for real action he just can't handle it. Or so the coaches and some of his teammates perceive anyways. He is REAL soft--can't handle press coverage, can't take a hit, doesn't show any fight.

Chewie wrote:GMs that waste high picks on guys like Bazuin and Bennett aren't GMs for long.

how about Mark Bradley and Tank Johnson? Guess Darnell Docket wasn't that good looking to Angelo standing next to Tank Johnson