Thread: Bears Mailbag: How about Mankins?

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

I wouldn't count on mankin. Likely will cost too much to get him, and cost an arm and a leg to sign him. Though to save Cutler's arms, legs, and brain it might be worth it.

I posted to this scenario in another thread. We know what Mankins turned down from the Pats and what he's looking to get which averages between $7-$8 mil per year. If they go with 6 years to UFA again this year that cuts out virtually all of our target OG prospects and WR's such as Rice and Floyd.

That being the case I'd think seriously about making a trade with the Pats for Mankins using next years pick or picks. Mankins wants out and says he won't sign his tender and that he'll hold out before he plays for the Pats for that kind of $$$. Even if it cost us a 2012 first round pick we couldn't hope to do as well with it as we'd do with Mankins. We solve and Oline problem this year but postpone payment until 2012. May be worth thinking about if the other OG's we looked at don't hit the market.

Originally Posted by soulman

I posted to this scenario in another thread. We know what Mankins turned down from the Pats and what he's looking to get which averages between $7-$8 mil per year. If they go with 6 years to UFA again this year that cuts out virtually all of our target OG prospects and WR's such as Rice and Floyd.

That being the case I'd think seriously about making a trade with the Pats for Mankins using next years pick or picks. Mankins wants out and says he won't sign his tender and that he'll hold out before he plays for the Pats for that kind of $$$. Even if it cost us a 2012 first round pick we couldn't hope to do as well with it as we'd do with Mankins. We solve and Oline problem this year but postpone payment until 2012. May be worth thinking about if the other OG's we looked at don't hit the market.

Yes, we should strongly consider this option. As I said in that other thread that you were just now talking about, I don't think we have as bad of a problem at WR as people think, at least not with Johnny Knox, who I think is going to have a breakout season. Bennett has been valuable as hell for us in short to intermediate range situations, while Hester runs screens and deep routes very well. I think trading for Mankins would be a splendid idea, and would solve a lot of our offensive line's woes for next year.

We def. need the upgrade, tho we have to keep in mind that there were times Cutler held on to the ball too long. Maybe it's because he was being indecisive, but it could also be because none of the WR's were getting open quick enough..

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

We def. need the upgrade, tho we have to keep in mind that there were times Cutler held on to the ball too long. Maybe it's because he was being indecisive, but it could also be because none of the WR's were getting open quick enough..

In that case, Cutler simply needs to get rid of the football. Too many times last season he was picked off because of exactly what you said: indecisiveness. An improved offensive line will help him tremendously.

I think Mankins would def. be worth a first round pick. Sure, we could hold out, but ya know he's gonna end up signing the tender, and they're gonna franchise him again, anyway. With him, I think we are all sure that we'd have 3-4 spots locked up for the long haul on o-line..

We've beat this horse before but would I love to have Mankins on the team? Yes but it's just too much, if we didn't have a deficiency in draft picks from the previous years perhaps it would not be such a high price. We've drafted Carimi, developed Webb somewhat and now if we can get a decent OG in FA hopefully we won't have to pay such a steep price.

Originally Posted by short faced bear

We've beat this horse before but would I love to have Mankins on the team? Yes but it's just too much, if we didn't have a deficiency in draft picks from the previous years perhaps it would not be such a high price. We've drafted Carimi, developed Webb somewhat and now if we can get a decent OG in FA hopefully we won't have to pay such a steep price.

I think a trade straight up for Mankins with our first round pick is well worth it. You're not going to find an OG in the first round most likely who is anywhere near as accomplished as him, and he's only like 28 or 29 years old. I think we would be making a big mistake by not at least giving this some thought. We would still have six draft picks next year, from pics two on down, and we could always trade into the first round if push came to shove.

The problem with free agency, shorty, is that unless we see the creation of a new CBA, you won't be seeing too many OL on the market. Most of, if not all, the good OG are going to be tendered or franchised under the 2010 rules, which say that a player has to have accrued six seasons under contract in order to be eligible for unrestricted free agency. That would leave us essentially with only Tyson Clabo as the best available lineman. Unfortunately, what we need is an OG. In one of the other threads, we have been talking at length about the possibility of acquiring Mankins in a straight trade with Pats, and if you think about it, it would be a win-win situation: the Pats love stockpiling draft picks, and we would be getting a need met at a position that is sorely lacking.

Originally Posted by Dagan81

I think a trade straight up for Mankins with our first round pick is well worth it.

It will require TWO first round picks, if it's a one for one then sure go for it but that won't happen. I can't see JA doing this, he's already tried to trade up w/Ravens and did trade up for Paea. I think he's standing pat.