My First Mock Draft On This Board (02/02/12)

[Dagan81]

I love talking the offseasons!!

The reason I think Colston would be the best fit for our offense is because of his consistency, his size (6'4"), and the fact that he was a seventh round draft pick in '06 and still managed to pick up the offense so quickly. He would also be the cheapest choice.

I have never looked at Sean Payton's offense as being anything special in terms of viability for players to be able to step outside it and perform well in more conventional systems. Pretty much all of Bill Parcells' coaching offspring, including Belichick and Coughlin, adhere to a lot of shotgun formation calls and vertical passing. I will say that New England throws a lot of intermediate passing routes in their double tight-end sets as well as to Wes Welker. But then again, so do the Saints with Jimmy Graham. But they all go deep, and I think that the wide-outs from any of their systems stand a chance to have success in a more conventional offense based on that. (Hell, look at it this way: Mike Tice wants to employ a run-heavy attack mixed with a vertical deep pass. How hard would it be to learn if you are Colston in that offense?)

That being said, I would not be disappointed in any of those choices for a wide receiver other than Stevie Johnson. I can't handle his antics.

[4DaBERS]

Mr. Webb? You mean that front gate at LT actually has a name??

YUUUP...dats da guy. Is he related to Terrance "Swinging Gate" Metcalf?

[Dagan81]

YUUUP...dats da guy. Is he related to Terrance "Swinging Gate" Metcalf?

Webb at LT is about like Corey Crawford is for the Hawks at goalie. You know that the opponent is going to get through, it's just a matter of when.

[Papa Bear]

YUUUP...

Dave Hester, is that you?

[bearsfan247]

YUUUP...dats da guy. Is he related to Terrance "Swinging Gate" Metcalf?

I'm sure there is some relation. I believe Frank "OMG, Watch out Jay" Omiyale is a 2nd cousin of theirs.

[BossK]

I'm sure there is some relation. I believe Frank "OMG, Watch out Jay" Omiyale is a 2nd cousin of theirs.

Ugh. Stop mentioning ohmyhell and maybe he'll go away. haha I wish.

As for your free agents, Mario Williams, yes please. I like spending virginny's money even if she doesn't!

[soulman]

Round 1) WR, Michael Floyd, Notre Dame (6'3", 220lbs)...The Bears, more than any other team with a franchise QB, need to get WR help NOW!! The days of "Devin Hester is a starting WR" are hopefully over now with a new GM in place. Floyd has a lot to offer as a WR; great hands, good speed, runs good routes, excellent body control, RAC ability and a big target for the redzone. He also had a knack for getting open and coming up with big catches when the team needed to move the chains in college. For a team so WR-challenged like our beloved Bears, drafting Floyd would be a step in the right direction IMHO. Cutler would probably be one "happy camper" come July's training camp...pun intended.

Round 2) CB, Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina (6'1" 193lbs)...The Bears desperately need help at CB, with Graham, Bowman and Jennings all scheduled to become free-agents and Tillman another season older. From the scouting reports I have read about this kid, Gilmore excels in zone coverage and would fit right in to a zone scheme and most-likely be able to contribute from day 1. FYI, one draft site that I researched said that Gilmore's NFL comparision is......Charles "Peanut" Tillman of the Chicago Bears. IF the Bears draft him, let's hope that comparison holds true.


Round 3) DE, Cam Johnson, Virginia (6'4", 265lbs)...Of the many big named D-linemen who were at Senior Bowl week (Coples, Ingram, Branch, Curry), there was one kid who continuously stood out during the practices that I watched and also during the game. This is that kid. After watching some of his highlights from college and seeing what he did during the Senior Bowl, I am definately intrigued by this kid. He could be the help that the Bears need at DE and he could also possibly contribute from Day 1. If Idonije is retained, this kid could be the situational pass rusher that the Bears need on passing downs. No matter what role he plays IF he's drafted, the Bears HAVE TO get better production from their DE's...especially with Peppers being double and tripled teamed almost every snap. The Bears defense in general has to get better at getting to the QB.

Round 3) OT, Matt Reynolds, BYU (6'5", 315lbs)...EXCELS IN PASS PROTECTION!! That's really all I needed to read, because our current starting LT (Webb) is beyond horrible in pass protection and gave up 12 sacks and had 15 penalties last season, mostly false starts. Reynolds is a two-time team captain in college and did I happen to mention that he excels in pass protection?? LOL. Watching highlights of him and it's clear that he 1) doesn't stop blocking until the sound of the whistle and 2) he's pretty good at what he does.

Round 4) OLB, Nigel Bradham, Florida State (6'2", 238lbs)...This guy was all over the field at the Senior Bowl and I don't think I seen him miss a tackle. He has good speed and an ability to shed blockers from what I've seen of him, though he is still a bit raw from what I have read. IF the "a bit raw" part is true about him, I could see him falling to the 4th round where a LB depth-starved Chicago Bears team should be ready to run their card up to the podium to announce this selection.

Round 5) TE, Evan Rodriguez, Temple (6'2", 243lbs)...The poor mans Aaron Hernandez is what I've heard him called. I can't say I agree with that comparison because I personally hate comparisons all together...it just creates unreal expectations at times and Aaron Hernandez is a beast!! Nonetheless, the Bears need a versatile pass-catching TE who can line up anywhere and I like what I have seen from this kid. Out of pure boredom last season, I watched a couple of Temple games just to see their RB Bernard Pierce (who I also like BTW) and in those games, Rodriguez played very well. He showed good hands and the ability to break tackles for those tough extra yards. Jay Cutler not only needs help at the WR position, but the entire offense would benefit from a pass-catching TE, whom Cutler could rely on to check the ball down to.

Round 6) RB, Lennon Creer, Louisiana Tech (6'0", 220lbs)...The MVP of the East/West Shrine Game had himself a pretty nice career in college. He's a bigger back, who runs very well between the tackles from what I've read about him. He has good hands and does pretty well in pass protection. I'm pretty sure that the Bears will be releasing Marion Barber before the season starts...he's getting older, he can't stay healthy and I personally want to kick him in the nuts for costing us a win against the Broncos!!!! Lovie Smith also mentioned his disappointment in Barber in his "State of the Bears" presser after the season ended.

Round 7) CB, Tashaun Gipson, Wyoming (6'0", 195lbs)...Again, the Bears are in need of some depth at the CB and safety positions. Gipson is a sure-tackler who could excel on special teams for Dave Toub and his special teams unit.

Free agent wish list...not saying we'll get any or all of these guys, just adding who I'd like to see our beloved Bears bring in:

WR: 1) Dwayne Bowe 2) Vincent Jackson 3) Stevie Johnson 4) Mario Manningham

QB: 1) Chad Henne 2) Jason Campbell 3) Josh Johnson

DE: 1) Mario Williams 2) Kroy Bierrman 3) Cliff Avril

TE: 1) Fred Davis 2) John Carlson (would add Finley, but the Packers aren't letting him go.)

RB: 1) Mike Tolbert 2) BenJarvis Green-Ellis

CB: 1) Brent Grimes 2) Brandon Carr

FS/SS: 1) LaRon Landry 2) Tyvon Branch

ILB: 1) Johnathan Goff (depth) 2) Blake Costanzo (special teams purposes)

OLB: 1) Phillip Wheeler (depth) 2) Chris Chamberlain (special teams purposes)

OT: 1) Anthony Collins 2) Barry Richardson

OG: 1) Carl Nicks 2) Ben Grubbs

C: 1) Samson Satele 2) Scott Wells

THOUGHTS??????

I never have much knowledge of the mid and late rounders so I can only comment up to the third round. Keep in mind there are guys I just don't like period for whatever reason even though they may seem like decent players. Last year it was OT Derek Sherrod. I like Carimi and the Packers took Sherrod which to me means we finally beat them to the better guy. Obviously just my opinion.

Floyd I just don't care for. I think he's overrated and is a boom/bust type who's at least 50/50 to bust and nver will be worth a 1st round pick. I'd take Jeffery or Sanu later on in a trade down before I'd take Floyd. But that's just me. ND WR's are never good NFL prospects. There hasn't been one whose turned out all the great in decades as far as I can remember.

Gilmore looks good as does Josh Norman who made a nice splash at the Senior Bowl and moved himself up the ranks considerably but Gilmore may not last that long. If we don't go with a DE or OT in the first this is where I look at WR's too. Nick Toon and Marvin McNutt should be there along with that kid from Cal, Marvin Jones. All three are at least 6'3" and 215 lbs or more and to me a better value in two than Floyd is in one.

Johnson or Curry would be nice picks early in three if we don't pick a DE in the first. If we take a guy like Ingram or Upshaw then this is where I get whatever I didn't get in round two. Either a CB or WR. But we don't want Reynolds. He's vastly overrated and plays against lesser competition which makes him seem better than he is. The drawbacks they list in this report make it almost impossible to see how he'd ever play LT in the NFL. The guy barely grades out as a draft pick at all (5.7). Third round propects should at least rate in the mid 6's and above. He'd be lucky to go in the 6th or 7th round.

Here's the NFP scouting report on him.

MATT REYNOLDS OT, BYU

• 2011 GRADE: 5.7 T HT: 6-4 WT: 305
• Overview

A thickly built offensive line prospect with a sloppy mid-section, Reynolds needs to cut down some of the unnecessary stomach girth and doesn't look real long armed on tape. He possesses good coordination in pass protection when asked to mirror in space or through contact. He also showcases natural fluidity in his hips and can re-direct when need be as long as he has his feet under him. He has improved a bit with his mechanics this season, doing a better job trying to tighten up his footwork and keep his base down, but that's still a work in progress. Reynolds allows himself to get too upright at times; he gets overextended with his feet and can be slow to re-direct and mirror, especially off the snap. Also, he needs to improve his overall hand location into blocks, he's more of a catcher off the edge, doesn't showcase a real jarring punch and too often gets his hands outside the frame of defenders, exposing his chest. He possesses the natural strength at the college level to get away with it, but he still has some work to do in that area. He lacks ideal range when asked to reach speed off the edge, and he's routinely forced to open up his hips and lunge into defenders, attempting to push them past the pocket. He does understand angles, but lacks the athleticism to hold up on the left side at the next level.

He's at his best in the run game when asked to step and seal on the edge, doing a great job quickly getting into defenders, locking on with his strong hands and finishing blocks on the perimeter. He also possesses the coordination to stick to defenders through the play and likes to finish blocks, showcasing a bit of a mean streak through the play. Reynolds has some initial pop in the run game as well, displaying the flexibility to sit into his stance, keep his pad level down and create a jolt on contact when asked to play in a phone booth. However, the more space he's asked to block in, the less effective he is. He has a tendency to allow his pad level to rise when forced to reach defenders off his frame, and he really struggles to stay engaged through slide down blocks, as his feet really seem to get heavy as he lacks ideal athleticism. He showcases good body control when asked to break down in space and seal at the second level, but again he displays only average range on the move.

Impression: An overhyped college left tackle who looks better suited to play right tackle in the NFL. He is a bit older than most prospects as well and looks more like a reserve at best to me.

[4DaBERS]

Dave Hester, is that you?

LOL, I love that show...and hate that guy. I'm more like Barry (but not quite that old).

[soulman]

I'm gonna petition for a pre-draft rules change that will help us close the talent gap in the NFCN.

The following positions must be drafted by the Packers in each round.

#1: Punter
#2: Place Kicker
#3: Tight End
#4: Quarterback
#5: Offensive Guard
#6: Fullback
#7: Left Tackle (or they can have Webb in trade for their 2nd round pick)

[Dagan81]

I'm gonna petition for a pre-draft rules change that will help us close the talent gap in the NFCN.

The following positions must be drafted by the Packers in each round.

#1: Punter
#2: Place Kicker
#3: Tight End
#4: Quarterback
#5: Offensive Guard
#6: Fullback
#7: Left Tackle (or they can have Webb in trade for their 2nd round pick)

I think the talent gap is going to shrink between the Bears and the Packers/Lions during this offseason. I really do.