The Mario Williams offseason

There's no other player (besides Brees/Manning who's not an option for obvious reasons) that offers more immediate upside to a new team potentially this free agency than Mario Williams. He's in/entering the prime of his career, is a proven entity, and happens to fill an area of huge need for the Bears. If he hits the open market, which seems quite likely, he would be the definite "BPA" in free agency for us more than anyone else, even VJax or Bowe or Carr or Finnegan. Signing him would be pricey but doable and he could possibly be enticed to come to Chicago to play with Peppers and Urlacher and help us win a SB in short order. Acquiring MW in free agency eliminates the need for us to draft a DE and would give the Bears one of the premier DLs in all of the NFL.

Cuts/Releases (more cap space)
Spaeth
Barber
Omiyale
Adams (done)
Spencer
CDavis

None of these players are indispensable in any way.

Re-signings
Forte
Graham
Izzy
Okoye
Bell
Steltz
Jennings
KDavis

Free Agency
Mario Williams (DE)
Meacham (WR)

Draft

Trade #19 for #25 + #88

1st [#25]: Peter Konz (C-Wisconsin)
We obtain our center for the next decade in the era of playing Suh and Raji for 4 games per year. Garza moves back to RG. Louis becomes a backup OG/RT. The starting OL becomes Webb-CWill-Konz-Garza-Carimi.

2nd [#50]: Josh Norman (CB-Coastal Carolina) or Stephon Gilmore (CB-South Carolina)
Either player could compete for the starting job opposite Tillman and would certainly replace Jennings in the near future. Both have the size and speed that Jennings lacks.

3rd [#74]: Marvin Jones (WR-California) or Marvin McNutt (WR-Iowa) or Brain Quick (WR-Appalachain St.)
All 6' 3" or better prospects with 4.4 - 4.5 speed to develop as a 2nd tier flanker on the depth chart.

3rd [#80]: Matt McCants (OT-UAB) or Nate Potter (OT-Boise St.)
New blood who would supplant Omiyale as a backup OT and have legitimate starting OT potential for the future if the Webb project continues to flounder.

3rd [#88]: Demario Davis (LB-Arkansas St.)
The Bears are desperately thin at LB and 4-3 talent is needed for the future.

4th [#111]: Audie Cole (LB-North Carolina St.)
The Bears are desperately thin at LB and 4-3 talent is needed for the future.

5th [#143]: Winston Guy, Jr. (S-Kentucky)
A player with size and tackling ability who can play ST and compete for a future role on defense.

6th [#174] & 7th [#205]: Carte Blanche BPAs


Depth Chart (likely starters in underlined)

QB: Cutler, McCown, FA
RB: Forte, Bell, Unga
FB: Clutts
TE: KDavis, ASmith, KAdams
OT: Carimi, Webb, McCants/Potter, Louis
OG: CWill, Garza, EWill, Louis, Konz
C: Konz, Garza, EWill
Flanker: Meacham, Bennett, Knox, McNutt/Quick/Jones
Slot: Hester, Sanz

DE: MWilliams, Peppers, Izzy, Wooten
DT: Paea, Okoye, Melton, Toeina
LB: Urlacher, Briggs, Roach, Davis, Cole, DeCicco
FS: Conte, Steltz, Guy
SS: Wright, Graham, Guy
CB: Tillman, Jennings, Gilmore/Norman, Moore, Graham (NB)

My personal opinion but I think Gilmore has the talent to beat out Jennings for the starting spot. I love the idea of getting MWill, would be a matter of "when" we get to the QB rather then "if".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chi66

My personal opinion but I think Gilmore has the talent to beat out Jennings for the starting spot. I love the idea of getting MWill, would be a matter of "when" we get to the QB rather then "if".

---

Frankly, I think Gilmore or Norman (and prob several others we could draft) could beat out Jennings for CB#2 and I would be willing to have a rookie starting opposite Tillman with a pash rush like the above. I mocked it this way to be conservative and keep one vet CB besides Peanut.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MPBears68

Frankly, I think Gilmore or Norman (and prob several others we could draft) could beat out Jennings for CB#2 and I would be willing to have a rookie starting opposite Tillman with a pash rush like the above. I mocked it this way to be conservative and keep one vet CB besides Peanut.

---

Ahh that makes sense. Either way it'd be nice to see either one of those CB's in a Bears uni. Like you said it almost doesn't matter who's opposite Tillman with a pass rush like that. I was drawing up a mock where we get Williams and I'm struggling with corner or receiver in rounds 2-3. I like Gilmore or Trumaine Johnson in the second but I also wanna have enough improvement at WR.*

If the first FA we sign is Mario Williams and the second is Eddie Royal I will be happy to sleep through the rest of FA and you guys can tell me which 6'2" or over WR we signed and whether or not we got a Safety or a CB. :7_11_4[1]:

I'd be all over it. And with Lovie in place, D will be seen as need. I doubt Emery will fire him.

Mario will have a decision to make. And playing on a team with Peppers, Cutler and Forte isn't a bad thing going forward. Do we know if he likes Chicago/Soldier Field?