Thread: Matt Bowen; Five Very Coachable Prospects.................

I posted this not only because I respect Matt Bowen and what he has to say about many things but because four fo these five guys have been mentioned as potential first round picks by the Bears. There's no question that the Bears are starting a fresh approach to building through the draft finding talent there and coaching it to excellence.

So here are four prospects all of whom could potentially thrive in an environment like that and benefit greatly from playing for Lovie Smith and his coaching staff. I do think we have great coaches who can develop talent if they're given decent talent to develop. These four all fit in that category.

We're no longer in dire need of a CB for 2012 but if we were looking for the heir apparent to Peanut I don't know if we'd find any better prospect than Kirkpatrick to do a one or two year apprenticeship before replacing him. The guy has the size and tackling skills to be a perfect Lovie Smith type Cover-2 CB. Add 10-15lbs of muscle, some great coaching and a couple of year NFL experience and you've got a potential star CB on your hands. Problem is we have bigger needs than a CB right.

I'd love for the Bears to draft Kuechly. As much as Kirkpatrick is nearly an ideal heir at CB Kuechly has Bears future MLB written all over him. Few guys come out of college with a combination of LB skills like Urlacher has but this guy does. He's an Urlacher clone as a pursuit and coverage style 3 down LB. If we drafted him he'd be an immediate starter at SLB and a guy who could shift to MLB when Urlacher retires. If we miss out on a DE we like I would love to see us take this guy if he's still on the board at #19.

Stephen Hill is an intriguing prospect and project with an emphasis on the latter. I truly do think he could be as much of a WR freak as Randy Moss but two things stop me from taking him. 1) We need help at too many other spots now and Hill will take at least a couple of year to learn the NFL game well enough to become a complete receiver. In the meantime he's mainly a one trick pony deep threat. 2) Who do we have coaching WR's and responsible for his development? This is the biggest weak spot on the Bears coaching staff. Even with Hill's enormous upside should we trust Drake to coach him up to his potential?

And finally we have a guy who could be a perfect fit for the Bears if he fell as far as #19. I think what Matt Bowen is saying here is 100% true. There is probably no better team for a guy with his skills but lack of finish than the Bears. With Rod Marinelli coaching him and a guy like Pep holding him accountable Coples could become the next Julius Peppers and even while he grows into that role he could be a monster pass rusher for us right from the start. Unfortunately unless we trade down we're never gonna find out just how good he could be with the Bears.

I see us taking another DE other than Coples. My guess is that Mercilus or possibly Perry are at the top of our board as far as a realistic pick is concerned but if by magic Coples ever fell to us I'd hope we'd take him. Lacking that and if none of the DE's or an OG like Castro are still on the board than I take Kuechly and not only improve our LB core today but I wrap up our future MLB as well. That's my look at it today.

Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

I sure wouldn't complain if the Bears landed Dre Kirkpatrick, Luke Kuechly or Stephen Hill.My only concern about Hill is that he wouldn't pay any immediate dividends. And I hope the Bears stay away from Coples. That guy is all show and no go.

Yeah, Hill is a project and a luxury we can't afford to spend a 1st round pick on. As far as Coples is concerned though while I share the same sentiments as you do Bowen makes a good point. With the right team and in the right system Coples could thrive and the Bears are one of the few teams who can offer that. That's what makes him an attractive possibility. He's one of those guys teams will pass on, like they did Tommie Harris over similar concerns, who end up becoming studs with the right team once motivated. If Coples becomes a big time player his chances of doing it with the Bears may be better than elsewhere. I think that's how Bowen is viewing it.

Originally Posted by motownbear

I want Coples bad but dont think he will fall to us - (Agreed)

Kirpatrick would be cool but like you said we arent desperate at that spot anymore. I wouldnt cry taking him though cause it also hurts detroits plan on going DB - (He's a fall back BPA only for us from what I can see)

Hill would be a risk as a first rounder especially since we have been complete shit at development at wr. But he can run block which fits what we do. Also if he can do for us what torri smith did for baltimore last year cant really complain about that (Hill is the kind of guy a team like Minny gets high in two or by trading back into one to pick him up. I hate the fact that we never seem to be in a position to get guys like this but I guess I don't want to finish 4-12 anymore to do it)

Urlacher will be playing another two years after this year. We have no room for a first round LB although the kid is as good a prospect as can get. It will be a pick that generates no improvement for our team for another three years so I would be against it

I think Kuechly is another fall back BPA if there are no Dlineman or Olineman we'd take and he's still there. For us we'd plug him right in at SLB to replace Roach so he's a first year impact guy. Maybe he stays there his whole career or maybe we shift him to MLB when Urlacher retires. Mo, IMO he's a guy you can't pass on as a BPA if we can't meet higher needs.

Originally Posted by motownbear

well if we did get him we would have three of the best LBs combo in the league. I dont see him falling to us anyways but maybe hold him hostage for trading out of our pick? I can see that if we can get a good bounty for the pick

Yep, three Pro Bowl LB's. I've seen him go anywhere from #15-#25 or in that range so who knows. Between now and the draft there's gonna be a huge amount of shuffling of the deck going on. Guys stock is rising and falling daily and there are so few sure things this year that the ones who are like Kuechly could go higher just because of being such low risk picks or there are teams who'll take risks out of need and the Kuechly's, DeCastor's and such will fall lower than they should because of it.

I know some guys wish we were drafting higher but I kind of like where we sit because I think the risk reduces after #15. There will be at least 5 or 6 guy taken out of need who should have gone that high before we pick and that will drive higher quality picks lower. I think we'll find at least 3 or 4 guys at #19 who can step right in and help to choose from.

Connecting Quinton Coples and the Bears

April, 12, 2012 Apr 12
2:30
PM ET

By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com



An unexpected fall last year left the Detroit Lions with one of the most celebrated players in the draft. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley had once been considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, and the Lions were thrilled to draft him at No. 12. Now I'm wondering if an NFC North team could benefit from another fall by a talented defensive lineman.

There are no recent red flags on North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples, but the public discussion surrounding him includes some of the same work-ethic related keywords that have led to recent drops by Fairley and others. Speaking to several ESPN.com bloggers at the scouting combine, ESPN analyst Todd McShay said there were times when Coples stood up in games and "appeared to have a union deal." More recently, McShay said on his Draft Minute video series that there are times when Coples "is the best defensive player in the class" and there are others when "you watch him and say, 'Man, he's mailed it in.'"

Pass rushers are at such a premium that teams are willing to overlook some flaws to get the kind of presence Coples brings with his 6-foot-6 frame and 81-inch wingspan. It makes you wonder if a team like the Chicago Bears, whose needs at defensive end we have well-discussed, wouldn't be an ideal fit. Coples would have an All-Pro in Julius Peppers to attract most offensive attention, and he would have one of the league's top defensive line mentors in coordinator Rod Marinelli to keep him pushing forward.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Coples as the 14th-best player in the draft, and it would require a significant fall for him to still be available when the Bears pick at No. 19. But if he gets out of the top 10, as it appears he might, it wouldn't be a terrible idea for the Bears to consider trading up to get him. (If I were Emery and I liked what I saw I would look at him if he fell but I would NOT give up mid round picks to get him and the very suggestion that we should makes Seifert an idiot in my book. If the guy is that big a 1st round risk how much more do you increase that risk by trading up and giving away a pick you may have used on another productive player. Some of these guy know jack shit about being football personnel men)

The Sports Science video gives you an idea of how imposing Coples is as a pass disruptor even if he doesn't get past the line of scrimmage. Check it out.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7779137