If Emery Really Knows What He's Doing He'll Read Bob Legere, not Haugh!....

Article posted: 4/22/2012 5:45 PM
Peppers could use some help on other side

http://www.dailyherald.com/apps/pbcs...w=181&maxh=248

Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers runs during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010, in Chicago. Associated Press

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By Bob LeGere




After finishing 29th in the NFL in sack percentage, even with right end Julius Peppers getting 11 sacks and earning his seventh Pro Bowl berth, finding more pass-rush help is a priority.


Unrestricted free agent Israel Idonije was re-signed, and he’s a solid run defender, but the eight-year veteran had just 5 sacks at left end. The Bears’ defensive scheme relies on getting pass-rush pressure from the linemen, which didn’t happen consistently last season. Northwestern’s Corey Wootton, the 2010 fourth-round pick, hasn’t yet demonstrated that he can contribute and may need to step up this summer to earn a roster spot.


An undersized, situational rusher could interest the Bears in the draft, since they really like Idonije — at least on the first two downs. As many as 10 defensive linemen could be drafted in the first round, and there are a handful of intriguing pass rushers, including South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, North Carolina’s Quinton Coples, Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus and USC’s Nick Perry.

Inside, the Bears do not have any impact players, although Henry Melton was second on the team with 7 sacks last season at the 3-technique-tackle spot. But Melton’s production was inconsistent. He had 2 sacks in the season opener, then got just 1 in the next seven games.


Matt Toeaina is stout against the run but doesn’t make many plays in the backfield. The Bears hope more playing time for last year’s second-round pick, Stephen Paea, results in more consistent production after he flashed some play-making ability as a rookie. Veteran Amobi Okoye was a valuable backup in the DT rotation last season, but he signed with the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent. Nine-year veteran nose tackle Anthony Adams was waived last month after five seasons with the Bears.

As he makes final preparation for Thursday hopefully it will be LeGere's column on top of the pile and no David Haugh's. As much as we need to find our just what we have in the only three viable LT players we have on our roster we also have a great a need at DE. At least we have three young bodies to compete for LT should Tice actually choose to throw it open for competition. We aren't so fortunate at DE.

Added to the age of Pep and Izzy is the added fact that Corey Wootton never stays healthy enough for us to find out if he can play or not and Amobi Okoye who could at least give us some pass rush from DE as well as DT has gone elsewhere. We need at least six or seven players in rotation on the Dline and it seems to me we're a coupld short of that right now.

If we can draft Jonathan Martin in the 2nd round I won't be happy but I won't be royally pissed either. I don't think he's all that good but I will have to admit that at least he plays OT. We need a pass rushing DE and another 3t DT in this draft now. Anyone we take for a LT is at least a year away from playing any better than Webb probably can already but a good DE can start in rotation and a DT who can pass rush will at least see some significant snaps before the year is over.

Unless Matt Kalil falls or Riley Rieff turns out to be more prepared to play LT than some now believe any LT we take will be picking splinters out of his ass watching from the bench this year. We need 2012 playmakers.

I don't know what's going to happen on Thurs Soul...but I've come around to believing that a DE/DT is going to be the way to go unless a stud like Michael Floyd is around. Whoever Emery drafts...whether I like him or not, I'm getting on board with the pick and trusting that he knows what he's doing for us. I honestly haven't been this excited about a draft since the year they made the error of drafting Cedric Benson.

Not much of the offensive talent at the top of that draft has done a whole lot have they? Edwards has been a mjor disappointment (just think if Cleveland hadn't grabbed he'd have become our second David Terrell), Williams and Brown struggled with injuries and Mike Williams was out of football until Pete Carroll resurrected him. Benson's probably had more success than any of them.

I'm all for whatever position except obvious like qb in first as long as the right guy falls to us. I don't want de exclusively cause if top guys off the board might as well settle for second tier ones in the second. I just want a high impact player from my first rounder. I don't really remember who the last one we've had do that for us urlacher lol or counting cutler cause trades two first for him? Got to get some
value here and there will be plenty of talent at 19 to not have to reach

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Originally Posted by motownbear

I'm all for whatever position except obvious like qb in first as long as the right guy falls to us. I don't want de exclusively cause if top guys off the board might as well settle for second tier ones in the second. I just want a high impact player from my first rounder. I don't really remember who the last one we've had do that for us urlacher lol or counting cutler cause trades two first for him? Got to get some
value here and there will be plenty of talent at 19 to not have to reach

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Yeah I think you're right although I still think that word "reach" was coined by talking heads like Kiper as it applied to a team who took a top player at a position of need when there were other players at other positions rated higher on his board. It's kind of subjective.

But there are clearly guys who don't rate a first round pick so if Mercilus and Coples are gone and we don't like Perry for what ever reason I don't want to see us taking 2nd round rated guys like Branch or Jones with a first round pick when there are other Dlineman or even a LB like Kuechly still on the board.

I think Emery is sharp enough to avoid that trap.

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Originally Posted by soulman

Yeah I think you're right although I still think that word "reach" was coined by talking heads like Kiper as it applied to a team who took a top player at a position of need when there were other players at other positions rated higher on his board. It's kind of subjective.

But there are clearly guys who don't rate a first round pick so if Mercilus and Coples are gone and we don't like Perry for what ever reason I don't want to see us taking 2nd round rated guys like Branch or Jones with a first round pick when there are other Dlineman or even a LB like Kuechly still on the board.

I think Emery is sharp enough to avoid that trap.

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That's kinda what I was thinking too, Soul. Best guess is Emery would grab Couples or Mercilus in a heartbeat (maybe Perry with a small trade down if possible), but if not available I hope he goes DT or Kuechley. Andre Branch intrigues me as a 2nd tier pass rush option with a high motor but I wonder if he would even make it to #50. Somehow I'd really love to see a DE, a DT, an OL, and a WR out of the first 4 choices...order determined by player availability.

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Originally Posted by MPBears68

That's kinda what I was thinking too, Soul. Best guess is Emery would grab Couples or Mercilus in a heartbeat (maybe Perry with a small trade down if possible), but if not available I hope he goes DT or Kuechley. Andre Branch intrigues me as a 2nd tier pass rush option with a high motor but I wonder if he would even make it to #50. Somehow I'd really love to see a DE, a DT, an OL, and a WR out of the first 4 choices...order determined by player availability.

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What shocked me was that Windy just posted Maycock's top 100 and Chandler Jones is ranked #9 overall. WTF!

Where does that come from??? I've barely seen him rated as a late first round pick by a handful and mostly a mid to late second. That must be a joke.

I know he's been screaming up draft big boards. He comes from a family of athletes, and he shows it on the field. He'll be a player, a very good one. I don't know how dominant though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soulman

As he makes final preparation for Thursday hopefully it will be LeGere's column on top of the pile and no David Haugh's. As much as we need to find our just what we have in the only three viable LT players we have on our roster we also have a great a need at DE. At least we have three young bodies to compete for LT should Tice actually choose to throw it open for competition. We aren't so fortunate at DE.

Added to the age of Pep and Izzy is the added fact that Corey Wootton never stays healthy enough for us to find out if he can play or not and Amobi Okoye who could at least give us some pass rush from DE as well as DT has gone elsewhere. We need at least six or seven players in rotation on the Dline and it seems to me we're a coupld short of that right now.

If we can draft Jonathan Martin in the 2nd round I won't be happy but I won't be royally pissed either. I don't think he's all that good but I will have to admit that at least he plays OT. We need a pass rushing DE and another 3t DT in this draft now. Anyone we take for a LT is at least a year away from playing any better than Webb probably can already but a good DE can start in rotation and a DT who can pass rush will at least see some significant snaps before the year is over.

Unless Matt Kalil falls or Riley Rieff turns out to be more prepared to play LT than some now believe any LT we take will be picking splinters out of his ass watching from the bench this year. We need 2012 playmakers.

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I rarely disagree with you, soul, because you certainly know the nature of the NFL better than I do; it's college football at which I trump you. However, that being said, I have to disagree with you on the OT thing, and this, too, goes for Windy and everyone else who claims that OT's outside of the top ten drafted aren't not ready to be LT. I think that even though getting a Jonathan Martin to play LT in the second round may sound a bit unattractive, he would add an extra body that has been left unfilled by the cutting of OMG. Also, I think Martin would come in and do somewhat better than Webb at pass protection and blocking with Mike Tice's coaching. Right now, Webb is the worst LT in the NFL, and I doubt that a rookie drafted in the second round to play LT would be any worse than a guy who, three seasons ago, was drafted in the seventh round. JMHO, though.