Emery Gets the Benefit of the Doubt for Now, Geez That's Nice of Them......

**soulman** · 04-30-2012, 03:58 PM

Give Bears GM Phil Emery the benefit of the doubt for now

BY MARK POTASH mpotash@suntimes.com April 28, 2012 10:12PM

Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin is a bit of a risky pick because he’s a tweener who seems better suited for a 3-4 defense. | Michael Conroy~AP

Updated: April 29, 2012 2:33AM

‘Has he been charged with anything?’’

It’s rarely a good sign when the first question for the general manager after announcing a draft pick is about a felony assault charge. But like everything else Phil Emery did in his first NFL draft as a GM, we’ll have to take his word for it that the Bears’ due diligence on Evan Rodriguez indicates the tight end from Temple is as coachable as he is versatile and that his transgressions were a byproduct of immaturity and not some self-destructive nature that doesn’t get measured at the scouting combine.

The Bears talked to coaches, former coaches, trainers and former trainers, and all of them vouched for Rodriguez. Even Emery doesn’t know for sure if the kid isn’t ‘‘the biggest con man’’ the Temple coaches ever met — the one thing Penn State coach Joe Paterno neglected to tell Bears scouts about Curtis Enis in 1998.

After taking Rodriguez in the fourth round, Nevada cornerback Isaiah Frey in the sixth round and TCU cornerback Greg McCoy in the seventh round Saturday, Emery was predictably satisfied with his first draft. Just as Jerry Angelo was in 2002 — when Marc Colombo headed a class that produced only one player who met expectations: Florida defensive end Alex Brown in the fourth round.

It’ll be interesting to see if Emery fared better in his first draft because he seemed to go outside the box on almost every pick:

† Shea McClellin is a tweener seemingly better suited for a 3-4 defense.
† Alshon Jeffery is coming off a subpar year and was ejected from his last college game for fighting.
† Brandon Hardin didn’t play last season because of shoulder surgery.
† Rodriguez has a felony assault charge and disorderly conduct arrest on his résumé.

† Frey was rated the 453rd-best prospect on the board by CBSSports.com.
† McCoy is an All-America kick returner on a team with the best kick returner in NFL history.

At first blush, it might seem like the Bears will be challenged to find the immediate help they were looking for. On the other hand, there’s the very real possibility that Emery knows what he’s doing.

As the director of college scouting for the Kansas City Chiefs the last two seasons, he has been more active in the trenches and arguably is more in tune with college scouting than most GMs. Rodriguez is a risk. But Emery was in better position to gauge that risk than probably any GM in the NFL.

‘‘I have been through Temple and seen Temple play probably more than any university I’ve gone to in the last two years,’’ Emery said. ‘‘I have a personal relationship with the athletic trainer there — we worked together at Tennessee. I spent a lot of time with him on Evan. I went there three times this fall. I’ve known the prior strength coach when I was a strength coach [at Navy].’’

Emery’s scouting antennae might never be better than they are right now, which leads me to suspend my cynicism and consider why things might work out instead of why they won’t. McClellin is in the hands of one of the best defensive line coaches in the business. Jeffery has a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback throwing to him. It’s no coincidence that the best second-round wide receivers in recent years have had the same advantage — Vincent Jackson, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, DeSean Jackson and Sidney Rice.

So on a dark, dark day for Chicago sports — the news of Derrick Rose’s injury was so stunning, it penetrated the usually impregnable war room — let’s at least give Emery the benefit of the doubt until he proves he doesn’t deserve it.

**soulman** · 04-30-2012, 04:32 PM

You know this bullshit about Rodriguez is just one more negative to focus on rather than the positives. It's just like ignoring the fact that even though we didn't draft an Olineman in two instead we got a guy who score TD's instead of just block for them and also ignoring the fact that we signed the best OLineman available as an UDFA. He was second ranked overall as an UDFA and was ranked as high as a mid round choice by some. It seems we may have gotten a bargain there and that should count for something shouldn't it.

The "why didn't we draft an Olineman" cry baby sportswriters also seem to want to ignore the fact that we drafted one in the first round last year and promptly lost him for the season. Well he's back and he's better than any other OT we could have drafted in one except Matt Kalil and THAT wasn't gonna happen. So actually we did get an OT in one so you can just add him to this years draft if you will. Nanny, nanny, boo boo.

For crap sake, Evan Rodriguez was CHARGED with felony assault. For those of us who have ever had the privilege of being arrested they can CHARGE you with anything they like even if it's conspiracy in the Kennedy assassination or molesting squirrels. There's a huge gap between those charges and the truth and Evan Rodriguez eventually was either convicted or plead to TRESPASSING and CREATING A DISTURBANCE!!!!! Both misdemeanors. That's like the difference between driving to Denver or Bourbonais to watch training camp if you live in Chicago. (For me it's a bit different)

In Denver they can CHARGE you with a sexual offense (and if convicted you become a registered sex offender for life so how do you like that?) if you're caught pissing behind a bush down some old lonely deserted road where the only one you might possibly offend is that squirrel you may or may not have been intending to molest.

(just don't get caught with acorns in your pocket and I know a good lawyer who can get you off)

My guess is that if you want to look hard enough you can find something negative to say about Mother Teresa and Jesus Christ, the elders of the temple did, and he was the top pick in his game too.

Just put the shit about Rodriguez in some drawer in your desk guys along with all the scouting reports and health and fitness magazines most of you probably don't read either.

**Rogelio** · 04-30-2012, 04:35 PM

Of course, they had to use a picture of McClellan where he looks like a clutz about to get hit in the face with a football.

**short faced bear** · 04-30-2012, 04:51 PM

Oh let them belittle let them berate it's the end result that matters and it will be all the sweeter if it works out.

**nelliewilson** · 04-30-2012, 04:53 PM

They can say whatever they want. We all know it's about selling advertising space for them. As a Bears fan for more than twenty years I tend to be very critical about even the smallest decisions made by the McCaskey family and our coaching staff but there isn't anything I can gripe about yet. I was expecting things to pan out differently during the draft but it would be premature for me to start hating on Emery.

**soulman** · 04-30-2012, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by nelliewilson

They can say whatever they want. We all know it's about selling advertising space for them. As a Bears fan for more than twenty years I tend to be very critical about even the smallest decisions made by the McCaskey family and our coaching staff but there isn't anything I can gripe about yet.I was expecting things to pan out differently during the draft but it would be premature for me to start hating on Emery.

Well of course nellie, we all do that. That's what makes us Bears fans isn't it.

But I'm hereby revoking the sportswriters right to do that. Not only do they get paid to criticize while we have to do it for free but those bastards get free parking, free admission and free food while they're at the game but it costs us about $300 to suffer through the same one. Therefore they have nothing to complain about..........we do!

**BigBadPapaBear** · 04-30-2012, 06:32 PM

LOL@ the picture of Shea looking clownish. I'm with you guys. Just trying to smear these picks before they've even had a chance to show what they can do. I'd like to fly out to CHI and give some of these writers a piece of my mind.

**moeman79** · 04-30-2012, 08:04 PM

That is what these guys do,whether writer or TV person they get paid to write anything, do they spend years scouting college players, just to try to thin the herd, nope they just watch a couple highlight clips(maybe) and go off the Mel Kipper or Mayock have on their list. No writer has put in the hour or miles required to properly evaluate talent. Sure at first I didn't like our day 1 pick, but i know even less than the writers do(some of them).

**Bipolar Bear** · 04-30-2012, 09:09 PM

I'm not sure why people keep referring to McClellin as a tweener? He's coming into the NFL at 260 lbs, not 240. There are a lot of productive DE's at that weight and I'm sure he'll add more muscle and be close to 270 in the next year or so. He's about the same size as Mercilus, yet nobody refers to him as a tweener.

**motownbear** · 04-30-2012, 09:24 PM

How can anyone drafted in the fourth fricken round be high risk lol.

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