Alabama Offensive Lineman Fluker Meeting With Bears Friday Night

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Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Sox, thanks for you thoughts on the OG; I still think you'll find those gotten in the 2nd-4th round are going to be more then just solid players, but in the end neither of us are in a positon to it really mattering. So it's all subjective. Again it's just a matter of where you draw the line of impact or elite and solid/journeymen. And it will just be a matter of time to tell.

Either way agian of the guys we are talking about I'm happiest w/Fluker b/c of his potental to also be a T/G. And I'd still perfer to see them drop back if they are going to; as long as the teams behind them are not looking at OL.

JABF, I pretty much agree, I can see grabbing 2 OL this draft, except you cannot continuall keep drafting top OL every year or you'll end up top heavy on O and weak on D...which doesn't help either. This D is already old, and on the verge of becoming obsolete, the team needs to make moves to have DB depth and a LB, and very possibly DT if they lose Melton; and DE when Peppers finally goes...then Briggs and Tillman won't be far behind that...it's all going to happen in the next 2 or 3 years also. If this team looks to solely fix the O by the time they do it in the next 2 years it will be to late for the D.

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My only point is that once you get the oline rebuilt to where it should be, then we need to go into a maintenance mode. You don't have to pump high draft picks into it. But keep it maintained at a high level. Kind of like keeping a home in decent shape. If you keep the maintenance up, things go well. If you let it fall apart, into disrepair, then it's an expensive mess to fix again. Really an oline is similar. And when we're not in a full blown crisis mode, then you have the luxury of developing young talent - and not having to do what we did with Webb (on the job training, that was painful).

that was the problem w/JA; he built via FA a really nice OL, but ignored it from that point forward. So I agree. But this team is a lot closer to a full rebuild then I think some are willing to admit. BU is either gone or near gone, and Peppers and Tillman won't be far behind. and Melton, while he might get FT'd this year it might well mean he is gone a year from now also. that's 3-4 major pieces on D the team might well lose; and none are going to be replaced easily. To flat ignore the D in this draft for the sake of a G and C is very risky.

Also in general I don't like seeing two rookies starting right next to eachother, worse off you'll have one next to webb which scares the begeezus out of me.

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Originally Posted by Riczaj01

that was the problem w/JA; he built via FA a really nice OL, but ignored it from that point forward. So I agree. But this team is a lot closer to a full rebuild then I think some are willing to admit. BU is either gone or near gone, and Peppers and Tillman won't be far behind. and Melton, while he might get FT'd this year it might well mean he is gone a year from now also. that's 3-4 major pieces on D the team might well lose; and none are going to be replaced easily. To flat ignore the D in this draft for the sake of a G and C is very risky.

Also in general I don't like seeing two rookies starting right next to eachother, worse off you'll have one next to webb which scares the begeezus out of me.

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Yeah, but the league is all about offense now. So we can afford to have our Defense downgraded to mediocre so long as our offense is upgraded to a top 10 Offense.

So long as the NFL continues to make this league all about the QB, and so long as we have Trestman as a head coach, i believe our defenses are going to start heading in the downward direction over time. Just hope our Offense is moving up to counter this.

I think you might want to rewatch the SB. Jimmors. And don't think it was an anomoly, D's were behind the curve, but are starting to catch up to the rules changes. And all you need are smart qb's that can make a few plays to a few drives a game w/out making mistakes.

While I generally agree w/you, I said the last few years that w/how the rules changes have been made it would downgrade the importance of the QB(kap/flacco are not elite, nor is eli), what is more important out of your QB is a guy that is smart w/the ball and doesn't turn it over; and that's always been my primary concern w/Cutler is that even in Denver he turned the ball over a lot. It's way to easy for O's to score now for teams to have a qb/rb that hands the ball back to the other team.

I don't think Trestmen or Emery are going to be near as lopsided as Lovie was. I think both will try and make sure the D is able to play at a high level; they'll just make sure the O is also catered too. The O is far younger at this point, the D is going to start losing key players; BU not replaceable, but a capable MLB is needed, Peppers not replaceable but someone capable is needed(shea isn't that), Tillman is not as hard to replace but it's not like impact CB's grow on trees, shortly after that Briggs might well be gone also. that's a ton of talent you cannot replace.

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Originally Posted by Riczaj01

I think you might want to rewatch the SB. Jimmors. And don't think it was an anomoly, D's were behind the curve, but are starting to catch up to the rules changes. And all you need are smart qb's that can make a few plays to a few drives a game w/out making mistakes.

While I generally agree w/you, I said the last few years that w/how the rules changes have been made it would downgrade the importance of the QB(kap/flacco are not elite, nor is eli), what is more important out of your QB is a guy that is smart w/the ball and doesn't turn it over; and that's always been my primary concern w/Cutler is that even in Denver he turned the ball over a lot. It's way to easy for O's to score now for teams to have a qb/rb that hands the ball back to the other team.

I don't think Trestmen or Emery are going to be near as lopsided as Lovie was. I think both will try and make sure the D is able to play at a high level; they'll just make sure the O is also catered too. The O is far younger at this point, the D is going to start losing key players; BU not replaceable, but a capable MLB is needed, Peppers not replaceable but someone capable is needed(shea isn't that), Tillman is not as hard to replace but it's not like impact CB's grow on trees, shortly after that Briggs might well be gone also. that's a ton of talent you cannot replace.

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While yes, they both have pretty good Defenses, i would argue that it was their offenses that won (Bal) and kept them (SF) in the game. Its almost by design, its what the fans want to see (how boring was the first half of the SB compared to the 2nd), so you can believe that the NFL will continue to change the rules to favor high powered offense over defense.

And i dont believe they will be lopsided, i am merely saying that replacing our current Defensive vets is not going to be the top priority of the Bears moving forward. First and foremost it will be the offense that will get the key players it needs, with the defense getting the leftover scraps under the table.

If they do that Jimmors we will become the SD chargers or the Denver Broncos or Dallas Cowboys, and still not get a SB; so I really hope you are wrong. It takes a balance now in the NFL now that is the major change in the past few years. The greatest O's are not winning like they did 3-4 years ago.

Balt/SF have solid O's, but hardly great. The difference in that game was the Kap int and the backup running back fumble...did I mention that you cannot afford to have your O turn the ball over?

Emery/Trestman better well find ways of getting impact players on D or the team will fail come playoff time.

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Originally Posted by Riczaj01

If they do that Jimmors we will become the SD chargers or the Denver Broncos or Dallas Cowboys, and still not get a SB; so I really hope you are wrong. It takes a balance now in the NFL now that is the major change in the past few years. The greatest O's are not winning like they did 3-4 years ago.

Balt/SF have solid O's, but hardly great. The difference in that game was the Kap int and the backup running back fumble...did I mention that you cannot afford to have your O turn the ball over?

Emery/Trestman better well find ways of getting impact players on D or the team will fail come playoff time.

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Well the difference is, we already HAVE some key players on the offense in place already (Cutler, BMarsh, Forte)...so right now, all they really need to do is fix the OL and get us a good TE or two. Maybe i painted it wrong, its not as doom and gloom as that...i was just suggesting that Offense will be first priority, not that Defense will be neglected.

And Kaep (and RG3 and Newton last season) are redefining NFL offenses. They may not be "great" in the typical Montana/Manning/Brady "great," but they are still highly effective and dangerous (we saw this first hand, as did GB who got TORCHED by SF Offense in the playoffs)

There is a difference between starting calibre OGs [Warford etc] and impact OGs [Fluker].

Our defense was dominant with half of Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach playing MLB.

Our offense was the Achilles heel of the team for 6 years and it has gotten a GM fired and a 10-6 head coach fired.

Fluker has Carl Nicks type physical tools and he has the potential to be the top OG in football. The 2nd and 3rd round guys don't have that.

Fluker is also so big and nasty that he brings some attitude to our line. Our OL was pushed around the last couple of years. We need someone who wants to get in a streetlight with Kong Suh. Someone who will do something when our QB gets power slammed onto his head.

But beyond that look at who is involved in this decision.

Emery: he took a huge risk firing a 10-6 coach with a career 9 year winning record. He put his neck on the line hiring a CFL coach. He is all in on fixing the Offense, I doubt he then drafts LB.

Emery also has a 100 million dollar decision to make about Jay Cutler, how can he make that call without seeing Jay with better OL play.

Trestman: I personnaly know this, he believes in not just protecting the QB, but that the QB cannot be touched or hurried. This OL is not a scheme issue it has sucked in 3 scheme and with different coaches it is a talent issue and he knows he cannot protect with this group.

Kromer: comes for a system that uses big physically dominant OGs to short set DTs and not allow an inch of penetration. Pressure up the middle is what kills passing plays and I would love to see someone bull rush Fluker to the QB.

We may not go Fluker at 20, but anyone who does not think that this offseason will be all about the offense is crazy.

Nick Roach is a better MLB than any of our OLmen are at their jobs.

Our defense needs to get younger, our offense needs to get average.

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Originally Posted by WindyCity

There is a difference between starting calibre OGs [Warford etc] and impact OGs [Fluker].

Our defense was dominant with half of Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach playing MLB.

Our offense was the Achilles heel of the team for 6 years and it has gotten a GM fired and a 10-6 head coach fired.

Fluker has Carl Nicks type physical tools and he has the potential to be the top OG in football. The 2nd and 3rd round guys don't have that.

Fluker is also so big and nasty that he brings some attitude to our line. Our OL was pushed around the last couple of years. We need someone who wants to get in a streetlight with Kong Suh. Someone who will do something when our QB gets power slammed onto his head.

But beyond that look at who is involved in this decision.

Emery: he took a huge risk firing a 10-6 coach with a career 9 year winning record. He put his neck on the line hiring a CFL coach. He is all in on fixing the Offense, I doubt he then drafts LB.

Emery also has a 100 million dollar decision to make about Jay Cutler, how can he make that call without seeing Jay with better OL play.

Trestman: I personnaly know this, he believes in not just protecting the QB, but that the QB cannot be touched or hurried. This OL is not a scheme issue it has sucked in 3 scheme and with different coaches it is a talent issue and he knows he cannot protect with this group.

Kromer: comes for a system that uses big physically dominant OGs to short set DTs and not allow an inch of penetration. Pressure up the middle is what kills passing plays and I would love to see someone bull rush Fluker to the QB.

We may not go Fluker at 20, but anyone who does not think that this offseason will be all about the offense is crazy.

Nick Roach is a better MLB than any of our OLmen are at their jobs.

Our defense needs to get younger, our offense needs to get average.

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Welcome back windy!

But fluker intrigues me if cooper is gone (I feel he will be) could be jus what the doctor ordered if we don't trade down

Windy is back, for now.

Fluker makes the most sense and would fit well as OG or OT. Can't wait to see a conversation between Soul and Windy about Carimi :lol3: just wait for it to happen.