Thread: Bears can't let guard down

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

Figure of speech, soul. Everyone should temper what they expect from each prospect and, yeah, sentiments are getting unreasonably high for this kid in this thread already. No, don't bring up Reggie Bush as an example of someone who "was going to fail because of misuse". Only the Texans GM had the foresight to pass on him, and no one here actually knows enough about football to have called that.

I understand. I wasn't meaning to offend I just believe that true "blue chip" interior linemen are rare because they usually end up playing a different position. In another program a guy with Cooper's athletic ability could just as easily ended up at DT. You rarely see those guys fail to become impact players in the NFL. With RBs it's a little more hit or miss.

I can understand why a lot of top interior lineman end up sliding back in the draft and also why teams can still find talent in the mid rounds. But seldom do you see a draft when one of the top draftniks rates two OGs among the top five or ten players overall. If you respect the opinion of a guy like Maycock that does say something.

There are no guarantees but I gotta tell you an interior lineman with his athletic ability either as a LG or possibly as an OC sure makes more sense to me that drafting OTs with questionable abilities as an OG ala the Tice approach.

Originally Posted by GermansbombedPH

all I can say... I don't think I will be upset with however we'll draft at #20. Many promising guys that would fill a need for us. Have we talked to Cooper? I know Emery talked with Fluker

Little GM secret here G. Pre-draft misdirection is the name of the game. Talk to Jarvis Jones and you not only find out about Jarvis Jones but you also find out a lot about how Ogletree is perceived by his teammates.

Talk with Fluker and you get some great info about Chance Warmack. Not that Emery may not be interested in the guy but sometimes the interview process is a clever one. It as much of an elimination process or a ranking process as anything.

But besides that when you're in competition with other teams the less attention you pay to who you really want the better. If you'll remember last year we interviewed Nick Perry and Lovie himself spent some considerable time with Chandler Jones yet to most everyone's surprise we took McClellin who I don't believe was ever even mentioned as a top prospect for the Bears.

Just because we don't interview a guy doesn't mean we aren't interested. It could mean just the opposite and that we already have all the info we need on that guy in order to rank him.

Originally Posted by Grizzblue

Spot on soul, and the center is a very misunderstood position by most fans.

Usually the center is the key block on inside runs that either sets a lane on a nose gaurd or is responsible for the MLB.

I loved your comment on the helping the tackles in pass pro, because I remember really enjoying watching Olin when I was a kid, and your right cooper reminds me of a Kreutz 2.0

I used to love watching Olin come all the way across to pick up a de who came free on an inside move, and the way cooper plays would benifit forte tons.

A guy that can move and block as incredibly as coop would do wonders for forte as he can seal off lbs as well as pull and move out on screens, really would compliment fortes strengths to read and use open field blocks

Well to be honest I never thought about him all that much as an OC but I know how more Forte benefited from CWill playing LG because of his mobility. His ypc was a half yard higher and he had more than double the number of 20 yard plus runs and I think a lot of that was due to some of CWill's ability to pull and trap as well as lead block in the second level.

But when I envision Cooper as almost the ideal size and having the ideal athleticism for OC that's what popped up in my mind. Olin moving to cut off rushers, Olin getting out in front of a screen pass, Olin using his tenacity to create some holes for our RBs. The kid is probably an All Pro in waiting no matter where you play him on the interior of the line and that says he's a top prospect on my board as he has been all long.

I"m just happy that we're conjecturing towards drafting a OG with our first pick. I like what I see but before it's all said and done we will see lots of 1st round stock rise and fall a few spots. Add into it there's info we will most likely never know and I think we're doing fine if we get one of the top 3 OG's in the draft. If we were to luck out or trade up that would be great but I just don't want to get my hopes up too high or pay too high of a price at the expense of something else.

I just hope that Barret Jones is as good as we make him sound. Because of him missing the combine and having the injurie many mock drafts put him in the late 2th to early 3th. If we could get Cooper/Warmack in the 1th round and then nail Jones in the 2th round our Oline would be nearly complete. All we need is then a LT assuming we don't get one in FA.
But I really hope Jones is the player we think he is and can be our starting center for the next many years to come.

no, Jones is not as good. He is now projected as a 3rd rounder by some and never earlier than mid 2nd.


Just one thing to remember. Kromer said he wants to have a strong and big OL. He wants to dominate the LoS. Looking at his and Trestmans past, they almost never had Guards smaller than 6'4" and 305

Fluker would fit that bill for sure. There are also concerns that Louis won't be good to go when the Camp starts. Another reason why they talked about Carimi as possible Guard.

there is a reason why he goes down on the draft boards and many start with him being picked in the 3rd. You can say winner winner winner all you want, but he will not be seen as steal for sure. Guy gets projected to get drafted around 50 or later.

Teräväinen last year was a steal for the Blackhawks. Jones wouldn't be. There are some serious concerns about his health going forward and if he was that good or the line around him helped him more...