Here's my .02.
1) With salary cap room, try to grab a RT in FA - Jordan Gross? Be prepared to make a first day offer to $7.0M per.
2) I am assuming we draft arounf 23-25. I think we will miss out on OG Duke Robinson, but should be able to wrap up OG Herman Johnson of LSU ( 6-6, 350+ ).
3) In the second round, keep the fingers cross for OG Kraig Urbik of Wisconsin ( 6-6, 335 ). We would immediately upgrade OG for the next 7-8 years.
4) Third round, look for FB Javorskie Lane ( 6-0, 275 ). He would be a force in run blocking, pass blocking, and he is solid around the goal line.
The addition of Gross, Johnson, Urbik, and Lane would make use bigger, and younger in the middle. Williams and Gross at OT. Tait can be the backup at OT, Garza the backup at OG, and Beekman can slide in for Olin when the time comes. St. Clair, Miller, and Metcalfe are history. I think that would be a pretty good O-line.
5) Anything else we get out of the draft is gravy. I'd look for a RB to replace Jones ( Rosenhaus will have him shopping ), and possibly a sleeper WR or SS candidate from the small schools.
6) We should have compensatory picks for Berrian ( 3 or 4 ), Ayanbedejo ( 5 ), and I thought another ( 7 ). We can't trade them, but I would look to trade our 5-6-7 for someone's fourth in 2010. We would still have 1-2-3-3-4-5-7. We don't need anymore depth.
Gatorraid:4) Third round, look for FB Javorskie Lane ( 6-0, 275 ). He would be a force in run blocking, pass blocking, and he is solid around the goal line.
malakai:Maybe not the first two, but definitely before the 6th and 7th round picks. If they end up winning the division, I have a feeling Andre Smith and Eugene Monroe will be out of reach. In that case, they could still get a good lineman like Duke Robinson or Alex Mack, but probably not a top tackle. They could also have a shot at Fenuki Tupou in round two, which would make for a nicely rebuilt offensive line in the near term.However, they also have needs at receiver, quarterback (#2 even if Orton continues to progress), safety (both spots), defensive end, and possibly a 3 technique defensive tackle if Harris can't overcome his injuries. I would not be terribly upset to see them trade back a few spots if they picked up another second or third in the process, assuming of course that they are already picking in the 20s. Think of all the good players who could be there...Josh Freeman, Colt McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Kenny Britt, Brian Robiskie, Ciron Black, Duke Robinson, Alex Mack, Jonathan Luigs, George Selvie, Greg Hardy, Brian Orakpo, Myron Rolle, William Moore...I wouldn't want to be wedded to a single player.Even if they went BPA early and took, let's say Josh Freeman for his upside at quarterback, they could still come back in the second round with Kraig Urbik or Fenuki Tupou and then follow up in the third round with Andrew Gardner or Trevor Canfield. Even though Freeman would be sitting for at least a year (maybe more if Orton stays), I'd be pretty happy with that.
U people make me laugh all off-season all I read was this and that about how bad our O-Line was going to be. Now that they are doing a heck of a job you still won't give them credit and still think we should bench most if not all next year with Rookies. If it wasn't for the Defense giving up 10 pt leads in two games and Robbie Gould's no-squib kick and the Defense not being able to perform on one stinkin play last week after the offense comes out and does a heck of a job in 2 minute we would be 6-0 right now.
TxBear:U people make me laugh all off-season all I read was this and that about how bad our O-Line was going to be. Now that they are doing a heck of a job you still won't give them credit and still think we should bench most if not all next year with Rookies. If it wasn't for the Defense giving up 10 pt leads in two games and Robbie Gould's no-squib kick and the Defense not being able to perform on one stinkin play last week after the offense comes out and does a heck of a job in 2 minute we would be 6-0 right now.
if we get jordon gross we wont go guard in round 1 and 2 no way. Maybe in the 1st but in the second we would choose the best WR available probably Brian Robiskie or Demtrius Byrd. or we could go WR with Maclin or hopefuly Heyward-Bey in the first then guard in the 2nd and hope the Guard from wisconsin falls to us
Good posts.
Crabtree and Heyward-Bey are the only WR that IMO are going to be #1. Maclin is a bit like Hester. Will his speed translate to the NFL?
As far as the O-line being servicable. the running game is not controlling the clock. After having 9 minutes of possession in the first half against Atlanta, look at all the defensive injuries. We need to be able to control the ball to keep our defenders off the field. I can't believe that our passing game is actually covering for our running game. Miller and Metcalfe are history. Tait and OK look slow. St. Clair is playing the best I've seen him, but he is older than dirt. Garza is sub material. Beekamn may be too small ( but might be a solid OC ). IMO the second round WRs aren't much of an upgrade over what we got ( Lloyd, Booker, Hester, Bennett, and Davis ).
I'd take a shot at OC Alex Mack, and go for OG Urbik in round 2. Getting bigger and younger on the O-line will go a long way to keeping our current "window" open.
Have to say i agree with Gatorraid again, our o-line has got no pop at all run blocking and are struggling to stay average at pass blocking. They'll also wear down by week 12ish i believe.
Bearing in mind we used a 1st on a LT last year, we still need to replace the rest of them sooner rather than later, if we are having a new line may as well have a new leader for it, the boss of the line is traditionally the OC, but OK is not playing well and i doubt he's back in two years.... so get the best available OC.
It seems there are three in this years draft who are highly rated (meant to be a great interior line draft), so we should try to get Alex Mack as he seems to be, just, the best of them and may actually be worth a 1st (though i was hoping to get him in the 2nd).
Face facts folks(and JA), the o-line may be unsung still but they are no longer undervalued. The best ones will stay with the teams that drafted them, and only become available because of cap problems(Hutchinson and Tait for example, Seattle and Kansas wanted to keep them but couldn't afford to), or injuries and/or a bad attitude in which case do we want to be the ones taking the risk?
TxBear: U people make me laugh all off-season all I read was this and that about how bad our O-Line was going to be. Now that they are doing a heck of a job you still won't give them credit and still think we should bench most if not all next year with Rookies. If it wasn't for the Defense giving up 10 pt leads in two games and Robbie Gould's no-squib kick and the Defense not being able to perform on one stinkin play last week after the offense comes out and does a heck of a job in 2 minute we would be 6-0 right now.
While you were laughing, we were rushing for 40 yards against the Vikikngs. I would replace our OGs with two top tier OGs from the 09 draft in a asecond. OK is running out of tread to, but he can play his way into retirement. We need a line that can move people out, and create holes to run through.
I think we have no choice but Kreutz in 2009, which I belive is the final year of his contract. DE, RT, and RG are just higher priorities. One of the two line spots should probably be an experienced FA while the other should be a first or second-rounder. Then assuming Williams pans out we can keep St. Clair as cheap depth for a year or two, or draft depth later on.
The ineffectiveness of both Ogunleye and Mark Anderson has unfortunately made DE a very high priority. Cutting Ogunleye, Anderson or both makes cap sense next year, although they may let Anderson play out the final year of his rookie deal. People forget he injured his knee at the end of last year and may round back into some kind of form.
Unless Ogunleye regains his effectiveness he's gone and an every-down DE becomes the highest priority for draft / FA. Without a consistent push from outside and inside the Cover 2 becomes swiss-cheese.
Maybe there is no choice but Kreutz in '09', but i think letting any player let alone a team leader, former pro bowler etc etc, just freewheel into retirement would be very dumb indeed. it sends a terrible message to the rest of the locker room.
Let me clarify, i'm guessing we pick about #25, i'm also guessing big Duke goes before that(about #20) as he's the only OG worthy of the 1st rnd. and better than Ben Grubbs was in '06'.
If he did become a Bear i would be ecstatic, but there are a few teams who would love that kind talent and i think he's gone, leaving the high end centres as the next best alternatives, even if Kreutz sorts himself out next year, will he even be back in '10'.
Assuming we get Duke Robinson, we should still target one of the high class centres because we need quantity as well as quality( the line is a five man onfield unit + depth).
Sounds great to me ecept we need to draft a left tackle not a right tackle .
Chet8503:Sounds great to me ecept we need to draft a left tackle not a right tackle .
There is absolutly NO need to gat a FB in the draft. Seriously guys, we have one of the best TE combos in the league and you want a FB on the field!?!
The 1st round should be reserved for a skills player (FS or WR). The only way we go otherwise is if a top LB or DE falls to us, or if a once-in-a-lifetime athlete falls. You guys may see "LB" and say *** is he thinking but a guy like Maualuga or Lauranitis drops there is no reason to pass them up with the health concerns surrounding Urlacher.
The two main guys I'd target at around 20 or so in the draft would be Taylor Mays and Michael Crabtree. Mays will probably go higher after the combine but should he be there its a must pick. He has so much upside its insane. I think Crabtree will fall due to him being in a spread offense and the nature of the WR position (it has a tendency to be seen as a risky pick due to the number of busts it has produced, just ask the Lions). A top guard or right tackle can be found in the 2nd or in some cases the 3rd. With this draft class being very similar to last years, in that it is full of talented Olinemen, there is no reason to have to pick one in the 1st.
travis123:You guys have to look at who fits our system too. 350 pound gaurds dont. Angelo and Lovie like guys who can get downfield and block. Alex Mack would be a real good fit. The only mammoth guard i have seen play who can get downfield and block is Duke Robinson. Everybody wants to build a line like Dallas had in the 90's a bunch of road graders and did you notice what happened to Troy Aikman he got killed behind that line too. Emmit flourished and Aikman got beat up.