Bears GM Phil Emery says he's targeting ''about seven players'' for the 19th pick of the first round of the NFL draft Thursday. I'm not quite well-versed in Emery-speak yet, but my intuition tells me it's Phil's way of giving us something to chew on for a few days before the draft. In other words, it means little to nothing.
That said, I'll take the bait. Without having been in on any of the Bears' pre-draft discussions, it's hard to tell how they think or what the parameters are of the target list. Does it include South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who according to my sources would be a near-perfect fit for the Bears' defense but is generally considered to be long gone by No. 19? Does it include Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who doesn't fill a priority need and isn't likely to be available but would be tough to pass up if he drops as some suspect he might?
With that in mind, here's an educated guess on players who should be on the list, with the likelihood of them being on the board at 19 being the biggest factor:
1. Nick Perry, DE, USC -- Doesn't have the monster numbers (though his 9.5 sacks led the Pac-12 last year), but has the quick burst you need in a pass rusher, he excelled in a defense similar to the Bears, he's a run-stopper with pass rush ability and showed he can get better as he gets bigger.
2. Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois -- The Bears have one of the best defensive line coaches in the business in Rod Marinelli, but keep giving him projects to work with. As a one-year wonder, Mercilus might scare off some teams. But the Bears can do more with him than most.
3. Cordy Glenn, T/G, Georgia -- Something tells me Emery sees more of a need on the offensive line than the Bears' ''We-like-who-we've-got'' party line indicates. Glenn has played guard and tackle in college, has extremely long arms and responds to coaching.
''I like his versatility,'' ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. said. ''I like the fact that if he doesn't get it done at RT, you've got yourself a heck of a guard.''
4. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse -- Also fits the mold of a late-bloomer who can be great with a little work.
5. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor -- SI.com's Peter King said Lovie Smith had dinner with him after his pro day and likes him. That's good enough for me.
6. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame -- I don't think the Bears are scared off by the character issues -- and they shouldn't be. Floyd excelled in a difficult situation in his last two seasons at Notre Dame -- he was in a new offense with inexperienced QBs and drew most of the attention of opposing defenses.
7. Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina -- He has everything the Bears like in a cornerback, a good tackler with size and enough speed to be a star in Lovie Smith's defense.
I would hope that Martin is rated higher than Glenn. You already have a solid RT in Carimi, unless they are considering moving him to the left side, which given our current roster, is our best option for a functional Left Tackle.
I am getting the impression that Perry is higher on the Bears board than some of the others, but they will only take them if they move down. If they were to consider moving up, I think Coples, Reiff, and Fletcher Cox are the potential targets. I would not be surprised if they find another willing partner in Buffalo, who would love to get a LT, but may like Martin better than Reiff for their scheme, just not at 10. We could get there with 19, our second rounder, and a 6th this year or 5th next year. Or we could offer a trade with a player like Chris Williams and our first and 4th, since we are now logjammed at guard, and he could get them by for a year if their draft pick can't step in right away at tackle.
The Bears are telegraphing the positions they want and need, but the great thing is that they have given themselves the flexibility to address them where it makes sense, not where they have to. Kudos to Emery for his pre-work going in with free agency, trades, and misdirection/scouting parlance. Now he just has to deliver with a solid performance in the first 3 rounds, and get us a couple of solid rookie contributors, and we are in business.
Sean, I agree 100% with you on the Bears going after an offensive lineman in rounds 1 or 2. And I also don't believe the "we like what we got" line either. This is probably the smoke screen Emery is using to target a lineman, and that lineman could be Georgia's Cordy Glenn. Glenn is a monster at 345lbs, has 35 3/4 inch arms, and put up 31 reps on the 225 bench with these 35 3/4 inch arms! He's the type of big lineman Mike Tice covets.
I still like Whitney Mercilus, the guy just makes plays in the backfield. Stephon Gilmoree would be a nice addition also, but is starting to fly up draft boards. Nick Perry could also come in as a rookie and maybe start because of his ability to play the run. Gonna be interesting GO BEARS!!
Are you nuts? The Magnificent 7are Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, Jorge Martínez de Hoyos, and James freakin Coburn. And don't you forget it.
I read that Smith really liked Hill. But have not heard anything about Floyd. Floyd is to much like Marshall, Bears probably like Hill because of his ability to stretch the defense.
1. Whitney Mercilus, Rod can do for him what he did for Mark Anderson and all the other ends he has developed. Cause they didn't need to sign Peppers, because they were developing so many ends.
2. Nick Perry, didn't have Mercilus's numbers but he also played against much better competition.
3. Michael Brockers, I have no doubt Chicago likes this kid and they need help at DT in a bad way. Bears ranked among the leagues worst in stopping the run through the A gap.
4. Kendall Wright, some idiot may tell you he is no Mohammad Sanu, that's because he is much better than that chump.
5. Jonathan Martin, needs some work, but has the athletic ability and feet you need, he is also a natural bender. Supposedly Tice is an amazing line coach and LT is the biggest need.
6. Cordy/Glenn you would have to be retarded or Lovie Smith to think the Bears offensive line is good.
7. Stephen hill, I think Lovie likes this kid, Lovie loves his athletes and this guy is an athlete. He would also compliment Marshall.
I don't have a problem with Gilmore and I don't think the Bears do either. Problem with him is he plays Corner and the Bears have not shown huge intrest in drafting them high. Including Lovie. A very good player at a position that the Bears do not put huge value on. If Mark Barron fell they might be tempted but they would probably trade down with one of the teams desperate for Safety help like Detroit.
I would list Jones but he is currently the hotest climber in the draft. I think at this point he has passed the other two. Teams are in love with his length and hands. To bad nobody can call him Chandler Bones Jones.
I would hope that if 3 or more of the Mag. 7 are there at 19, he trades down 3-4 spots and picks up an extra 3rd or so. Heck, Angelo traded UP in the 2nd round last year and gave up a 3rd, I believe. If he could move down a few spots, milk a team for a 2nd or 3rd, and still pick up one of "your guys" , then you alsmost get Brandon Marshall for free. Now that would be amazing. Adding another pick in the top 75 or 80, would vastly help this team. That way, you could go any direction in 1, and still have 3 more picks to address OL, DE, CB, and WR. Lets not forget. Every year several players fall. Whether it be because teams "hear" things, or the past coupe of years teams jumping up to take QB's way before they should. All that does is drive 1 more needed player down to the Bears.
You can Have Kendall Wright. I will take Sanu and Hill over him. He runs like a bus at the combine on a seemingly fast track, and does a ittle better at his pro day. I have had my fill of 5'10" receivers. If the Bears were to trade out of 19 and go down, they could even take Fleener if he was there. But if they did that, it would be a compete indictment of the Martz system and how he bungled this offense the past few years. It should be interesting.
Hey Mark, it's Mark right? Mark Potash? Sorry wanted to make sure as some people seem to get confused easily. It must be because you and Sean could pass for twins.
I heard a little support for your O-Line theory but it was not Cordy Glenn. Hub said his sources tell him the Bears are in love with Reiff and he drops to them they are taking him. They may even move up if he gets close enough. I doubt he gets passed KC but who knows?
It will probably be D-Line but I am not sure that is the best thing to do. Lock into just the D-Line. Honestly I would rather have Gilmore than any of the D-Line listed above.
A lot of these ends just scream 3-4 rolb to me, Chandler, Mercilus, even Ingram. Brockers I like but even he seems like an ideal 5 tech. Hope the Bears go with best player available.
Kevin,
I agree that Glenn is more Tice's style of lineman, but what do you do with LT? Carimi, or stick with Webb? Or Williams? I think it is pretty resounding in the scouting community that Glenn is either a RT or a G, and in my opinion, we have too many of both of them already.
I think Carimi can play LT in this scheme, and be effective, but for some reason, they are saying they are happy with Lurch (Webb), who is so slow out of his stance that he negates his remarkable athleticism for a man his size. He also has no balance, and is killed by any double moves or stutter steps...not exactly ideal for an edge protector. Glenn would be a luxury pick from my point of view, and there should be higher-rated guys on the board at 19.
In order of likelihood, I think the Bears draft pick will be:
Perry
Mercilus (I like Mercilus better, but I think he will go right before us to SD)
OL-rumors of DeCastro dropping I think are nuts, but it could leave us the choice of Martin, Glenn, or Zeitler in a trade back