I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this blog to get all nerdy during my time this week, but it’s kind of a slow news day so I’ll pass along more draft info, this time for the Bears. At the current rate, tomorrow I’ll be lecturing about Star Wars and my favorite Weezer albums.
According to our guy Brad Biggs, Lovie Smith headed down to Arkansas on Monday to have lunch with running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.
Could this mean management is as fed up with Cedric Benson as all the fans are? Biggs brought back a money quote from Benson in December that sums up his Bears career quite nicely.
``I don't feel like I need to prove anything,'' Benson said.
Yeah, well, uh, Ced, you were kind of the fourth pick in the entire freaking 2005 draft. Averaging 3.4 yards per carry, consistently getting injured, and generally being viewed as a malcontent by your teammates means you do, indeed, have something to prove.
But could the Bears really go after McFadden? As Biggs notes, to get Run DMC, the Bears likely would have to ‘walk their way’ into the top five (sorry, couldn’t help it). Jerry Angelo has never traded up in the first round since taking over as general manager (though who could forget the epic trade down in 2003 that netted the Bears Rex and Michael Haynes), but McFadden could be special enough to make it worthwhile.
The Bears had some nice ammunition on draft day even before being rewarded for putting up with the 49ers tampering with Lance Briggs. With two third round and fifth round picks, maybe this is as good a time as any for Angelo to be bold.
Also, does this mean that if the Bears can’t move up to grab McFadden that they may take Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall at pick 14? I view McFadden and Mendenhall almost on the same level; Shard is an absolute beast. A friend of mine described Mendenhall as ‘a poor man’s Walter Payton’ and I almost want to agree.
Do you honestly believe that the Bears care about winning? If they make the necessary moves in the draft to get a great running back, what difference does it make when the line sucks. Angelo needs this draft to work out for him because he sucked in free agency.
We should probably talk about rounds 2-7....Jerry and the yes men seem to settle down after they choke...If Mendenhall is there and Jerry passes on him...Rex'd again
Look I dont care...get another back to challenge this sleepy-eyed-joker!!! And it wont be much of a challenge either - that I guarantee!
Hitman;
If Mendenhall is still on the board when the Bears use their first round pick, 13 other General Managers should be scheduled for drug mandatory testing.
Mark...I don't think RM be there at 14, either
No matter, tho...keeping RexandCed on the bench is the #1 key to being successful this year...the last two games of the year more than proved that...the OLine wasn't as bad as advertised, either
and it's Benson who isn't the every down back...AP is, tho...that was proven, too...now, we need another one
Funny.. a QB who can step up in the pocket and a RB who can block and break tackles....The OLine all of a sudden wasn't being talked about
I said this in week 4...they didn't do it...3 games left...they did what I said to...instead of 5 years to "develope"...it took one game..
get your vomit bags ready in 31 days
Cedric doesn't have to prove anything, in fact, he could just walk away from the final year of his contract. He has already proved his worth. He showed promise the last two games....so what.
I'll take McFadden if we can get him and not mortgage our draft. Or Mendenhall, of course if both are gone by 14, that means some GM just blew his wad on stupidity, half the teams drafting before the Bears do not need a RB, and the other half need a QB or DL help.
Is Alexander available yet, that is a real RB we could use, bad wheels and all.
Oh, and we do need a LG and LT, OLB, SS, WR, DT, 3rd corner.
AD's dont grow on Tree's
McFad could be everyone's just wanting another or the next Peterson soooo badly.
Hitman; AP is Steady Eddie, with good blocking skills, and decent hands, but we need someone more explosive back there to compliment him. You're right, Cedric isn't that someone.
Chuck mentions the possibility of acquiring Alexander. I'd take a flier on him, for the right price.
ESPN rated the top 64 wide receivers in the league:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=3309135&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl%2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fid%3d3309135%26lpos%3dspotlight%26lid%3dtab2pos1
The Bears have only one player in this group, and he's in the 62nd slot.
His name is Marty Booker; and if he's the best we've got, we can hang up the 2008 season right now.
Even Moose was rated higher than our own top WR, and he'll be collecting Social Security soon.
The best first round pick is gonna be Jonathan Stewart. Simple as that.At #14 the bears should really get this guy.He's not a beast-he's a machine on steroids!!!!Have you seen his Arms?
In 36 games at Oregon, Stewart started 25 contests. He carried 516 times for 2,891 yards (5.6-yard average) and 27 touchdowns, turning the ball over three times on five fumbles. He gained 334 yards with four scores on 49 receptions (6.8 avg) and recorded four solo tackles. He also returned 58 kickoffs for 1,664 yards (28.69 avg) and two touchdowns. He wrapped up his career with 4,889 all-purpose yards on 623 touches, an average of 135.81 yards per game.
Only thing that killed his career was injury,but when he played he was straight up Gayle Sayers out there.Adrian Peterson ran for 224 yds and almost capped 300 allperpuse yards on us.Even though we allmost won...... Getting stewart would be ultimate pay back. Beside the lions or packers shouldnt get him either...i hope.
With the second round we should get joe Flacco.He's 6'6 with a killer arm. We got two third round draft picks.They can be used on offensive linemen.Problem solved! Joe Flacco is better than Grossman and Ortan put together.
I fail to see guy's how a RB (any RB) yes even Ced could possibly run behind the OL of the Bears What are you guy's thinking? We will magically open holes with all rookie low round draft OL? Did any of you notice the huge holes that the top RB's ran through last year? We need OL people, without OL RB/QB/WR will all struggle. It all starts in the trenches. RM can not possibly save the entire offense without OL.
A bit of the chicken and the egg issue but what good is a stud RB behind a line that blows like the Bears' line?
Get both! Line and Back! But acknowledge both areas are bad!
I want Mendenhall but I think that he might be gone by the time the Bears pick.
This draft is deep in RBs and OTs, both positions that the Bears need right now. Mendenhall is someone that can make a difference from day one and he would finally close the book on the Cedric Benson mess.
I just don't see Angelo moving up to get McFadden and I don't think that he has to try. Pick the guy who does not have the hype.
Phil;
What's upsetting is that if and when we make the much needed upgrade at the RB position, whether it be through the draft, or with an acquisition like Alexander ... what do you do with Benson?
He'll be worth next to nothing at that point, so why would another team trade for him when they could just sign him for peanuts after the Bears cut him?
Who'd want him anyway?
I guess I should be happy that Lovie could find Arkansas. Now if he will only get lost on the way back and wander around for say 8 or 9 months.
what is cash? :)