I’m not much for draft guessing or mock drafting as it’s known in the sports media biz. And when it comes to the Chicago Bears under Phil Emery it is sometimes easier to try and pinpoint the proper questions as opposed to searching for the elusive answers.

Question #1

Does Kony Ealy fit the Emery mold as a first round draft pick? 

Here is what I think we should look for when trying to figure the direction Emery might venture in the first round: physically gifted athlete, versatile, projected to go 10 or so picks after the Bears are slotted. With the discussion of Ealy being evaluated as a DE who can slide inside to the three-tech, the buzz is starting to grow that he may be featured at a Halas Hall press conference early next week.

Question #2

Is Emery serious about ignoring developmental quarterbacks?

Read More …

I love golf. And while most golf fans are down on their knees with their mouths in the lap of Augusta National, I am more reserved. I think Augusta is, for the most part, the most self-indulgent sports entity in creation and The Open Championship is my favorite tournament. But I still get excited for the first major championship of the season and it seems a convenient way to put a column together.

Here are nine issues, nine holes, still facing the 2014 Bears.

Hole #1 Tea Olive

The Bears don’t currently have a good safety on the roster. Is it possible Ryan Mundy will thrive at the strong safety position after showing limited flashes in both Pittsburgh and New York? Yes. But ask yourself this question: if Mundy were a budding star, why would the two best run organizations in the sport, both with proud lineages on defense, let him walk out the door?

And while Chris Conte has been the subject of ridicule, he’s a capable free safety if his run-stopping assignments are limited. His lack of availability for the bulk of training camp won’t help build his confidence heading into the 2014 season. I see his days in Chicago numbered.

Hole #2 Pink Dogwood

The Bears will have to win a game or two with Jordan Palmer playing quarterback. History says what history says and history says Jay Cutler will get banged up at some point during the season. Today, that would mean Palmer steps under center.

Side note: I could have written the same thing, with Josh McCown’s name a year ago and it turned out not to be a hole. But McCown at least has a MINOR track record in the sport. Palmer does not.

Read More …

Sean Jensen received a text from Jared Allen stating the Bears push “came out of nowhere”. We’ve gotten used to that approach from Phil Emery during his short Chicago Bears tenure. Here are a few thoughts on the signing.

• The Bears added two defensive ends in free agency who excel in run support but are a bit lacking when it comes to pressures, disruptions, sacks. Now they’ve added one of the best 4-3 pass rushers in the sport. I’m not a huge of fan of big contracts to veteran defenders but the Bears needed sacks and they bought some. With the welcome return of Izzy Idonije Bears now have talent and depth at end.
• I’ve said many times I thought the Emery/Trestman regime would yield a championship contender in 2015. I still believe that, which is why I think it’s important to note the Bears gave Allen a second guaranteed year. Bears still have two gaping holes at safety and question marks at both linebacker and defensive tackle. But expectations for 2014, barring major injuries, should be no less than a playoff appearance.
• Kyle Long in 2013. Jared Allen in 2014. The Bears have added something I always thought they lacked in the Lovie Smith era: tough guys. They added some bloody noses. Some alley fighters. And while I can’t stand Jared Allen off the field, I’ll have little issue rooting for him on it.

Last year Phil Emery rebuilt the Bears offensive line in March and April. This year he rebuilt the Bears defensive in a few March week. Jared Allen is a Chicago Bear.

If you follow DaBearsBlog on Twitter, you know that I’m going to win a billion dollars soon. So…I got that going for me. Which is nice. In the meantime I’ll continue living my life among the not-so-rich.

Three thoughts…

1. Everyone spent a month telling me that Lovie Smith was going to purge the Bears roster of all their talented players. Everyone spent a month telling me the allure of Lovie Smith would be too great for them. Corey Wootton. Minnesota. Henry Melton. Dallas. Julius Peppers. Green Bay. Charles Tillman. Home. Devin Hester. Atlanta. Major Wright. Mutual of Omaha. The only player Lovie pulled off the Bears roster was a man who owes his career renaissance to the man replacing Lovie. Is that ironic? It might be. I’m actually not sure.
2. I don’t understand fan reaction to players leaving their favorite team. There is no reason to root against Josh McCown or Devin Hester or Henry Melton now that they’re no longer a Chicago Bear. If there was no salary cap, all of these men would remain in the navy blue and orange for years to come but running a modern organization is about making difficult decisions without the luxury of sentiment. I hope Devin Hester breaks the record Week One for Atlanta, as long as the Bears don’t open the season there. Because nobody will remember him returning kicks for the Falcons. They’ll remember him returning kicks on the Drive.
3. A majority of the Tweets and emails I receive ask one question, “Who do you see the Bears drafting with the fourteenth pick?” Here is my answer: I don’t know. But one thing I truly believe is that no position on the defensive side of the ball is off the table. Yes there are pressing needs at DT and safety but if Emery identifies a potentially game-changing pass rusher, he’s taking him. If he identifies a potential shutdown corner, he’s taking him. I don’t think any of the moves made in free agency actually influence the draft approach, despite what Emery said in his press conference. As a matter of fact, I think Emery’s press conference statement that free agency will clue the media in to his draft approach is an old fashioned, transparent smokescreen.

Enjoy the weekend, poor people.

ON LAMARR HOUSTON…

Of the three high profile defensive ends on the open NFL market, Lamarr Houston was the best fit for the Chicago Bears. Neither he nor the two Michaels (Bennett, Johnson) are elite edge rushers who’ll draw double teams on every down. But Houston is smart, gets off blocks and displays tremendous discipline; he is one of the best run-stopping defensive ends in the game.

The Bears could fix their pass rush all they wanted. It wouldn’t matter if they continued being one of the worst run defenses in the history of recorded time.

From Brad Biggs:

…Houston plays the run very well, he’s durable (hasn’t missed a game in four seasons) and has the flexibility to shift around on the line. There is a good chance the Bears will slide him inside in the nickel package, which is probably what the plan was for Bennett. He’s athletic enough to see time at the three technique tackle position, if needed.

Versatility is great but production is better and that is what Emery is counting on. The reality is Houston, who will turn 27 in June, offers more bang for the buck than a 34-year-old Peppers and probably more than Jared Allen or DeMarcus Ware, both soon to turn 32.

Remember this, desperate Bears fans: it ain’t all getting fixed in twenty-four hours. Houston doesn’t solve their woes along the defensive line. But he solves one of them.

THREE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

Read More …

The Bears need help on defense and help is available (Houston, Mitchell, a plethora of safeties). The Bears don’t need much help on offense but dynamic weapons are available (Darren Sproles). Julius Peppers is still on the club. Darrelle Revis may be the most desirable free agent defender in years.

For my moment-to-moment commentary on free agency as the day progresses, check my Twitter feed on the right rail or follow me on Twitter by CLICKING HERE. If the Bears make any significant moves, we’ll address the move here.

One thing to remember: no reporter has been ahead of Phil Emery yet so take everything you’ve read with a massive grain of salt.

I am not for spending sprees in NFL free agency. More often than not the more money spent by an organization in March, the more time they end up spending in the salary cap penalty box for years to come. But Phil Emery’s execution a year ago – landing Jermon Bushrod and Martellus Bennett and Matt Slauson – proved to me the Bears GM knows how to approach the veteran flea market and add the right pieces at the right prices. (Pay too much for the starting left tackle, save a boat load on the starting left guard.)

But this offseason, coming off one of the worst defensive years in Bears history, Emery must attack that side of the ball. That starts Wednesday with free agency and runs right up through the signing of undrafted free agents in May. Emery must be aggressive, must believe that while injuries were greatly responsible for the downfall they were not the only element of culpability. The players on the roster were not good enough. Simply bringing them back is not an option.

Read More …

I don’t think Josh McCown is going to sign a contract to be a backup quarterback anywhere else in the league. Rumors of his drawing interest from the Jets in New Jersey make little sense as McCown would struggle mightily to throw the ball in the swirling Meadowlands winds. (These winds are actually more difficult to throw in than those of Soldier Field.)

I think Phil Emery legitimately wants Charles Tillman to return to Chicago but wants him to do so on a team-friendly 1-2 year deal. But if rumors are true and Darrelle Revis may be dealt out of Tampa in the coming weeks, Tillman would make a lot of sense as a de facto coach for the Bucs, bringing his patented punch to a second state.

I think Pat Mannelly ends up coming back for a final season in Chicago and Roberto Garza ultimately does the same. But if the Bears end up giving Taylor Boggs a shot in the middle of the offensive line and bring in Jeremy Cain on a full-time basis, I think the difference will be negligible at best.

Are these important players at important positions? Sure. But they are not the types of decisions that make or break an NFL campaign. The decisions Emery makes at defensive tackle might be. And those decisions start at home.

Read More …

I promised to re-post some of the better comments to the previous approach. I’m doing that today. W

We start, because why not, with gpldan channeling his inner Mamet for a dose of well-timed dramatic comedy in reaction to the recent news that Shea McClellin is moving to linebacker:

Fans: He’d make a good linebacker
Bears: He’s NOT A LINEBACKER
Fans: He’s not a very good DE
Bears: He needs to get better but he will
Fans: Ok, he sucks
Bears: He doesn’t suck
Fans: Alex Brown blames him for all the containment issues
Bears: Football is a team sport
Fans: Ok, but maybe he could take Urlacher’s spot
Bears: He’s NOT A LINEBACKER
Bears: Ok, well maybe we’ll look at things, and he could be a Sam.
Fans: He’d be better at that
Bears: Shut up
Bears: Ok, he’s a Sam
Fans: He’s a bust, that’s what he is.

I’m not ready to jump on the bust bandwagon just yet (Bust Bandwagon, by the way, is my favorite porn western.) But the time is rapidly approaching. Here are some more fan responses.

Read More …