Jan 27, 2012; Ko Olina, HI, USA; NFC cornerback Corey Graham of the Chicago Bears (21), Julius Peppers (90), Matt Forte (22) and Charles Tillman pose with Hawaiian hostesses U
The Senior Bowl this week and a little down time (until the Bears hired Phil Emery) gave me a little time to start looking ahead to the draft. Here’s my first cut at the 2012 Mock. This mock, along with dozens and dozens of others will be featured in DC Pro Sports Report, WalterFootball.com and hailredskins.com mock draft databases. Each site keeps track of a huge number mock drafts all over the web. Also be sure to check out NFL Mocks and With the First Pick for comprehensive NFL draft coverage year-round.
1. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
No doubt Luck goes #1 but you never know if someone desperate enough for a QB makes the Colts an offer they can’t refuse.
2. St. Louis Rams
Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
I’ve had dreams of Blackmon in the Orange of Blue of the Bears, but he doesn’t make it out of the Top 7 picks. The Rams grab a top target for Sam Bradford.
3. Minnesota Vikings
Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Kalil is the top rated offensive tackle in the draft and the Vikings desperately need some help along their O-line. Just wait til he gets a shot from Julius Peppers.
4. Cleveland Browns
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
The Browns seem to be ready to part ways with Peyton Hillis and couldn’t ask for a better player than Richardson to step right in and take over at running back.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
The Bucs need help in plenty of areas, but in the NFC South, they need to bolster their secondary to compete with the likes of Brees, Ryan and and Cam Newton.
More after the jump. Continue reading this post »
Phil Emery, your new Chicago Bears General Manager.
In the least surprising news you’ll hear today, the Bears have selected Phil Emery to succeed Jerry Angelo as their next general manager. Emery emerged after the Bears interviewed 4 other candidates including Tim Ruskell, Jimmy Raye III, Marc Ross and fellow finalist Jason Licht.
Emery is viewed as the safe choice because he andthe Bears are familiar with one another, having been a regional scout in Chicago from ’98 – ’04. Yes, he had a hand in the drafts that brought Brian Urlacher, Mike Brown, Peanut Tillman and Tommie Harris here among others. He also had a hand in the drafts that brought Cade McNown, Curtis Enis, Michael Haynes and Rex Grossman too. Go here to see Emery’s draft record from Chicago to Atlanta and most recently with the Chiefs, click here.
Time for another quick Friday Fun Day post and since the Pro Bowl is coming up, I thought I’d drop some trivia on you.
Yes, today marks 26 years since the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 for their first and only Super Bowl Championship. Yes, we ago BGO are going to remind you. We will continue to do so until the Bears rise again. Yes, I’m getting tired of it too.
Let’s shuffle.
Mike Tice, the Chicago Bears new Offensive Coordinator ( Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE)
If we get nothing else out of new Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice, we will get a simple, common sense approach to his new job. That’s what I was able to extract from Brad Biggs’ latest piece on Jay Cutler’s new boss. It’s a 180 degree turn from Mike Martz, who showed more “mad” than “genius” in his 2-year run with the Bears.
Tice tells it like it is and seems open to the idea of empowering his players and taking what the front office gives him and trying to make the most out of it instead of taking his system and cramming down the players’ throats. Hit the jump to see some of the highlights and lowlights of Tice’s interview with Biggs.
Is there a football man in the house?
The Bears are conducting their second round of interviews to hire their new GM and I have zero confidence that they will make the right choice. The Chicago Tribune’s Vaughn McClure caught up with one of the candidates who didn’t make the second round of interviews, Giants’ Director of College Scouting Marc Ross who is down in Mobile, AL at the Senior Bowl. Of course he was disappointed not to get a call back.
“Of course I’m disappointed. You always want to win,” Ross told the Tribune after Senior Bowl practice Tuesday. “You always want to come out on top. But I’m in a great place, which I feel is the best organization in the league. So I’m happy where I am.”
That’s not the real story, in my opinion. Follow me after the jump to see what my issue is.
Eli Manning and the Giants return to the Super Bowl.
Last week Chicago Tribune columnist David Haugh drew comparisons between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. One big difference is that the Giants have a ring and are making their second trip to the Big Game (I love when radio and TV commercials can’t say Super Bowl, so they’re forced to say “Big Game” instead). Meanwhile the Bears are left wondering what might have been.
In Monday’s Trib, Steve Rosenbloom puts his spin on the Bears and Giants comparison and not surprisingly, it’s a more negative tone:
This season’s 49ers team seems modeled on Lovie Smith’s old Bears, which is part of the reason the Niners lost the NFC Championship Game to the Giants, who represent what Smith’s new Bears want to become.
At least, what Smith’s new Bears ought to want to become.
Problem is, the Bears almost never show the desire or talent evaluation to become that kind of team.
No, wait, check that: Smith has stressed some of the salient traits the Giants rode to the Super Bowl.
Follow me to the other side of the jump for my take on why the Bears should be encouraged by the Giants’ success.
Blackhawk Up
Cubbies Crib
Pippen Ain't Easy
Southside Showdown
Fantasy CPR
Lombardi Avenue
SideLion Report
The Viking Age
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