Bear Goggles On » dj fluker

Chicago Bears Set to Meet Massive Alabama OT DJ Fluker

Boomer — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:32:41 +0000

Sep 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide tackle D.J. Fluker (76) reacts on the sidelines against the Michigan Wolverines at Cowboys Stadium. Alabama beat Michigan 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears coaches and scouts aren’t just in Indianapolis for the famous shrimp cocktail; they’re busy evaluating talent. They set up a face to face with meeting with DJ Fluker, the massive offensive tackle who’s considered one of the top offensive tackle prospects. (more…)

Kiper and McShay Mock Drafts 2.0 – Chicago Bears Picks

Boomer — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:51:28 +0000

There are about a billion mock drafts out there but none are more closely reviewed, scrutinized and evaluated more than those of ESPN’s two draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. They recently released their Mock Drafts 2.0 and each made some interesting picks for the Bears.

Note, you need an ESPN Insider subscription to get access to the full mocks, so sign up and do it.

Mel Kiper’s Mock 2.0 goes with an obvious need for the Bears, the offensive line:

D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

A fourth-year junior, Fluker was allowed to participate at the Senior Bowl, and he took advantage. He has great size, and has extremely long arms he can use to move and frustrate pass-rushers. It’s possible he was overlooked a little during the season because the level of play along the Bama offensive line was so good. I think when Marc Trestman starts rolling the tape on the Bears, he’s going to see that the offensive line simply has to see a talent infusion. Fluker could be the best one the Bears have by the end of his rookie year.

I really like this selection for the Bears, especially since he has the top tackles including Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson off the board. Fluker may be able to play left tackle, but he’d certainly address the right tackle spot with his massive size.

Here’s McShay’s Mock 2.0, where he goes in another direction, addressing the imminent Brian Urlacher departure:

Manti Te’o, ILB, Notre Dame

Left tackle is the Bears’ biggest need, but they cannot afford to miss at that position again after whiffing on the likes of Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams. Any tackle still on the board would be a reach here, and if Chicago elects to let 35-year old MLB Brian Urlacher walk in free agency, Te’o would be an interesting replacement with his three-down ability.

I already panned the idea of this pick and it was way BEFORE the whole fake girlfriend scandal broke. Te’o looked overmatched against Alabama in the National Championship game going against one of the top offensive lines in the country. You can argue that Te’o was distracted, knowing that the storm was coming, but I just don’t think he’ll be that good of a pro. I feel like a lot of his interceptions were “right place at the right time” off tipped balls.

What do you think? Do you like either of these picks? Which direction would you like to see the Bears go?

2013 Mock Draft: The Chicago Bears Select…

Boomer — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:01:19 +0000

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces Shea McClellin (Boise State) as the number nineteen overall pick to the Chicago Bears in the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Just like going to a store and seeing Christmas decorations in mid-October, mock draft season is starting earlier and earlier every year. I guess I get it; for quite a few teams, their season is essentially over, so all their bloggers and fans have to do is watch the rest of the teams in the league with a shot at the playoffs and dream of transforming their team for next season.

FanSided has released their first mock draft for the 2013 season and they’ve made a selection for the Chicago Bears. At this point, it’s unclear where the Bears will pick, but based on where they are today, they’d be drafting out of the 26th spot in the first round. So with the 26th pick in the 2013 draft, the Chicago Bears select… (more…)