I received the following picture and comment from longtime guy and friend of the program Bryan regarding the Chicago Bears and Auburn standout quarterback Cam Newton:
"Boom,I thought that you’d like this pic–if you haven’t already seen it before. Why would the Bears even waste the airline fare to take a look at a player who:A.) Won’t even be there when they draft and even if he were will be a huge BUST andB.) Clearly DO NOT need, unless of course, he can play OT,DT, or CB.Business as usual at Kramerica Industries, I see…"
Great eye and insight from my guy. Let me tackle his questions after the jump.
I think it’s important to realize that a lot of the scouts are regional, so I don’t think it’s a question of airfare. When you think about the millions of dollars that teams – including the Misers of the Midaway – spend on player salaries, etc., a $500 plane ticket and a night at the Holiday Inn Express is peanuts.
More importantly, though, is the fact that the scout was probably at the Auburn Pro Day to check out a bunch of prospects. I can think of DT Nick Fairly who is also unlikely to be there when the Bears select at #29, but it’s about due diligence.
I hear that Tim Ruskell, who will have a big say in what goes on in the Bears’ war room, is not averse to trading up if a coveted player is on the board. I’ll believe that one when I see it, but I expect the Bears to be well represented at most if not all Pro Days between now and draft day.
As far as Newton’s NFL prospects, I think his character is as questionable as how his game might translate to the next level. That makes him a risky pick for whoever calls his name on or about April 28th. He has a big arm, no doubt, but didn’t Jamarcus Russell have a big arm too. How did that work out?
As for our beloved Bears, our friends at NFL Mocks have completed a full 7 round mock draft and summed up their Bears’ picks here.
There’s no doubt the Bears need to re-build both lines, get some depth at cornerback and linebacker and find a legit wide receiver for Jay Cutler to play catch with. But other than that, no worries at Halas Hall.