I’ve decided to try to resurrect an old favorite of mine, Bear Dawn. It’s the latest Chicago Bears news from around the interwebs.
In the wake of the draft, there are plenty of hot takes on the Bears draft grades:
Our own Mike Flannery gave the Bears a solid B+:
"I’ve listed my grades on each draft pick below, but overall I give the draft a solid B+. One complaint I had was selecting a RB in round 4, when there were players available at positions of need that I had graded significantly higher than Langford (T Clemmings, ILB Wilson, OLB Tull, DE Hardison). The other was the pick of OT Fabuluje, who has the potential to be a solid player in a year or two but won’t be a factor this season. I thought players like OT Tyrus Thompson, DE Christian Covington, S Derron Smith, and DE Leterrius Walden would have been better picks in the 6th round both short and long-term. Those are minor gripes, but kept my overall grade from being an A."
Mel Kiper gave the Bears a B+, saying:
"Pretty good draft overall, with the big question being whether White can transition quickly, as well as the absence of a pretty good tackle prospect, though Tayo Fabuluje will get a good look."
Andy Benoit of MMQB doled out some analysis, minus the grades:
"I think the Bears, changing over to a 3-4 scheme, entered this draft in need of 10—yes, 10—new defensive starters to go with second-year cornerback Kyle Fuller. Most likely, though, Chicago only found one defensive starter: Florida State second-round nosetackle Eddie Goldman."
Chicago Football’s Hub Arkush gives out another B+ grade:
"Ideally, if one or two of those starters has Pro Bowl potential, you’ve done very well. It will be at least a couple, maybe three, years from now before we know how well Pace actually did in his first major league at-bat, but the early returns are promising.The overwhelming consensus among NFL insiders and analysts is that both White and second-round choice Eddie Goldman have star qualities. We know Pace thinks so."
The Chicago Sun Times Bears beat guys handed out their grades:
"Draft GradeJAHNS: B-plus. The Bears’ decision to always draft the “best player available” according to their board and to not reach on players will make evaluating Pace’s picks and his approach much easier for all.FINLEY: B. The Bears’ first two picks are unassailable, but I would have preferred they draft more than one defensive player the rest of the way.POTASH: C. With rare exception, all drafts are average until you see what how players actually perform in the NFL."
The Bear Report’s Aaron Lemming gave the Bears a B:
"Ryan Pace did a great job sticking to his board, especially for a first-year general manager. He filled big needs and grabbed multiple high-character players to add to a once-unstable locker room. Although he did not net any extra picks, Pace made the most of his six selections."
How do these draft picks fit in with the team? (Da Bears Beat)
Check out what the Bears NFC North Rivals did in the draft (CSN Chicago)
Want to know why Jimmy Clausen re-signed with the Bears? (Sun Times)
Video of the day…
Kevin White vs Amari Cooper in ESPN’s Sports Science:
Tweet of the Day…