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Bears sign Willie Young OLB to 1 year 4.5 million

Julius Peppers is 38 years old and still going strong and I think Willie Young still has some fire left in him. Bears have a big hole at OLB and Young is a good leader for the younger guys. I'm really going to miss seeing Young go fishing after sacks.



Draft

Browns: Sam Darnold QB
Giants: Saquon Barkley RB
Colts: Bradley Chubb DE
Browns: Minkah Fitzpatricks DB
Broncos: Josh Rosen QB
Jets: Baker Mayfield QB
Buccaneers: Vita Vea DE


1[8] Quenton Nelson OG [Notre Dame] 6'5 329lbs

I understand it's not the most sexy pick the Bears can make but he's going to be good and good guards in the NFL cost a lot of money which may be why the Bears haven't gone after anyone to replace Josh Sitton who was often injured. Andrew Norwell signed a 5 year, $66,500,000 contract with the Jaguars and unless they are injury prone you'll have trouble finding good cheap offensive linemen.

"He's so unique because he's big, but he's not fat. He's one of the best run blockers I've ever evaluated, but he's not a liability in pass protection Mike Iupati is. He's also an alpha who can bring and ass-kicking mindset into your position room." - NFC team personnel executive

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2[39] Leighton Vander Esch LB [Boise State] 6'4 256lbs

Big, long and athletic but his strengths lie in his instincts and coverage ability he's similar to Tremaine Edmunds in a lot of ways both of them will probably be tried out at OLB and may end up at ILB if it's not a good fight.

Vander Esch is a loose-hipped, instinctive linebacker who played in 2017 like he had a GPS tracker on the football. His production totals against both the run and pass are rare for being a first-year starter and with a frame that is primed for more muscle, his NFL ceiling is high. Vander Esch might benefit from a reduced role his rookie season while he improves his play strength and becomes more skilled at taking on blocks. He's an every-down linebacker with very good starting potential and the talent to fill up a stat sheet.
-Lance Zierlein

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4. Marcus Allen S [Penn State] 6'2 202lbs

Who didn't love to see Troy Polamalu just punish wide receivers and terrify opposing offenses we could get that with Allen and Penn State guys have done well with the Bears as of late.

"If he doesn't start early, he'll be a star on coverage teams. He's fearless and loves to hit. I'm concerned with his speed and we want our safeties to be better in coverage than he is. I think he's a great fit as a nickel or dime linebacker in sub." - AFC team regional scout

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4. Simmie Cobbs WR [Indiana] 6'4 220lbs

His arrest and not so great scores at the combine will cause him to drop it's hard to say if Ryan Pace will take a chance on a guy like this but he could turn into a steal.

Cobbs was arrested during a July 2017 concert for refusal to identify himself and resisting arrest after he did not leave the aisle open and refused a breathalyzer test.

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5. Hercules Mata'afa LB [Washington State] 6'1 254lbs

It sucks he's not a few inches taller because he could make a good OLB but he will probably fit in as a ILB but will need to work on his coverage skills.

"He makes plays all game long but how do you play him at tackle? You can't. He has to prove he can play on the edge and my guess is he's just a guy on the edge. Maybe I'm wrong. He plays harder than anybody on the field so maybe it can work." -- NFC regional scout

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6. Greg Senat OT [Wagner] 6'7 305lbs

Senat lacks bulk but looks the part in the uniform if he could add functional mass. Unfortunately, he looks better than he plays at this point and needs a great deal of technique work as both a run blocker and pass protector. Senat is a project who might be able to find a spot on a practice squad while he works on getting bigger and better.
-Lance Zierlein

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Basketball player that made the switch to football he will be a project at tackle but has the size and aestheticism you want in a tackle.



7. Josh Adams RB [Notre Dame] 6'2 220lbs

Adams has tremendous size, but part of his power relies on building momentum which could be beyond his control on the next level. If it's blocked up for him, Adams has the frame to add yardage after contact but he doesn't offer up the elusiveness or burst to create the initial yardage needed as a reliable pro running back. His size should land him on a roster, but staying there over the long haul will be tough.
-Lance Zierlein

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Depth Chart

QB: Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Daniel Bray
RB: Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Josh Adams
RWR: Allen Robinson, Kevin White
LWR: Cameron Meredith, Simmie Cobbs
SWR: Taylor Gabriel, Josh Bellamy
TE: Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, Dion Sims, Daniel Brown
LT: Charles Leno, Bradley Sowell
LG: Quenton Nelson
C: Cody Whitehair, Eric Kush
RG: Kyle Long, Jordan Morgan
RT: Bobby Massie, Greg Senat

LE: Bullard, RRH
NT: Eddie Goldman
RE: Akiem Hicks, Coward
OLB: Aaron Lynch, Willie Young
ILB: Leighton Vander Esch, Nick Kwaitoski
ILB: Danny Trevethan, Hercules Mata'afa
OLB: Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho
RCB: Kyle Fuller
LCB: Prince Amukumara
Nickel: Bryce Callahan, Cre'Von LeBlanc
FS: Eddie Jackson, Hall
SS: Adrian Amos, Marcus Allen

We won't last in the NFC North without an elite guard.

DezBears said:

We won't last in the NFC North without an elite guard.

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No doubt and that's a good thought but Hernandez and Wynn look like pretty damn good players too.

playthrough2001 said:

No doubt and that's a good thought but Hernandez and Wynn look like pretty damn good players too.

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Agree but lots of teams need guards right now in the NFL and they might not be available in the second round and if they do Browns/Giants/Colts will pick them up before us.

Sign Mathieu as well, go edge round two instead of safety, and I'd cream my pants.

Leddy said:

Sign Mathieu as well, go edge round two instead of safety, and I'd cream my pants.

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I'd be interested in making Mathieu a nickel but Eddie Jackson is a better player at this point and I did go edge in round two.

Leddy said:

Sign Mathieu as well, go edge round two instead of safety, and I'd cream my pants.

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I'd rather go Fitzpatrick or James (instead of paying Honey Badger) in round one with an edge in the 2nd. Pace has helped find a number of top guards in the middle rounds. Think Evans and Nicks...

playthrough2001 said:

Pace has helped find a number of top guards in the middle rounds. Think Evans and Nicks...

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That was the old NFL. If I recall, Nicks was the top OG prospect in that draft year and he kept falling. Now, there might be 2 guards in the 1st and 2 or more in the second.

JoJoBoxer said:

That was the old NFL. If I recall, Nicks was the top OG prospect in that draft year and he kept falling. Now, there might be 2 guards in the 1st and 2 or more in the second.

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Nicks was an OT at Nebraska. The Saints moved him to guard.

DezBears said:

I'd be interested in making Mathieu a nickel but Eddie Jackson is a better player at this point and I did go edge in round two.

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I thought Leighton was an ILB? And yea I’d want Mathieu in the nickel for sure.

playthrough2001 said:

I'd rather go Fitzpatrick or James (instead of paying Honey Badger) in round one with an edge in the 2nd. Pace has helped find a number of top guards in the middle rounds. Think Evans and Nicks...

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I wouldn’t be upset if they went that route either, but if Nelson is there you have to take him. His value is too high.

Leddy said:

I wouldn’t be upset if they went that route either, but if Nelson is there you have to take him. His value is too high.

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They would have to strongly consider it. I’m not sold completely on the value of a guard at 8 but I do enjoy watching him play.

1. Derwin James Hybrid Badass FSU
2. Arden Key Edge LSU
4. T. Smith WR UCF
4. Orlando Brown Jr. OT Oklahoma
5. Royce Freeman RB Oregon
6. Holton Hill CB Texas
7. Riley Ferguson QB Memphis

1. Quenton Nelon OG Notre Dame
2. Lorenzo Carter Edge Louisville
4. Holton Hill CB Texas
4. Breeland Speaks DE Ole Miss
5. Kendrick Norton DT Miami
6. Justin Jackson RB Northwestern
7. Braxton Berrios WR Miami

1. Marcus Davenport Edge UTSA
2. Will Hernandez Guard UTEP or James Daniels Center Iowa
4. Kendrick Norton DT Miami
4. Zachary Crabtree OT OK State
5. Arrion Springs CB Oregon
6. Dorian O'Daniel LB Clemson
7. Darren Carrington WR Utah

Deep interior line class. A 2nd round guard is starting to look very enticing.

1st pick has gotta be a pass rusher I think unless a generational talent falls. Edmunds might be that type of talent.

Edmunds
Davenport
Landry

Those are my 3 predictions. Personally, I like Landry more than Davenport but couldn't argue if they went Edmunds or Davenport.

1st round we may take Nelson though I hope something else falls or we trade down a few spots for a 3rd + and still get Nelson. I personally take Ward though I wouldn't hate Davenport, Edmunds, Nelson or someone dropping. I suspect that unless it's a targeted player, Pace moves down in one and/or 2 to acquire more picks which he'll use for players or draft capital. I don't expect to go through this draft without any moves either direction but don't look for any moves up without prior move downs.

Vander Esch won't be there in 2 and if we go Nelson in one, as Mocks shouldn't have trades, I take Carter as rush LB.

Skip the 3rd round even though I suspect Pace acquires one. 4th is BPA at a few positions and by this time, we haven't a clue who's dropped.

ILB, T, WR, CB, QB are all in play and usually there's one guy you had ranked higher left near the top of 4. I like the idea of a T with potential falling and having Heistand work him up to replace Massie in 19.

Sorry for the lack of choices but this is as close as I get to a mock as I feel any more is a silly proposition. I honestly barely even glance at more than 3 rounds in any mock. Drafts are so fluid.


If I were Pace, I trade down a few spots in one if possible, take Nelson or Davenport, acquire a 3rd or more and go from there, moving forward based on what I chose. If I don't get Nelson in one, I do get a G later.

Nelson will be gone. Denver will take him.

FA: Junior Galette (OLB), Eric Reid (S), Pierre Desir (CB)

Re-sign: Lamarr Houston (OLB)

Extend: Eddie Goldman (NT)

Draft: [1] Tremaine Edmunds (ILB), [2] James Daniels (C), [4] Lorenzo Carter (OLB), [4] Keke Coutee (WR), [5] B J Hill (NT), [6] Antonio Callaway (WR)

[7] [7] Godwin Igwebuike (S)

* I would take Quenton Nelson but I think he'll be gone before the Bears pick so have adjusted for that. If Nelson was there at 8 then I'd go back to FA and sign Navarro Bowman to provide back up at ILB.

Also I expect Pace to trade at least once in the draft and based on history it's could well be in the 2nd round. The Bears trade back and pick up a 3rd rounder. The below would take this into account. Needless to say Whitehair would move permanently to LG and Daniels would be the new Centre going forward.

Draft: [1] Tremaine Edmunds (ILB), [2] James Daniels (C), [3] Lorenzo Carter (OLB), [4] Geron Christian (OT), [4] Keke Coutee (WR), [5] B J Hill (NT), [6] Antonio Callaway (WR)

[7] Godwin Igwebuike

If Nelson is there, I don’t think the Bears pass.