Piper's draft mock draft

I think they will try, but you have to have someone take the bait. If they don't expect very much, they can get Chi-Town to do it, but I don't expect more than one pick and maybe a corner from them.

If you were Chi-Town, would you trade up just to get one guy, when one of three might do?

 

How big of a difference is there between the three anyway? Other than any of them would suck ass in Bengalville

 

Prior to today, here are the teams that could end up at 7-9 and their opponents winning % (according to GBN).

8 Carolina 6-9 .498
9 Jacksonville 6-9 .502
10 Seattle 6-9 .510
11 St. Louis 6-9 .513
12 Washington 6-9 .538
13 New England (from Buffalo) 7-8 .475
14 Baltimore 7-8 .502

Of that group, New England won to go to 8-8, so we pick before them. Washington won and Baltimore lost so both join us at 7-9, and we would pick ahead of them based on opp. winning %. Jax and Seattle are playing now (Jax leading, Seattle tied), and St. Louis plays SF tomorrow night. And SF is sitting several starters, so there is a chance SL could sneak a win.

So, if all the cards align themselves, it is possible we can still hold on to the 8th spot in the 1st. But if Jax, Seattle, & St. Louis all lose, we at least should not pick any lower than #11. Of course, opp. winning % could change after this weeks games, but I doubt it would be enough to have a big effect...at least I hope.

 

Damn, picking eight after the improvement we have shown would be sweet. Expensive but sweet

 

The key word there is MIGHT. Palmer and Leftwich are the most ready to play, that is if Leftwich's injury concerns are FIRMLY eliminated. Manning is the big name, but he'll need some time w/ a clipboard before he should see any time.
Obviously, the Bears NEED a guy who is ready weather he is the starter on opening day or not. New stadiums require butts in seats, too. If the Bears don't go with Palmer, they haven't gone with what they need now (of course Leftwich may be a second option, but Manning is all but out baring an amazing combine)
ALL the Bear fans I know are thinking this way, earlier it was Leftwich all the way. With the injury, Palmer entered the picture and Manning coming out caused some talk...but with Palmer's strong finish and the Heisman.
So to answer the question...MIGHT wouldn't be good enough for me. Palmer is the most ready at this stage and I would prefer to make certain that I got my guy. The Bears are a team that is an off-seasons recovery away from being right back where they were in 2001. When Healthy, all they need is a QB and a new OC...enter Norm Chow???
That 2 for 1, might be the deciding factor?

 

this is bound to all change come combine and senior bowl time. i remember last year everyone was looking for foster to be a top 10 pick w/ henderson being a strong possibility to take at number 2. it'll be interesting to see how it all works itself out.

 

I dunno if Palmer is the most ready, or any are really ready to perform at a high level. Is any rookie? It's still a step up. Leftwitch has the best vision and reads, IMO.

 

I tell you what...I really want to put Jordan Gross in the cuss filter. Not that there is one. I'll be really surprised if a tackle, any tackle, goes top 15. SO just because he's more or less consensus top lineman doesn't make him deserving of top five or top ten, much less necessarily the most ready or the guy who'll get taken first. While WIlliams of FSU has fallen some, Kwame Harris is to me just as good but more polished. I wouldn't take either in the top 12. No offensive linemen deserve that mention in a draft so full of the positions it's hard to get guys at like receiver, QB, DL. I'd even be surprised, need or not, if a linebacker, offensive lineman, or corner cracked the top ten at all.

I don't want to pee on anyone's tent or act like I'm putting them down but Gross just ain't that damned good.

Piper:
>>But do you really want to spend a #1 overall on Jimmy Kennedy?

No more than I want to see an offensive lineman going in the top ten when he doesn't deserve to. I wouldn't put Kennedy in the 3-4 either. Those players can be had later. The only case where that's been worth it was Hampton, which was a later 1st and combo'd with a linebacker to fit with him.


>>Harris would make more sense to make this jump here, but if he does not come out, I don't see Gross being the only Tackle in the top 25. A guy like Foster could test his way in.

Certainly. He's got it all. The little I've seen of Gross, not impressed. If he's going to be the guy everyone pimps because he's rated the top lineman, sure. But neither are anywhere near any of the top 10 guys (save Levi, because that was reaching, and McKinnie's conditioning) who were and for the most part are dominant. Foster has the tools to become dominant.


(HC): I'll let this one be, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Tice go with O-line.

(Piper)
>>I would. This team needs defense, at every level. They've got McKinnie. Even if they trade him, it's likely only if they go after a guy like Pace.


I would as well. Tice might be a line freak but he'd be more likely to spend it on DL. OL is a need but with abundant defensive linemen and prospects who haven't gotten off their asses yet, I could see him going DL but not OL. OL suggests there's someone of any value there. A right tackle can be had in later rounds - plus when you're a line guy you want to teach guys. You expect they will have McKinnie starting, and they'll go after another tackle to keep Birk inside, but top 5 for a lineman this year is bad. That does go for the Bengals as well, as Piper has also suggested. They reached bigtime once already, have another above average player in Anderson, don't have that terrible a line.



Overall observation - Vick makes something good out of whatever targets he can get ahold of. I'd sooner expect that one solid WR comes in than they dump more youth on the pile. Other needs, notably defensive since they didn't get any blue chip defensive talent last go.


>>Damn, picking eight after the improvement we have shown would be sweet. Expensive but sweet

second observation - people worry too damned much about what a draft pick will cost. You're paying him anyway.

 

My point was paying 8 verses say 11th or 13th is more expensive. No kidding we will have to pay at whatever position

 

don't care what the price is. We're going to pay market value, the player's going to get paid anyway, the position would have to be spent upon whatever it is. You pick where you're supposed to pick and you don't worry about the damn money.