Updated 4/9/11

QB RB FB WR TE OT G C DE RLB DT 3-4 DE NT MLB OLB CB S K P

Scoring System 

100 Once in a decade prospect 
95-99 Elite talent 
90-95 Solid top 10 pick 
85-90 Solid first round pick 
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 
65-70 3rd-4th round pick 
60-65 4th-5th round pick 
55-60 5th round pick 
50-55 6th round pick 
45-50 7th round pick 
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 
30-40 Career practice squader 
20-30 No NFL future 
0-20 No football future 

1. Alex Henery 52 (Nebraska)

2. Josh Jasper 49 (LSU)

3. Kai Forbath 47 (UCLA)

4. Thomas Weber 44 (Arizona State)

5. Wes Bryum 41 (Auburn)

QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P

Updated: 4/3/10

Scoring System 

100 Once in a decade prospect 

95-99 Elite talent 

90-95 Solid top 10 pick 

85-90 Solid first round pick 

80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 

75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 

70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 

65-70 3rd-4th round pick 

60-65 4th-5th round pick 

55-60 5th round pick 

50-55 6th round pick 

45-50 7th round pick 

40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 

30-40 Career practice squader 

20-30 No NFL future 

0-20 No football future 

1. Garrett Lindholm (Tarleton State) 58

Normally I don’t give kickers higher than a 6^th round grade, because I feel that using a 5^th rounder on a kicker who is pretty much going to be completely random and inconsistent anyway is a waste. However, Lindholm is in a class of his own. Don’t be worried by the level of competition. Kickers translate. If you can kick, you can kick anywhere and this guy can kick. He only got 18 attempts last year, but nailed 15 of those, including 7 of 10 from beyond 40 yards. He hit both of his 50+ yarders last year, a 55 yarder and a whooping 64 yarder, and didn’t miss from within 40. At his Pro Day, nailed 3 of out 4 60 yarders with ease and he averaged 63.4 yards per kickoff with 22 touchbacks on 77 tries. Though he was not quite as good as a field goal kicker in 2008, he still did have a 62.9 yards per kickoff average and 25 touchbacks in 64 tries. For my exclusive interview with Lindholm, click here.

2. Leigh Tiffin (Alabama) 52

Your standard 6^th round kicker, he hit 30 of 35 last year, including 6 of 8 from 40+ and also had numerous clutch kicks for the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide. The only concerning thing is his 4 missed extra points this year and the fact that he never hit more than 73.5% before this year, but he appears to be the mentally toughest kicker in this draft class.

3. Brett Swenson (Michigan) 50

Only missed 3 of his 22 tries last year, 2 of those coming from 50+ and he only missed 1 extra point. His leg strength isn’t amazing though as he’s only hit 3 50+ field goals in his career.

4. Hunter Lawrence (Texas) 47

An extremely accurate kicker nailing 34 of his career 39 attempts, including 14 of 16 from 40-49 yards, and he also has only missed 1 extra point in his career, despite having 121 chances to do so, as a result of Texas’ amazing offense. The only concerning thing, he has never hit one longer than 49, though he did only have one chance to do so because Texas’ offense has just been so good.

5. Aaron Pettrey (Ohio State) 44

14 of 20 isn’t great, but in his career he’s 12-13 from 40-49 yards and 6 of 10 from 50+ with a career long of 54. 

By Ryan Glab 

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent. 

1. Apply extra pressure to rattle Eli Manning

Eli Manning’s six interceptions this season currently ranks him tied for first with Brett Favre for the league lead. He’s also been sacked 7 times — one less than Jay Cutler — sixth-most in the league. This game should present an opportunity for the Bears to do two things: shore up their pass rush which could mean a big game for Julius Peppers, and create some turnovers. Manning has some good weapons to throw to in wide receivers Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks. Smith caught nine balls for 103 yards on Sunday and Nicks is a big target who is tied for the league lead with four touchdown receptions. Manningham and Nicks have caught a combined 10 passes for more than 20 yards and both rank in the Top 12 (Manningham in the Top 3) in that stat category. In short, Manning can burn the Bears secondary unless they can put extra pressure on him.

2. Extra protection against Mathias Kiwanuka

From the the league’s No. 1 pass rusher to the No. 2, according to sacks, anyway, the Bears must face another tough pass rusher on Sunday night. If I had to make a prediction, I’d say Kiwanuka’s hot start will fade whereas the Packers’ Clay Matthews will stay among the league’s best throughout the season. Kiwanuka has recorded a sack in each game this season, which means he’s been applying pretty consistent pressure. Kiwanuka’s four sacks have accounted for all but two of the Giants’ total sacks this year. The Bears will face another tough defensive end opposite Kiwanuka in Justin Tuck, so the Bears’ offensive tackles will have their work cut out for them this week.

3. Contain Ahmad Bradshaw

The Bears have been criticized by many for what would be described as an inflated ranking for their league-leading run defense. I personally feel their run defense is certifiably good while others have claimed they haven’t faced any good backs yet. This week is their chance to prove they are the real deal. New York’s Ahmad Bradshaw is the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher with 253 yards. He has a 4.9-yard average and a long run of 39 yards. He’s broken three for over 20 yards and has rushed for 13 first downs, seventh in the league in that category. Even though the Giants can throw the ball with Manning, Bradshaw is averaging 17.3 carries per game — 11th most in the league — so the Giants clearly like to get him involved in the game plan.

4. Guard against complacency and the short week syndrome

The Bears are 3-0 and are riding an emotional high after winning a physical battle with a division rival on Monday night. Those are a lot of variables which often are the precursor to a letdown. But this isn’t a trap game because there’s no reason to look ahead to the next week. I’m confident the Bears are treating this game as a big deal. They’re still the underdogs despite their record being two wins better than the Giants and they publicly acknowledge that they’re still not getting any respect. I’m less concerned about mental mistakes in this one and more concerned about the health and endurance of the team following a short week of preparation.

http://www.bearsbeat.com 

By Ryan Glab

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent.

1. Collapse the pocket on Tom Brady

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the game and given time to set up and go through his progressions, he’s downright deadly. It’s a foregone conclusion that the Patriots are going to get a lot of yards in this game and will be able to move the ball down the field at will. The two reasons for that are that the Bears’ Cover 2 defense permits it and the Patriots offense thrives on it. Without Randy Moss, the Patriots are not a deep-threat team, but the Bears’ defense is set up to prevent the big play, anyway. That’s not to say Brady won’t try to go deep if one of the Bears’ safeties has a misstep. But Brady will pick apart the defense with small chunks of yards at a time by using receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch and tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. The only thing the Bears can do, frankly, is collapse the pocket as quickly as possible and don’t let Brady get comfortable. He’s not a mobile quarterback and has just 17 rushing yards on 28 attempts this season. If the Bears can line up Peppers at left end and he forces Brady to move to his left, it might disrupt the passing game.

2. Attack the Patriots defense with the run

The Patriots, once revered for their defensive prowess, have now become a finesse defense, and not a very good one at that. They’re ranked second-to-last in overall defense, 31st against the pass and 19th against the run. Although they’re better at defending the run, they’re still not very good at it and the Bears need to exploit it. The Bears haven’t had a great deal of success at playing power football this season and the majority of their running plays have gone to the outside rather than up the middle. Still, the most effective way to keep the football out of Brady’s hands is to keep him and his offense on the sideline and prolong drives by running the ball at the Patriots’ defense. Last month, Browns running back Peyton Hillis ran for 184 yards. While that was probably just an anomaly, it proves that they can be run on if the Bears are able to “man up” and play power football.

3. Score quickly and play with the lead

Two weeks ago, the Bears had the challenge of stopping the NFL’s second-highest scoring offense, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears rose to the challenge and also scored a season-high 31 points. This week, they’ll face a Patriots offense that, after scoring 45 points against the Jets on Monday, is averaging 31.6 points per game. Not only is that technically higher than the Bears’ season-high mark, it’s also 11 points more than their season average. I know the Bears like to defer and let their defense take the field first, but if they win the coin toss on Sunday, I think it’s best to receive the ball and let their most dangerous weapon get his hands on the ball first. The Bears then need to take the ball down the field and score right away and try to play with the lead, forcing the Patriots to play catchup all game. Along the same lines, while the Patriots offense may move the ball at will down the field, it’s imperative that the defense holds them to field goals as much as possible.

4. Protect the football and force turnovers

The Bears are ranked 11th in the league with a plus-3 turnover ratio. As admirable as that is, the Patriots are second in the league with an astounding plus-14. The only team with a better ratio is the Eagles, whom the Bears defeated while forcing Michael Vick to throw his first interception of the season. Vick’s two interceptions are fewest in the league. Who’s second on the list? Yep, Tom Brady, with just four. Brady is a smart quarterback who is careful with the football and won’t make mental mistakes. He leads the league with a 109.5 passer rating. Probably the only way the Bears can get turnovers this week is by tipping passes and punching the ball loose. Clean interceptions will be hard to come by. Because the Patriots are so good at protecting the football, the Bears offense needs to be equally protective. New England’s defense is second in the league with 18 interceptions and they’ve recovered five fumbles. One of the reasons the Bears have been on a five-game win streak is because of ball security. And while the Redskins were an opponent the Bears could still have beaten if Jay Cutler had thrown three interceptions instead of four, if he throws even one against the Patriots, that may be one too many.

Go back to Bears Fan Spot 

http://www.bearsbeat.com/

By Ryan Glab

A look at four keys for the Bears to beat this week’s opponent.

1. Limit mistakes and protect the football

Let’s be honest, the Lions are a better football team than their 2-9 record belies. Yet, they’re a worse team than the Bears who have a lot of holes particularly on offense and shouldn’t be able to put up enough points to win the game. However, the better team doesn’t always win the game on Sunday and in most cases it’s because of mistakes (such as penalties, dropped passes, and broken coverage) and turnovers. Limiting mistakes and protecting the football is the most important key to this game because this is a game the Bears can and should win. Not only is starting quarterback Matthew Stafford out but backup Shaun Hill might be out as well with a broken finger on his throwing hand. That would leave third-string quarterback Drew Stanton to take the snaps, and we know how the Dolphins fared against the Bears two Thursdays ago with their third-string quarterback under center. Another Lions offensive weapon, explosive rookie running back Jahvid Best, has been battling turf toe and barely played the last two weeks. Maurice Morris is expected to start.

2. Beware the beast in the middle

Lions rookie defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, will soon be (if he isn’t already) considered the Lions’ best player. Arguments can be made for him or wide receiver Calvin Johnson, but that’s just semantics because one is a lineman and one is a skill player and they line up on opposite sides of the ball. Suh is an absolute beast and is 11th in the NFL with eight sacks, leading all defensive tackles. He’s a physically gifted player but it’s his intensity, high motor, and will to win that makes him one of the best defensive linemen in the game at such a young age. This is one of those games that you fear as a Bears fan, not so much that the Bears might lose (although, that is a concern), but you fear that a key offensive player, maybe Jay Cutler, could get hurt and miss some time. When I think of Suh, two plays come to mind. In the preseason, Suh grabbed Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme and nearly twisted his head off like a bottle cap as he slammed him to the ground. For those Bears fans who remember the crotch-chop gesture Delhomme gave us after the Panthers beat the Bears in the playoffs in 2005, we didn’t mind seeing Suh nearly decapitate him. But if that were Cutler, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. The second play that comes to mind from Suh is just recently against the Cowboys when Suh grabbed running back Marion Barber’s long dreadlocks and yanked him to the ground. In short, the Bears need to double team him all game and Cutler needs to roll away from him.

3. Shut down the run and execute the Cover 2

As mentioned previously, the Lions could start third-string quarterback Stanton, which means the likelihood of them passing the ball a lot is seemingly lower, at least early on when they’re not trailing by a lot of points. To take pressure off the young quarterback, the Lions will need to try to run the ball, but that could be a futile effort against the Bears’ No. 2 run defense. At some point, they’ll have to put the ball in the air and that’s when the Bears’ execution of the Cover 2 will come into effect. The Bears have been playing great defense this season and a big reason for that is the pressure the front four has put on opposing quarterbacks. After a slow start to the season, the Bears have picked up their sack total recently and are currently ranked No. 13 in the league with 23 on the season. More than half of those sacks (12) were recorded in the four weeks since their bye. If the Bears keep up that pressure on Stanton, interceptions and fumbles are sure to follow. Aside from generating turnovers, the Bears need to prevent the deep play as they face one of the league’s best receivers in Johnson.

4. Finish the game strong

I promised myself not to make a big deal out of it and I won’t, but it’s unavoidable not to at least mention it. Everybody remembers how the Bears won their first game of the season against the Lions. Guarding a 19-14 lead with under a minute to go, the Bears allowed Hill to drive the Lions down the field while playing prevent defense and Johnson hauled in a pass in the end zone with 24 seconds left in the game. Johnson was careless in that he started celebrating too soon and lost control of the football when it touched the ground. Everybody — both fans and media — wants to say the Bears were lucky, but there’s no luck involved. It’s a rule that has been in place for many years and instead of saying the Bears are lucky, how about pointing the finger at Johnson and giving him the blame he deserves? It was his mistake. Regardless, the Bears cannot let the Lions hang around in this game. That’s when odd things tend to happen and the ball takes funny bounces. Step on the gas pedal and don’t stop until they’re sweeping the aisles of hot dog wrappers and empty beer cups at Ford Field.

Go back to Bears Fan Spot 

http://www.bearsbeat.com/

Trade for Arizona: Next to Derek Anderson, I guess any quarterback is worth a 2^nd round pick, a legitimate starting cornerback who is still only 25, and a long term extension worth 5 years 63.5 million dollars with 21 million in guarantees. Kolb is not worth that. He’s put up mediocre stats in Andy Reid’s offense, an offense that makes quarterbacks look better than they are. Remember when the Dolphins traded a 2^nd rounder for AJ Feeley? How’d that work out? Plus, he’s already 27 next month so it’s not like he’s got a ton of untapped potential.

The reason I don’t hate this move is because Larry Fitzgerald wanted Kevin Kolb. Larry Fitzgerald is a free agent after next season. If they had waited until next offseason, Fitzgerald could have easily left. Sure, they could have traded a 2^nd or a 3^rd for Kyle Orton and hoped that would have been enough to please Fitzgerald, but Fitz specifically requested Kolb, which is probably why Philadelphia was able to drive the price up so high. The Cardinals didn’t have a choice.

Now they need to sign Fitz to a long term deal. If they don’t, they risk him realizing Kolb isn’t actually that good and then Fitz leaving anyway after what’s probably going to be an 8-8 season. I have mixed feelings all around on this one. They way overpaid, but they kind of had to. This move is a good move if they can convince Fitz to sign an extension in the next few days or weeks, but if they can’t, then it’s a horrific move.

On one hand, Fitzgerald is not a quarterback and it might not be smart to let a non-quarterback run your team like this. On the other hand, Fitzgerald is their best player. He had 1137 receiving yards last year even with all the crap they had at quarterback. He’s never been a diva. In fact, he was willing to take a pay cut if it meant they could resign Anquan Boldin. If he wants Kolb, it’s not because he’s worried about his stats. It’s because he wants to win and he doesn’t want to go through another 5-11 season.

I’m averaging everything out and giving them a C.

Grade: C

Trade for Philadelphia: This move has upside for Arizona, but it’s highway robbery for Philly. They drafted Kolb with a 2^nd 4 years ago and he hasn’t done much to prove he’s a franchise quarterback since then, and yet they were not only able to recoup their 2^nd rounder, but they got a legitimate starting cornerback in DRC who is only 25 years old. Cornerback was a huge need of theirs.

Grade: A

Name: Kevin Harrison

Nickname: Bird