Normally I don’t like giving big money to running backs, especially ones with injury problems in the past, but Bradshaw is only 25 and this deal only pays him 4.5 million a year for 4 years, with half of that guaranteed. Considering Reggie Bush got 5 million per year from Miami, Joseph Addai got just under 5 million from Indianapolis, and DeAngelo Williams got 8.6 million per year, this deal looks like a bargain. Bradshaw is a legitimate lead back (not going to carry a 300 carry load, but he can lead your team in carries and be effective) and extremely talented as both a runner and a pass catcher.

Grade: A

 

Deal for Chargers:

So far this offseason the Chargers have gotten rid of LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamal Williams, and Antonio Cromartie, lost Brandon Manumeleuna, added no draft picks for 2010, and resigned their 175 pound “running back” for 7.7 million next year. I think they have to best having the worst offseason. Cromartie is a good player, regardless of his character issues and I think he is worth more than a future 3^rd.

Grade: C

Deal for Jets:

The Jets could possibly have the best pass defense in the league next year. They got themselves a good cornerback opposite Darrelle Revis, who can only make Cromartie better. If they use their first 2 picks on pass rushers (one D-Line, one linebacker), which this move allow them to do, they could be nearly impossible to pass against. If Cromartie doesn’t pan out. Then all they lost was a 2011 3^rd rounder.

Grade: A

 

 

Hey, you know that whole Brett Favre retiring thing. Turns out it was pretty much a hoax. Even though no one in the media heard it straight from his mouth that he was retiring, the entire world went into a panic and assumed he was retiring because of some alleged text messages. I did update my site when this happened, because I felt I had no other choice. I don’t want people who read my site thinking it was still ok to draft Brett Favre early, with there being a good chance he was retired, or that Sidney Rice was still a top 5 receiver, even though Favre could very well have been retiring. However, now that we have heard it from Favre’s mouth that he will play if healthy, I’ve got to chance everything back. Oh, and if Favre actually does retire, he is officially the biggest douche bag of the year over Tiger Woods and LeBron James. Every time I update my site for Favre it takes about an hour and a half, with my Power Rankings, season predictions NFL Mock Draft, and Fantasy content. So until further notice, everyone regains their fantasy ranking from before the retirement that wasn’t, except for…

QB Brett Favre UP

Before the retirement that wasn’t, I had Brett Favre as my 7^th rated quarterback because I think he will produce the 7^th most fantasy points for a quarterback this year and I was sure he’d come back. However, though I still think he will produce the 7^th most fantasy points for a quarterback if he plays, there is still a slight chance he doesn’t. I have decided I’d rather have Philip Rivers, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler, and Joe Flacco before Favre, just because I like to know that I’m getting a sure thing and those 4 guys really aren’t going to be that much worse than Favre this year. So Favre is back up, just not all the way back up.

 

 

 

4. WR AJ Green A

Again, quarterback is not the answer here. They have to try their hardest to try to get Palmer out of retirement and playing for the team in 2011 if they have any hope of competing. Palmer said he was tired of the circus in Cincinnati. If Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco are gone and an elite receiver like AJ Green is in, all of a sudden, Cincinnati seems like a lot more attractive of a place for Palmer to play football.

35. QB Andy Dalton D

I don’t like Andy Dalton as a quarterback prospect. I think at this point the Bengals were better off trying to convince Carson Palmer to return over trying Dalton and drafting a quarterback won’t help them do that.

66. OLB Dontay Moch B-

The Bengals plan to use Dontay Moch as the Broncos will be using Von Miller, as a linebacker who moves on the line in 3^rd down. I like this selection more than the Broncos’ given it is the 3^rd round and Moch is a good value here, but I think they had other needs than linebacker and nickel rusher.

101. G Clint Boling A

The Bengals got a 3^rd round prospect in the first and he also fills a pretty big need, adding to the interior of their line.

134. S Robert Sands A

Sands fits the draft range and fills a need and what I really like about this is how well he fits their scheme. He think they could turn him into a future starter and given their lack of consistent starters at safety, that’s a good thing.

167. WR Ryan Whalen D

Another wide receiver? AJ Green, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley and now Ryan Whalen. All of them are young. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for veteran leadership at the position. With those 5 and Jermaine Gresham, their receiving corps is awfully young. I also don’t think Whalen fit the range.

207. CB Korey Lindsay B-

Between Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, resigning both of their starting cornerbacks long term is going to be tough. I like Brandon Ghee who they drafted in the 3^rd last year and Lindsay is a minor reach, but I don’t hate this pick.

246. RB Jay Finley A

Cedric Benson averaged 3.5 yards per carry and got arrested in his contract year. He also is coming off back to back 300 carry seasons and he turns 29 in December so not resigning him makes some sense. Bernard Scott can’t carry the load so Finley helps. He also helps take some of the load off of Benson if he is resigned. He fits the range.

Overall:

This was a solid draft. I really like their first round pick. I think Andy Dalton in the 2^nd was a mistake, but other than that and Whalen in the 6^th, they made really good picks. Sands and Boling seem like future starters and I can see Finley contributing to this team in a significant way. A mistake in the 2^nd round, again just my opinion, hurts their grade from being in the A range, but I really think they made their team better through this draft.

Grade: B

 

 

9/3/11: Shawne Merriman looked decent this preseason. He’s hardly “lights out” again, but if he be even half of his old self, that’ll be a big boost to Buffalo’s pass rush, which sacked Chicago 9 times in their preseason opener. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked good too, despite the loss of Lee Evans.

The last time the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs, Bill Clinton was still president (1999). The main reason for that is inconsistent (or consistently bad) quarterback play. Is Ryan Fitzpatrick that quarterback to get them back to the playoffs? I doubt it. Chan Gailey’s offense has always inflated quarterbacks’ stats (Tyler Thigpen anyone?) without getting real results in terms of points and wins. Plus, Fitzpatrick’s 23 passing touchdowns from 2010 are a little misleading. The Bills only had 6 rushing touchdowns all last year so it’s not like they were scoring a lot.

The Bills do have one thing going for them. They are one of 11 teams that has the same head coach, offensive and defensive coordinator, and starting quarterback as last year. That has to give them an advantage going into this season, coming off of a lockout. They will be better than they were last year, when they switched quarterbacks midseason. Hell, they’ll be better than they were last year based solely on the fact that Trent Edwards won’t start any games for them this season. Bills fans can look forward to that, I guess.

Unfortunately, that might be all they have to look forward to. Their offensive line was decent against the pass rush last season, but really struggled to run block. One of two new starters on their offensive line is right guard Kraig Urbik. Urbik, a 2009 3^rd round pick, will get his first chance to start this season over Cord Howard, who was terrible last year, and Geoff Hangartner, who will now backup Eric Wood at center, his natural position. Wood, meanwhile, is a 2009 1^st round pick. Unlike most of Buffalo’s first round picks, he’s still on the roster, but he’s not a great player or anything. He would be best described as decent.

The other new starter on the offensive line is Erik Pears, a career journeyman backup who will somehow start for the Bills this season. He should struggle, which could force 4^th round rookie Chris Hairston into the starting lineup. The line side of their line is fine. Demetrius Bell rebounded from a terrible 2009 with a decent 2010 season at left tackle. Meanwhile, left guard Andy Levitre might be their best offensive lineman, though that isn’t saying much.

Buffalo should be able to run the ball once again, in spite of their line’s terrible run blocking. Fred Jackson remains one of the league’s most underrated backs. He’s 30, but he doesn’t have a ton of career carries (remember he was a late bloomer) so he should have another solid year in him. They also have CJ Spiller, the 9^th overall pick in 2010, as the backup. Rookie Johnny White will be their 3^rd string running back and won’t see much action unless someone suffers an injury ahead of him. Unfortunately, this team has done well on the ground for the best two seasons and where has that gotten them? This is a passing league and they will once again struggle to throw the ball.

Steve Johnson is a legitimate deep threat #1 receiver for Fitzpatrick, though he does occasionally get a case of the dropsies (6 drops in a loss to the Steelers last year, although apparently that was God’s fault, so there’s that). However, after him, their options kind of suck. Lee Evans is gone and Donald Jones is expected to start is his place. While he has some promise, I don’t expect too much from him. Tight end is even bleaker. Scott Chandler, who has one career catch, is penciled in as the starter. Yikes!

 

Defensively, things don’t get much better. Good defenses have to be able to get to the quarterback and this team can’t. They had a mere 27 sacks last year. Marcell Dareus will help a little bit, but remember this is a lockout shortened offseason. He won’t be nearly as effective as he would have been in a normal year. Plus, it’s not like he is some sort of Ndamukong Suh esque pass rusher. His strength is against the run, though he can contribute as a pass rusher. After nose tackle Kyle Williams, 5.5 sacks, no one had more than 3.5 sacks on this team last year, so Dareus sadly could be their 2^nd best pass rusher this year.

The only way this pass rush is anything other than terrible to mediocre next year is if Shawne Merriman finds his “lights out” form. However, it’s not like Merriman was “lights out” two years ago or anything like that. His last good season was 2007. He’s a long shot to even stay healthy, let alone be a solid contributor.

Opposite Merriman at the other rush linebacker slot is Chris Kelsay, who had 3.5 sacks last year. He’s also on the decline of his career at age 31 and it’s not like he’s ever been a great pass rusher (career high 5.5 sacks). Danny Batten has some upside at the position, but overall, it looks pretty bleak. Rounding out the defensive line next to Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams will be Dwan Edwards. Edwards, a top reserve in Baltimore prior, got paid big bucks last offseason to start in Buffalo. He managed one sack. The Bills hope 2010 3^rd round pick Alex Carrington can take the job from him, but so far he has yet to do so.

Finishing off the front 7 are Nick Barnett and Andra Davis, two marginal players older than 30. Paul Posluszny might not have been a great fit for their 3-4, but they will miss him now that he has signed in Jacksonville. Rookie 3^rd rounder Kelvin Sheppard could start at some point this season, but not because he’s great or anything, but out of necessity. 2^nd year player Arthur Moats is also in the mix as is Reggie Torbor.

The secondary is the strength of the defense. Leodis McKelvin and Terrence McGee are both solid starters. The team drafted Aaron Williams in the 2^nd round to be the nickel back, but then signed incumbent nickel back Drayton Florence to a 3 year deal, a peculiar move. However, they do go 4 deep at the position, not a bad thing. Jairus Byrd at free safety intercepted 9 passes as a rookie in 2009, but managed just one last season. Still, he’s an above average starter. Opposite him, they lost Donte Whitner in free agency, but his backup George Wilson is actually better than he was.

Overall, the Bills continuity in this lockout shortened offseason should be able to help this team win a few more games than they should, but the talent just isn’t there. It hasn’t been there for a long time. The good news for Bills fans, your team might not finish in last place. At least the Bills have their starting quarterback situation figured out, more than you can say about Miami.

Quarterback: C-

Running backs: B

Receiving corps: D

Offensive line: C-

Run defense: C-

Pass rush: C+

Pass coverage: B-

Projection: 7-9 3^rd in AFC East

 

 

The Saints no longer have a 2^nd round pick because of BountyGate (nor do they have a Head Coach) so they almost had to address the defensive tackle position in free agency. Brodrick Bunkley was actually ProFootballFocus’ best run stuffer regardless of position, but he’s had an inconsistent past, especially with injuries, so he’s no sure bet. If he’s right, he’s well worth the 5 years, 25 million with 9 million guaranteed that he got. However, I would have liked to have seen the Saints add a pass rushing defensive tackle instead. Sedrick Ellis is the other starting defensive tackle and he managed just .5 sacks last season. They needed a pass rushing compliment.

Grade: B

 

 

Debate the Buffalo Bills offseason in The Football Fan Forum

Last season: 6-10

2010 Preview:

There’s an old saying that says, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. That is true in the NFL, especially in the AFC East, where everyone figures to be a little bit better this year, whether it be the Patriots with a fully healthy Tom Brady and a fully motivated Randy Moss, or the Jets with their additions at many spots on the football field, or the Dolphins and the addition of Brandon Marshall and the maturation of Chad Henne.

The Bills pretty much stayed pat this offseason, at least where it matters. New regimes normally like to come in and bring in their own quarterback. This regime seems to think all this team needed was a simple scheme change. Trent Edwards behind this offensive line is a tried and failed approach. Ryan Fitzpatrick behind this offensive line is a tried and failed approach. Brian Brohm may have something, but if they thought he did, I don’t understand why you don’t upgrade the line. This line was hands down the worst in the league last year.

I don’t think Chan Gailey’s “genius” scheme is going to be enough to turn their offense around. Notice I put genius in quotation marks. Gailey’s only NFL experience since 2001 was as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, a team that went 2-14 and ranked 26^th in the league in points per game scored and 28^th in the league in yards per passing attempt.

I don’t understand why they waited until the 5^th to draft an offensive lineman and the 7^th to draft a quarterback. CJ Spiller is a fine player and all, but if their quarterback and their line aren’t playing well, their running game isn’t going the best it could be. Besides, it’s not like they struggled running the football last year. They were one of the best in the league and they still only won 6 games. Their defense could be alright, but if their offense isn’t playing well and the defense stay off the field, their defense isn’t going to be able to play as well as they should be able to play. The team is far from competing in this tough division.

Projection: 3-13 4th in AFC East

Power Ranking: 30 

Draft:

#9 RB CJ Spiller (Clemson)

Spiller is not a starting caliber running back. He’s a really cool weapon who will help them a ton on special teams and as a 3^rd down and change of pace back, but he does not fill a need. They already have Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch (who is probably on the block now), but they needed a quarterback badly, a left tackle badly, and a nose tackle badly. 

For more on this, click here 

Grade: C

#41 NT Torrell Troup (Central Florida)

The Bills needed a nose tackle, but Linval Joseph, Cam Thomas, and Terrence Cody were all still available. Troup is not even a starting caliber nose tackle in my mind. Taking any of those nose tackles would have been smart, as would taking Jimmy Clausen, or a left tackle, but they reached for a player.

Grade: D

#72 3-4 DE Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)

Carrington is a good player and fits the scheme, but the Bills didn’t really need another 3-4 end. They signed Dwan Edwards and they already had Marcus Stroud and Kyle Williams, so I don’t understand the need to take a guy like Carrington when they still need a quarterback and someone to protect the quarterback.

Grade: C-

#107 WR Marcus Easley (Connecticut)

I am really happy to see Marcus Easley get drafted because of his story as a former walk on, but the Bills really need to start address needs with more value. They don’t have a quarterback. They don’t have anyone to protect the quarterback, but they take a wide receiver who is a bit of a reach here.

Grade: D

#140 OT Ed Wang (Virginia Tech)

He fills their need at left tackle, but I don’t think he actually helps them. Wang is not a good pass protector. He really struggled in the Senior Bowl and was extremely inconsistent last year. But, at least he fills a need, position wise.

Grade: B-

#178 RLB Austin Moats (James Madison)

They needed a quarterback, but this is their best pick so far. They need a rush linebacker opposite Aaron Maybin and Moats projects nicely into their 3-4 longterm. He fits right into the draft range and helps them get after their opponent’s quarterback, which will be helpful, because, from the looks of things, the Bills are going to have mediocre quarterbacks with bad pass protection next year again.

Grade: B+

#192 RLB Danny Batten (South Dakota State)

I don’t like Batten as much as Moats. They need a quarterback, but Batten does have some positional value, even though I don’t like them double dipping on 3-4 rush linebacker guys.

Grade: C-

#209 QB Levi Brown (Troy)

They finally filled the quarterback need, but they didn’t take the right guy. This must be extremely frustrating for Bills fans. Jevan Snead and Jarrett Brown have way more upside than Brown, who doesn’t have a strong arm and really looks like a career backup guy to me.

Grade: C-

#216 OT Kyle Calloway (Iowa)

Finally a pick I like, Calloway looks like a future starter at either right tackle or right guard and I like him a lot more than Ed Wang, their 5^th round pick. Calloway is a major 7^th round steal and can compete with Jamon Meredith for the starting right tackle job right away. The right side of their line is pretty well off, but the left side is not.

Grade: A 

Overall:

The Bills needed to draft a quarterback, a left tackle, and a nose tackle, but they didn’t draft a quarterback until the 7^th round, and when they did, it was the wrong one, they didn’t draft a left tackle until the 5^th, and I’m not even sure Wang won’t have to move over to the right side, and the nose tackle they drafted in the 2^nd was a huge reach, not one of the best available, and was drafted over a franchise caliber quarterback guy in Jimmy Clausen. It must be frustrating to be a Bills fan. They had some decent picks, but they were few and far between.

Grade: D

Key undrafted free agents

RLB Antonio Coleman (Auburn)

WR Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo)

WR Donald Jones (Youngstown State)

S Dominique Harris (Temple)

G Cord Howard (Georgia)

RB Joique Bell (Wayne State)

CB Stephan Virgil (Virginia Tech)

Positions of need: 

Offensive Tackle:

Jason Peters was traded in the offseason for a first round pick, but they never replaced him. Langston Walker was supposed to move over from right to left tackle to start the year, but he was cut a week before the season. Demetrius Bell took over and did an awful job of protecting the quarterbacks blindside and was one of the most penalized offensive tackles in the league. The offensive line, as a whole, was one of the most penalized offensive lines in the league, and, no surprise, the offense struggled. Trent Edwards had too potential 1000 yard receivers, but because he didn’t get any time in the pocket, he was benched midseason for Ryan Fitzpatrick who wasn’t much better. They need to find Peters’ replacement this year and if they do, Edwards could continue to be their quarterback of the future.

Drafted Ed Wang (#140), Drafted Kyle Calloway (#216) 

Quarterback:

In case they don’t view Trent Edwards as their quarterback of the future, they may want to find a replacement at the position. It is a completely new regime in town so they may be partial to wanting to find a different guy at the quarterback position. However, after Clausen and Bradford are off the board, the quarterback position gets pretty thin unless they want to take a chance on Tim Tebow. If Clausen or Bradford fall, I doubt the Bills pass on either. If not, they will target one in the 2^nd or 3^rd rounds. Their name has also been linked to Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb.

Drafted Levi Brown (#209) 

Nose Tackle:

They were 31^st in the league against the run last year and now they are switching to a 3-4 defense. They aren’t going to get better unless they add a true nose tackle to the roster which they don’t have right now. Cam Thomas could be a possibility in the 2^nd round. They may not want to wait until the 3^rd to address the position because this is a thin nose tackle position and they are a lot of teams that need nose tackles. They may have to make a major reach in round three for a guy like Torrell Troup or Jay Ross.

Drafted Torrell Troup (#41)

Middle Linebacker:

The Bills are making a major scheme switch from a zone style 4-3 to a 3-4 and they don’t have linebackers anywhere near big enough to play the 3-4 middle linebacker spot because a zone scheme requires speed at the linebacker position and not size. They may target Rolando McClain at 9 if they view him as the best available prospect. They have to address this need in the first 3 rounds.

Signed Andra Davis 

Rush Linebacker:

If anyone is excited by the scheme switch, its undersized 2009 1^st round pick Aaron Maybin, who is an ideal rush linebacker. However, they need one opposite him. They only had 32 sacks last year and Aaron Schobel, their sacks leader with 10, could be retiring.

Drafted Arthur Moats (#178), Drafted Danny Batten (#192), Signed Reggie Torbor

3-4 Defensive End:

Not a huge need, because of the lower positional value, but they need some more 3-4 personnel, especially on the defensive line. This need will only be addressed if they feel someone at the position represents best available. If Tyson Alualu falls to them in the 3^rd, they could take him.

Signed Dwan Edwards, Drafted Alex Carrington (#72) 

 

Free agents:

#10 WR Terrell Owens- signed with Bengals 1 year 2 million

Owens proved that he could still be a decent addition to a team in the second half last year with 548 yards in 8 games, but he only had 281 in his first 8 games. He caught only 55 passes, the least in any full season since his rookie year. Some of that could be blamed on the quarterbacks and on his primary role as a downfield decoy. If he were the #1 option on a team with an above average quarterback, he very well could have had another 1000 yard year. However, that being said, he’ll turn 37 in December and he hasn’t done anything to prove to me that, at that age, he deserves any more than a one year deal. 

WR Josh Reed- signed with Chargers 1 year

WR Justin Jenkins 

TE Derek Schouman (restricted)- resigned 1 year

TE Derek Fine

TE Joe Klopfenstein (restricted)- resigned with Bills

OT Jonathan Scott- signed with Steelers

G Richie Incognito (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Dolphins 1 year 

DE Ryan Denney

DT Marcus Smith

DT Marlon Favorite 

OLB Keith Ellison (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

OLB Jon Corto (restricted)

MLB Marcus Buggs (exclusive rights) 

CB Ashton Youboty (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

S George Wilson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

S Bryan Scott- resigned for 2 years

S John Wendling 

Offseason moves:

Bills cut DE Aaron Schobel

Bills sign RLB Reggie Torbor 

Bills announce retirement of QB Gibran Hamdan

Bills cut DT Marlon Favorite

Bills sign RB Chad Simpson 

Bills re-sign TE Derek Schouman 

Bills re-sign CB Ashton Youboty

Bills re-sign S George Wilson

Bills re-sign OLB Keith Ellison

Bills re-sign TE Joe Klopfenstein

Bills sign OT Cornell Green

Bills re-sign S Bryan Scott

Bills tender OLB Keith Ellison

Bills tender TE Derek Schouman

Bills tender CB Ashton Youboty

Bills tender S George Wilson

Bills announce retirement of OT Brad Butler

Bills waive TE Derek Fine

Bills cut WR Justin Jenkins

Bills cut S John Wendling

Bills cut DT Marcus Smith

Bills cut MLB Ashlee Palmer

Bills cut C Marvin Philip 

# refers to unrestricted free agent rank

 

18. 3-4 DE Corey Liuget C-

From now on, I’m figuring out what I think the Chargers will do and then mocking someone else. They never do what you think they’re going to do. Cameron Jordan would have been a perfect fit here at 18. I had it in my mock. He’s my best available by far at his position and fills a major need and many, many people agreed with me. Instead they reach for a prospect I don’t particularly like, especially in a 3-4.

50. S Marcus Gilchrist D

Marcus Gilchrist is a tweener and I don’t think he can start at either safety or cornerback in the NFL. Cornerback and safety depth were needed and Gilchrist can also return kicks, but he was way too big of a reach in the 2^nd round.

61. MLB Jonas Mouton F

This was the biggest reach of the draft and I don’t even think he fits the scheme. I don’t even care that he fills a need. This is an F. I will be very surprised if Mouton is anything other than a special teamer in his career.

82. WR Vincent Brown B

This one wasn’t as big of a reach as their first three. I like Brown more than most do and Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson are both not signed long term, so wide receiver is a need, but I think something like right tackle or rush linebacker was a bigger need for them and also Brown is a minor reach.

89. CB Shareece Wright C+

I guess this says where Gilchrist is playing. Wright provides necessary cornerback depth, but they could have gotten this later. They had bigger needs in the 3^rd round and Wright is a reach by at least a round.

183. RB Jordan Todman A

This was a really, really good pick. Todman had a 2^nd or 3^rd round value and they got him in the 6^th round. Darren Sproles is going to be too expensive to keep as a backup and Todman has speed and pass catching ability to compliment Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert.

201. G Steve Schilling B

Schilling fits the range, but they had much bigger needs than guard depth. They need someone to compete with Brandyn Dombrowski at right tackle. They need someone to compete with Larry English at rush linebacker.

234. MLB Andrew Gachzar C+

I didn’t have Gachzar in my top 300 and I don’t think he fits the scheme, but he was drafted to be only a special teamer, which is fine in the 7^th round. I think there were better players who could play special teams available, however.

Overall:

The Chargers can never draft well. Look at their first and second round picks in recent years. A lot of players who didn’t pan out. They had 5 picks in the first 3 rounds and they got a 3-4 end who I think will bust, a safety and a linebacker both of whom probably won’t be able to do anything, but play special teams, a depth cornerback and a depth wide receiver. Only the selection of Vincent Brown was one I liked. Getting a steal in Jordan Todman in the 6^th helps their draft grade, but they reached big time with 4 of their first 5 picks and they didn’t fill two of their biggest needs, rush linebacker, and right tackle. This draft probably only upgraded their special teams, which was a huge need, but they could have done so much more with this draft.

Grade: C-

 

 

So the Bears won’t give the heart and soul of their line and their locker room, not to mention their best offensive lineman from a season ago, Olin Kreutz 4.5 million over 1 year, but they’ll throw 6 million over 2 years to the mediocre Chris Spencer. The Bears locker room is really upset that they didn’t bring back Kreutz, who is considering retirement now. This is very bad for the Bears, especially in a lockout shortened season. Cutler won’t have familiarity with his new center and doesn’t have a lot of time to develop it.

Grade: F

 

 

DE/RLB Everson Griffen- USC UP

Griffen put on about 10 pounds this season bulking up to 273 and there were some concerns about how he would carry the weight. After he ran a 4.64 40 today, those concerns should be gone. He also put up 32 reps of 225 pounds.

DE/RLB Brandon Graham– Michigan UP

Graham wasn’t expected to run well but a 4.69 40 at 6-1 268 showing some surprisingly athleticism. He also put up 31 reps of 225 pounds.

DE Greg Hardy– Mississippi DOWN

First Hardy came to the combine at about 20 pounds heavier than expected and he did not carry that weight well running a 4.87 40. He also put up 21 reps of 225 pounds. He already has the injury prone label and if enough teams give him the lazy label, he won’t go before the 3^rd round.

DE Jammie Kirlew- Indiana DOWN

Was he on his tippie toes when he was measured at Indiana? Instead of measuring in at 6-3, he measured in at 6-1. Than he ran a 4.94 40 at 260 pounds which is very disappointing.

DE Brandon Lang- Troy DOWN

He can’t be happy about that 4.96 40 at 260 pounds. As a guy who was viewed as a 4^th round caliber pass rusher, that doesn’t help.

RLB George Selvie– South Florida DOWN 

I didn’t think his stock could drop anymore. After an amazing 14.5 sacks in 2007 as a sophomore, he has had only 9 in the two years past.  He looked awful all year and in the Senior Bowl, not giving any effort, and sucking against the run. Now, he has run an awful 40 time with a 4.89. He sucks against the run, doesn’t give any effort on the field, hasn’t had a good year in a long time, and now his future as a pass rush specialist looks in doubt after an awful 40 time. 

RLB/DE Cameron Sheffield- Troy DOWN

Luckily for Lang, he wasn’t the only slow Troy pass rusher. At 257 pounds, Sheffield ran a 4.90. Not good for someone hoping to get drafted in the mid rounds as a rush linebacker. He doesn’t have Lang’s size and track record or success so this hurts him a lot more than it does Lang.

DE CJ Wilson- East Carolina UP

A very underrated left end prospect, but a 4.75 40 at 290 will get him noticed, as will 32 reps on the bench press. He could be looking at the 4^th round after some slow defensive end times today.

DT Geno Atkins- Georgia UP

On a day of surprisingly fast 40 times for defensive tackles, it would take a lot to get noticed. A 4.75 at 293 pounds with 34 reps on the bench press will do that.

3-4 DE/DT LaMarr Houston- Texas UP

There were questions about his height and because of that, his ability to play 3-4 end, but measuring in at 6-3 instead of 6-1 or 6-2 will help. So will a 4.85 40 at 305 pounds and 30 reps on the bench press.

NT Linval Joseph- East Carolina UP

40s don’t mean a ton to nose tackles, but a 5.09 at 328 with 39 reps on the bench will get you noticed as a very strong athlete.

DT/3-4 DE Vince Oghobaase– Duke DOWN

On a day of fast 40 times for defensive tackles, that 5.43 40 is going to stand out in a bad way. Especially since he only put up 27 reps on the bench at 303 pounds. I have a feeling his knee might not be 100% which is bad for his stock.

OLB Rennie Curran– Georgia DOWN

OLB Navarro Bowman- Penn State DOWN

Both put on some weight which led me to move them up my chart. However, neither carried the weight well. Both ran a 4.72 so I’m moving them back down.

OLB Dekoda Watson- Florida State UP

Another guy with impressive measurables. He’s seen as a bit of a small linebacker out of Florida State, which doesn’t hurt considering Ernie Sims and Derrick Brooks were as well. He appears to have bulked up going up to 240 pounds, but carried the weight well with a 4.53 40, 24 reps of 225 pounds, and a very impressive 40 inch vertical. He’s a linebacker with good field range and the athleticism of a running back. He should be a solid 3^rd rounder.

OLB/MLB Sean Weatherspoon– Missouri UP

A very good day for him, shaving about .1 second off of his projected 40 time with a 4.57, and also recording a 40 inch vertical leap and 34 reps on the bench press.

MLB/OLB Jamar Chaney- Mississippi State UP

He’s got 3-4 middle linebacker size at 242 pounds, but after running a 4.51, he’s also got 4-3 outside linebacker speed. He can really play anywhere as a linebacker in either scheme, 3-4 middle, 4-3 middle, and 4-3 outside. He also had a 39 inch vertical and a 26 reps on the bench, putting together one of the most impressive athletic displays of the day.

MLB Micah Johnson– Kentucky DOWN

He hurt his knee late last season, but chose to run the 40, which appears to be a mistake after he ran a 4.99. He can make that up with his Pro Day, but questions about the health of that knee are going to be there, which hurts him a lot because he’s a mid round prospect and, as a mid round prospect, you’re one flaw away from going in the 6^th or 7^th or even undrafted. For what it’s worth, 31 reps on the bench press showed his strength and what kind of player he can be when healthy.