Debate the Chicago Bears’ offseason needs in The Football Fan Spot

2010 Preview:

The Chicago Bears’ offense is going to try a Mike Martz approach this year, after hiring him as their offensive coordinator. Martz has had some success in the past, but with a turnover prone quarterback like Cutler and a weak offensive line, I don’t think it’s the best scheme for them. One of the downfalls of the Martz scheme is that it causes quarterbacks to throw picks. Jay Cutler already does that well enough on his own. It’s also extremely pass heavy so defenses can blitz more often. This offensive line did alright last year, but overall lacks the talent to hold up in a Martz scheme the way you’d like it to.

All that being said, Martz should get the best out of his two pass catching backs, Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. A Martz scheme needs pass catching backs like that and they’ve got them. Martz also has had plenty of success in the past, despite the downfalls of his scheme. He turned Jon Kitna into a 4000 yard quarterback for crying out loud. He’ll help Cutler as much, if not more, than he hurts him.

Defensively, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be better this year overall. Their secondary still has a few holes, but the addition of Julius Peppers to the defensive line will help take the pressure of off the secondary. Rookie Major Wright also figures to be an upgrade at free safety. A fully healthy Tommie Harris will help both their pass rush and their run defense and Brian Urlacher, who missed most of last year with a wrist injury, is back to solidify their defense. They’ll be better overall, but they’re still going to be looking up at the Packers and the Vikings. Those two teams are too complete right now for Chicago to overtake them.

Projection: 9-7 3rd in NFC North

Power Ranking: 15

Last season: 7-9

Grade:

#75 S Major Wright (Florida)

Wright fills a need and, while there were better safeties, Wright has more upside than any of those safeties. He is a bit of a boom or bust pick, but that’s okay in the 3^rd round. He needs some work, but he could be a solid starter for them, though Wright does not have the positional value of a cornerback, or fill as much of a need as taking an offensive lineman would have.

Grade: B

#109 DE Corey Wootton (Northwestern)

Wootton is a good value in the 4^th, but didn’t the Bears just cut Alex Brown, while he was still a capable player, because they didn’t need an defensive end. Wootton is not a great fit for the defensive scheme either, but he does have positional value and he is a value according to my board. However, with so few picks and so many needs, using one pick on a non-need is not smart.

Grade: B

#141 CB Joshua Moore (Kansas State)

I didn’t have Moore getting draft and I don’t think he was worse a 5^th round pick. I understand they needed cornerbacks, however, they really needed to get an upgrade at the guard position to open up more holes for their running backs and you can still get serviceable guards in the 5^th. I’d rather have a #1 guard than a #3 or #4 cornerback like Moore.

Grade: D

#181 QB Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)

LeFevour is a fine value, but the Bears already had 5 picks to begin with. Backup quarterback was not as pressing of a need as guard or any of their offensive line.

Grade: C-

#218 OT J’Marcus Webb (West Texas A&M)

While I didn’t have him in my top 300, he was on the borderline and not too much of a reach here. The Bears needed offensive line depth with Orlando Pace leaving.

Grade: B-

Overall:

The Bears only had 5 picks, but I thought they could have done a lot better. There was nothing wrong with taking Major Wright in the 3^rd, but they used two picks on guys who don’t fill needs, a cornerback who I don’t like, and only took one offensive lineman, and he wasn’t even a guard, which they needed badly. They could have gotten a future guard in the 5^th, but they didn’t.

Grade: C+

Key undrafted free agents:

S Quentin Scott (Northern Iowa)

RB Brandon Minor (Michigan)

WR Freddie Barnes (Bowling Green)

CB Cornelius Brown (UTEP)

Positions of need:

Wide Receiver:

The Bears have some decent receivers, but overall their receiving corps were very mediocre and lacking a true #1 guy with size. If they don’t sign either Antonio Bryant or Derrick Mason in the offseason, they could look for a receiver with their first pick, which unfortunately happens to be in the middle of the 3rd round. Maybe a guy like Demaryius Thomas or Eric Decker will be available at that point. If not, they have so many other major needs and so few picks that they may just completely ignore their need for a #1 receiver for another year.

Cornerback:

Nathan Vasher is always hurt and neither Charles Tillman nor Zachary Bowman had a particularly impressive year last year. They need some depth at the position and considering how thick this cornerback class is in the 2nd-4th round range, they could get a 2nd round prospect in the 3rd or a 3rd round prospect in the 4th.

Drafted Joshua Moore (#141) 

Defensive End:

The Bears needed defensive end help so they traded their 2nd rounder to Tampa Bay for Gaines Adams. Unfortunately, Gaines Adams passed away this offseason. Sadly, life moves on in football and the Bears still need help at the position. The Bears cannot be a dominant defense again until they have more than 35 sacks as a team.

Signed Julius Peppers, Drafted Corey Wootton (#109) 

Safety:

Danieal Manning is a hell of a kick returner, but not a great free safety. In fact, the only reason they used him last year was because they had no other choice. Luckily, like the cornerback class this year, the safety class is full of depth in the middle rounds so they can snag a good future starter in the 3rd or 4th depending on how quickly safeties are coming off of the board.

Drafted Major Wright (#75), Traded for Chris Harri 

Offensive Guard:

Matt Forte stunk last year, but that wasn’t all his fault. Frank Omiyale was one of the worst guards in the league last year. They need a new left guard fast, otherwise next year will be more of the same. They should target one in the 3rd round range, but unfortunately, they have a ton of other needs they could and should target in that range. I really believe it’ll all be a case of who falls to them.

Offensive Tackle:

I know Chris Williams was a 2008 1st round pick, but neither he nor Kevin Schaffer were particularly impressive last year and after cutting Orlando Pace, they don’t have very much depth at the position either. They will look for a swing tackle with upside in the 5th or 6th round. A guy like Adam Ulatoski would be a good value for them in that range.

Drafted J’Marcus Webb (#218) 

Running Back:

Matt Forte didn’t try too hard last year, especially after the Bears started struggling. Why would he? After all, the Bears had absolutely no one good below him on the depth chart. He could be awful and start get all the touches. The Bears even tried to scare him by giving some carries to Kahlil Bell, but Bell is nowhere near talented enough to put any fear into Matt Forte. Taking a running back early could. Also, running back depth is always very important in this league because of how easily it is for a running back to get hurt. 

Signed Chester Taylor 

 

Free agents:

QB Brett Basanez 

RB Kevin Jones 

RB Adrian Peterson

FB Jason McKie- signed with Saints 1 year

OT Orlando Pace

DE Adewale Ogunleye

DE Mark Anderson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

DE Alex Brown- signed with Saints 2 years 6 million

DT Matt Toeaina (restricted)- resigned

DT Dusty Dvoracek (restricted)

OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa- resigned

OLB Nick Roach (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

OLB Jamar Williams (restricted)- traded to Panthers

CB Nathan Vasher signed with Chargers 2 years 4.5 million

S Danieal Manning (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

S Josh Bullocks (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.2 million 

Offseason moves: 

Bears sign OLB Brian Iwuh 

Bears re-sign S Danieal Manning

Bears waive QB Brett Basanez

Bears re-sign DE Mark Anderson

Bears trade S Kevin Payne to Rams for conditional 7th-round pick

Bears acquire S Chris Harris from Panthers for OLB Jamar Williams

Bears re-sign OLB Jamar Williams

Bears re-sign OLB Nick Roach

Bears re-sign OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa 

Bears cut DE Alex Brown

Bears re-sign DT Matt Toeaina

Bears cut CB Nathan Vasher

Bears sign CB Tim Jennings

Bears cut FB Jason McKie

Bears re-sign S Josh Bullocks

Bears cut RB Kevin Jones

Bears sign DE Julius Peppers

Bears sign RB Chester Taylor

Bears sign TE Brandon Manumaleuna

Bears tender OLB Jamar Williams

Bears tender DE Mark Anderson

Bears tender OLB Nick Roach

Bears cut OT Orlando Pace 

 

 

The Jaguars needed a linebacker, but spending 29 million over 5 years, with 11.5 million guaranteed on a marginal linebacker like Clint Sessions wasn’t a smart move. Clint Sessions is a system linebacker that had some success with the Colts’ because he fit their scheme, but he could easily not have that same success in Jacksonville. Sessions is also coming off of a major injury. Why are the Jaguars spending all this money on linebackers went they just drafted for the future with Blaine Gabbert?

Grade: D

 

 

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

Updated 4/17/10 

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. Joe Haden (Florida) 91     

3/18/10: Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.         

3/2/10: Not going to knock him down too much, but the 4.57 at 5-11 193 hurts his chances to go in the top 10 as he competes with Derrick Morgan, Rolando McClain, and Jason Pierre Paul to go 7^th to Cleveland. I do expect him to run a little better at his Pro Day, but really his lack of speed today can be attributed to his running style, which shouldn’t hurt him on the football field. He doesn’t have good track speed, but he has football speed.

A former quarterback and wide receiver, Haden has all of the physical tools necessary for the NFL and he showed this year that he can be an amazing shutdown corner. He plays with great physicality and strength and uses those to shutdown the opposing wide receiver. He doesn’t scream #1 corner at me just yet, but he’s only 20 and in his 3^rd year playing the position so if his development continues as it should, the sky is the limit for him. He is good against the run and as a blitzer which are rare, but useful skills for a cornerback to have.

2. Kyle Wilson (Boise State) 84

3/2/10: He didn’t run, but he didn’t need to. First he benched 25 reps of 225 pounds at 5-10 194. Then he ended his day by being, by far, the most impressive cornerback in the drills. If his 40 time is under 4.5 at his Pro Day, which it should be, he could be a first round pick lock.

1/27/10: Another impressive cornerback, Wilson has shown once again why, before his disappointing senior year, he was a possible 1st round pick. He has probably brought himself back into 2nd round contention with his good Senior Bowl week.  

He had a bit of a down year this year which hurts because his athleticism at 5-10 185 doesn’t jump off the page and that could drop him to the 3^rd round in a strong cornerback class. However, he projects as a nice nickel back with the potential to be a #2 corner at the next level. He also is a good punt returner.

3. Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest) 83

3/2/10: Ran a very impressive 4.37 at 192. He’s an even better athlete than I believed and has a ton of upside if the coaches can bring it out of him. He probably isn’t going to slip out of the first 50 picks

Excellent size for a corner at 6-1 195 and he used that size to frustrate corners this year. His stats don’t jump out at you with only 1 interception in his entire college career, but he has 4 forced fumbles which is amazing for his position and he’s got good shutdown abilities and great athleticism. He projects as a nice #2 corner or nickelback at worst.

4. Donovan Warren (Michigan) 82      

3/18/10: Didn’t look great at his Pro Day, running a 4.62 and struggled in drills some as well. I still am very high on him and his shutdown skills, but it doesn’t look like a lot of people agree with me.                              

3/2/10: Didn’t come out and impress at all today like I was expecting. I’m a big supporter of his, but I have to knock him down a bit after a poor day which started with a 4.59 40 at 5-11 183.

Not getting the hype yet, but I’m not sure why. This former elite recruit had an amazing freshman year, but a down year in his sophomore year, before bouncing back in an amazing why this year as a junior. Guys simply didn’t throw on him because he was able to turn some of the best receivers into guys that simply weren’t open. Despite not getting thrown on a ton, he managed 66 tackles and 4 interceptions, showing his good hands, position, and strength against the run. Despite being only 6-0 182, he’s very physical against the run and against his man and for that he has drawn premature comparisons to former Michigan great Charles Woodson.

5. Javier Arenas (Alabama) 78

He could be a decent nickelback and showed good abilities at the cornerback position this year in his 2^nd full season at the position, with 70 tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 picks, but his value is as a kick returner. He is one of, if not the best kick returners in the nation so in addition to being a solid nickel corner at the next level, he’ll be a great kick returner as well. He may also pull a Devin Hester and switch over to wide receiver as he’s shown good hands and abilities in the open field.

6. Kareem Jackson (Alabama) 77

3/2/10: Not necessarily known as a speed guy, but a 4.41 40 at 5-10 196 could have moved him up into the 2^nd round. He ran over an entire tenth of a second faster than teammate Javier Arenas, who was always known as the speed gu

The other Alabama corner, Jackson is the better of the two in terms of potential at the cornerback position, though he doesn’t have Arenas’ kick returning abilities. Jackson would be the best fit in a bump and run scheme at the next level where his size 6-0 200 and physicality will reign over his projected poor 40 time. In the right scheme, he’s a #2 corner.

7. Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt) 77                          

3/2/10: Kind of like Chris Cook, a cornerback with free safety size who had questions about his athleticism and speed. A 40 time alone won’t kill all of those concerns, but a 4.45 at 6-2 203 certainly helps as he tries to get drafted on day 2.

Suffers from the Sean Smith dilemma, is he a big, slow corner or just a safety. How NFL scouts answer that question could be the difference between 2^nd and 3^rd-4^th round for him. It may help him some that Sean Smith did a decent job in his first year as a starter this year for the Miami Dolphins. The 6-3 205 Lewis had 169 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 5 sacks, and 10 picks in his 4 year career at Vanderbilt.

 

8. Domonique Franks (Oklahoma) 75

A bit of a surprise entry into the NFL draft after two years as a starting cornerback for Oklahoma, Franks played in the shadow of Oklahoma’s offense for 2 years, but is very good, especially athletically in his own right. Whether he puts his athleticism together and becomes something in the NFL is a question that has not yet been answered.

9. Devin McCourty (Rutgers) 74            

3/2/10: Had the fastest (official) 40 time of any defensive back (though tape suggests Taylor Mays did run faster and the Combine measurers just messed up) running a 4.34 at 5-11 193. He could be the Raiders’ pick in the top of the 2^nd round and he could actually go higher than that. He was impressive in the Senior Bowl and combine drills as well.

1/27/10: Not very big, but he really is scrappy and hustles on the field in a big way. He covers very well and also can kick into a zone style scheme.

What McCourty lacks in size, 5-11 190, he makes up for in heart. He doesn’t do one thing particularly well, but he should fit into any scheme as a #2 guy.

10. Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State) 74

Good size, 6-0 195, and hands, 10 picks in 4 years, but unless he improves his man skills better he’s nothing more than a nickelback or free safety in a man scheme. He has better potential in a zone scheme though and he’s also a good kick returner, though not Javier Arenas esque. His 4 years of experience at the position are both a plus and a minus because he has the experience, but you’d think that for his athleticism, after 4 years of a position, he’d be a much better shutdown corner, which he is not. 

11. Syd’Quan Thomspon (California) 73

He’s ready for the NFL right now as a nickelback, but he lacks the upside, athleticism, and coverage skills to be a future starting cornerback. He is 5-9 and could run a 40 in the 4.5s which could drop him into the 4^th round. He also returns punts well.

12. Walter Thurmond (Oregon) 72

He was a future 1^st round prospect in 2007 after 103 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 picks, 1 touchdown, and 18 pass breakups. However, he has had a ton of injury issues since then. He played alright through injury in 2008, but only managed to play 4 games last year thanks to a bum knee. He didn’t work out at the combine which shows he may still not be healthy, but when healthy he’s an amazing talent. He was the most promising young corner in the country as a freshman in 2006 as well as a sophomore in 2007.

13. Patrick Robinson (Florida State) 71                         

1/30/10: You have to take Robinson’s good game with a grain of salt, because he only seems to play well when people who can give him money are watching, but it was a good game nonetheless. He showed his excellent footwork and size and was probably the best cover corner in the game. He almost had 2 interceptions as well, though both were just out of his reach.

All of the athletic skills in the world, but there’s a rumor going around that he hasn’t been playing hard in college because he’s worried about not getting hurt and ruining his NFL career. That’s not a good sign. He was good in the Senior Bowl and Combine, but I believe he was just playing for money there. If he actually tries in the NFL, he’s a first round prospect, but I have some concerns about whether or not he’ll do that.

14. Jerome Murphy (South Florida) 70

A good corner with good size, and long arms, who plays vertically, but his cover skills need some work and he doesn’t have good recovery speed.

15. CB Rafael Priest (TCU) 67

3/15/10: Didn’t run because of his foot injury. He’s still a favorite sleeper of mine, but I was expecting his foot to be healed by now.

He did an excellent job as a shutdown #1 corner for TCU. He played in 11 games and had 6 pass deflections, but only had 18 tackles. There are two ways you could possibly explain how he played that many games and had that few tackles, one, he let every receiver he guarded go for a touchdown, or two, quarterbacks rarely completed passes on him. Two is the most logical answer and it is the correct one. He didn’t have the toughest competition, but he shutdown everyone he faced. There are some concerns, how will he adjust to more athletic NFL corners, especially since Priest’s athleticism doesn’t jump off the page. He’s also small and not good against the run, but you can definitely see the upside here. He reminds me a lot of Quincy Butler, a former TCU cornerback, now of the St. Louis Rams. In his first season in the NFL, after bouncing around practice squads for years, Butler was a very good shutdown corner for the Rams this year, though in limited playing time, as opposing quarterbacks went 11 for 25 for 145 yards and a touchdown against him this year.

16. Chris Cook (Virginia) 65                               

3/2/10: He has free safety size, but he’s looked like a natural corner in this draft preseason, impressing as a big corner in the Senior Bowl and during Senior Bowl practices. A 4.43 40 surprised me a ton at 6-2 212 and is just the cherry on top for a guy who is quietly moving himself up very quickly. He could be a 3^rd rounder.

1/30/10: I was confused about why he was invited to this game, but he proved me wrong making some nice plays and being a very tough physical cover guy. He’s still a tweener, not fluid enough to play cornerback, but not quite big enough at 6-1 210 to be a free safety, but I can see him getting drafted in the late rounds.

He’s a bit of a tweener as a free safety and a cornerback, too small for safety, not fluid enough to play safety, but he has good upside at two positions.

17. Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) 64

3/2/10: Only benched 9 reps of 225 pounds and had a 4.53 40 at 5-11 183, but he was one of the worst cornerbacks in the cornerback drills. He has really disappointed in this draft preseason and has fallen from one of my favorite underrated prospects, to a 4^th or 5^th round guy

1/27/10: Whether it be his injuries that are still plaguing him or whatever, this is not the same guy we saw at Kentucky in 2007 and 2008. He looked like a stick figure at his weigh in and was 2 inches shorter than what he was listed at in college and he really has looked out matched by almost every wide receiver he has faced this week and has had a really hard time breaking out of the jam at the line of scrimmage, which is not a surprise because of his extreme lack of bulk.

He was one of my favorite cornerbacks in 2008 and could have been a 1^st round pick, but then he got hurt this season and was never the same. His shutdown skills were strongly lacking this year and his athleticism is pretty bad. He’s very skinny and pretty slow and has looked really bad in everything he has done in this draft Pre-Season, but I still see some upside in him. I still see some of the player I loved in him so this is a wishful 4^th round grade.

18. Crezdon Butler (Clemson) 63

3/2/10: A very impressive 4.41 at 6-0 191, plus he did well in his positional drills, which I find to be the most important thing from him as a late round prospect.

A fairly standard cornerback who should be a good depth guy at the next level, but he’s pretty skinny and doesn’t do anything extremely well. He’s a solid pick.

19. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (IUPUI) 61

4/9/10: First of all, how did his parents name him, hit random keys on a keyboard (or typewriter, considering his birth date)? Second of all, there’s an Indiana in Pennsylvania? What? All that aside, AOA is a very athletic cornerback with good speed and amazing kick returning ability. His 4.31 40 time, a major improvement over his 4.43 from the Combine, shows more of that amazing speed we were expecting from him. He could get drafted in the 4th on upside and he’s certainly one of the more intriguing small school mid round prospects. He averaged 29.7 yards per return on kick returns last year and 12.5 yards per return on punt returns. He also scored 5 special team touchdowns.

Could be a decent nickel corner with his speed and good hands, but if he’s drafted, it’ll be as a kick returner first and a depth cornerback second. He scored 5 special teams touchdowns last year and ranked among the best in the league in both kick and punt return yards. He had 8 picks in 2008 though, but only 2 last year.

20. Amari Spievey (Iowa) 59

If you’re looking for a cornerback you’ve never heard of that could go in the 2^nd rounder, this guy is your guy. Several teams, including reportedly the Falcons, have given him a first round grade, which means we could see him go off the board a lot higher than we expect. He could also fall into the 5^th because of the depth of this cornerback class. That’s how deep the class is. I will be fairly conservative with his grade because I think he lacks elite coverage skills.

21. AJ Jefferson (Fresno State) 57

An athletic freak that caught many people’s eyes at the Combine, including Mike Mayock, who said he could be a 3^rd rounder when it’s all said and done. I love his physical upside, 6-0, long arms, 44 inch vertical, a 4.43 40 and I have no doubt that he could be a good cornerback in the league someday, but the key word is could. At the very worst, he’s a #3 or #4 cornerback who can help on special teams. He’s very similar to Antoine Cason.  

22. Jordan Pugh (Texas A&M) 56

A three year starter against some of the toughest quarterbacks and wide receivers in the college game and he has held his own against some talented receivers. He isn’t a true shutdown guy, but he should be rated higher than most scouts, who put too much value on interceptions, have him. He only has 4 career picks.

23. Patrick Stoudamire (Western Illinois) 53

For my exclusive interview with Patrick Stoudamire, click here.

24. Alterraun Verner (UCLA) 53

25. David Pender (Purdue) 50

26. LeRoy Vann (Florida A&M) 49

27. Walter McFadden (Auburn) 49

28. Kevin Thomas (USC) 46

29. Devin Ross (Arizona) 44

30. Chris Hawkins (LSU) 42

31. Mike Newton (Buffalo) 41

32. Bryan McCann (SMU) 41

 

Guard

Stanford

6-5 316

Draft board overall prospect rank: #12

Draft board guard rank: #1

Overall rating: 88 (Solid 1^st round pick)

40 time: 5.43

Games watched: Stanford/Arizona, USC/Stanford, Stanford/Washington, Stanford/Oregon,  California/Stanford

Positives

·         Phenomenal 2^nd level blocker

·         Phenomenal 2^nd pull blocker

·         Excellent technique

·         Natural knee bender

·         Plays with a wide base

·         Powerful

·         Great at the point of attack

·         Weight room strong (34 reps of 225)

·         Good size (6-5 314)

·         Dominants guys one on one as a run blocker

·         Rarely allowed pressure on the quarterback

·         Good feet

·         Moves well

·         Great hand use

·         Excellent run blocker

·         Intelligent

·         Experienced 3 year starter – started as a freshman

·         Great motor

·         Hard working

·         Leader

·         All the intangibles

·         Versatility to play center

·         Anchored 3 top-20 running games

Negatives

·         Doesn’t play a highly valued position

·         Not athletic enough to play tackle

·         Mediocre 40 time (5.43)

·         Short arms (32 3/8 inches, though not a huge issue at guard)

·         Didn’t play many good pass rushers

NFL Comparison: Logan Mankins

The way I see this draft class, there are 6 elite talents, regardless of position. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin are the obvious ones, then Matt Kalil at left tackle, Trent Richardson at running back, Luke Kuechly at middle linebacker and… David DeCastro at guard. Guards rarely get drafted high, but DeCastro is in play for the Panthers at 9, Kansas City at 11, Arizona at 13, and Dallas at 14. Any of those spots would make him the highest drafted interior lineman since Chris Naoele in 1997 (10^th).

This is rightfully so. He’s one of the cleanest prospects in this draft class and he has next to no weaknesses. He doesn’t have elite athleticism or feet to play tackle, his 40 wasn’t great, he has short arms, and he didn’t play a lot of good pass rushers, and that’s it. And those 4 things are not important really at guard. His main weakness is really his position because of the limited value the position brings.

However, he’s easily the best guard prospect I’ve ever scouted. He’s a phenomenal 2^nd level blocker and pull blocker and would be an excellent fit for zone blocking scheme. He’s also got phenomenal strength at the point or attack and can dominate one on one. He’s got elite technique. There’s really not a whole lot wrong with him and so many things are about him are elite. He anchored 3 top-20 running games at Stanford and led the team to close to 500 yards rushing against Washington and Alameda Ta’amu, a 2^nd round defensive tackle who DeCastro dominated one on one on every occasion they matched up.

He’s often compared to Steve Hutchinson because he went high in the first and lived up to it, but I think he compares better to Logan Mankins. Mankins went later in the first round, but exceeded his draft spot as a first round guard, very rare. DeCastro is expected to go in the top 14 picks and wouldn’t get past San Diego at 18 at the worst.

 

Wide Receiver/Running Back 

Mississippi

5-9 172

40 time: 4.55

Draft board overall prospect rank: #82

Draft board overall running back rank: #8

Overall rating: 73*

2/28/10: Surprisingly, his 4.55 40 at 5-9 173 doesn’t hurt him that much in my book, but it has to hurt him some considering we were expecting a high 4.3, maybe low 4.4 at worse. However, this is one of those guys who is faster in pads than he is timed and stronger than his size. He should still catch on somewhere in the NFL as that Percy Harvin type player.

2/27/10: How do you bench 20 reps of 225 pounds when you are a mere 173 pounds? That is crazy! This little guy may be small, but he is tough, he is strong, he is committed, and he is damn fast as well. 

1/17/10: A blur of a football player who is a bit undersized. He has lined up at both running back and wide receiver in his career and had 1169 rushing yards and 520 receiving yards last season. He has also lined up as a wildcat so there’s going to be a spot in the NFL for him, though it is not going to be a conventional one. He will play the Percy Harvin role for a team, a slot receiver, return guy, and occasional 3^rd down back and wildcat and will be plenty valuable doing so.

            8/6/09: Speed thrills in the NFL so McCluster is going to get some looks in the mid rounds. He has great versatility and can play running back and wide receiver and had 600 yards of each last season. He can be a 3^rd down back and a slot receiver and maybe play some wildcat if he can learn to throw. He’s a poor man’s Percy Harvin and is less injury prone. He’s smaller than Harvin though. He could stand to put on about 10 or 15 pounds, but doing so could hurt his speed, which is pretty much the only thing he brings to the table of an NFL prospect. Though he has never had major injury problems in the past, his small frame leaves him susceptible to injuries. Even though he is small and one dimensional, his blazing speed makes him valuable to an NFL team, especially in the new wildcat era. His versatility also helps his draft stock a lot.

NFL Comparison: Poor man’s Percy Harvin

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

 

21. New Orleans Hornets- PF Craig Brackins

Another pick acquired in a trade, Brackins is a solid pick for a Hornets team that needed interior depth. Brackins strikes me as a Channing Frye type player at the next level, not a power guy, but a guy who can hit the 15-18 foot jumper with ease. He might not be the exact type of big man I would have liked to have seen them take, but he gives them depth, he gives them an interesting option on the pick and roll with Chris Paul, and he fits the range.

Grade: B

22. Portland Trailblazers- SG Elliot Williams

Williams gives them a nice combo guard and bench scorer type player, though I think they would have been better off taking a guy like Dominique Jones, Willie Warren, or even Terrico White to fill that need. Plus, I can’t say he filled their biggest need, interior depth. Not best available, not their biggest need, not the best pick.

Grade: C

23. Washington Wizards- SF Trevor Booker

Grading as if they drafted him 23^rd, not the Timberwolves who originally drafted him and then traded him, this is still a very bad pick. Booker was not a first round prospect and I can find plenty of people who agree with me. He didn’t even really fill a need as the Wizards still badly need interior help and a shotblocker/rebounder.

Grade: D

24. New Jersey Nets- SF Damion James

Acquired in a trade from Atlanta, the Nets take James. James can compete for the starting small forward job on this team right away and if not, he can fill a role off the bench. James doesn’t need a lot of work and I think he was one of the more underappreciated players in this draft class.

Grade: A

25. Dallas Mavericks- SG Dominique Jones

Jones is a good player fitting of this spot, but with guys like Jason Kidd, Jose Juan Barea, Rodrique Beaubois, Jason Terry, DeShawn Stevenson and Caron Butler all capable of playing guard very well, did they need another guard? I won’t give this a bad grade, because I can see 2 or three of those guys being packaged and shipped somewhere in a sign and trade for a big time star. A package of Caron Butler’s 2011 expiring contract, Jason Terry’s 2012 expiring contract, Beaubois, and Erick Dampier’s 2011 expiring contract could be enticing for a team with a superstar free agent and that would make this pick look genius.

Grade: B

 

26. New Orleans Hornets- SF Quincy Pondexter

Pondexter gives the Hornets an athletic, long swingman to add some athleticism and defense to their wings. I thought that was their biggest need coming into this draft.

Grade: A

27. Atlanta Hawks- SG Jordan Crawford

It looks like Joe Johnson is leaves and Crawford will help patch that holes in one of two ways. He could start at shooting guard and allow 2010 6^th man of the year Jamal Crawford to stay in that 6^th man role. Or, he could take over Crawford’s 6^th man role and allow Crawford to play shooting guard.

Grade: A

28. Memphis Grizzlies- PG Grievis Vasquez

The Grizzlies needed a good backup point guard and Vazquez was one of the best point guards available, but not the best.

Grade: B

29. Orlando Magic- C Daniel Orton

Nothing wrong with taking Orton 29^th. I was glad to see he fell this far. He didn’t play much at Kentucky last year because of his offensive struggles, but if he had stayed another year and worked on his offensive game, and taken the starting center role, he could have been a top 5 pick in 2011. He is a former top recruit. Taking him in the top 15 would have been a big mistake, but 29^th is the right range. That being said, if he fulfills his potential in Orlando, he’s still a center. That may be the one position they didn’t need with Superman Dwight Howard and highly paid backup Marcin Gortat. They could have used this pick to get an NBA ready role player (Darington Hobson) who would help them try to win the East next year, but they didn’t.

Grade: D

30. Minnesota Timberwolves- SF Lazar Heyward

Last year, the Timberwolves spent the 5^th and 6^th picks on point guards. This year, they added three small forwards in the first round, Wesley Johnson (4^th) Martell Webster (trade) and now Heyward. Johnson was a good pick at the time as it was a need and Webster I can kind of see, as he is a nice backup who can play some 2 guard, but a 3^rd small forward. That doesn’t make sense. They still need a big shot blocking center and a scorer/create your own shot type player. I wouldn’t want any part of this franchise if I was Ricky Rubio.

Grade: D

 

 

Well, the Buccaneers needed a cornerback. That’s about where this one stops making sense. Eric Wright isn’t very good. Ask Browns and Lions fans. There’s a reason he was available on a one year deal for the Lions last offseason. There’s a reason the Lions weren’t too eager to resign him.

Despite having one of the best front 7s in front of him last season, Wright ranked 105 of 109 eligible cornerbacks by ProFootballFocus last season, allowing a completion percentage of 62.5%, 7.0 YPA, 5 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, all while ranking below average against the run. He was actually thrown on more than any cornerback in the league except Jabari Greer, being thrown on 120 times. How exactly is he worth 37.5 million over 5 with 15.5 million guaranteed?

Grade: F

 

 

Defensive Tackle/3-4 Defensive End

Mississippi State

6-4 298

Draft board overall prospect rank: #13

Draft board defensive tackle rank: #1

Overall rating: 88 (Solid 1^st round pick)

40 time: 4.79

Games watched: LSU/Mississippi State, Mississippi State/Wake Forest 

Positives

·         Great athlete

·         Mature pass rusher

·         Good size (6-4 298)

·         Excellent 40 time (4.79, 1.64 10 yard split)

·         Agile and quick

·         Good change of direction

·         Did very well in The Combine’s agility drills

·         Can line up inside and outside

·         Would be a natural fit as a 5-technique in a 3-4

·         Long arms (34 ½ inches)

·         Good hand use

·         Deep repertoire of pass rushing moves

·         Stout at the point of attack

·         Good strength (30 reps of 225)

·         Powerful

·         Holds up against the run

·         Could probably add 15 pounds comfortably

·         Explosive

·         Great motor

·         Great in space

·         Good technique

·         Good chase and pursuit

·         Versatile

·         Moves like a linebacker (almost run back a fumble for a touchdown this season)

·         Productive 2011 season (56 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 5 sacks)

·         Played elite competition in SEC

·         Makes impact plays

·         Impossible to ignore on tape

·         Special teams ability (4 blocked kicks)

Negatives

·         Only one year of strong production

·         No years of elite production (Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy all had more productive seasons than him)

·         Only average against the run

·         Can get overpowered by bigger interior linemen

·         Doesn’t take on a lot of double teams

·         Only 2 career forced fumbles

·         Still a bit raw

·         Suspended for Memphis game for violation of team rules

NFL Comparison: Darnell Dockett

After Dontari Poe’s amazing Combine, a lot of people called him the best defensive tackle in this draft class and mocked him 9^th to Carolina, who really needs a defensive tackle. I didn’t mock him to Carolina, instead putting Fletcher Cox there after his underrated Combine. The 6-4 300 pound Cox ran in the high 4.7s and had a better 10 yard split than Poe and was much better in the agility and change of direction drills than Poe. Cox was the more productive player in a much tougher conference and he had much better change of direction and quickness, whereas Poe is more straight line fast.

The consensus has caught up to this. Cox is now seen as the top defensive tackle in this draft class and 9 to Carolina is now his floor. Tampa Bay at 5 and St. Louis at 6 could be interested and if he slips past them, Philadelphia will be working the phones to move up to 7 to grab him ahead of Carolina. He’s not quite on the level of guys like Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, Ndamukong Suh, and Gerald McCoy, but he’s a good 2^nd tier tackle who would be a good value from 9-15.

The first time I saw Fletcher Cox, I didn’t know a whole lot about him, but I couldn’t help but notice him on tape and he looked like a potential first round pick. I didn’t think he’d declare early, but when he did, I did some more work on him and gave him a top 20 grade, moving him up to now 13^th on my board after a strong Combine. He’s still a bit raw and he only has 1 year of good production, but he’s got all the tools, a great motor, and he’s already a very mature pass rusher with a good combination of speed and power moves, as well as good technique.

I compare him to Arizona’s Darnell Dockett. Dockett went in the 3^rd round in 2004 and, while Cox will definitely go much higher Dockett has well exceeded his draft range as he’s become one of the better 5-techniques in the NFL. He also has experience in a 4-3 as a defensive tackle. The 3 time Pro Bowler has 34.5 sacks in 8 seasons (9 in 2007) despite being a bit undersized (6-4 290). Cox can play either of these positions and should be an above average starter like Dockett. I expect him to have an immediate impact as a rookie.

 

 

19. CB Prince Amukamara A

How did Amukamara fall all the way to New York? Well, teams reaching for quarterbacks early had a lot to do with that. The Giants aren’t complaining as they get a top 10 talent at 19 and it’s not as if he doesn’t fill a need. They got burned deep by Green Bay late and they don’t have a true #1 shutdown cornerback like Amukamara can become. Besides, in a pass heavy league, there’s no such thing as too much cornerback depth.

52. DT Marvin Austin B

Another pick hailed as a steal, I’m not so sold that is the case. I was never sold on Austin as a first round pick. I had a high 2^nd round grade on him, so this is still a good value, but defensive tackle wasn’t a huge need. They’ll still find a role for him because he can get after the quarterback.

83. WR Jerrel Jernigan C-

Some people had a 2^nd round grade on Jernigan. I had a 4^th. Given that, I see this as a reach at a position that wasn’t a huge need. Even if Steve Smith leaves, they still have Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham as starters with sold depth behind them.

117. OT James Brewer A

Everyone expected them to take an offensive lineman at 19, but when Amukamara fell to them, they had no choice but to pull the trigger. That was obviously the right move and, even better, they were able to get a steal on a tackle here in the 4^th.

185. OLB Greg Jones A

How the hell was Greg Jones still around in the 6^th? He was my highest rated prospect for several rounds. This is the steal of the draft and Jones also fills a need for the Giants and can play inside and outside. I think they got an above average starter in the 6^th round. That’s pretty good.

198. S Tyler Sash A

Even though they added 3 safeties last offseason (Chad Jones, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle), they still gave up a bunch of big plays. Chad Jones got hurt and his career is in jeopardy. Deon Grant is old. Antrel Rolle is overpaid and could actually be cut in a cost cutting move. Sash is a great value at this point.

202. OLB Jacquain Williams C

I didn’t have Williams in my top 300, but he does fill a need.

221. RB Da’Rel Scott A

Another major steal. I had a 4^th or 5^th round grade on Da’Rel Scott and he also fills a need for the Giants. Ahmad Bradshaw is an injury prone, fumble prone free agent. Brandon Jacobs doesn’t have much left. Scott could end up being the next late round/undrafted running back to have a major impact down the road.

Overall:

Every pick of theirs wasn’t perfect, but they got at least three major steals with Amukamara at 19, Greg Jones at 185, the steal of the draft, and Da’Rel Scott at 221. They also got nice steals with Tyler Sash at 198 and James Brewer at 117 and all 5 of those picks filled needs. They also didn’t have any bad picks and they got an excellent haul of talent out of draft weekend. That’s what an A draft looks like.

Grade: A

 

Debate the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason needs in The Football Fan Forum 

2010 Preview:

I don’t know how a team makes themselves worse in the draft, but, at least in the short term, they did. Tyson Alualu could be a solid starting caliber player in the future, but for now, he’s a downgrade over veteran John Henderson, who was cut when they drafted Alualu. Their pass defense was atrocious last year on all levels. Their corners couldn’t cover, their safeties couldn’t cover, they had fewer sacks as a team than some individual players had. Aaron Kampman helps, but this is still going to be a very poor defensive squad unable to contain the pass.

Offensively, they should once again be just so so. Maurice Jones Drew is still a monster of a running back, but he was last year and that didn’t help them make 8+ win. It won’t this year either with all of the other teams in the NFL, for the most part, getting better this offseason, unless David Garrard has a great year at quarterback.

Projection: 6-10 4th in AFC South 

Power Ranking: 23 

Last Season: 7-9

Grade:

#10 DT Tyson Alualu (California)

This has to be the most head scratching draft pick I’ve ever seen. I scratched my head so hard when I saw it, that I scratched a hole right through my scalp. The only possible explanation for why the Jaguars would have taken a late 2^nd round prospect at 10 is that they reached an agreement with his agent that they would make him the 10^th overall pick if he agreed to not demand 10^th overall pick money. The Jaguars are in that dire of a financial situation. However, if they were in that dire of a financial situation, why didn’t they just take Tebow. He would have been less of a reach. He would have helped them more than Alualu. And he would have sold tickets. How is Alualu going to help them sell tickets? Who wants to spend money to see Tyson Alualu? The Jaguars may have effectively doomed their team into backruptcy. I can see it now, the 2012 Los Angeles Jaguars (of Anahiem).

Grade: F

#74 DT D’Anthony Smith (Louisiana Tech)

Well, at least they’re consistent. They drafted a 3^rd round caliber defensive tackle in the 1^st and they took a 3^rd round caliber defensive tackle in the 3^rd. Is Gene Smith so lazy (or so demotivated by Jack Del Rio) that he can’t even bother to take another position. This is the 3^rd straight year they have drafted the same position back-to-back with their first 2 picks and defensive tackle wasn’t even a need heading into draft day. What are they going to do about their awful pass rush and their completely inability to stop anyone through the air? The only reason this isn’t another F is because Smith somewhat fits the draft range.

Grade: D

#143 DE Larry Hart (Central Arkansas)

It’s bad when you use the 143th pick on a player I’ve never heard of. I’d estimated there are about 450 players in this draft class that I have heard of and this guy was not one of them. Per ESPN, he is an undersized defensive end from a small school. They don’t even have any stats from him because no one cares. He fills a need, but how much help is a guy who isn’t very good.

Grade: F

#153 DE Austin Lane (Murray State)

Lane was a 4^th round prospect so getting him in the 5^th is good, but is Gene Smith incapable of not taking the same position twice in a row. This is the 5^th time in the last 3 years he has doubled up on the same position with two back to back picks and the second time he did it with defensive ends.

Grade: A-

#180 RB Deji Karim (Southern Illinois)

Karim is good value at this point and can serve as a backup to Maurice Jones Drew as Rashad Jennings, apparently, was not living up to their standards.

Grade: A

#203 CB Scotty McGee (James Madison)

Finally they focus on the secondary, but McGee should not have been drafted. He’s not worthy of being drafted. He’s a solid kick returner, but won’t help their secondary at all.

Grade: C

Overall:

The Jaguars have effectively screwed themselves over with this draft. They barely upgraded anything. There have been teams that drafted badly this year that only got upgrades at low value positions, but this team didn’t even do that and they didn’t fix their #1 need, selling tickets. The Jaguars had a league low 1 sellout last year. They probably will only have one more next year and that’ll be week 1 when Tim Tebow (who they should have drafted) and the Broncos come into town. They may get another one if the Colts come to town and the Jaguars are playing well (as was the case last year), but this team probably won’t play very well next year.

Grade: F

Key undrafted free agents:

CB Chris Hawkins (LSU)

C John Estes (Hawaii)

OLB Kyle Bosworth (UCLA)

WR Chris McGaha (Arizona State)

OT Kevin Haslam (Rutgers)

FB Jason Harmon (Florida Atlantic)

Positions of need:

Defensive End:

Their secondary got torched every single game last season and I mean every single game. Part of that blame has to fall on their weak cornerbacks, but part of that blame also has to fall on their defensive lineman. In fact, considering their d-line’s 14^{sacks last season, I’d say more of the blame must be placed there. Derrick Harvey led the team with 2 sacks. This is pathetic, especially for a team that is two years removed from using their first two picks on defensive ends to rush the passer. Derrick Morgan should be heavily considered at 10, assuming they don’t trade down, more on that later.}

Signed Aaron Kampman, Drafted Larry Hart (#143), Drafted Austin Lane (#153)

Cornerback:

Of course, when you are as bad as the Jags were against the pass last year, you also have to blame some of the cornerbacks, though they weren’t helped out much by their defensive line. Derex Cox is nothing but a nickel corner in this league and needs to be moved to that position, instead of starting cornerback, ASAP. If they don’t trade down from 10, in state cornerback Joe Haden could be a possibility.

Drafted Scotty McGee (#203) 

Safety:

Again, you can’t just blame the cornerbacks. They traded for Gerald Alexander in the offseason, but he didn’t do much. He really struggled against the pass this year. He could be upgraded.

Defensive Tackle:

They looked better against the run late in the season, but they have yet to find a true replacement for Marcus Stroud since they traded him to the Bills a few years ago. They might use a mid round pick on some depth, at least, at the position.

Drafted Tyson Alualu (#10), Drafted D’Anthony Smith (#74) 

Quarterback:

The Jaguars #1 need this offseason, regardless of position is to figure out some way to sell more tickets next year and that, unfortunately, may mean they draft Tim Tebow. I say unfortunately on many levels. Its unfortunate for the Jags because quarterback isn’t a huge need. Its unfortunate for David Garrard, who doesn’t deserve to lose his job. Its unfortunate for Tim Tebow who would likely be started from week 1 to sell tickets. If this happens, he will fail. I am a huge Tebow supporter, but he is not NFL ready right now. I believe he can learn to be in a year’s time, but not if he starts week 1. However, Tebow to Jacksonville looks pretty inevitable and pretty necessary and for this reason they may trade down. There is no need to take Tebow at 10, not because he doesn’t deserve the slot per se, but because the market for him isn’t very big in the first round. The only other 1^st round team I can see taking a shot at Tebow is Minnesota and they don’t draft until 29. However, the Jags can’t pass him up at 10, because there’s a very good chance that he isn’t there when they draft in the 3^rd round, which will be the next time they draft. So, I believe they should either trade down from 10 to the mid 20s, Philadelphia might be looking to move up to take Derrick Morgan, and secure a 2^nd round pick to help their defense in the process, or, they should trade their 3^rd round pick, their 4^th round pick, and a future 3^rd rounder to move up to the top half of the 2^nd round to take Tebow. There is a decent shot he is still there in the top of the 2^nd and doing this would allow them to get that big time defensive prospect to help their defense, like Derrick Morgan or Joe Haden.

Wide Receiver:

Torry Holt was recently cut and now they need a replacement opposite Mike Sims Walker. They drafted 2 wide receivers in the mid rounds last year, but if they aren’t sold on either being future starting material, they could target one in free agency this year, though I doubt they can target one through the draft because of their lack of picks.

 

Free agents:

RB Allen Patrick 

WR Torry Holt- signed with Patriots, 1 year 1.6 million

WR Troy Williamson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1 million

OT Tra Thomas- signed with Chargers 

G Kynan Forney- resigned

C Dennis Norman

DE Reggie Heyward

DT Atiyyah Ellison (restricted)- resigned

DT Montavious Stanley- signed with Dolphins

DT Rob Meier 

DT John Henderson- signed with the Raiders 1 year

OLB Brandon Iwuh- signed with Bears 

OLB Clint Ingram (restricted)- not tendered, signed with Saints

MLB Tim Shaw (restricted)

Offseason moves:

Jaguars cut DE Reggie Hayward

Jaguars acquire G Justin Smiley from Dolphins for 7th-round pick

Jaguars waive RB Allen Patrick

Jaguars sign OLB Teddy Lehman 

Jaguars cut DT John Henderson

Jaguars withdraw tender from OLB Clint Ingram

Jaguars sign MLB Freddie Keiaho

Jaguars cut OLB Brandon Iwuh

Jaguars cut DT Montavious Stanley

Jaguars acquire MLB Kirk Morrison and a 5th-round pick from Raiders for 4th-round pick

Jaguars trade DE Quentin Groves to Raiders for a 5th-round pick

Jaguars sign DE Aaron Kampman

Jaguars sign WR Kassim Osgood

Jaguars re-sign G Kynan Forney

Jaguars re-sign DT Atiyyah Ellison

Jaguars tender OLB Clint Ingram

Jaguars sign TE Ernest Wilford

Jaguars re-sign WR Troy Williamson

Jaguars cut WR Torry Holt

Jaguars cut DT Rob Meier