2018 Draft Prospects Pre-Combine

   Last year I only picked some draft prospects that intrigued me for the Bears to pick but once I started to search for game play on this years crop of players I couldn't stop and ended watching at least one and if possible three videos of each player that will attend the combine this year that had some game play on youtube, some only had videos from the 2016 season but tried to watch the more resent and competitive games available. Listed the positions that I think the Bears should need to address via free agency at first and then the draft. I made a top 10 list in order of talent and on what round i would assume they would go, the rest of them are arranged just by the round. There are some that are assigned a NA round meaning I didn't find game play of them but are still players that got invited to the combine and will be watching to get an idea of their talent. Then there is the FA status on players that entered this years draft that I believe will not get drafted.

Rk WR Rd Rd 1 Calvin Ridley 1 Steve Ishmael 4 2 Courtland Sutton 1 J'Mon Moore 4 3 Simmie Cobbs Jr 2 Chris Lacy 4 4 Marcel Ateman 2 Cam Phillips 4 5 Equanimeous St. Brown 3 Darren Carrington 5 6 Auden Tate 3 Allen Lazard 5 7 James Washington 3 Byron Pringle 5 8 Jaleel Scott 4 DJ Chark 5 9 Cedric Wilson 4 Dante Pettis 5 10 Jordan Lasley 4 Deon Cain 6 Antonio Callaway 6 Rk WRS Korey Robertson 6 1  Christian Kirk 2 Javon Wims 7 2 Anthony Miller 2 Trey Quinn 7 3 Deontay Burnett 3 Davon Grayson 7 4 Michael Gallup 4 Ray-Ray McCloud 7 5 DaeShon Hamilton 4 Dylan Cantrell FA 6 Keke Coutee 5 Robert Foster FA 7 D.J. Moore 6 TJ Martin FA 8 Steven Mitchell 6 Marquez Valdes-Scantling FA 9 Quadree Henderson 7 Ka'Raun White FA 10 Braxton Berrios 7 Jake Wieneke FA Tre'Quan Smith FA Jester Weah FA Richie James FA Brandon Powell FA

   I separated the WR class and made a top 10 for the players I think are more dangerous in the slot. Calvin Ridley looks like a Rd1 but its really hard to see on tape although he is arguably the better all around player that looks to have the speed, quickness, leaping ability and hands to be a WR1 in the NFL. Cedric Wilson and Jordan Lasley are the next players that look like all around WRs. James Washington is the one that really doesn't fit in the list but you can't ignore his hands and speed, reminds me of Torrey Smith. Then the rest on the top 10 are tall receivers that dominate often on the jump ball. The top 5 slot receivers are very intriguing because they have the size to take a hit and still be able to be very quick and elusive but what seems to separate Christian Kirk from the others is he appeared to be a leader for his team and that counts in the NFL.

Rk OT Rd Rd 1 Mike McGlinchey 1 Tyrell Crosby 4 2 Brian O'Neil 2 Martinas Rankin 4 3 Connor Williams 2 Toby Weathersby 4 4 Isaiah Wynn 2 Joel Noteboom 4 5 Jamarco Jones 3 Chukwuma Okorafor 5 6 Orlando Brown 3 Ike Boettger 5 7 K.C. McDermott 3 David Bright 5 8 Geron Christian 3 Nick Gates 6 9 Kolton Miller 4 Brett Toth 6 10 Desmond Harrison 4 Bentley Spain 6 Brandon Parker 7 Greg Senat 7 Timon Parris 7 Cole Madison 7 Will Richardson FA Austin Corbett FA Alex Cappa FA Casey Tucker FA

 
   I like Mike McGlinchey to be the next RT for the Bears to then possibly move him to LT with time, hope he gets evaluated really hard to see if he is worth it with the 8th pick. From what I have seen on other websites is that I grade Connor Williams and Orlando Brown a tad lower that "normal". I am not a fan of  Williams and Brown's size, Williams lacks strength but looks like he can play the LT position but I haven't heard the same for Brown and its no wonder with how big he is that it doesn't seem he can keep up with speedy edge rushers, he looks like Cam Robinson but less athletic and Robinson wasn't considered athletic. Really like Isaiah Wynn's versatility and demeanor, could be true that he is better suited to be a guard in the NFL but I can see him being a reliable LT. Desmond Harrison looks to have good size and technique together with a tough attitude, he seems to dominate his opponent every time in the games I found playing with the UWG Wolves, he could be very good but really cant tell when playing against defenses from Division II and he has red flags to explain about for his disciplinary issues he had when playing with the Texas Longhorns.

Rk G/C Rd Rd 1 Quenton Nelson 1 Mason Cole 5 2 Isaiah Wynn 2 Austin Golson 5 3 Billy Price 2 Scott Quessenberry 5 4 Braden Smith 2 Sean Welsh 5 5 James Daniels 3 Brian Allen 6 6 Tony Adams 3 Sam Mustipher 7 7 Bradley Bozeman 3 Coleman Shelton 7 8 Will Hernandez 4 Mark Korte FA 9 Frank Ragnow 4 Nick Linder FA 10 Will Clapp 4

   Decided to view game play of some guards and centers that are being named to be very good but focused more on players that have the versatility to play both interior positions. Isaiah Wynn is the only player I repeated in more than one list just because I believe he is that good to be able to play multiple positions very well. There is talk that Quenton Nelson could be considered to be the best player on this draft, but I really don't see him being that dominant, but he is very good. Billy Price is considered in some mock draft to be a Rd1 player but I only see that if someone really needs a C and doesn't what to wait until the second round. Same thing with Will Hernandez being considered a RD2 player, he comes from a small school and didn't impress much in the Senior bowl, he has good size and strength but seems to lack technique, so he looks to be a very raw player.

Rk DE/NT Rd Rd 1 Vita Vea 1 Breeland Speaks 3 2 Da'Ron Payne 1 Jerry Tillery 4 3 Taven Bryan 1 Da'Shawn Hand 4 4 R.J. McIntosh 2 Kendrick Norton 4 5 Andrew Brown 2 John Atkins 4 6 Tim Settle 2 B.J. Hill 5 7 Harrison Phillips 3 Eddy Wilson 5 8 Drew Bailey 3 Rasheem Green 5 9 Kahlil McKenzie Jr 3 Folorunso Fatukasi 6 10 Duke Ejiofor 3 Lowell Lotulelei 6 Du'Vonta Lampkin 6 Taylor Stallworth 7 Joshua Frazier 7 Matt Elam FA Deadrin Senat FA John Franklin-Myers FA Bilal Nichols FA Jojo Wicker FA

 
   This list is made by thinking which players are best suited to play on a 3-4 formation. Vita Vea is an intriguing player, looks like the next Haloti Ngata and that makes me think he may be worthy of taking him with the 8th pick, that will depends on how much the Bears trusts the players already on the roster in Johnathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris, which they have been improving. Love Duke Ejiofor's hand usage to shed blocks, but his size to play the 5T is what worries me. Breeland Speaks is all over the place, he is a big guy with average speed that was used often to rush QBs as a OLB and although he is strong he didn't show it consistently because of technique, I really don't know if he is better off playing 4-3 DT.

Rk	CB	Rd				Rd				Rd
1	Denzel Ward	1			D.J. Reed	2			Kamrin Moore	7
2	Joshua Jackson	1			Anthony Averett	3			M.J. Stewart	7
3	Jaire Alexander	1			Levi Wallace	3			Darius Phillips	7
4	Mike Hughes	1			Nick Nelson	3			Greg Stroman	7
5	Duke Dawson	1			Kevin Toliver II	3			Brandon Facyson	7
6	Isaiah Oliver	2			Isaac Yiadom	4			Henre' Toliver	7
7	Carlton Davis	2			Kameron Kelly	4			Jamarcus King	FA
8	Donte Jackson	2			Taron Johnson	4			Dane Cruikshank	FA
9	Tarvarus McFadden	2			Michael Joseph	5			Rashaan Gaulden	FA
10	Holton Hill	2			Christian Campbell	5			Andre Chachere	FA
					Tony Brown	5			Grant Haley	FA
					Danny Johnson	5			Sean Chandler	FA
					Jordan Thomas	5			Dee Delaney	FA
					J.C. Jackson	6			Chris Jones	FA
					Davontae Harris	6			Chandon Sullivan	NA
					Quenton Meeks	6			D'Montre Wade	NA
					Rashard Fant	6			Avonte Maddox	NA
					Parry Nickerson	6			Tracy Walker	NA

 
   I didn't divide this position separating the nickel corners in another list because I find it hard to determine which player is not capable of playing the outside. This position is deep this year with lots of talent that deserve first and second day considerations. I list Denzel Ward as the best CB this year because I value more his technique to stick to a player than the one productive year Joshua Jackson had this past season, Jackson has the better height but even so Ward plays as well or better than Jackson. Duke Dawson is really high in my list because I believe he can play the outside even with his short height and has good recognition and cover skills. I like CB that can tackle and I think all top 10 players can do a good job at it.

Rk OLB/EDGE Rd Hercules Mata'afa 4 1 Bradley Chubb 1 Dorance Armstrong Jr 5 2 Arden Key 1 Ogbonnia Okoronkwo 5 3 Sam Hubbard 1 Jeff Holland 5 4 Harold Landry 2 Leon Jacobs 5 5 Marcus Davenport 2 Tyquan Lewis 5 6 Chad Thomas 3 Jayln Holmes 6 7 Kemoko Turay 3 Josh Sweat 6 8 Uchenna Nwosu 3 Mike McCray 6 9 Lorenzo Carter 4 Marquis Haynes 6 10 James Hearns 4 Davin Bellamy 7 Marcell Frazier 7 Olasunkanmi Adeniyi 7 Fred Warner FA Chris Covington NA Joel Iyiegbuniwe NA Darius Jackson NA Jacob Pugh NA

 
   Again, I list these players as the better 3-4 defensive players. Bradley Chubb should be considered the best player in this years draft, he is a relentless pass rusher and good at run defense, don't know if he has problems in coverage but I believe that his pressure to opposing QB should make up for it. Marcus Davenport is considered a Rd1 pick but I think that is to risky, many have said he is raw playing against average competition from Conference USA, I initially had him as a Rd4 player but did see he showed good skills in the Senior Bowl but not enough to sky rocket him to the first round. Kemoko Turay will be someone I will be paying attention to.

Rk ILB Rd Rd 1 Roquan Smith 1 Micah Kiser 4 2 Tremaine Edmunds 1 Dorian O'Daniel 4 3 Leighton Vander Esch 2 Tegray Scales 5 4 Darius Leonard 2 Skai Moore 5 5 Jack Cichy 2 Chris Worley 5 6 Rashaan Evans 3 Jerome Baker 6 7 Malik Jefferson 3 Josey Jewell 6 8 Jason Cabinda 3 Kendall Joseph 6 9 Matthew Thomas 3 Azeem Victor 6 10 Christian Sam 4 Keishawn Bierria 6 Shaun Dion Hamilton 7 Garret Dooley 7 Genard Avery 7 Kenny Young 7 Nick DeLuca FA Oren Burks NA Andre Smith NA

 
   I really had problems evaluating this position, I was close to not giving anyone a Rd1 grade, guess I was to hard on these players and expected more from an NFL prospect. Roquan Smith is a more complete LB but Tremaine Edmunds is more physical with a bigger body, his problem is a lack of awareness to see where the play is going, he compensates it with speed. Jack Cichy missed the 2017 season because of a ACL tear but he looks the part of a complete ILB, I hope he can get back on track. Jason Cabinda is considered as an OLB but I've saw plays where he played at the inside and I believe he can handle it much better as a run stopper than an outside rusher. Rashaan Evans and Malik Jefferson are seen as day one players by some but I didn't see Evans shedding blocks as often as I would like and Jefferson is big and strong but a bit slow to get from side to side and in coverage.

   I wanted to get these lists out before the combine to see how good I do in "evaluating" these future NFL players, I will teak the list once the combine is over and maybe again when pro days are done. The rest of the positions I will add before the draft, really don't care much about them because I believe the Bears are pretty set on those.

Super Bowl LII

   Lets start by congratulating the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first ever Lombardi trophy by defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII where the halftime show was bland and so where the defenses.

   With the final score of 41 to 33 I really didn't expect this to be a shootout. I don't know whats more impressive, that Tom Brady and the Patriots offense can put 30+ points on anyone or that Nick Foles and the Eagles offense put it together plan to score more than 40+ points against, well anyone. Doug Peterson and his crew deserve mayor props for getting Foles comfortable, running the ball so effectively and being aggressive in a pair of 4th downs especially the one ending in a TD just before the end of the first half giving them a very meaningful 10 point lead. They needed to be focused and not give Brady a shot to get back in the game, but they almost blew it. Down by just 5, the Patriots got the opportunity to end this game with a TD but when Brandon Graham stripped sacked Brady and recovered by rookie Derek Barnett it seemed that the Eagles where going to shut the door by running down the clock, but for a moment it looked like they forgot how they got to where they were and got too conservative by running the ball three times even with a 10 men front on 3rd and 5, they ended kicking the FG to increase the lead to 8 points, which was good but left Brady and the Patriots 1 min and change on the clock and hope, a thing you don't want to give this team. It all came down to a hail mary that took 3 players to stop Rob Gronkowski to snatch the ball, even after being batted down it took a bounce on an Eagle player that kept the ball alive for another split second but ultimately fell to the ground giving the Eagles fans a brief sigh of relief before their harts exploded in emotions... and in a large majority their heads exploded as well, as many feared.

   I just feel kind of awkward about the situation the city of Philadelphia lived moments after the game ended, what should have been a time of "Brotherly love" turn out to be a pillage. I'm saddened about the work places that where severely damaged and the time the authorities had to take to deal with these people that just don't get it and smear a bad name on their fan base. This wasn't a group just loosing their heads, it was a movement almost organized just to make mayhem and there is no place for that in what should have been a time of celebration and joy long awaited by many, luckily it ran out at the day of the parade which went how you would expect it to go. I don't really expect the players to shine a light on the situation, but I probably would have expected the team to address the behavior of their fans on that Sunday night, but I didn't catch any article that stated anything of the sort, so I guess they are alright with it? Hope not, maybe im asking too much.

   Now we can start thinking and imagining what the 2018 season will look like starting with the combine to see what rookies can impress with their body skills. But what everyone will be waiting will be march madness, the news on new contracts and who gets let loose to go in free agency pool.

   Patriots can be hated more by the haters with the news on Josh McDaniels bailing the Colts HC position the day he was going to sing his contract. This makes Ryan Pace look pretty good with his decision to not go with McDaniels which was reported he was interested and instead go with high praised Matt Nagy to speed up the process of filling the other coaching positions pending which they have done and dodge a bullet in the process. Keeping Vic Fangio and getting an offensive brain at HC are huge moves by Pace, so things are looking good at the start of next season.

Conference Championship games 2018

   Super Bowl LII is set and I am not amused. The Patriots survived the Jaguars in a close one that few expected and the Eagles crushed the Vikings in a game also few expected. So what the hell happened?

   The Jaguars played really good defense the first 3+ quarters of the game but they needed to play excellent defense. By having two 15 yard penalties that allowed the Patriots to score late a TD  just before halftime ended hurting them more than the final 2 TDs in the fourth quarter. It wasn't a surprise that the Patriots came back from the half adjusting their defense to stop the run more effectively, by doing so they made things way more difficult for Blake Bortles to score more TDs. I would have preferred he exchanged some of those 36 pass attempts he threw for in the game and instead turned them into running attempts, he could have extended some drives if he had scrambled in a few plays. They had a chance to take a field goal at the end of the game but they just gave up to many points and it ended up not being an option. The Jaguars couldn't get the job done in the fourth quarter losing their 10 point lead giving the New England Patriots a chance to get another Lombardi trophy.

   Not to downgrade the Eagles offense but the Vikings defense disappointed in a big way. Nick Foles played good and had big plays that made the the best defense in the league look really bad. Philadelphia forced two first half turnovers by Case Kenum and took advantage of them scoring two TDs, then received the ball to open up the third quarter and scored again. There was little the Vikings could do to pull another miracle in that situation, the vikings offense went into desperation mode but didn't have enough skill players to really pull that big of an upset against a good Eagles defense.

   

   The Eagles accomplished what the Jaguars didn't, take the lead and never look back. It tells you how well organized and coached the Patriots are, again and again they come back from adversity being a game or a season, they can be beat but you really have to earn it and play it until the last second. 

   The Patrots will do what they always do, play their game until it doesnt work to then adjust. The Eagles and Jaguars are similar teams with a good running game and good defense, the difference will be if Foles can keep elevating his game and play better than what Bortles showed which was good but not great. Foles will have to be great again to give his team a chance and his coaches have to give him the game plan to do so, before and during the game, until the last second.

   Honestly, I am having a really though time digesting this Super Bowl. I am tired of the Patriots showing up to Super Sunday although its not their fault that the rest of the AFC cant get as good as an organization as them especially the dreadful AFC East, its like having an automatic pass to the playoffs because its almost a given they will win the division. The Eagles have another shot to win their first Super Bowl, as a team I got no ill will against them but their fandom is another thing and they showed how bitter they can get when they hosted the Vikings fans last weekend, but I know its not all of them and there is a fan group in every team that just doesnt get it, however this Eagles group has made a name for themselves and I just hope that if they get to celebrate a win by their team they dont make an ass of themselves tainting even more the strong fanbase they have.

 

Divisional games 2018

   The Patriots did what KC couldn't do by erasing the Titans form the playoffs, flat out dominating them so much that the Titans management lost their minds. The other three games did the same to their fans. All three came to the wire but they couldn't be more different from each other in how the games unfolded.

   Its impressive what Jacksonville did to Pittsburgh by going offensively toe to toe with them, Pittsburgh really missed Ryan Shazier. Although the Steelers scored 42 point on six TD's, four of them the receiver had a DB all over him and one was a hail mary type of pass to end the first half, so the Jags D had pressure on them all game especially rushing Ben Roethlisberger who got little help from his O-line, they just simply got out-schemed and had to play catch up which nobody expected. Blake Bortles did enough, he still showed some erratic throws but was able to managed the game, made plays when needed and didn't turn the ball over once, which was key.

   Same thing with Nick Foles, he didn't wow anybody but did look sharp most of the game. Atlanta was sloppy once again and Foles almost gave the game away, but Keanu Neal had other ideas and instead of picking off a lobbed pass, he did his best impression of Sagat's tiger knee and hit it back to an open Torrey Smith for the first down, the drive ended in a FG which would help the Eagles go to half time on a one point deficit. Atlanta struggled mighty from there on out getting stomped by the Eagles D and themselves with some questionable play calls. Until the fourth quarter they got close enough for a FG but it was to late, they needed a TD which Julio Jones let slip through his hands.

   I have to give kudos to the offensive minds on the Jaguars and Eagles teams, they game planned for their QBs and gave them a chance to help their offence by keeping the defense on their toes with short passes, option and trick plays backed up by a strong running scheme.

   Last but definitely not least, the Vikings-Saints game couldn't be more nerve wrecking. It looked like the Vikings where going to cruise to an easy victory with a 17-0 halftime lead against the #2 offense in the league. The Saints scored their first TD with little more than a minute left in the third quarter but then they scored three game minutes later. With five and a half minutes remaining the Vikings where going to punt it back to the Saints with a 20-14 lead and this is where it all went bananas. The punt got blocked which gave Drew Brees and the offense great field position, four plays later they score a TD with three minutes remaining, so you go OH NO that's too much time left! indeed you were correct, because 8 plays later the Vikings get into FG range and make it retaking the lead, but wait! there is a minute and half left that should be plenty for the second best offense to come back, right? Well yes you're were right again, 10 plays later they re-retake the lead with a FG with only 25 seconds left and no timeouts for the Vikings, leaving us thinking... Something incredibly amazing has to happen for the Vikings to get to FG range and have a chance... Well in all honesty something really amazing did happen, but it was more amazingly stupid.When Case Keenum lobbed the ball to Stefon Diggs who leaped to pluck it out of the sky, instead of getting tackled inside the field by rookie Marcus Williams who was right there beside Diggs even before he touched the ground, he only needed to wrap him up and take him down but instead lunged into him with his head for the big hit and whiffed completely not even touching him at all, Diggs almost runs out of bounds by himself but manages to regain his balance and take it for the winning TD. I really don't know what Williams was thinking because it even looked like he tried to avoid him maybe with the fear he would have hit Diggs before the catch but he could have stopped and adjusted, it didn't look like he was going full steam. Watching it closely, the Saints would have won this game if Williams makes this one play, sadly for him this one play eliminated his team from the playoffs, but well he is a rookie and hes got a long way to go and learn form it.

   The Jaguars will need every ounce of confidence they can gather to take on the Patriots on their turf. I believe Jacksonville's defense is the real deal and Leonard Fournette is a top 10 RB who could take advantage of the cold weather which could slow down the Patriots offense a bit. The question has always been Bortles, will he and his coaching staff be ready to make adjustments when needed? The only way i see the Jags upsetting the Patriots is if they keep them from scoring no more than 24 points and don't play catch up, if they go score by score with them then they have a shot. But I will have to go with the reigning champs on this one just because they have been here more often than not.

   The Eagles will be in front of their loud home crowd once more in what should be a really low scoring game. Foles will have to repeat his performance against the Falcons in this game counting less on his luck, going against the best defense in the league.  The Eagles squad isn't far behind which will not be easy to beat. These teams are very similar and will be decided on which team will have the ball last to try and score for the win ending with the defense shutting them down even if it's Keenum to Diggs. I'll go with the Vikings just because Keenum has proven himself more this year than Foles.

Wild card games 2018

   Anyone that had the Titans winning was lying to themselves, what a horrible second half for the chiefs getting just three first downs. The Chiefs defense showed just how bad they got from the start of the season to this game, Marcus Mariota got lucky on that batted ball that got deflected to himself for the score but that is what you need to come out with the upset I guess. This game was the only surprise for me, I expected the Saints, Jags and Falcons to win but could have gone the other way and wouldn't be shocked, the Chiefs should have one this game just didn't knew how to finish it. Looked like the loss of Travis Kelce to a concussion hit hard on their plan and didn't find the way to adjust.

   So now we have the Titans go into Foxborough against the Patriots for their utter destruction. Some say they can win by running the ball like they did against the Chiefs, I'm not gonna say they wont be able to run the ball but I don't believe the Patriots will get a second half slump so the Titans would need to outscore them and I don't think there will be enough Mariota to Mariota connections to get it done.

   The Jaguars ended up being the lesser bad playoff team by beating the Bills. Now the go visit the Steelers that will be at all cylinders with the return of Antonio Brown. Ben Roethlisberger will be trowing the ball mercilessly against a good Jaguars secondary and a better pass rushing front seven, they could limit the Steelers to a low scoring match but I don't think the Jaguars have enough offensively to win this game with Blake Bortles at the helm.

   The Falcons got lucky with two fumbles by the Rams rookie returner Pharoh Cooper, there is no sure thing they win that game without those turnovers happening. But they did take those opportunities and turned them into points, so they have that going for them. Now they might just have the fortune to go against a shaky Eagles team with Nick Foles at QB and he hasn't been looking so hot, just because of that this can go either way. I'm pick the Falcons to get another shot at the Superbowl... if not for the winner of the other NFC game.

   Drew Brees showed the Panthers who they really are, even without their two headed rushing tandem. Now they take that talent up north against a very prepared and confident Vikings team. The NFC Superbowl representative will come out of this game and I'm going with the better defense which I believe its the Vikings unit.

Bears 4rd qrt 2017 season

   The season is over for the Bears, finishing with a disappointing 5-11 record that resulted in John Fox getting fired. His decision of giving Dowell Loggains the play calling duties is what cost both of them their jobs. Now begins Ryan Pace's quest to find the right person for the HC position so they can start retooling the roster for next season.
   The game against the Bengals was the last sighting of the bears effective running game. The last three games against Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota, Jordan Howard got stuffed regularly and Tarik Cohen got limited to less than 4 carries a game. The defense played hard and kept the games in range for the offense to catch up against the Lions and Vikings but with a depleted injured O-line and just bad play calling, they really had no shot.
   Mitchell Trubisky got hot and cold and i can understand the results he ended having being his first year, showing he can become a good QB in time. Its disappointing that he didn't have a comeback win in some chances he had, that would have been a big step forward for him. In his first game against Minnesota he forced a pass resulting in an interception , against the Packers after one 1st down it was 4 and out, against the Lions the first time around he got them into field goal range to force OT but the kick was wide right. Offensively they couldn't score in their final position to prevent the 49er's to have the comeback win.
   The three interception game against Detroit is concerning, the first interception was a big play from the DB, the second one in the end zone it can be called a rookie mistake and the third one was a miscommunication but this one is the one that bothers me the most. It was just like the Saints game in almost the same field position where the pass is thrown behind the receiver for an interception, I can consider this something that needs fixing or just needs to understand his receivers better. If either of these was his last game it would be demoralizing, although the final game against the Viking wasn't the best scenario either.
   The Bears got shutdown almost the entire game, but had two possessions drives that got to the red zone at the end of the game but just couldn't find the way to do it on four tries getting them 0 points. Another potential drive got killed by a personal foul and ended in the only 3 offensive points scored. Lack of discipline, bad play calling and shaky execution started and ended the season for the Bears, thus the firing of Fox being understandable.

   Leaving the bitterness of the result of this season behind, its time to evaluate the roster and see what group got better and which needs help.

   The QB position has a future in Trubisky installed and needs all the attention of the organization to back him up and get him better and ready for next season. Pace's job is on the line with the hiring of the next HC. Of the list of candidates I have seen, I incline more for the present DC of the vikings George Edwards or Vic Fangio. I am of the people who would rather have a offensive mined coach to get the job,  but with what these to men have done for their teams is amazing and players respect them. The offensive candidates on the list I don't like because of personality or lack of experience (to not say they are young) for the HC job, but for OC is another story. The necessity to have the right person to improve Trubisky is priority and if this means that to get this coach means to give him the HC job, well so be it. As Trubiskys backup, and i cant believe I'm writing this, they should consider re-sign Mark Sanchez to maintain someone familiarity for Trubisky at the QB position, to maintain a veteran presence that can contribute to his improvement. Connor Shaw should be back as well so that drafting someone else should not be a necessity.

   RB position is set with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, although in the last couple of years the RBs coming off the draft have been very impressive and the Bears could do better by selecting someone with the skill set of a Fournette or Elliott, but the team can't be using a high pick on a position that is solid with holes to be filled elsewhere.

   WR is the group that has been criticized to be the number one priority position to get better talent, but with the return of Kevin White and the positive progress of Cameron Meredith from injury, one can debate that it's really not that crucial. It does depend on if White is an injury prone player and if Meredith didn't loose a step due to his injury. Being positive i believe that the team is one player missing, they need speed at the position that Marcus Wheaton and White haven't shown. There are some FA to be this year that can bring that needed speed. Dontrell Inman and Kendall Wright should be considered to return to the team. Josh Bellamy can be let go and Wheaton can be considered a liability or maybe have him take a pay cut.

   TE is set even if I don't count the return of Zach Miller, its not that I think that Miller is not good enough but his history of injuries, especially his last one, and the talent already on the roster for next season, i don't see him returning as a starter or getting paid what he deserves. With a full preseason as the number one TE, Adam Shaheen should get the job done along with Dion Sims and Daniel Brown. With Ben Brauneker still on the team for depth, this position can be overlooked.

   OL is the group that really needs to be evaluated thoroughly. The OT position is above average at best, Bobby Massie has moments that question his stability at RT and Charles Leno Jr. is serviceable but the Bears can do better and should if possible for Trubiskys sake. Josh Sitton and Kyle Long are solid but one is getting old and the other has a long injury history that is getting concerning if it will begin to hit on his game. Cody Whitehair is solid as well but needs to get better with shotgun snaps. What is worrisome is the backups, where aside from the return of Erick Kush and maybe Tom Compton at guard, there is no one else who showed that deserves to be back on the team, so that leaves the OT and C positions in a critical state.

   DL is practically solid, lead by Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman and with increased play by Johnathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris. The aging Mitch Unrein will become a FA that could be re-signed for depth along with John Jenkins, but I would like to see the team getting someone better at Free Agency or the draft.

   ILB needs Christian Jones back with Jerrell Freeman getting cut. With Danny Trevathan paired with Jones or Nick Kwiatkoski backed up by someone already on the team like John Timu or Jonathan Anderson or get someone else, this group looks ready and shouldn't be considered a critical need.

   OLB needs to get younger and give a partner to Leonard Floyd. Willie Young and Pernell McPhee are serviceable veterans and Sam Acho or Lamar Houston can be re-signed for depth but there is a need for speed in this position.

   DB position can take a break in the searching for S with Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson set for next season backed up by Deon Bush and Deiondre Hall. They can invest the time to get the CB position in order by first signing Kyle Fuller ASAP so they can have one side filled and worry what to do at the other side by maybe re-signing Prince Amukamara or buy hard for the best one at free agency because you cant trust Marcus Cooper with it, he can still be a backup although the Nickel should be Bryce Callahan to lose followed by Cre'von LeBlanc. Sherick McManis should be re-singed simply because of his great ST play and leadership.

   K position is open but Mike Nugent should get re-singed because he is healthy and made all his kicks except one that was blocked. They can bring someone else to try out.

   P can be filled by re-signing Pat O'Donell if there is no one better.

   So the Bears will pick 8th in the first round of 2018 and if possible hey should trade down depending on how they do on free agency filling their needs. If they stay put I prefer they go for a rushing OLB like Bradley Chubb , Clelin Ferrell or maybe Arden Key if they like him. They can also go OL with Mike McGlinchey or even Nelson if the worries of Sitton or Long are real. If WR is the decision of need which I don't value this high, then Courtland Sutton or Calvin Ridley should be the choice, the one that is faster should get picked.

Bears 3rd qrt 2017 season

   Playoff hopes went out the window faster than they came, rather they never arrived completely. The expectation of watching this team slowly but steadily progress after each game hasn't shown and the result have been the contrary, only thing that is left now is to watch just how much deeper down the hole this team will have to crawl back from next season.

   The two division loses by a close margin where just hard to digest, it was impossible to not feel anger but still it was tolerable, you could say that they tried but just came short because of injuries, some bad play execution and bad luck. There wasn't much to fight for after those two losses but to go forward, get better as a team, as a unit in this system. Then came the destruction in Philadelphia, the loss was expected but the one sided match was not. Many thought the game against the 49ers was a sure win and resulted in another close loss by one point, but the only thing that mattered was that they couldn't maintain control of the game and ultimately lost. This will hit the players in their confidence and unity. But whats happening to this team? Why is it that they are regressing each game?

   A win against the Packers would have been big to start things right, boosting the teams morale. But even the bye week seemed non existent, players where still hurt and the team looked sloppy and unprepared. The Bears running game struggled and the defense couldn't stop the Packers, didn't matter who the RB was. The game slipped away giving big plays to the offense and having bad luck obviously didn't help when losing that TD challenge to have it overturned to a turnover. This was an Aaron Rorger-less team with a leaky defense, blitzes overwhelmed the offense and the defense just couldn't stop the run.

   Against the Lions, the offense played like they should have, running the ball efficiently and the passing game was there when needed. A botched snap between QB and C resulted in a defensive TD that came to haunt us at the end of the game. It came to the wire, both teams played as best they could, Mitchell Trubisky led the offense to a point where the kicker could tie the game. That kick may have been a spirit beaker for the team and the start of where we are now. It wasn't just a miss, it was a terrible attempt by a shaky kicker that was brought to make the team better. Connor Barth got waived the next day, something that probably should had happen sooner.

   The one against the Eagles was pure mockery, the run game was non-existent and Trubisky was constantly under fire. The Eagles went 3 of 4 on fourth downs and managed a bunch of big plays by air and ground. This was a humiliating game, cant call it a match. This just had to hit the team hard and everybody had to wake up and do something about it. But it seems it was to late.

   The visiting 49ers came to town with their new promising QB and were ready to play against a Bears defense that was patched up and running headless. With Danny Travathan back, the run was held to a minimum but with no Leonard Floyd and no Adrian Amos, the middle of the field was wide open for business all day for Jimmy Garoppolo and his receiving core but couldn't get in the end zone managing 5 FGs the entire game. That would be enough because once again the run game of the Bears, the one thing they found out they could do well at the beginning of the season that made them keep themselves in the game and ultimately made them win 3 games, was no where to be found. Some way the Bears managed to just pass the ball 15 times and run it 19 times in the whole game. Garoppolo threw more times than the Bears did plays. 

   Many games where against promising and already accomplished teams. Only 3 games where blowouts but just 1 when Trubisky was in at QB who is still a mentally raw player  for the NFL. The team is still rebuilding and watching which positions still need to be addressed.
   That doesn't make it less frustrating that in this 3rd year of this regime, talented players have emerged but feels they are not given the chance to succeed. The running game considered the backbone of the offense has taken a backseat. Too many runs going for negative yards, to many controversial play calls on 3rd downs, to many penalties on offense. How much blame do the coaches get from this? How much blame do they get of not preparing their players and adjusting to their strengths?
   Next four games are to be played for pride as individuals that represent a team, aside from that they are meaningless. Kyle Long and Mitch Unrein go to IR now, once a considered strong O-line and D-line are no more because of injuries. There is no more expectations of growth as a team anymore because now we have to rely on free agents and practice squad rookies to fill in the teams positions. There is no core of players to grow as a unit for next year, not until everyone get healthy again. Now its Ryan Pace's time to evaluate his team and get ready for next season, even if it means making changes starting right now.