Imagine having to tell George S. Halas or Mike Ditka your playbook was stolen:
Better yet, imagine Ditka with an iPad on the sideline. Wait, even better. Imagine how many iPads Ditka would go through in a given season because of how many he slammed into the turf out of anger. I would set the over/under at 8.5 … and would be tempted to take the over.
Also, please give Mr. Smith his iPad back. And don’t take things that don’t belong to you. It’s not nice.
UPDATE (Michael): Before I clicked publish, the Bears had some good news:
They remote wiped that sucker. Thumbs up.
Moving onto the other linebacker the Bears drafted, Joel Iyiegbuniwe’s position coach at Western Kentucky believes the best is yet to come for his former pupil. Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune caught up with Maurice Crum Jr., who coaches the Hilltoppers’ linebackers and had his hand in developing Iyiegbuniwe. While the selection of Iyiegbuniwe raised eyebrows, the Bears seem to have picked a player with traits that can be developed in a player with tremendous upside.
I found myself re-watching the video with the scout’s perspective that was shared in a piece we did about Iyiegbuniwe last week. Frankly, it’s something I’m sure we’ll dive into more as we move away from the NFL Draft, because I’m intrigued by the potential different looks a Bears defense can show with players like Smith and Iyiegbuniwe in the same lineup. Flexibility is the name of the game now, and the Bears have been building it on the defensive end for some time and keeping defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the fold makes it that much easier.
In the video, Bears scout Sam Summerville discussed the versatility Iyiegbuniwe showed in college by playing inside and outside linebacker, as well as “stack” backer. The ability to stay on the field in a variety of formations is the kind of thing that gives Fangio the freedom to attack in different ways, via various fronts, as well as potentially exotic blitz and coverage packages.
We can talk about draft grades now and know they really won’t mean much until a few years later. Still, dissecting what we have in front of us now will prepare us for a not-too-distant future where Bears will be showing up at minicamps and training camps. NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison offers up what he feels to be a list of the best and most worrisome picks that happened in the 2018 NFL Draft, and made note of how much he liked the Bears draft. And it’s not just that he liked what the Bears did, it’s the terminology he used to describe it. Harrison referred to the group as “special,” called Roquan Smith a “stud,” and noted how the Bears added players who are expected to contribute early (James Daniels, Anthony Miller), and a fifth-round pick who fits in perfectly with the organization’s philosophy. Other than that, the Bears’ draft was no big deal … am I right?
We plan on enjoying every reception, run after the catch, and touchdown of Miller’s career, but I really have a soft spot for receivers who are engaging blockers. And I think Miller can fit the bill here:
https://twitter.com/AnthonyMiller_3/status/992824316327813121
Anthony Miller liked this tweet, and it couldn’t be more fitting for a player who plays with a chip on each shoulder:
https://twitter.com/ThatCaneZo/status/992222228216532993
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again for the people in the back: I will never (ever) bet against a guy with a strong work ethic. Hard work pays off. Always. It might not be in the way we expect it to look, but good process will eventually yield good results. That’s why we’re big Anthony Miller fans here. To work your way from a walk-on into an All-American receiver is nothing to thumb your nose at. With that said, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes Miller has the highest chance of being the Bears’ rookie flop. Again, I’d bet against that if given the odds.
The Green Bay Packers had 11 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, including three among the first 90 selections. As far as I’m concerned, the Packers ended up with a pair of cornerbacks who were worthy of being chosen in the first round. And if you ask head coach Mike McCarthy, he’d tell you they added another first-round talent earlier in the offseason:
The Vikings aren’t messing around. The team re-signed veteran cornerback Terence Newman to a one-year deal that comes with a $1.015 million base salary, but has no guaranteed money. And because Minnesota is truly taking contract negotiation season seriously, the team has seven of their eight picks already signed to rookie contracts.
The Bears figured to see Akeem Spence at some point this year, but it won’t be in the uniform they originally expected. The Detroit Lions traded Spence to the Dolphins late last week after unexpectedly re-working his contract. Ultimately, the re-worked deal was put together inorder to facilitate such a trade. Detroit will receive an undisclosed 2019 draft pick for the defensive tackle who started 11 of the 16 games he played in last season.
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