NFC North: Anquan Boldin
Face it: Bears are happy with their WRs
@espn_nfcnblog Y wldnt Smith/Angelo trade 2011 1st rd 4 Marshall? Both r fired if they dnt win THIS year anyway, that content w/ WRs we got?
To translate from Twitter-ese: Please explain why the Bears didn't get involved with the sweepstakes for Marshall, who rose to Pro Bowl status while playing with current Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and would provide a legitimate No. 1 receiver to a group known mostly for its potential. If the gambit didn't work, the resulting damage would almost certainly be the problem of Chicago's next general manager and coach. Do general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith really have that much faith in the Bears' current group of pass-catchers?
Let's work through those issues as systematically as we can.
- Without a first- or second-round pick in 2010, the Bears didn't have the firepower in this year's draft to complete a trade. If they were really desperate, it's possible they could have swung a multi-team deal to get the Broncos a second-round pick this year. Or, they could have offered a package that included their No. 1 pick in 2011, a scenario that would have diminished their draft for a third consecutive year. That deficit would be tough for any franchise to overcome.
- Miami is poised to make Marshall the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. That would mean a deal that averages at least $10 million per season. While there is no salary cap this season, every team has the internal limitations of a cash budget. The Bears added three premium contracts to their payroll last month in signing defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna. Just a guess, but I'm thinking their budget is about tapped out.
- At every opportunity, the Bears' actions have demonstrated a strong level of confidence in their current group of receivers. Not only have they sat out trade talks for Marshall and Anquan Boldin, but they've also expressed no known interest in a list of available veterans that includes Torry Holt and Kevin Curtis. In and interview on the Bears' Web site, Angelo said he have investigated some free agent offensive linemen and at least one veteran safety, but made no mention of receivers.
As a group, the Bears' receivers showed flashes last season. And a number of football people I respect have offered positive evaluations of the group. But it's simply a fact to note that analysis is based on potential, not necessarily prior production. Let's close with a look at the career catches of the Bears' receiving corps, a list I think should include tight end Greg Olsen:
Greg Olsen: 153
Devin Hester: 128
Rashied Davis: 79
Earl Bennett: 54
Johnny Knox: 45
Devin Aromashodu: 31
Juaquin Iglesias: 0
Eric Peterman: 0
- It’s rare that you overcome two turnovers in the first five minutes of a road playoff game. That’s what the Packers are up against here. Aaron Rodgers’ poor decision on his first play, and Karlos Dansby’s punch-out after a Donald Driver reception, were the two big plays in Arizona building a 14-0 lead. It bears repeating: The Packers committed 16 turnovers in 16 regular-season games. They had two in the first five minutes of their first playoff game.
- Thanks to those turnovers, the Cardinals started their first two drives at the Packers’ 40- and 22-yard lines, respectively.
- There hasn’t been a moment where I’ve thought Rodgers was in rhythm. It started with his first pass, an across-the-body toss into double coverage just before he stepped out of bounds, and continued throughout the half. He seems to have returned to his early-season tendency to hold the ball too long. I haven’t seen many receivers running open in the secondary, but Rodgers needs to be willing to throw the ball away. Arizona has four sacks in the first half.
- Some of us wondered if the Packers were up to defending the Cardinals’ three-receiver set. That issue seemed to have been minimized by the absence of receiver Anquan Boldin, but the Packers have still been on their heels for the entire first half. Early Doucet has two touchdowns in Boldin’s absence; on the second, oft-targeted nickelback Jarrett Bush was in coverage.
- As it turns out, the only thing keeping the Packers from having been completely blown off the field was Charles Woodson’s forced fumble against Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald in the red zone. That became a 10-point play when the Packers eventually converted a field goal. It also got coach Mike McCarthy off the hook for having Mason Crosby attempt a 54-yard field goal. The predictable miss gave the Cardinals possession on the Packers’ 45-yard line.
One Packers note to pass along: ESPN’s John Clayton reports that Green Bay director of football operations John Schneider is under consideration for the Seahawks general manager job, presumably under new coach/president Pete Carroll. Other candidates include Pittsburgh executive Omar Kahn and New York Giants college scouting director Marc Ross.
Boldin missed a third consecutive day of practice Friday but is listed as questionable on the Cardinals’ injury report. By NFL definition, that means it’s a 50-50 proposition. Boldin has been noted for playing with injuries on multiple occasions in his career, and Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters a decision won’t be made until Sunday morning.
Here’s how Boldin put it, courtesy Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: “If I can go, I’ll be out there. I’m doing everything within my power to make sure I’m on the field Sunday. If I’m not able to go -- trust me, it won’t be nothing that I didn’t do. I have doctors at my house at night, poking and prodding, acupuncture -- everything that’s possible. I’m trying to make sure that I’m on the field.”
Cardinals beat writer Darren Urban, writing on the team’s Web site, notes that Boldin’s status “wouldn’t even be a question” if this were a regular season game. Indeed, if Boldin plays, it will be an exceptional effort by a big-time player in a sudden death game.
Without Boldin, the Cardinals would rely more heavily on receivers Steve Breaston and Early Doucet.
The Cardinals also listed safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) as questionable. But both players practiced Thursday and Friday and are expected to play.
Meanwhile, only one Packers player could miss Sunday’s game because of injury. Safety Derrick Martin (ankle), primarily a special teams player, is listed as doubtful. Nose tackle Ryan Pickett (hamstring), who has missed three of the past four games, is probable.
Boldin remains a question mark in Arizona
That’s the upshot of Thursday’s injury report as we’re now three days from Green Bay’s wild-card matchup against the Cardinals. Receiver Anquan Boldin remained sidelined by knee and ankle sprains, and coach Ken Whisenhunt is appealing to Boldin’s well-chronicled toughness.
Speaking to Arizona reporters, Whisenhunt said: “He’s proven time and time again … what he’s all about as far as how tough he is and his ability to come in and play.”
Safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) participated in a limited portion of Thursday’s practice after sitting out Wednesday. Both appear on track to play Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Packers had all hands practicing fully Thursday except for safety Derrick Martin (ankle).
Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will interview Thursday to become Buffalo’s head coach, his sixth opportunity to do so in the past three years. He interviewed with Miami and Atlanta after the 2007 season. Last winter, he spoke with Denver, Detroit and St. Louis.
My AFC East colleague Tim Graham makes the important point that the Bills don’t consider this a token interview because Frazier is black; they’ve already interviewed interim head coach Perry Fewell for the job and therefore aren’t required to interview any further minorities.
My feeling about Frazier remains the same. He won’t blow you away with a sales pitch during an interview, but he is a classy and intense coach who will appeal to teams looking for substance over style. Look for his name to surface in Cleveland if new Browns president Mike Holmgren fires coach Eric Mangini.
Chicago will interview Fewell for its defensive coordinator job next week, after he speaks with the New York Giants. My ESPN Chicago colleague Jeff Dickerson considers Fewell a good fit for the job, and I agree. With Lovie Smith unwilling to change his defensive scheme, he might as well hire someone with extensive experience in the system.
All Green Bay players except safety Derrick Martin (ankle) participated in at least a portion of practice Wednesday. That includes nose tackle Ryan Pickett, who has been inactive for three of the past four games because of a hamstring injury. In Arizona, receiver Anquan Boldin (ankle), cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (toe/knee) and safety Antrel Rolle (thigh) all sat out practice. My NFC West colleague Mike Sando has more on Rodgers-Cromartie here.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he hadn’t heard that Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt was apparently miffed by the way Green Bay approached the two games between the teams this season. And even if he had, McCarthy said: “I am worried about my own football team. His feelings toward my team or my feelings toward his team, it's a non-topic with me.”
Speaking during a conference call with Wisconsin reporters, Whisenhunt clarified his original comments. “The only thing I was chafing about was the approach of my football team and how we handled it. I was disappointed with some of the things we did in the ball game as far as how we played. It was obvious to me that Green Bay was more physical than us. That’s what was very disappointing to me. I could see where [reporters] would think that I was irritated, and I was, but it certainly wasn't at coach McCarthy or the Packers. It was more about how we performed.”
I guess all’s well that ends well.
1. It might be tempting this time of year, but the Packers won’t spend the week in Arizona. Instead, they were scheduled to make the three-hour flight back to Green Bay on Sunday night and then return to Phoenix the day before the re-match. Speaking on the possibility last week, McCarthy said routine is more important than convenience and drew a distinction between the distance between Green Bay and Arizona and, say, the West Coast and the East Coast.
“I think routine is a big part of human regularity,” McCarthy said. “And to change because you're playing in Arizona two weeks in a row? It's a three-hour trip.”
2. The Packers’ chief matchup concern should be their nickel defense against Arizona’s three-receiver sets. You didn’t see much of that Sunday because Cardinals starters didn’t play much, and also because receiver Anquan Boldin left with knee and ankle injuries. But if Boldin plays next weekend, the math doesn’t add up well for the Packers. There is a big dropoff between No. 2 cornerback Tramon Williams and nickelback Jarrett Bush. Unless Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers comes up with something unique, Bush is going to have match up against Boldin, All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald or the dangerous Steve Breaston. That dynamic will be a central focus of conversation this week.
3. You can attach as much significance as you want, but the Packers have manhandled the Cardinals twice this season. Sunday’s score was 33-7, and they had a 38-10 lead at halftime of an Aug. 28 preseason game in which starters played into the third quarter. In those two games, the Packers defense forced seven turnovers. The Packers should return to Arizona with all the confidence in the world, when you combine those two games with the fact that they have won seven of their past eight games.
Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:
Kyle Terada/US PresswireLosing to the Lions would hurt Lovie Smith's case to remain coach.The Giants are struggling and decimated by injuries, but you don’t have to look any further than last Monday to recognize that no team is a lock to roll over. Few anticipated the Vikings having trouble at Soldier Field against the Bears, who had lost seven of their past eight games. The Giants have lost three of their past five, but they have played well at the Metrodome throughout this decade. They have won three of their past four in the building, and the Vikings needed a 50-yard field goal on the game’s final play to beat the Giants’ reserves in last year’s regular-season finale. The Vikings’ slow starts in the past four weeks have given underdog teams confidence they could win; in those games, the Vikings have a total of seven first-quarter points.
No matter how few implications the Green Bay-Arizona game ultimately carries, I’ll be watching to see how the Packers match up with Cardinals receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers might be tempted to play some mind games if a playoff rematch looms, but at some point the Packers are going to have to address the seeming mismatch between the Cardinals’ three-receiver set and the Packers’ nickel defense. Specifically, Packers nickelback Jarrett Bush is going to have to match up against one member of that receiver trio unless the Packers sit exclusively in a nickel zone.
Will Sunday be Lovie Smith’s last day as Chicago’s coach? The odds are against the Bears paying him an $11 million buyout. But it was curious, if nothing else, that no member of the team’s front office stepped forward this week to confirm his return. It’s hard to imagine that Sunday’s game against Detroit will determine Smith’s future. What is left to know about Smith that the Bears don’t already know? But if nothing else, the team’s silence suggests a change is under consideration. Either that, or the Bears simply haven’t begun the internal discussion. I lean toward the latter, but stranger things have happened.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz said earlier this week that a Week 17 victory wouldn’t spur a surge of momentum into the offseason. And it’s true: The difference is slim between 3-13 and 2-14. The Lions have a long way to go in either case. A victory Sunday would also end Detroit’s chances at securing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. But beating the Bears would be the Lions’ first NFC North victory since winning at Soldier Field on Oct. 28, 2007. It would add a tangible measure of progress to the first year of this building process.
Bears can't compete with this offense (yet)
CHICAGO -- Here’s the question I have with 11 minutes, 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter at Soldier Field: What would have happened if Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin was in uniform?
Even without Boldin, the Cardinals are blowing out Chicago. It’s 21-7 here early in the second quarter, and the Bears haven’t come close to slowing down the Cardinals' offense.
The Cardinals have scored touchdowns on all three possessions and already have 210 total yards along with 15 first downs. Quarterback Kurt Warner has completed his last 11 passes, and Arizona’s usually-quiet running game already has 82 yards.
Most importantly, Bears cornerback Charles Tillman is having a rough time chasing receiver Larry Fitzgerald in one-on-one coverage. Fitzgerald has five receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
If I’m the Bears, I do whatever I can to keep the Arizona offense off the field. But to this point, the Bears have thrown on 11 of their first 13 plays and aren’t maintaining possession.
CHICAGO -- Here’s some important news from Soldier Field: The Bears won’t face Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin after all.
We all watched Boldin during early warm-ups and nothing seemed amiss. But ultimately, the Cardinals decided that his sprained ankle wasn’t healthy enough for him to play.
I wouldn’t relax too much. The Cardinals still have two talented receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. But Boldin’s absence was the best pregame news the Bears could have hoped for.
Meanwhile, one pregame note from Tampa Bay: Green Bay has announced that Mark Tauscher will start at right tackle, as expected. When the Packers signed Tauscher last month, you knew it was only a matter of time before he replaced Allen Barbre as the starter.
Wrapping up the offseason in the NFC North
News and circumstances have delayed our attempts to close the book on spring practices in the NFC North. But I've had all I can stands and I can't stands it no more. So let's get to some observations and other important points while the Black and Blue teams continue their summer vacations.
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Chicago's acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler removed the offseason glare from its defense. Remember, before the Cutler trade, the Bears' biggest issue was whether coach Lovie Smith could turn around a defense that seemed old and unorganized last season.
So let's catch up: The Bears opened competition at two positions -- outside linebacker and free safety -- after overhauling their defensive coaching staff. Pisa Tinoisamoa is expected to win the former spot, and either Craig Steltz or Corey Graham will take over at the latter.
But neither of those personnel moves addressed this group's primary issue: Can the Bears revive their pass rush on their defensive line? It's a fundamental requirement of the Tampa 2 defense, and the Bears can't improve much without it. It's difficult to draw many conclusions from non-contact spring drills, but the state of defensive tackle Tommie Harris' knee is hardly encouraging.
Harris, the team's best pass-rusher when healthy, sat out most drills this spring to limit wear and tear. Despite the team's protests to the contrary, it was an ominous sign.
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A quick glance at the Bears' top four receivers reveals that only one -- Devin Hester -- has caught a pass in an NFL game. Earl Bennett and rookies Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox are as green as can be. Veteran Rashied Davis always could work his way back into the rotation, but at the end of the spring the Bears seemed all-in with youth.
General manager Jerry Angelo has noted the Bears' depth at tight end and expressed little concern about the receiver position, but it's a fact that he looked into acquiring Arizona's Anquan Boldin as well as free agent Plaxico Burress. The impact of this issue would be limited had Kyle Orton returned as the Bears' quarterback, but it's fair to wonder why Angelo would devote so many resources to acquiring Cutler and then leave him with such an inexperienced receiving corps.
Burress available -- but are the Bears buying?
I've answered the Plaxico Burress question the same way every time a Chicago fan asks. It has seemed inevitable that Burress would face legal and/or NFL discipline as a result of his ongoing weapons possession case. It didn't seem to make sense for a team to pursue him before that process plays out.
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Things might have changed in the past few days, however. Burress' case has been adjourned until September, and agent Drew Rosenhaus believes the case won't be decided until after the season. As a result, Rosenhaus is actively trying to get Burress signed with a team willing to take on his situation.
Via his Twitter account, Rosenhaus said he hopes to have Burress signed somewhere before training camps begin. Rosenhaus added: "We are also confident that the NFL will not have grounds to discipline Plex until after the adjudication of his case after this season."
Theoretically, then, Burress could be available to an NFL team for all 16 games in 2009. But we still don't know any more about the central question for the purposes of this blog: Will the Bears will be interested?
Many observers have drawn the connection between Chicago and Burress because of the Bears' lack of veteran receivers. Current No. 1 receiver Devin Hester has expressed hope that the Bears would add to their depth, and Burress is the best available free agent at this point.
Tellingly, however, we are aware of only one half-hearted attempt to add a veteran receiver this offseason. General manager Jerry Angelo acknowledged he tried to trade the No. 49 overall pick in the April draft for Arizona's Anquan Boldin, a bargain-basement offer that didn't have much of a chance.
The Bears haven't really tried to augment their receiving corps through free agency. Would the latest development with Burress give them new incentive? Stay tuned.
ESPN's Lester Munson looks at Burress' future in the NFL in light of his trial on weapons charges.
Putting the brakes on Marshall-Bears talk
Could it be? Brandon Marshall to Chicago? That's what D.J. Izzle asked via our so-hot-it's-blinding Facebook page after seeing an ESPN Insider headline to that effect.
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| AP Photo/Jack D | |
| Brandon Marshall to the Bears? Not likely in 2009. |
Then the notes started pouring into the mailbag. John of Brookfield asked:
Do you think the Bears will (attempt to) trade for Brandon Marshall? If they don't attempt to trade for him, do you expect the Bears to pursue Marshall next year as a free agent? I think, besides his legal issues, he would be a great addition to the team. What do you think about this?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news (pun sort of intended), but as of now it's hard to imagine the embattled Denver receiver making his way to Chicago for 2009. Even if they had interest in acquiring him, the Bears would run into the same trouble they experienced when contemplating a trade for Anquan Boldin: Their resources are limited.
The Broncos already have Chicago's 2010 first-round pick following the Jay Cutler trade, and it's unlikely Denver would accept a 2010 second-round pick for him. I suppose the Bears could send their 2011 first-rounder for him, but it seems unlikely they'll want to let three years pass before they get another chance to choose a player in the first round.
That's assuming the Broncos are willing to trade Marshall. It's always possible they could release him, making him available for no compensation to the Broncos. But I think he would still have trade value regardless of his legal issues.
Marshall is eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season, assuming the NFL and NFL Players Association agree on a new collective bargaining agreement. (If not, Marshall would be a restricted free agent.) Regardless, it's unlikely the Broncos would allow him to leave with no compensation, perhaps placing a franchise tag on him to ensure some return if he ultimately departs. That again puts the Bears in a hole, considering the high draft choices they have already coughed up for Cutler.
And then there is the issue of Cutler. How would he feel about reuniting with a player he called out a year ago? Here's a sample of what Cutler said in the spring of 2008:
"Yeah, he's not my favorite person right now. I mean, I support him, but it's always something with him right now."
Most relationships are repairable, and the decision isn't up to Cutler, anyway. But for now, I think we should all splash cold water on our faces and accept there's nothing imminent going on here.
Double Coverage: Wells vs. Harvin as top rookie
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| Who has a better chance of being 2009 NFL Rookie of the Year: the Vikings' Percy Harvin or the Cardinals' Chris Wells? The bloggers debate. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando and Kevin Seifert
Nothing gets the football juices flowing in April like drafting an exciting skill position player.
Fans in Minnesota are already envisioning receiver Percy Harvin dashing through the secondary on the way to a long touchdown. In Arizona, they're wondering how many defenders tailback Beanie Wells is going to run over on the way to a 1,000-yard season.
Who will be the NFL's 2009 Rookie of the Year? It's a little early to crown a winner, but Harvin and Wells are two strong candidates. Our NFC West and NFC North bloggers take an early stance:
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| AP Photo/Star Tribune, Carlos Gonzalez | |
| Minnesota first-round draft pick Percy Harvin will get a chance to put up big numbers for the Vikings. |
Early on, I think the Vikings will ease him in as a punt and kickoff returner -- with selected packages for him on offense. But it might not take much. Harvin is the kind of playmaker who could have a pretty high ratio of touchdowns to touches.
There are veterans who likely will start ahead of him, but when Harvin gets in the game he'll be quick to make things happen. Think of him as the receiving version of New Orleans tailback Reggie Bush. He can make people miss once the ball gets in his hands.
Mike Sando: Once the ball gets in his hands? That's the hard part in Minnesota.
There's a reason Jeff George keeps saying he should be the Vikings' quarterback at age 41. There's a reason T.J. Houshmandzadeh decided to sign with the Seahawks about four seconds into his free-agent visit to Minnesota.
There's a reason no one on the Vikings caught more than 53 passes last season. Five rookies caught at least as many passes (Eddie Royal 91, Matt Forte 63, DeSean Jackson 62, John Carlson 55, Davone Bess 54 and Donnie Avery 53) in 2008.
I'm just not sure the Vikings can get the ball in Harvin's hands consistently enough.
Kevin Seifert: I'm not sure there is enough WD-40 in North America for Jeff George to do it, either, but that's for another debate.
Seriously, in some ways it doesn't matter whom the Vikings have at quarterback as long as he can throw a screen pass and a shallow cross. Harvin is at his best after the catch. Check out some of his highlights at Florida against some pretty fast SEC defenses. Trust me, the Vikings have plenty of three-yard pass plays in their playbook. The key will be finding simple ways to get the ball in Harvin's hands. Then let him do the rest.
In reality, the quarterback issue might be a bigger deal for Arizona. Nothing I saw last year leads me to believe Wells will get enough opportunities to put up Rookie of the Year numbers. Are you telling me Kurt Warner is going to hand the ball off all season and Larry Fitzgerald is going to become a downfield blocking specialist?
The 2009 draft began early in the NFC North. The arrival of new Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler raised the stakes in the Black and Blue, and in some ways the rest of the division spent the weekend trying to catch up.
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Detroit drafted Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed passer whose physical skills have been compared to Cutler. Minnesota attempted to improve the players around its own shaky quarterback situation, drafting receiver Percy Harvin and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt. And Green Bay devoted a pair of first-round draft picks to improving a defense that will face three improved offenses in division play.
The Cutler trade left the Bears with a shallow class, but they had a four-week head start. Let's take a look at the highs and lows of the weekend from a Black and Blue perspective.
Best move
In a rare marriage of need and talent level, Green Bay managed to select the best defensive lineman in the draft when it took Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 overall pick.
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| Cliff Welch/Icon SMI | |
| B.J. Raji gives the Packers some flexibility along the defensive line. |
Need-based fanatics could point out that the Packers already had a starting nose tackle in Ryan Pickett. They could also document greater needs at defensive end, linebacker and offensive tackle. Fantasy football players, meanwhile, were probably drooling at the possibility of receiver Michael Crabtree joining an offense that already includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.
But you don't pass over a player of Raji's caliber because you have Ryan Pickett on your roster. You don't grab the fourth-best offensive tackle ahead of the top defensive lineman. And you don't turn greedy with your offense when it was your defense that largely put you in a 6-10 hole last season.
And so Thompson pounced on Raji, who figures to start immediately. Pickett could move to end, or defensive coordinator Dom Capers could find other innovative ways to keep both players on the field. If you're the Packers, it's a great problem to have.
Riskiest move
The Vikings might have drafted the NFL's 2009 rookie of the year, or they could have the league's latest embarrassment. The spectrum is that wide for Harvin, whose resume of questionable behavior dates far beyond a reported positive drug test at the annual scouting combine.
Harvin's competitiveness has sometimes gotten the best of him, resulting in multiple suspensions during high school competition in Virginia. Harvin attributed most of his mistakes to "growing up," but it's pretty clear the Vikings have a live wire on their hands.
Should he keep himself in check, Harvin will get an opportunity to excel against defenses that will be focused on tailback Adrian Peterson. Harvin's open-field running ability is unparalleled for receivers, and he could also help in the short term as a kick returner.
The Vikings, however, aren't that far removed from an era of relative lawlessness highlighted by the exploits of receiver Randy Moss and a 2005 sex party aboard a cruise ship on Lake Minnetonka. They have made a great public showing of their internal crackdown on misbehavior, and as a result they have a lot riding on Harvin's future.
Most surprising move
In his first four drafts as the Packers' general manager, Ted Thompson executed 14 draft-day trades. All but one of them were to move down. It was a volume approach to roster-building: The more players you draft, the better your chances are of building quality depth. So I'm sure a few people fell out of their seats Saturday when Thompson gave up a second-round choice and a pair of third-round picks to move up from No. 41 overall to No. 26 in order to grab USC linebacker Clay Matthews III.
Matthews intrigues the Packers on a number of levels, but let's be honest: They faced urgency to start addressing the transitional holes revealed by their shift to the 3-4 defense. The team has been vague about who might start at outside linebacker opposite Aaron Kampman, and in retrospect it seems clear Thompson has planned to address the issue during the draft. When you target a position, and especially when you extend it to one particular player, you must be willing to wheel and deal. Surprisingly, Thompson was.
File it away
In a few years, we'll all be able to look back and determine whether Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo was right to trade himself out of the second round of this draft. The Bears had the No. 49 overall pick and were in position to draft Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi or Alabama safety Rashad Johnson, but Angelo instead gave up the spot to acquire picks in the third and fourth rounds.
Reportedly, that decis
ion came after Angelo was unable to trade for Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin. The Bears also were hoping that Ohio safety Michael Mitchell would be available at No. 49, but Oakland grabbed him at No. 47.
In the end, Angelo addressed his defensive line with those choices -- selecting San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert and Texas defensive end Henry Melton, respectively. Will Gilbert and Melton prove a better grab than anyone the Bears might have selected at No. 49? We'll file that one away for later.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Kevin Seifert
Seifert joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Minnesota Vikings for the Minneapolis Star Tribune for eight years. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and children.
