Bears Buzz - Chicago Bears 2042 Onwards

[davehibb]

Hitch is turning out to be a real player for you! Love the write up Hibb

Thanks mate and yeah, if he carries on the way he is going, Hitchc0ck must be in with a shout for DROY.

I get the feeling he might be someone who might boom this year and maybe regress next year. Hopefully I'm wrong though. I wish Bo Wayne would break out a little. Maybe he'll come alive in the second half of the season.

[davehibb]

If Only We had Da Offense!

So... Our defense had 5 sacks, 7 hurries, 6 knockdowns, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed... Our offense had 70yds rushing off 26 attempts and 98yds passing off 26 attempts... At least it was balanced.

Loving what we're doing on defense considering we have just 2 guys rated over 50 I think. Hitchc0ck now has 6 picks in 6 games and Hutek is a beast at DE and our 17 rated WLB Gaudino has 5 sacks and 8 hurries. Yep, sold on affinities. If only we had a little offense we might have upset the Lions.

Rookie Watch!

Not much happening on offense. Bynam had just 1 KRB from 10 opportunities, so no wonder Sams struggled. Wingo did what he had to do in the kicking game. Hitchc0ck made it 6 picks in 6 games and Bo Wayne defensed his first 2 passes as a pro... But gave up 6 catches too. Hennings did okay with 3 tackles, 2 assists and a sack.

[davehibb]

Week 8 And Still No Offense...

Once more our defense is da bomb but our offense can only muster a paltry 187yds as we lose one late against the Giants.

4 sacks and 2 picks, including a pick six weren't enough for us to hold on against the Giants who outgained us by 217yds. Our kicking and return game was decent too. Just no offense yet again.

Rookie Watch...

Sams and Long combined for 81yds off 23 carries in a woeful day on offense. Hitchc0ck and Wayne gave up a combined 8 catches... At least Wingo was perfect with 3 of 3 FGs.

[davehibb]

Week 9... Signs Of Life???

We hang on against the Eagles. 34-6 up with 8 minutes to play and we almost blow it, holding on for a 34-27 win.

We had our usual heavy dose of defense, 5 sacks, 8 hurries, 3 fumble recoveries and a pick and just a tad more offense yardage wise, though we did rack up the scoreboard on some short fields.

Just when we thought any playoff aspirations were pie in the sky, we dig out an important win against another team with such aspirations. Chae was effective (16-21-129-3-0 130.7).

Rookie Watch...

Still struggling in the running game. Bynum 0 for 8 BlOpp meant that Sams and Long struggled once more. Wingo missed a short FG but thankfully it didn't haunt us. 4 catches and no passes defensed for Wayne and Hitch0ck and Hennings had a quiet game too. Definitely some growing pains as you might expect after a fast start by our rookie class.

[davehibb]

Week 10... Hopes Dashed Again???

We haven't gone into any game this season 'expecting' to win but having beaten the Vikes once and being in the playoff hunt a win here would have been huge but karma seems to be working itself out after some early come from behind wins, we've lost 2 of our last three late from winning positions.

Not much in the way of offense again, though Sams racked up his 3rd 100yd game. Wirthel was terrible, catching 3 of 10 targets for 19yds with 2 drops.

we need a passing game from somewhere...

Rookie Watch...

Bynum and Lofton, who returned from injury, go 7 of 19 blocking wise and Sams goes for 107yds. Wayne and Hitchc0ck have no picks or passes defensed. Wingo remains reliable.

[davehibb]

Week 11... Back In Da Mix???

At last, we found a little offense! Particularly in the passing game. Our 20 something rated QB is putting up a 91.5 passer rating so far this year. Not bad considering the scrubs we have at receiver and that we haven't been able to get a consistent running game going this year.

Defense did what it does. 4 sacks and a couple of turnovers.

This win probably ruins our chances of a top 10 draft pick but we are still in the playoff mix. Though 4 of our last 6 games are on the road and we've lost Hitchc0ck for the year.

Rookie Watch...

120 total yards from 23 touches for Sams. Lofton and Bynum still struggling a little in terms of opening up some running lanes. Wingo perfect again in the kicking game. Hitchc0ck gave up 3 catches before being lost for the year but Bo Wayne got his 1st career pick. Hennings was quiet once more at NT.

[davehibb]

Week 12... We Got Our Asses Kicked!

More injuries, still no offense and for once our defense couldn't get a handle on the opposition. And the injuries are racking up now with a dozen or so guys on the injury report, a couple of them on IR and another 3 or 4 who are going to miss multiple weeks.

I think the season is just about done.

Rookie Watch..!

Nothing much to see here. Sams and Long combined for 60yds rushing off 21 carries. Wayne did recover a fumble. Lofton and Bynum are banged up and continue to struggle.

[davehibb]

Week 13... Nothing To See Here...

Literally nothing... Nothing on offense... Nothing on defense... Nothing on special teams... Dire performance all round. GG Rams.

Week 14... A Win/Win Over The Chiefs...

As we hold the Chiefs' 1st rounder in the next draft another loss here would hurt us as we have a better record than them as things stand and we managed to sneak it 17-3 as our D returned to being the Bad News Bears.

Bo Wayne had his coming out party to cap his recent improved play. An 86yd punt return TD, a fumble recovery, a pick and a pass defensed. Pity he couldn't play like that when Hitchc0ck was healthy on the other side of the field.

Rookie Watch...

Wayne had a wow of a game as mentioned above. Sams cracked 100yds and got our other TD. Wingo really is an asset with his kickoffs and nailed his FG attempt. DT Hennings had a tackle and half a sack. Lofton had a couple of KRBs but gave up a sack too.

[davehibb]

Week 15-17... Da Bears Fizzle Out...

Injuries and exceeded expectations catch up with us as we drop our last 3 games by a combined score of 37-88.

We finish 2nd in the NFC North with a 7-9 record, which is far above my 3 or 4 win projection. We still have a lot of holes to fill and it's only year 1 of the rebuild.

Rookie Review...

CBs Wayne & Hitchc0ck both performed well. I'm hoping Hitchc0ck returns unscathed from his season ending injury. He was probably in the running for DROY before he went down. Wayne took time to be productive but had a much better 2nd half of the season.

RBs Sams & Long struggled at times, as did our rookies on the OL Lofton and Bynum. Hopefully with a year of development under them, they can improve next season.

Wingo hit on 29 of 35 FGs and constantly pinned the opposition deep with kickoffs. DT Hennings finished the season with 45 total tackles, 2 sacks, 5 hurries and a return TD. Not bad but not great either.

Of our other rookies, Sosa and Logan saw very limited action and look like the scrubs we thought they were and Belzer, who also looks like a scrub, spent the year on IR. We'll see what another TC does for these guys.

[davehibb]

End of Season ratings added to 2043 rookie draft page:

http://www.fof-ffl.com/FFL/foffflco_...ll=1#post47320

[davehibb]

End Of Season Rookie Review.

1.5 CB Bo Wayne, San Jose State.

Height: 5'11" (Average)
Weight: 194lbs (Average)

Sol: 29
40 Time: 4.44
Bench: 14
Agility: 6.88
Broad Jump: 10'2"
Position Drill: 51
Dev: 26

Hibby's Guess: 65/65
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 55-60 range. DA: VG48G44. Scout: HTR
Post Draft: 26/65
Post TC: 31/62 (+5/-3)
Ex 2: 31/57 (+5/-8)
EoS: 45/55 (+19/-10)
Post TC2: 51/55 (+25/-10)

EoS: Wayne started off very slowly but he seemed to improve production wise in the 2nd half of the season when Hitchc0ck went down with injury, so hopefully that bodes well for the future. Not thrilled with his overall rating right now, especially considering he was a top 5 pick but it will be interesting to see how he develops in season 2 and whether that future rating might sneak back up a little.


1.24 CB Ian Hitchc0ck, Clemson.

Height: 5'9" (Below Average)
Weight: 185lbs (Below Average)

Sol: 40
40 Time: 4.45
Bench: 16
Agility: 7.21
Broad Jump: 9'1"
Position Drill: 52
Dev: 32

Hibby's Guess: 55/55
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 50-55 range. Scout: U
Post Draft: 26/39
Pre TC: 29/43 (+3/+4)
Ex 2: 33/49 (+7/+10)
EoS: 38/48 (+12/+9)
Post TC2: 41/48 (+15/+9)

EoS: Hitchc0ck was a revelation up until he picked up a season ending injury. We hung Wayne out on an island and gave Hitchc0ck the benefit of a lot of safety help and he really made the most of it. The fact that he's still developing and that his current and future ratings are both headed in the right direction gives me more faith in drafting masked guys and that he might hit that 55-60 range. Hopefully his injury won't stunt that development.


1.27 C Peter Bynum, Southern Illinois.

Height: 6'6" (Way Above Average)
Weight: 314lbs (Way Above Average)

Sol: 24
40 Time: 5.16
Bench: 33
Agility: 7.68
Broad Jump: 7'2"
Dev: 42

Hibby's Guess: 60/60
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 50+ range. DA: VG65G31.
Post Draft: 35/60
Post TC: 40/62 (+5/+2)
Ex 2: 41/63 (+6/+3)
EoS: 47/63 (+12/+3)
Post TC2: 53/63 (+18/+3)

EoS: Again Bynum's ratings are both headed in the right direction but we'll need far more actual production from him in season 2.


2.4 RB Eddie Sams, Washington.

Height: 5'11" (Average)
Weight: 217lbs (Average)

Sol: 18
40 Time: 4.61
Bench: 16
Agility: 7.35
Broad Jump: 10'3"
Position Drill: 26
Dev: 24

Hibby's Guess: 55/55
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 50-55. DA: VG10G85. Boomer?
Post Draft: 45/62
Post TC: 48/62 (+3/+0)
Ex 2: 47/67 (+2/+5)
EoS: 56/66 (+11/+4)
Post TC2: 59/66 (+14/+4)

EoS: Another masked guy who I'm very happy I rolled the dice on. His production wasn't fantastic but we were one dimensional on offense so teams could key on him and our O line wasn't the best. Hoping for better numbers and more of a supporting cast in season 2.


2.9 NT Keith Hennings, Notre Dame.

Height: 6'4" (Above Average)
Weight: 318lbs (Above Average)

Sol: 27
40 Time: 4.88
Bench: 28
Agility: 7.50
Broad Jump: 8'10"
Dev: 16

Hibby's Guess: 55/55
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 50-55 range. DA: 18VG59G
Post Draft: 22/57
Post TC: 26/56 (+4/-1)
Ex 2: 27/64 (+5/+7)
EoS: 32/64 (+10/+7)
Post TC2: 36/64 (+14/+7)

EoS: Hennings did okay as a rookie and should be our D line pivot for years to come. Nice positive movement in both current and future and hopefully that continues in his sophomore year.


3.7 OG Melvin Lofton, Oregon.

Height: 6'2" (Below Average)
Weight: 298lbs (Way Below Average)

Sol: 25
40 Time: 5.10
Bench: 25
Agility: 7.78
Broad Jump: 8'4"
Dev: 43

Hibby's Guess: 50/50
Misc. Draft Notes: Combine Checker: 50.
Post Draft: 25/50
Post TC: 29/49 (+4/-1)
Ex 2: 27/45 (+2/-5)
EoS: 36/45 (+11/-5)
Post TC2: 39/45 (+14/-5)

EoS: Still underwhelmed by Lofton. Hopefully we can improve the O line in coming drafts. He looks more of a reserve/swing guard than a starter. Can't help thinking we could have done better with this pick.


4.3 S Britt Kerouac, Temple.

Height: 6'0" (Average)
Weight: 206lbs (Average)

Sol: 45
40 Time: 4.64
Bench: 14
Agility: 7.23
Broad Jump: 8'3"
Position Drill: 45
Dev: 43

Hibby's Guess: 40/40
Post Draft: 11/37
Pre TC: 13/37 (+2/+0)
Ex 2: 13/35 (+2/-2)
EoS: CUT

EoS: If I felt the Lofton pick was a little wasted, this one definitely was. Dude is washing cars somewhere I think.


4.6 K Asher Wingo, Penn State.

Height: 6'1" (Above Average)
Weight: 219lbs (Way Above Average)

Sol: 24
40 Time: 4.80
Bench: 15
Agility: 7.46
Broad Jump: 9'1"
Dev: 48

Hibby's Guess: 60/60
Misc. Draft Notes: Boomer?
Post Draft: 40/58
Post TC: 43/59 (+3/+1)
Ex 2: 48/64 (+8/+6)
EoS: 65/65 (+25/+7)
Post TC2: 68/68 (+28/+10)

EoS: Wingo was one of the season's success stories. Reliable kicker and constantly pinned teams deep on kickoffs. 65/65 and the kid still has some green left.



6.3 RB Nolan Long, Notre Dame.

Height: 5'9" (Below Average)
Weight: 208lbs (Way Below Average)

Sol: 18
40 Time: 4.65
Bench: 10
Agility: 7.35
Broad Jump: 9'6"
Dev: 10


Hibby's Guess: 40/40
Misc. Draft Notes: Static bars!
Post Draft: 30/46
Post TC: 33/43 (+3/-3)
Ex 2: 30/39 (+0/-7)
EoS: 36/37 (+6/-9)
Post TC2: 36/36 (+6/-10)

EoS: The negative movement in his future rating is a little disappointing but he still proved to be a reliable backup and special teamer. Will be interesting to see how he does in TC this year.


6.4 WR Axel Logan, South Carolina.

Height: 5'8" (Short)
Weight: 187lbs (Light)

Sol: 12
40 Time: 4.46
Bench: 10
Agility: 7.18
Broad Jump: 9'2"
Dev: 24

Hibby's Guess: 35/35
Post Draft: 20/36
Post TC: 21/33 (+1/-3)
Ex 2: 20/26 (+0/-10)
EoS: 21/26 (+1/-10)

EoS: The fact Logan is still on our roster shows just how poor we are at the position. Hopefully we'll improve enough that he isn't on the roster next season.


6.20 DT Andrew Sosa, Kansas.

Height: 6'2" (Below Average)
Weight: 280lbs (Way Below Average)

Sol: 14
40 Time: 5.16
Bench: 24
Agility: 7.45
Broad Jump: 7'8"
Dev: 60

Hibby's Guess: 35/35
Post Draft: 22/36
Post TC: 24/35 (+2/-1)
Ex 2: 23/32 (+1/-4)
EoS: 23/31 (+1/-5)
Post TC2: 24/31 (+2/-5)

EoS: Sosa is roster fodder. As long as he's cheap enough he might remain but he'll be lucky to be on the roster next year I think.



7.7 OLB Cornelius Belzer, Boston College.

Height: 6'1" (Below Average)
Weight: 239lbs (Average)

Sol: 32
40 Time: 4.81
Bench: 17
Agility: 7.25
Broad Jump: 8'11"
Dev: 24

Hibby's Guess: 35/35
Post Draft: 16/42
Post TC: 19/42 (+3/+0)
Ex 2: 18/35 (+2/-7)
EoS: 18/37 (+2/-5) IR
Post TC2: 22/37 (+6/-5)

EoS: We redshirted Belzer on IR when he picked up an injury in preseason to free up a roster spot. Another guy who needs a miracle to be here next year.

[davehibb]

Da Rebuild... Phase 2!


There was a lot of asset stripping last year to not only ease the cap crunch we were in but to also give us plenty of trade stock with which to rebuild this historic franchise. The 2043 draft saw us with 12 picks and this year we had 11. Unfortunately the 2043 draft didn't offer us the opportunity to acquire a franchise QB, so we tried to go BPA in most cases and build something of an infrastructure, however this year's draft produced 3 or 4 starting quality QB's, maybe even 5? Yet we picked at 1.6... Then this happened...


Arizona sends:
1.1


Chicago sends:
1.6
2.14
3.13
4.16
2nd (2045)
4th (2045)


Now we have the pick of this year's pretty damn good QB class. The problem now is deciding who to pick...



Most draft analysts have Winston and Mariota as 1.1a & 1.1b. Each has their pros and cons:

Winston has a better skillset and combines across the board.
Winston is also 2 years younger than Mariota.
Winston is more of a pocket passer.
Winston has better sense rush.
Mariota is more mobile and able to make plays with his feet.
Mariota is also taller which counts for QBs I think. Though Winston is still 6'0".
Mariota has lower volatility.
Mariota is more careful and projects to have a maxed AI bar. Though even with his high intel score Winston still projects to have an AI bar somewhere between 65ish and 100 with that beastly Sol score.

Our scouts also have Winston as underrated and Mariota as overrated. Winston is also an affinity. Though I need to look at building affinities on the offensive side of the football.

So perhaps it's not as tough a decision as I thought... Or is it...?

[Rawrster]

I find your scouts opinions of Winston and Mariota to be quite interesting.

[davehibb]

I find your scouts opinions of Winston and Mariota to be quite interesting.

I'm not sure how well our staff's interviewing and scouting matches up but given both player's combines and where their bars are showing, I'd guess that Winston's bars are underrated and Mariota's are a little overrated.

I guess we'll wait and see though.

[davehibb]

2044 FREE AGENCY!!!

Having missed out on the Sammy Watkins sweepstakes in the first week of free agency, the Bears secured the signing of former Minnesota Vikings guard Maddox Sandhu a week later.

The Chicago front office will be hoping that the 5th year pro, who is still only 26, will bring some veteran experience and know how to the interior of the offensive line, where he joins 2nd year guys center Pete Bynum and guard Melvin Lofton, along with 3rd year pro Rod Aidoo.


#62 Maddox Sanghu is now a Bear.

Sandhu excels in the run game, which will be welcome news to Eddie Sams and Nolan Long but he's also an above average pass protector too, which will have been a consideration with the Bears expected to select either Winston or Mariota with the first overall pick in this year's draft.

There's also the fact that snagging Sandhu from a divisional rival not only weakens Minnesota but strengthens the Bears. Even if the had to pay top dollar for the player.