2 starting level and one just slightly below starting level who can fill in at all three positions. I assume one will come from the draft, and there are guys who can play MLB from day 1 (if Tucker's MLB is more traditional than Lovie's). That leaves two spots that you have to be certain can start for you on opening day. Who do you have?

Darryl Smith sounds like the most obvious transition guy. He played for Tucker so he knows the system. He is coming off an injury so he should be affordable. I have a feeling the other guy is going to be Michael Boley who played for the Giants last year

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I dont understand letting Nick Roach go

They must have looked at the tape and come to the conclusion that he really isn't that good.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I guess so.

He seemed pretty solid to me.

Darryl Smith will definitely be someone they bring in.

Roach was just a guy. They can find someone else as good if not better.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Well, somebody on that defense must have been doing some pretty good things.

I would HOPE Emery & crew have a more educated evaluation than we do though.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Chris Zorich

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GD when can we expect to get some of your sleeper picks/can't miss guys for the draft?

I don't even remember guys from the past. I know that LB from Nebraska who started for the Bucs all last year after getting drafted in the second was my guy.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

La Garrette Blount was your guy

You've had a lot of guys. I remember them after the season starts. Every year it seems your guys are home runs. At the very least for a couple years. I know Jamaal Charles was your guy and I believe Chris Johnson was another.

Face it guys, the plan is to draft Teo.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

They need more than 3 LBs. The Bears still need offensive guards, a backup QB considering Jason Campbell only signed a 1 year deal as an unrestricted free agent, cornerbacks & maybe even another receiver. They also don't have a lot of $$$$ to play with either, even with Brian Urlacher leaving.

The two physical freak guys that jump out at me are OT Armstrong from some small school and LB Zavier Goodson from Missouri. I like Armstrong a lot and would be happy to have him in the second. Goodson may just be a workout warrior so I wouldn't want him any earlier than 5th.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Bears should have kept Roach. They'll sign Smith & move Shay Mac to LB. Dansby might get a look too.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Who was the 4th Bears LB last season? I thought he was supposed to be good.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Geno Hayes. He was kind of like Roach where he was good enough to push for a starting position but if he ever won the starting position you would be looking to upgrade from him. He signed somewhere else. Not a huge loss but he needs to be replaced as the bears have nothing other than Briggs.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I heard the guys at SiriusXM Moving the Chains raving about the MLB from NC.

The good thing about non rush LB in general and specifically MLB is that their value has plunged the last few years and you can get really good ones well into and after the 2nd.

The Bears may need to change the way they look at the position and instead of having a guy like Urlacher in for 3 downs, bring in a dime package in passing situations. If you do that, a guy like Alabama LB Nico Johnson would fit as a two down MLB who you can get in the 4th round.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

If Dom DeCicco put on another 10-15 lbs. I think he'd be OK. 6-4 listed at 230, ran a 4.6 40.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

#Bears have agreed to terms with LB James Anderson on one-year deal. He spent last 7 seasons with Carolina Panthers.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Strictly a depth move I have to think. Makes sense as a backup at WLB. Too small to hold up the point at SLB assuming the system remains somewhat similar, which might be a bad assumption. A little small for linebacker and not really a pass rusher, which worries me at 30 years old, since speed is the first thing to go, but as a fourth linebacker you can get away with that. Still decent in coverage for a linebacker.

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Fire Phil Emery

@BradBiggs
#Bears project to have DJ Williams at MLB and James Anderson at SLB alongside Lance Briggs at WLB. We'll see what draft brings.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

My guess is he is the starting SLB. Played there for 7 years. Probably still drafting a mike in round 1 or 2 to develop and have long term.



If DJ stops doing what he does off the field, this could be a good unit in 2013. Better than if they had 54, IMO.

Then this system is about to look very different from years past.

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Fire Phil Emery

At least they kept the average age of the lb unit at 31 to keep one thing the same.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Shea

Have to give them credit. I think the Anderson+Williams is an overall upgrade.

Both these guys can make every tackle. Something the Raiders will find out Nick Roach isnt that great at.

Kudos to Phil Emery for having a plan and not letting his coaches determine who he is selecting.

Also, doesnt put pressure on for a must LB in the first round.

Somewhere in this draft they draft a burner. Not the cheech and chong type either.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

There is still pressure to take a LB in one of the first two rounds, IMO.

I like the lb unit better than last year, Nick Roach was too pricey to keep.

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