Brad Bigg's big bag.....of questions.
Apr 13, 2018 7:25:34 GMT -6
butkus3595, papabear7, and 1 more like this
Post by riczaj01 on Apr 13, 2018 7:25:34 GMT -6
www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-mailbag-cameron-meredith-brad-biggs-20180412-story.html
Bears Q&A: Why was Cameron Meredith allowed to leave? Where to play Cody Whitehair? Plus draft questions
By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune
4/12/17
With the Bears still flush with cap space and a lack of quality free agents left, what possible justification could there be for letting Josh Sitton go and Cameron Meredith go for nothing? Now the only good place for the Bears to replace Sitton and Meredith is to find a guard and wide receiver in the draft. Wouldn’t the bears have been way better off having Sitton and Meredith in place and using the draft to push the roster and create depth? At worst, the Bears could have kept Sitton and Meredith and have two good players on one-year deals. What a mess. — Sanjay A., Chicago
For starters, I don’t think it’s fair to lump the decisions on these two players together. They’re totally different decisions and as I have written before in the mailbag, let’s see what the Bears come up with on the offensive line to replace Sitton. The draft could bring an option that really excites fans and more importantly the coaching staff. The Bears also have an in-house option they feel relatively good about in Eric Kush. The team felt it ran the ball best in 2016 in the games that Kush started, so I’d recommend you don’t forget about him as a possibility at left guard. With Sitton moving on, I think it will allow younger players like Cody Whitehair and Charles Leno to ascend into leadership roles in that position room, and that’s a factor that should not be overlooked. Let’s also remember the Bears won eight regular-season games in the two seasons Sitton was on the team. A new coaching staff is going to turn over the roster, and the Bears have done some of that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Sitton is still a good player, but he’s on the back nine of his career and I think it makes sense to seek a younger option as you look to establish a foundation moving forward. The Meredith situation is different. It involved less money and it also involved a player coming off an injury. If the Bears made an error in this scenario, it was going with the low tender of $1.9 million, which offered them no compensation because Meredith was undrafted. If they weren’t going to pay him $2.9 million for the second-round tender, it’s not a surprise to me that they opted not to pony up $5.4 million guaranteed in a two-year deal. Many folks thought the low tender was part of a master plan to allow another team to negotiate a multiyear contract that the Bears would then gladly match. As I wrote, that was not a strategy that was used by the Bears in this instance and now Meredith is a member of the Saints.
Do you think that there is any possibility that the Bears could bring back Lamarr Houston? With the team needing depth at the position they could certainly use a player familiar with Vic Fangio's scheme who would come at a smaller price tag. — Nick S., Parts Unknown
I wouldn’t rule out a potential return by Houston, but I think the Bears have probably replaced him by signing Aaron Lynch. Remember, they also brought back Sam Acho and have a few young players in the mix like Isaiah Irving and Howard Jones. Houston has familiarity with the scheme and is a good fit in the locker room, but I have to imagine the Bears are more interested in seeking players via the draft right now. It’s gotten to the point in the offseason where free agency is pretty much on hold as teams wait to see what the draft will bring them. Then, there is what amounts to a slow-paced third wave of free agency after the draft as teams seek to plug holes here and there. It’s worth remembering that occasionally veterans are released after the draft as players become expendable when teams feel like they’ve been replaced via the draft. So it’s possible a player becomes available in May that the Bears want to consider. But let’s be realistic. No high-quality pass rushers are going to suddenly be cut.
The Bears are on the clock at No. 8, the time is counting down and the jury is arguably still out on whether Mitch Trubisky is going to be their next franchise QB. They really, really want him to be exactly that, but results so far, while encouraging, are far from conclusive. Baker Mayfield is still on the board. Does Ryan Pace take 10 seconds to consider a future in which Mayfield is a perennial All-Pro for another team and Trubisky never quite gets there? Quarterback is by far the most important position on the team. Why not create a real competition for starter while you have the chance and let the best man win? — Mike M., Chicago
Zero seconds will be devoted to considering a quarterback with the first-round pick. The Bears are totally committed to building around Trubisky, and while you raise some fair points that we don’t know yet if he’s truly going to become the long-term answer at a position where the franchise has lacked elite play, they’re not about to use that kind of draft capital on another quarterback. Pace, coach Matt Nagy and everyone who has any power inside Halas Hall are all-in when it comes to Trubisky.
If Ronald Jones is available at No. 39, chances the Bears draft him and trade Jordan Howard? If not Jones, who do the Bears covet the most at 39? — @ridiculousbrad
I like Jones a lot. The USC running back has been compared to Jamaal Charles by some and he could be a really nice back in the NFL. Will the Bears consider a running back in the draft? I wouldn’t rule out that possibility, but that also might be something they consider more strongly in 2019. Even if the Bears drafted a running back, I don’t know if the next move would be trading Howard. For starters, how many teams would be in the market to trade for a running back after the draft when depth charts are pretty set? Running backs are replaceable parts in most offenses and Howard would probably have more value to the Bears on their roster than he would in trade. In an ideal situation, the Bears find a way to add a pass rusher with some traits and upside in the first two rounds of the draft, especially considering they do not own a third-round pick right now.
Because I want to see him succeed, I think the decision to not match on Cameron Meredith means that Matt Nagy is high on Kevin White for a big season. If not, what other options remain in free agency? Or what round do you think Bears draft a wide receiver? — @louie101
I struggle with the concept that White’s status on the roster factored much, if at all, in the thought process with Meredith. White is in the mix, but his durability issues the last three seasons make it impossible for the Bears to count on him for anything. If he’s healthy, he will certainly have an opportunity to produce in the offense. I wouldn’t look at options via free agency right now with Meredith gone. I would focus on the middle rounds of the draft where the Bears can add a wide receiver if they see one they like. I think it makes sense to get a young wide receiver on the depth chart, and I bet the Bears would have sought to draft one even if they had retained Meredith.
Can losing Cameron Meredith when he could have been secured with a second-round tender be seen as anything short of a major error in judgment? I understand he is coming off of an injury and the Bears just spent money on two new receivers and a tight end, but there is no guarantee Kevin White will even make it through a season let alone be a contributor, and a new draft pick typically takes at least a year to develop. Ryan Pace's whole mantra is to develop players from within and Meredith was a prime example of this. It feels like he was lost because the Bears took the cheap road instead of the smart road, but I would love your insight into the decision. — David S., Parts Unknown
I agree that Pace has talked about building a foundation with homegrown players. That’s the goal of every organization. What sets this situation apart is the medical factor. Had Meredith been healthy this past year, I imagine the Bears would have worked to sign him to a multiyear contract or at the minimum placed the second-round tender on him. Ultimately, the Bears have to trust the medical information they receive from the doctors they employ. As I wrote when Meredith went on his first visits, the Bears need more players like Meredith. They need more undrafted free-agent finds. Meredith developed nicely for them. It’s about time to add some more quality undrafted players, a scramble that happens after the draft.
Considering the Bears’ roster needs, do you think there is a player in this draft worth drafting at No. 8? If they found a trading partner to trade back with and got market value for the pick? — @andrewneedling
Absolutely there will be a player worth taking at No. 8. I think the Bears can get a really good player right there. If they get a very attractive trade-down option, they will have to consider it. But the Bears will be ready to roll at No. 8.
Which, if any, current Bears are you expecting to get an extension before the season starts? Eddie Goldman and Adrian Amos come to mind, but I know they also have a handful of 2016 draftees that may be costly. — @moebigs
Goldman strikes me as the top candidate on the roster for the next extension. Sometimes those happen late in training camp or just before the season starts. Keep in mind that negotiations for these extensions are a two-way street and Goldman could look at the allure of free agency.
Who are some of the potential wide receivers that the Bears can sign now that they have decided not to sign Cameron Meredith? — @occamsdragon
I think they look to fortify the depth chart via the draft first. It would make a lot of sense to get a receiver the team believes has upside in the position room with some of the players that they have brought in through free agency. Build through the draft.
I keep seeing reports of predraft visits that the Bears are holding with certain players. They only get 30 of them, so I have to imagine there is serious interest on Ryan Pace’s part in the players they are bringing in for a closer look. That said, Pace likes to play the deception game with the draft. How much stock do you put in these predraft visits in terms of whether the Bears are actually targeting these players? Has there been a correlation between predraft visits and draft picks in the Pace era? — Matt M., St. Louis
Teams don’t schedule visits with players to occupy their time in the weeks leading up to the draft. Different clubs have different philosophies. Sometimes you want to bring a player in to get a little closer look at a medical situation. Sometimes you want to get a better handle on a player’s character. Sometimes you want to get a better understanding of a guy’s football intellect. The Bears have been busy visiting with some players that will be candidates for the first-round pick at No. 8, and I think they’re probably also reserving some visits for guys that are intriguing to them later on down the line. Often times, clubs will reserve a number of visits for players they peg as late-round options or priority free agents. They use the visit as a recruiting pitch to enhance their chance of signing the guy if he winds up going undrafted.
How do you think players like Ben Braunecker and Tanner Gentry fit into Coach Nagy’s system? — @rola_sanc
Braunecker figures to be in a competition with Daniel Brown for a spot as a fourth tight end on the roster. Special teams ability would factor in a decision on that. Gentry has a chance to compete for a spot. He needs to improve his route running. He’s a little stiff in the hips. He will certainly have competition for a job.
Ryan Pace has displayed a peculiar propensity for relinquishing starter-level players before he has their replacements firmly in place — think Brandon Marshall, Robbie Gould, Josh Sitton and now Cameron Meredith. It has the cumulative effect of making the Bears appear like they're always scrambling to fill roster holes they themselves create. Is this just par for the course for a rebuilding team or is this a real shortcoming for the young GM? — David D., Rogers Park
All of these moves were made with different motivations in mind and in the case of Gould, there is no question Pace made an error. I think he would admit that. Meredith would have been a complementary player in this offense. A lot has been made about this and if he produces in New Orleans, certainly it could look like a mistake. Let’s see how coach Matt Nagy and his staff work to replace Meredith in the offense. I don’t think the Bears appear to be scrambling right now as they seek a left guard and another wide receiver. You’re constantly working on roster composition. That’s a constant whether a team is winning, losing or spinning its wheels.
Although we don’t know what Matt Nagy’s offense is going to look like in Chicago, we can get some hints about what it could be like by looking at Kansas City and Philadelphia’s offenses from a year ago. If you look at who got the pass targets on each of those teams, one thing stands out: the No. 1 tight end is more targeted in those offenses than the No. 2 wide receiver. In Kansas City, the most passes went to TE Travis Kelce (122), WR Tyreek Hill (105), RB Kareem Hunt (63) and WR Albert Wilson (62). In Philadelphia, the most passes went to WR Alshon Jeffrey (120), TE Zach Ertz (110), WR Nelson Agholor (95) and WR Torrey Smith (67). The Bears spent big money this offseason on their No. 1 WR (Allen Robinson) and their U-Tight End (Trey Burton). Those two players are probably going to be targeted the most in Nagy’s offense, to the tune of about 100 targets each. The third-most targeted player on the Bears this year will probably get between 60 and 90 targets and the fourth most may get 40 to 60 targets. The Bears already have a running back who got a lot of pass targets last year (Tarik Cohen with 71) and I don’t see them decreasing his pass targets this upcoming season. They also signed another WR (Taylor Gabriel) who had 72 targets last year in Atlanta and has averaged 55 targets a year for his career. Could part of this decision to not match the contract for Cameron Meredith be based on the thought that there won’t be enough passes to go around in this offense to justify $5 million per year for what very well may be the fifth-most targeted player in the passing offense? — Tony P., Pasadena, Calif.
You’re on the right path. It was largely a medical decision, but there’s no question the Bears took a close look at the scheme, the personnel and asked themselves what role a healthy Meredith would have in their system. The significance of the tight end in the scheme is why I figured they would be a leading candidate to sign Burton in free agency and I think people have to trust Nagy and his staff to replace Meredith in the offense.
**I highlight this b/c I've been saying it for mo's and people(not just here but on radio/twitter) insisted that Cam would have a larger role in this O, it was never the case.**
What positions do you see as the weakest in the draft? I see OLB as the thinnest as far as top-line talent. — @felicellijoe
I would agree that pass rusher is probably the thinnest position in this draft. There is also a lack of first-round-grade wide receivers.
Have the Bears ever been asked if Kevin White is the same athlete he was prior to having a metal rod put in his leg? He didn't look fast or explosive at all before last year's shoulder injury. If that's gone, it doesn't matter if he's “healthy.” — @ted_captain
The Bears have said that they believe White is the same athletically as he was when they selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2015. We certainly don’t have a lot of material to judge when it comes to his performance. I think he needs to improve his route-running skills to look faster and more athletic.
Hear any rumors on what the Ravens and Colts thought of Cameron Meredith’s knee? Did they make offers as well? — @_D_R_R_
Baltimore was involved in bidding for Meredith’s services. Indianapolis did not present an offer sheet to him.
bmbiggs@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @bradbiggs
I only kept the best questions and cut out the ones that were turrible, or he flat didn't answer(ya it happened).
Bears Q&A: Why was Cameron Meredith allowed to leave? Where to play Cody Whitehair? Plus draft questions
By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune
4/12/17
With the Bears still flush with cap space and a lack of quality free agents left, what possible justification could there be for letting Josh Sitton go and Cameron Meredith go for nothing? Now the only good place for the Bears to replace Sitton and Meredith is to find a guard and wide receiver in the draft. Wouldn’t the bears have been way better off having Sitton and Meredith in place and using the draft to push the roster and create depth? At worst, the Bears could have kept Sitton and Meredith and have two good players on one-year deals. What a mess. — Sanjay A., Chicago
For starters, I don’t think it’s fair to lump the decisions on these two players together. They’re totally different decisions and as I have written before in the mailbag, let’s see what the Bears come up with on the offensive line to replace Sitton. The draft could bring an option that really excites fans and more importantly the coaching staff. The Bears also have an in-house option they feel relatively good about in Eric Kush. The team felt it ran the ball best in 2016 in the games that Kush started, so I’d recommend you don’t forget about him as a possibility at left guard. With Sitton moving on, I think it will allow younger players like Cody Whitehair and Charles Leno to ascend into leadership roles in that position room, and that’s a factor that should not be overlooked. Let’s also remember the Bears won eight regular-season games in the two seasons Sitton was on the team. A new coaching staff is going to turn over the roster, and the Bears have done some of that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Sitton is still a good player, but he’s on the back nine of his career and I think it makes sense to seek a younger option as you look to establish a foundation moving forward. The Meredith situation is different. It involved less money and it also involved a player coming off an injury. If the Bears made an error in this scenario, it was going with the low tender of $1.9 million, which offered them no compensation because Meredith was undrafted. If they weren’t going to pay him $2.9 million for the second-round tender, it’s not a surprise to me that they opted not to pony up $5.4 million guaranteed in a two-year deal. Many folks thought the low tender was part of a master plan to allow another team to negotiate a multiyear contract that the Bears would then gladly match. As I wrote, that was not a strategy that was used by the Bears in this instance and now Meredith is a member of the Saints.
Do you think that there is any possibility that the Bears could bring back Lamarr Houston? With the team needing depth at the position they could certainly use a player familiar with Vic Fangio's scheme who would come at a smaller price tag. — Nick S., Parts Unknown
I wouldn’t rule out a potential return by Houston, but I think the Bears have probably replaced him by signing Aaron Lynch. Remember, they also brought back Sam Acho and have a few young players in the mix like Isaiah Irving and Howard Jones. Houston has familiarity with the scheme and is a good fit in the locker room, but I have to imagine the Bears are more interested in seeking players via the draft right now. It’s gotten to the point in the offseason where free agency is pretty much on hold as teams wait to see what the draft will bring them. Then, there is what amounts to a slow-paced third wave of free agency after the draft as teams seek to plug holes here and there. It’s worth remembering that occasionally veterans are released after the draft as players become expendable when teams feel like they’ve been replaced via the draft. So it’s possible a player becomes available in May that the Bears want to consider. But let’s be realistic. No high-quality pass rushers are going to suddenly be cut.
The Bears are on the clock at No. 8, the time is counting down and the jury is arguably still out on whether Mitch Trubisky is going to be their next franchise QB. They really, really want him to be exactly that, but results so far, while encouraging, are far from conclusive. Baker Mayfield is still on the board. Does Ryan Pace take 10 seconds to consider a future in which Mayfield is a perennial All-Pro for another team and Trubisky never quite gets there? Quarterback is by far the most important position on the team. Why not create a real competition for starter while you have the chance and let the best man win? — Mike M., Chicago
Zero seconds will be devoted to considering a quarterback with the first-round pick. The Bears are totally committed to building around Trubisky, and while you raise some fair points that we don’t know yet if he’s truly going to become the long-term answer at a position where the franchise has lacked elite play, they’re not about to use that kind of draft capital on another quarterback. Pace, coach Matt Nagy and everyone who has any power inside Halas Hall are all-in when it comes to Trubisky.
If Ronald Jones is available at No. 39, chances the Bears draft him and trade Jordan Howard? If not Jones, who do the Bears covet the most at 39? — @ridiculousbrad
I like Jones a lot. The USC running back has been compared to Jamaal Charles by some and he could be a really nice back in the NFL. Will the Bears consider a running back in the draft? I wouldn’t rule out that possibility, but that also might be something they consider more strongly in 2019. Even if the Bears drafted a running back, I don’t know if the next move would be trading Howard. For starters, how many teams would be in the market to trade for a running back after the draft when depth charts are pretty set? Running backs are replaceable parts in most offenses and Howard would probably have more value to the Bears on their roster than he would in trade. In an ideal situation, the Bears find a way to add a pass rusher with some traits and upside in the first two rounds of the draft, especially considering they do not own a third-round pick right now.
Because I want to see him succeed, I think the decision to not match on Cameron Meredith means that Matt Nagy is high on Kevin White for a big season. If not, what other options remain in free agency? Or what round do you think Bears draft a wide receiver? — @louie101
I struggle with the concept that White’s status on the roster factored much, if at all, in the thought process with Meredith. White is in the mix, but his durability issues the last three seasons make it impossible for the Bears to count on him for anything. If he’s healthy, he will certainly have an opportunity to produce in the offense. I wouldn’t look at options via free agency right now with Meredith gone. I would focus on the middle rounds of the draft where the Bears can add a wide receiver if they see one they like. I think it makes sense to get a young wide receiver on the depth chart, and I bet the Bears would have sought to draft one even if they had retained Meredith.
Can losing Cameron Meredith when he could have been secured with a second-round tender be seen as anything short of a major error in judgment? I understand he is coming off of an injury and the Bears just spent money on two new receivers and a tight end, but there is no guarantee Kevin White will even make it through a season let alone be a contributor, and a new draft pick typically takes at least a year to develop. Ryan Pace's whole mantra is to develop players from within and Meredith was a prime example of this. It feels like he was lost because the Bears took the cheap road instead of the smart road, but I would love your insight into the decision. — David S., Parts Unknown
I agree that Pace has talked about building a foundation with homegrown players. That’s the goal of every organization. What sets this situation apart is the medical factor. Had Meredith been healthy this past year, I imagine the Bears would have worked to sign him to a multiyear contract or at the minimum placed the second-round tender on him. Ultimately, the Bears have to trust the medical information they receive from the doctors they employ. As I wrote when Meredith went on his first visits, the Bears need more players like Meredith. They need more undrafted free-agent finds. Meredith developed nicely for them. It’s about time to add some more quality undrafted players, a scramble that happens after the draft.
Considering the Bears’ roster needs, do you think there is a player in this draft worth drafting at No. 8? If they found a trading partner to trade back with and got market value for the pick? — @andrewneedling
Absolutely there will be a player worth taking at No. 8. I think the Bears can get a really good player right there. If they get a very attractive trade-down option, they will have to consider it. But the Bears will be ready to roll at No. 8.
Which, if any, current Bears are you expecting to get an extension before the season starts? Eddie Goldman and Adrian Amos come to mind, but I know they also have a handful of 2016 draftees that may be costly. — @moebigs
Goldman strikes me as the top candidate on the roster for the next extension. Sometimes those happen late in training camp or just before the season starts. Keep in mind that negotiations for these extensions are a two-way street and Goldman could look at the allure of free agency.
Who are some of the potential wide receivers that the Bears can sign now that they have decided not to sign Cameron Meredith? — @occamsdragon
I think they look to fortify the depth chart via the draft first. It would make a lot of sense to get a receiver the team believes has upside in the position room with some of the players that they have brought in through free agency. Build through the draft.
I keep seeing reports of predraft visits that the Bears are holding with certain players. They only get 30 of them, so I have to imagine there is serious interest on Ryan Pace’s part in the players they are bringing in for a closer look. That said, Pace likes to play the deception game with the draft. How much stock do you put in these predraft visits in terms of whether the Bears are actually targeting these players? Has there been a correlation between predraft visits and draft picks in the Pace era? — Matt M., St. Louis
Teams don’t schedule visits with players to occupy their time in the weeks leading up to the draft. Different clubs have different philosophies. Sometimes you want to bring a player in to get a little closer look at a medical situation. Sometimes you want to get a better handle on a player’s character. Sometimes you want to get a better understanding of a guy’s football intellect. The Bears have been busy visiting with some players that will be candidates for the first-round pick at No. 8, and I think they’re probably also reserving some visits for guys that are intriguing to them later on down the line. Often times, clubs will reserve a number of visits for players they peg as late-round options or priority free agents. They use the visit as a recruiting pitch to enhance their chance of signing the guy if he winds up going undrafted.
How do you think players like Ben Braunecker and Tanner Gentry fit into Coach Nagy’s system? — @rola_sanc
Braunecker figures to be in a competition with Daniel Brown for a spot as a fourth tight end on the roster. Special teams ability would factor in a decision on that. Gentry has a chance to compete for a spot. He needs to improve his route running. He’s a little stiff in the hips. He will certainly have competition for a job.
Ryan Pace has displayed a peculiar propensity for relinquishing starter-level players before he has their replacements firmly in place — think Brandon Marshall, Robbie Gould, Josh Sitton and now Cameron Meredith. It has the cumulative effect of making the Bears appear like they're always scrambling to fill roster holes they themselves create. Is this just par for the course for a rebuilding team or is this a real shortcoming for the young GM? — David D., Rogers Park
All of these moves were made with different motivations in mind and in the case of Gould, there is no question Pace made an error. I think he would admit that. Meredith would have been a complementary player in this offense. A lot has been made about this and if he produces in New Orleans, certainly it could look like a mistake. Let’s see how coach Matt Nagy and his staff work to replace Meredith in the offense. I don’t think the Bears appear to be scrambling right now as they seek a left guard and another wide receiver. You’re constantly working on roster composition. That’s a constant whether a team is winning, losing or spinning its wheels.
Although we don’t know what Matt Nagy’s offense is going to look like in Chicago, we can get some hints about what it could be like by looking at Kansas City and Philadelphia’s offenses from a year ago. If you look at who got the pass targets on each of those teams, one thing stands out: the No. 1 tight end is more targeted in those offenses than the No. 2 wide receiver. In Kansas City, the most passes went to TE Travis Kelce (122), WR Tyreek Hill (105), RB Kareem Hunt (63) and WR Albert Wilson (62). In Philadelphia, the most passes went to WR Alshon Jeffrey (120), TE Zach Ertz (110), WR Nelson Agholor (95) and WR Torrey Smith (67). The Bears spent big money this offseason on their No. 1 WR (Allen Robinson) and their U-Tight End (Trey Burton). Those two players are probably going to be targeted the most in Nagy’s offense, to the tune of about 100 targets each. The third-most targeted player on the Bears this year will probably get between 60 and 90 targets and the fourth most may get 40 to 60 targets. The Bears already have a running back who got a lot of pass targets last year (Tarik Cohen with 71) and I don’t see them decreasing his pass targets this upcoming season. They also signed another WR (Taylor Gabriel) who had 72 targets last year in Atlanta and has averaged 55 targets a year for his career. Could part of this decision to not match the contract for Cameron Meredith be based on the thought that there won’t be enough passes to go around in this offense to justify $5 million per year for what very well may be the fifth-most targeted player in the passing offense? — Tony P., Pasadena, Calif.
You’re on the right path. It was largely a medical decision, but there’s no question the Bears took a close look at the scheme, the personnel and asked themselves what role a healthy Meredith would have in their system. The significance of the tight end in the scheme is why I figured they would be a leading candidate to sign Burton in free agency and I think people have to trust Nagy and his staff to replace Meredith in the offense.
**I highlight this b/c I've been saying it for mo's and people(not just here but on radio/twitter) insisted that Cam would have a larger role in this O, it was never the case.**
What positions do you see as the weakest in the draft? I see OLB as the thinnest as far as top-line talent. — @felicellijoe
I would agree that pass rusher is probably the thinnest position in this draft. There is also a lack of first-round-grade wide receivers.
Have the Bears ever been asked if Kevin White is the same athlete he was prior to having a metal rod put in his leg? He didn't look fast or explosive at all before last year's shoulder injury. If that's gone, it doesn't matter if he's “healthy.” — @ted_captain
The Bears have said that they believe White is the same athletically as he was when they selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2015. We certainly don’t have a lot of material to judge when it comes to his performance. I think he needs to improve his route-running skills to look faster and more athletic.
Hear any rumors on what the Ravens and Colts thought of Cameron Meredith’s knee? Did they make offers as well? — @_D_R_R_
Baltimore was involved in bidding for Meredith’s services. Indianapolis did not present an offer sheet to him.
bmbiggs@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @bradbiggs
I only kept the best questions and cut out the ones that were turrible, or he flat didn't answer(ya it happened).