Can we get better, probably. Is he good enough, you bet.
We can do better but the question is how better? The problem I think I have read about Leno (Please correct me if I am wrong) is that he is not a power rusher type RT. Therefore he would be weak as a swing tackle. I really like Cam Robinson out of Alabama but we would have to use our first rounder on him. He has slid in some mocks and is currently pegged at between 7-10th in the draft, but who knows.
100% agree with that. We shouldn't settle less than anything above average.
Hell I think that the LT has to be ur best O-lineman ( if you expect to have a good 0 ) . It's the 1st position I'd draft for if I was a GM .
Drafting a great LT is almost as pricey, draft-wise, as drafting a great franchise QB. Sure, you can sometimes get a great one in later rounds. But often you need to pony up a bigboy draft pick. Just this last draft, 4 tackles went in the first 16 picks of the draft. To put that into perspective, only 2 QBs went in that same span.
Sometimes the top LT in a draft has been the #1 pick of the entire draft class - not a QB.
Leno is pretty decent for a 7th round draft pick.
If you had the choice between upgrading Leno with a top pick - or - drafting our franchise QB for the post-Cutler era, who do you pick?
Hell I think that the LT has to be ur best O-lineman ( if you expect to have a good 0 ) . It's the 1st position I'd draft for if I was a GM .
Drafting a great LT is almost as pricey, draft-wise, as drafting a great franchise QB. Sure, you can sometimes get a great one in later rounds. But often you need to pony up a bigboy draft pick. Just this last draft, 4 tackles went in the first 16 picks of the draft. To put that into perspective, only 2 QBs went in that same span.
Sometimes the top LT in a draft has been the #1 pick of the entire draft class - not a QB.
Leno is pretty decent for a 7th round draft pick.
If you had the choice between upgrading Leno with a top pick - or - drafting our franchise QB for the post-Cutler era, who do you pick?
You take the QB and Keep the eyes open for a better LT than Leno
Drafting a great LT is almost as pricey, draft-wise, as drafting a great franchise QB. Sure, you can sometimes get a great one in later rounds. But often you need to pony up a bigboy draft pick. Just this last draft, 4 tackles went in the first 16 picks of the draft. To put that into perspective, only 2 QBs went in that same span.
Sometimes the top LT in a draft has been the #1 pick of the entire draft class - not a QB.
Leno is pretty decent for a 7th round draft pick.
If you had the choice between upgrading Leno with a top pick - or - drafting our franchise QB for the post-Cutler era, who do you pick?
You take the QB and Keep the eyes open for a better LT than Leno
+1 That's my thinking too. And frankly, we should always be looking to upgrade all positions all the time - but if we have a choice between franchise QB of the future, versus an LT, I say grab the QB when you can. But obviously they need to get it right with the QB. Don't draft any just any QB. This is where the burden of responsibility is on the scouting department and Pace. This is what they get paid for. To judge talent well. I would love to see them hit a grand slam home run & draft a stellar young QB who can anchor our offense for the next decade or so. Granted, that is easier said than done. But one can hope. Just like the Cubs eventually got it right and won a World Series... hey, maybe we can finally draft a great QB for the Bears.
Ever since he stopped making poor decisions, like wearing elbow length short sleeve t shirts under his jerseys. THAT was a terrible faux pas.
I think Leno is a short term lng term solution. Like, he is okay now, and will be okay until the middle of his extension, then he will be awful. Keep in mind I am basing this solely off of Chicago Bears' fan pessimism.
LOL It gets to you after awhile doesn't it.
In a zone type blocking scheme a guy like Leno can do OK. He was always a decent pass blocker even as a rookie but not much of a run blocker. In a power scheme he'd struggle even more than he does in run blocking but he has improved in that respect.
Not many teams have All Pro LTs who excel at both. I think Leno fits in with that second tier bunch you can get by with until a better LT either somehow drops in your lap or you can develop one. For a 7th round pick he's a pretty high value player.
