Mar 9, 2021
NFL Draft Bible s mock draft on FanNation this week did more than turn a few heads.
It caused some really sore necks. A few eyeballs had to be put back into their sockets, as well.
This was a attention-grabber as Roy Countryman detailed a seven-round mock draft involving trades and the real eye openers were deals involving quarterbacks. The Bears were involved in this.
The NFL Draft Bible mock couldn t get Deshaun Watson to the Bears. He went, instead, to Carolina in a multiplayer deal. They didn t get Sam Darnold, who was shipped by the Jets to the 49ers for a swap of first-round positions and a fifth-round pick.
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When March 17 arrives and the new league year officially begins, teams across the league will be able to add an influx of talent to their roster.
As General Manager George Paton enters his first free-agency period, the Broncos could choose to add to their roster in several key areas. Over the coming days, we ll evaluate some of the top options who are poised to enter the open market.
We now move over to the defensive side of the ball to evaluate the top options on the defensive line.
WHO S AVAILABLE?
NT Dalvin Tomlinson, DE Shelby Harris, DE Denico Autry, NT DaQuan Jones, NT Larry Ogunjobi, NT Ndamukong Suh, NT Sheldon Rankins, DE Derek Wolfe, DT Kawann Short, DE Roy Robertson-Harris, DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
Giants news, 3/9: Eli Manning, Dalvin Tomlinson, Kyle Pitts, more headlines
New York Giants news for Tuesday
NT | 27 years old
The belief is the Giants will re-sign or tag (again) emerging star Leonard Williams, leaving his 27-year-old teammate Tomlinson who has started every game since New York drafted him in the second round in 2017 as a premier player in the UFA market (assuming he doesn’t get tagged himself). The 2021 draft class is considered very weak for defensive tackles, which could recession-proof the FA interior group to a degree even in the second wave, where the likes of Denver’s Shelby Harris, Tennessee’s DaQuan Jones, Chicago’s Roy Robertson-Harris, Cleveland’s Larry Ogunjobi and New England’s Adam Butler should do well.
WHO’S UNDER CONTRACT?
Akiem Hicks has been a standout defender for the Bears since 2016. After an injury-shortened 2019 season, Hicks came through to play all but one game in 2020. The results were mixed, as Hicks collected just 3.5 sacks, but his 21 quarterback hits were a team-best. Near-misses at the quarterback can be annoying to watch. But just imagine how the QB feels when he’s getting smashed by the 6-4, 352-pound Hicks. Those hits add up over time.
Bilal Nichols has been a heckuva draft gem for Bears scouts. The 24-year-old Delaware product collected a career-best 5 sacks, tacked on 7 tackles-for-loss, and posted 13 quarterback hits. In a different time, I’d be banging the drum pitching a Nichols extension. But it’s tough to drill that when there is (1) already so much money spent on defense and (2) uncertainty about how to go about fixing the offense. Perhaps that’s a bridge we’ll cross later in the offseason.