Chicago Bears “Rising Stars”

OL KYLE LONG 

With the 20th pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft the Chicago Bears made people scratch their heads when the selected offensive linemen Kyle Long from Oregon. Now the Bears general manager Phil Emery has been known to go outside the box and shock people with his early draft picks, as he did last year by taking Shea McClellin with his first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Emery stuck to his routine when former NFL great Howie Long’s son was taken much earlier then pro scouts anticipated he would be selected. The 6’6 313 pound linemen has the pedigree and size to be a first round draft pick, but only started in four games in his collegiate career, which made him a stretch when the Bears selected him so early. Long originally went to Oregon to be a pitcher for the baseball team, and was a quarterback in high school.

As we are now preparing for the 3rd game of the preseason Kyle Long has people in Chicago very excited. Long has won the starting position at right guard, and shined in the Bears 2nd preseason game against the San Diego Chargers. Kyle Long dominated as he showed great quickness, strength, ability to get to the next level, and a great amount of nasty in his game.(Which the Bears offensive line has been missing since Olin Kreutz retired)  Footballfocus.com gave Kyle Long a +5.7 for the game, which for a lineman is fantastic. Matt Forte scored a touchdown when the Bears ran the ball right up Long’s butt, and converted 66% of their 3rd downs with Long in the game. Now I know its only preseason and Long has played in just 2 games in his NFL career, but I believe that Kyle Long will be a Bear for a very long time as he learns the game his Rookie year. Look for Long to be one of the centerpieces of the Bears line for years to come.

On a side note the thing that many pro scouts used against Long was the fact that he played in only 4 games ever for Oregon, which made him a stretch at 1st round. I believe that because Long is ahead of schedule with learning the position in the NFL, playing in only 4 games benefits Long dramatically. His body is fresh because he didn’t have the typical wear and tear that the typical college linemen has to go through. Phil Emery may have looked foolish on draft day, but by seasons end he could look like a genius, only time can tell.

NFL 2013 Breakout Offense

With preseason nearing dress rehearsals in Week 3, The Big Guy takes a look at potential breakout offensive players in 2013. These players showed signs of promise in 2012 or enter their rookie seasons in a particularly promising position to demonstrate their abilities. Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments.

Quarterback: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

The first pick of the 2005 draft looked like he had developed into a reliable mid-level starter in 2011, throwing for 17 touchdowns and five interceptions in a 13-3 season. In his two playoff games he produced six touchdowns without a turnover. Things were going well in 2012 until a concussion knocked him out of the starting role that backup Colin Kaepernick would never relinquish. Now a Chief, Smith is a perfect fit for Andy Reid’s West Coast offense. According to CBS Sports, Reid made multiple attempts to acquire Smith when Reid was in Philadelphia. Barring injury, Kansas City has too much talent to not improve dramatically on a 2-14 record last year.

Running Back: Daryl Richardson, St. Louis

The 252nd pick of last year’s draft, Richardson carried the ball 98 times for 475 yards last season. A capable receiver as well, Richardson has locked up the starting role for the Rams with the departure of Steven Jackson. The Rams are my pick to breakout in the NFC this season and Richardson is one of several reasons why.

Running Back: Lamar Miller, Miami

Another second-year back, Miller will be the primary rusher for the Dolphins this season following Reggie Bush’s move to Detroit. Miller earned a meager 51 carries last season, but averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He averaged 5.7 ypc in his two seasons at Miami. He only has seven carries through the first two preseason games, but look for him to get plenty of chances to show off his 4.4 speed in Week 3 against Tampa Bay.

Wide Receiver: Michael Floyd, Arizona

The 2012 first-rounder emerged late last season after struggling to ingratiate himself into the Cardinals offense. From Weeks 1-7 he was targeted more than three times only once. In the last nine games of the season he caught 37 balls for 471 yards. He went out with a bang in Week 17 against the 49ers when he hauled in eight catches for 166 yards and a touchdown. With Carson Palmer spinning it, look for both Larry Fitzgerald and Floyd to significantly improve their numbers.

Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, Chicago

This guy oozes talent. The 6’3″, 216 pounder had 1,517 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his second season at South Carolina. Knee problems limited him to ten games his rookie year for the Bears, finishing with 24 catches for 367 yards and three touchdowns. If new coach Marc Trestman’s offense is going to succeed in 2013, Jeffery has to produce as Chicago’s second receiver. Much of that will depend on quarterback Jay Cutler’s willingness to throw to Jeffery. Cutler threw all five of his Week 2 passes to Brandon Marshall and Jeffery has only one catch so far in preseason. Keep an eye on Jeffery in Chicago’s Friday dry run against the Radiers.

Tight End: Zach Sudfeld, New England

The undrafted tight end from Nevada has turned heads throughout training camp in Foxborough and suddenly looks like a valuable commodity considering Rob Gronkowski’s uncertain recovery timetable following offseason back surgery and Aaron Hernandez’s murder trial. At 6’7″, 225 pounds, he he could very well file into Hernandez’s former role. Sudfeld had two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in the Pat’s second preseason game against Detroit.

Offensive Line: Pittsburgh

The Steelers struggled to run the ball in 2012, finishing 26th in yards per game with 96.1. A full season from 2012 first-round pick David DeCastro will help Pittsburgh reclaim their identity as maulers. Led by three-time All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey, the average age of the starting unit will be 24.4. Starting right tackle Mike Adams is said to be healthy and strong seven weeks after being stabbed twice in a carjacking, according to ESPN.

2013 NFL Season Predictions

                AFC EAST                                          NFC EAST
               1.New England Patriots  12-4                  1.Washington Redskins  11-5
               2.Miami Dolphins        7-9                      2.New York Giants      11-5
               3.New York Jets         5-11                     3.Dallas Cowboys       8-8               
               4.Buffalo Bills         4-12                        4.Philadelphia Eagles  7-9
                 AFC NORTH                                        NFC NORTH
               1.Cincinnati Bengals    12-4                     1.Green Bay Packers    12-4
               2.Baltimore Ravens      11-5                     2.Chicago Bears        11-5
               3.Pittsburg Steelers    9-7                        3.Minnesota Vikings    7-9
               4.Cleveland Browns      6-10                     4.Detroit Lions        6-10
                AFC SOUTH                                         NFC SOUTH
                1.Houston Texans        10-6                     1.Atlanta Falcons      13-3
                2.Indianapolis Colts    10-6                      2.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7
                3.Tennessee Titans      7-9                       3.New Orleans Saints   8-8
                4.Jacksonville Jaguars  2-14                     4.Carolina Panthers    7-9
               AFC WEST                                           NFC WEST
                1.Denver Broncos        13-3                     1.Seattle Seahawks     13-3
                2.Kansas City Chiefs    8-8                        2.San Francisco 49ers  11-5
                3.San Diego Chargers    6-10                    3.St.Louis Rams        10-6
                4.Oakland Raiders       3-13                      4.Arizona Cardinals    2-14

First Round Byes; AFC- Broncos,Patriots. NFC-Seahawks,Falcons.
Wildcard Round;   AFC- Bengals vs. Colts; Ravens vs. Texans.
Wildcard Round;   NFC- Packers vs. 49ers; Bears vs. Redskins.
Divisional Round; AFC- Broncos vs. Ravens; Patriots vs. Bengals.
Divisional Round; NFC- Falcons vs. Packers; Seahawks vs. Bears.
Championship Games; AFC- Broncos vs. Patriots; NFC Falcons vs. Seahawks
Superbowl;  Broncos vs. Falcons
Champion; Falcons



Coach Tom

Cubs Top 10 Prospects Review 8/11-8/17

Every Saturday The Big Guy will look at the week that was for the top ten Chicago Cubs prospects. With the Cubs in rebuild mode, we are keeping an eye on the youngsters bound for Wrigley. Our list is based on mlb.com‘s rankings, but adjusted for accuracy.

1. 

   Top prospect Javier Baez.

   Javier Baez, SS, Tennessee–Baez is on fire right now, hitting walk-off home runs in consecutive games for the AA Smokies. In six games, Baez was 10-22 with three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and three walks. Since getting called up on July 6 he is batting .293/.355/.631 with 14 home runs. Perhaps most importantly he has improved his defense. His fielding percentage is up to .946 from .922 in A+.

2. Kris Bryant, 3B, Daytona–If only every week in the minors could be like Bryant’s. The second pick of this year’s draft started in A- Boise and ended in A+ Daytona. Bryant hit .458 in seven games this week, with two home runs and six RBI. With many of the Cubs prospects at least another year away from the big leagues, Bryant looks to be on the fast track to Wrigley. He will likely be the Opening Day third baseman next season.
3. Albert Almora, CF, Kane County–The 19-year-old first round pick from 2012 has not played since August 4 due to a hamstring issue. He is batting .329/.376/.466 on the year.
4. Jorge Soler, OF, Daytona–Soler has been out for the season since June with a stress fracture in his foot. He batted .280/.342/.464 with eight homers and 35 RBI.
5. Kyle Hendricks, SP, Iowa–This year’s star of the system, Hendricks made his second start in AAA this week. He went 5 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 7 K, 3 BB. The fact that this was one of his worst outings of the year speaks to Hendricks’ dominance. In 138.1 IP this season he owns a 1.95 ERA. Don’t be surprised if Hendricks is the next Cubs prospect to earn a shot in the big leagues.
6. C.J. Edwards, SP, Daytona–Edwards went 5 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 0 BB. The real jewel of the Matt Garza trade, Edwards has been excellent all year. In 108 innings, batters are hitting .175 against him with 142 strikeouts to 39 walks. Projections peg Edwards as a potential number four starter, but he looks capable of more.
7. Pierce Johnson, SP, Daytona–Johnson picked up his tenth win of the season this week when we threw 5.2 innings of shutout ball, scattering four hits and three walks between seven strikeouts. The 22-year-old righty has been masterful in A+ Daytona this year with a 2.16 ERA and 8.9 K/9. Through 111.1 IP this season he has a 2.75 ERA.
8. 

   Big Dan Vogelbach

   Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Daytona–Another talent in Daytona, Vogelbach earned his call-up on Tuesday. In eight games, he batted .346/.433/.500 with one home run and two RBI. He also picked up four walks. At 6’0″, 250 pounds, the round second-round pick from 2011 could be used as trade bait for an AL team in a year or two in exchange for an arm.

9. Mike Olt, 3B, Iowa–Olt was mired in a horrible year before he was sent to the Cubs in the Garza deal. Then things got bad. He went 2-22 this week with six strikeouts. With a .120 average since joining AAA Iowa, it seems like it might be best for Olt to simply shut it down for the rest of the year. Something interesting I just noticed on baseball-reference.com was that Olt had a home run and three RBI in each of his last two games in the Rangers organization. Those two games were against the Iowa Cubs.
10. Arismendy Alcantara, 2B, Tennessee–In five games the only Cub to play in this year’s Future’s Game went 2-17 with four walks. Tough week in a tough month; he is batting .207 without a home run over his last 24 games. Let’s hope this is just a bump in the road of what’s been an impressive season for the 21-year-old.