Diskussions-Forum » Adele is his wife’s middle name.AUTO RACINGCHARLOTTE

Leonard Floyd has been a polarizing figure since he was drafted https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Allen-Robinson-Jersey , but since he is not locked into Chicago for another two years (barring a trade), it’s probably worthwhile to take stock of what he offers the Bears." NFL DraftRoster AnalysisLeonard Floyd: Roundtable Discussion, Part 1New,112commentsLeonard Floyd has been a polarizing figure since he was drafted, but since he is not locked into Chicago for another two years (barring a trade), it’s probably worthwhile to take stock of what he offers the Bears.CDTLeonard Floyd is an interesting player. He was selected in 2016 and was projected to be a Top 10 pick. Yet when he went in the Top 10 to the Bears, a team that needed an outside linebacker to develop, there was almost instantly backlash. Pace traded up to get him (never popular with some) and he skipped over the rapidly falling Laremy Tunsil for a player some feared would never have the size needed to stay healthy in the NFL.Entering his fourth season, Floyd has proven to be a versatile player who has nevertheless had trouble staying healthy. The Bears picked up his fifth-year option, which means Floyd will probably be in Chicago for at least two more seasons. Yet, somehow, many believe he is facing another year where he must “prove himself.” With that in mind, it seemed time for the contributors at Windy City Gridiron to talk about Floyd’s value to the team and his potential future.Joining the discussion are Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter, Ken Mitchell, Jacob Infante, WhiskeyRanger, Robert Schmitz, EJ Snyder, and Josh Sunderbruch.For the first part, we are looking at the past, and in the second part we will be trying to speculate a little about the future.1). How did you feel when Leonard Floyd was first drafted, and has your mind been changed since then?ECD: When the Bears first drafted Leonard Floyd, after trading up for him in the 2016 draft, I felt they picked a raw yet extremely athletic player that had a high ceiling. Naturally, the expectation was for him to develop into the franchise pass rusher/edge defender of which is mandatory to have in the modern NFL. After all, he sought to model his game much like his idol, DeMarcus Ware. After his first 3 seasons, my mind has been altered. He possesses the rare speed to chase down athletic QBs, and has feasted on Aaron Rodgers in head-on matchups throughout his career. With that being said, he also hasn’t consistently performed to his draft status, at least heading into his contract year(s). Last year’s addition of Khalil Mack further reduces the idea that he’s set to become a franchise edge player any time soon. Ken: Fortunately, WCG has an archive section... since I don’t remember now how I felt about it, I went back and looked... here’s a comment I made on a Floyd Drafted article:Jacob: Admittedly Chase Daniel Color Rush Jersey , I was adamantly against the Bears picking Floyd back in 2016, so when he was not only selected, but traded up to select, I will admit that I dropped an expletive or two. That said, though, he has turned out to be better than I expected him to be. His skill set is a very good complement to Khalil Mack, and his athleticism and versatility makes him a solid chess piece in Chicago’s defense.WhiskeyRanger: I thought he was undersized for the position (weight wise), but that he had the athleticism and length that you look for in a pass rusher.Overall, I was good with it.As far as if my mind has been changed, sort of.He hasn’t developed into a dominant pass rusher, but has become very good over all LB.Robert S: Honestly I didn’t know how to feel -- drafting a pass rusher felt like the right move at the time, and he seemed to have solid bend around the edge, but concerns about his frame’s durability and the value we lost in our trade up to get him left me torn on how to feel about Leonard Floyd. But I’ve always been a proponent of waiting 2 or 3 years to see how draft picks develop, so I decided to give him time to let his play change my mind.Three years later, I remain torn on Floyd. He’s clearly a useful coverage linebacker and matches up well with the modern “U” tight end, but he’s a spotty pass rusher that has yet to prove he can stay healthy for 16 games. He’s a useful player, certainly good when healthy, but his inability to blossom as a pass-rusher has left a bad taste in my mouth over the years.EJ: The best way to describe how I felt was “satisfied”. He was a solid choice at a position of need. I wasn’t wild about the trade up, but I would have been less wild about settling for a lesser option if he’d gone a pick before the Bears (a la Aaron Donald and Leonard Williams). Compared to the other offerings that year (Shaq Lawson, Emanuel Ogbah, and Noah Spence were the next 3 similar players chosen), Floyd is easily the most well-rounded and able to execute varying roles within a defense. Has my mind changed? Not really. It would be nice to see Floyd develop a better counter move arsenal and get home on a sack or three more per season, but he’s been a very solid, versatile contributor in the role the Bears and Vic Fangio asked him to fulfill.Josh: Like Ken, I went back to my original public thoughts on the matter, but I want to admit that this was during a time when I a) was still not over drafting Kevin White and b) was very much in Pace’s camp regarding his trade moves. So, when he traded up to get Floyd I was both annoyed and relieved. Here is what I said in May of 2016:This came, believe it or not, when I was defending Pace at least as often as I was criticizing him, and I was amazed at the criticism leveled at the pick.2). Barring any real change this season, has Floyd been a bust, an overdraft, a pretty fair return on value Bennie Fowler III Jersey , or a steal?ECD: I’m going with “slightly fair value” here. To me, he’s certainly not a bust; he’s developed a well-rounded game when he’s fully healthy. I also wouldn’t say he’s an overdraft, as 9th overall is still an O-K spot to pick up a dependable -- not elite -- edge player. Yet, we also haven’t seen a great amount of return on Floyd. And, he’s far from being a steal. His injuries have killed both momentum and development. Considering what the Bears gave up to move up for Floyd, and what they have received in return, Floyd’s career has been a slight disappointment. Then again, he’s also a player who figures himself into any starting lineup on defense. His improvement as a run defender has been a key development in his overall game, and now, he just needs to take advantage of his one-on-one opportunities more often than what we’ve seen to this point.Ken: Bust? Absolutely not, no way. He hasn’t lived up to all expectations of a high first round pick, but Kevin White shows us what a bust looks like.Jacob: I would definitely not call Floyd a bust by any means, but I do think he was an overdraft in hindsight. He has been a good player—much better than his production indicates. He can pressure the quarterback well, and he can drop back in coverage and defend the run pretty well, too. However, when you select a pass rusher in the top 10 of any draft, you do so with the expectation that he will develop into a cornerstone for your defense, which Floyd is not. He simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy: he missed a combined 10 games in his first two seasons, and he dealt with a hand injury for the first two months of the 2018 season. Even when healthy, he has been good, not great. 15.5 sacks through three seasons is solid production, but it is far short from what a player selected in the top 10 should ideally be getting.WhiskeyRanger: I’d say fair return.He hasn’t been flashy.Hasn’t racked up sacks.But he’s developed into a good starter and an important part of the rotation.When 50% of 1st round picks aren’t even starting in the NFL after 5 years, I’d say finding a solid starter is a win, even if it’s in the top 10.Robert S: This question feels hard to answer -- while Leonard Floyd has certainly not played like the 9th best player from the 2016 draft, he’s returned so much more value than many recent Bears 1st rounders (Kevin White, Shea McClellin, Gabe Carimi, Chris Williams) that calling him anything close to a bust seems unfair. Ultimately I think he was an “overdraft”, but with an important caveat: Floyd became exactly the do-it-all linebacker many said he would coming out of Georgia, but the Bears drafted him to be a franchise pass rusher and I think that’s been the cause of his problems. Floyd’s “failure to meet expectations”, therefore, came more from the Bears picking the wrong player for the right role than Floyd underperforming, as it was always unrealistic to think that a pass rusher who hadn’t cracked 6.5 sacks in the SEC was going to morph into a premiere NFL EDGE rusher. So while I do think he was an overdraft at #9 overall https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/Taylor-Gabriel-Jersey , I don’t think it’s been his fault. EJ: Calling him a bust is truly a reach at this point, no matter what you think of him. Overdraft? That could be argued in hindsight (especially given the trade up), but you have to consider what was available in the 2016 draft at the position the Bears needed (OLB). The options I listed above have not been world-beaters either. I’d say a fair return on value is about the closest we’ll get to categorizing Leonard Floyd in this case.Josh: He has been almost perfectly a fair return on the investment. He is exactly what he needed to be--one of the best defenders available at the time he was selected, and a position fit in the defense who has caused no trouble or headaches at all. Two things probably need to be pointed out. The first is that Floyd has brought exactly zero drama with him. He has been a capable starter who has done his job. The second is that the idea that he was supposed to be a pure pass rusher is a fan creation--Pace emphasized his versatility from day one.In summary (and reading between the lines), that’s four “fair values” and three “over-drafts.”Next up, we will consider what sort of future Floyd has (with the Bears or elsewhere) and what our thoughts are on him moving forward. PRO FOOTBALLCLEVELAND (AP)Browns star left tackle Joe Thomas retired after 11 seasons in the NFL, ending a career in which he exemplified durability, dependability and dominance.A 10-time Pro Bowler with Cleveland, Thomas announced his decision after spending several months contemplating whether to come back following a season-ending injury.Thomas never missed a snap before tearing his left triceps during an Oct. 22 game against Tennessee. His streak of 10,363 consecutive plays is believed to be the longest run in pro football history.LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – The Chicago Bears agreed to a contract with former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson, hoping he can form a dynamic tandem with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and help energize a stagnant passing game.The Bears announced the move a day after Robinson told ESPN he was planning to sign a $42 million, three-year deal.Chicago also announced agreements with Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton ($32 million, four years), Atlanta Falcons receiver Taylor Gabriel, Miami Dolphins kicker Cody Parkey and New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Chase Daniel.The Bears are coming off their fourth straight last-place finish in the NFC North and fourth straight season with 10 or more losses. They are banking on Robinson to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee and regain the form that made him a Pro Bowl pick in 2015.TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – The Arizona Cardinals released safety Tyrann Mathieu after the two sides couldn’t rework his contract.Mathieu was due for $18.75 million of his contract to be guaranteed when the league year officially began. By cutting him, Arizona saved close to $5 million in cap space.Mathieu became a star in the Arizona secondary after being selected in the third round of the 2013 draft following a troubled college career at LSU. He was an All-Pro in 2015, when he had five interceptions and 17 passes defensed. But he also has been plagued by injuries and only last season did Mathieu appear in all 16 games.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – The Buffalo Bills took the first step in restocking their quarterback position by agreeing to a two-year contract with A.J. McCarron. The 27-year-old spent the past four seasons backing up Andy Dalton in Cincinnati after being selected by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 draft.COLLEGE BASKETBALLMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Tubby Smith was fired as Memphis basketball coach after two seasons amid dropping attendance and donations to the athletic department.Smith told reporters he was no longer coach as he left a meeting with Memphis President M. David Rudd and athletic director Tom Bowen.Smith went 40-26 at Memphis, including 21-13 this season. The Tigers won seven of their final nine games before losing Saturday to No. 8 Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals, their third loss to the AAC champs this season.Smith came to Memphis in April 2016 as one of only two coaches to lead five different schools to the NCAA Tournament. Now 66, he leaves without taking Memphis to any postseason tournament in his two seasons. Smith is 597-302 with a national title at Kentucky in 1998.ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Former Ohio State coach Thad Matta withdrew from the Georgia coaching search after becoming the first known candidate to interview for the job.Georgia fired Mark Fox on Saturday, and Matta was in Athens only two days later.Lingering back problems were an issue in Matta’s 13 years at Ohio State. His $9 million buyout includes a stipulation that he must make ”reasonable and diligent efforts” to find another coaching job. He also reportedly interviewed at Mississippi.BASEBALLST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Extra innings throughout the minor leagues will start with a runner at second base.In addition, the pitch clock that began at Triple-A and Double-A in 2015 will be lowered from 20 seconds to 15 when there are no runners on base, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues said. The timer will remain at 20 seconds with runners on.Looking to speed up the pace of play, Major League Baseball had hoped to have a similar rule for spring training and starting in the 11th inning of the All-Star Game but was stymied by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which refused to agree.New limits on mound visits without pitching changes also will be added, the minor league governing body said.TENNISINDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) – Roger Federer defeated Jeremy Chardy of France 7-5 Trey Burton Color Rush Jersey , 6-4 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, and at 15-0 the world’s top-ranked men’s player is off to his best start since 2006.The 36-year-old Swiss superstar can equal his season-best start of 16-0 with a win in the quarterfinals, where he will meet Chung Hyeon of South Korea in a rematch of their Australian Open semifinal.Federer advanced to the final in Melbourne when Chung retired in the second set trailing 6-1, 5-2 because of blisters on his left foot. Federer went on to win a five-set final against Marin Cilic for his 20th Grand Slam title.Chung, seeded 23rd at Indian Wells, beat 30th-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-1, 6-3.GOLFFAR HILLS, N.J. (AP) – Ernie Els and Jim Furyk received a special exemption to play in the U.S. Open this year at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, New York.Els is a two-time U.S. Open champion who would have faced qualifying because his five-year exemption from winning the 2012 British Open ran out last year. Els won the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 1994 and at Congressional in 1997. This will be his 29th consecutive U.S. Open.Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields.They received the first U.S. Open exemptions since Retief Goosen in 2016. Goosen is a two-time Open champion, including 2004 when it was last held at Shinnecock Hills.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Sergio Garcia now has more than a green jacket to remind him of his victory at the Masters.He has a daughter .Garcia’s wife, Angela, gave birth to a girl in Texas. They named her Azalea Adele.Augusta National is known for its spring beauty, particularly the azaleas. One of the more pivotal moments in his victory last year was at the 13th hole – named ”Azaleas” because of its 1,300 bushes on the par 5 – when Garcia hooked his tee shot beyond the hazard, took a penalty drop, chipped out and still managed to save par and not lose any ground. He followed with a birdie and an eagle and wound up winning in a playoff over Justin Rose.Adele is his wife’s middle name.AUTO RACINGCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Lowe’s, one of the last remaining corporate giants in NASCAR, announced it will not sponsor seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson after this season, an ominous sign for the nation’s top racing series.For Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports, it means the best NASCAR driver of his generation has a blank slate of ”inventory” for the first time in nearly two decades.IDITARODANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Joar Ulsom of Norway won the world’s most famous sled dog race after a grueling dash across Alaska’s rough terrain, but he earned tens of thousands of dollars less than last year’s top musher at the struggling Iditarod.After nearly 1,000 miles, Ulsom and the eight dogs on his team came off the Bering Sea ice onto Nome’s main street. He slapped hands with fans who lined the streets and went under the finish line at 3 a.m. local time.Ulsom’s victory generated heavy media attention in Norway, a winter sports nation still basking in the glory of winning the most medals at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.