| 22 April 2010
Some teams like to send out smoke screens and other teams make their intentions well known based on the players they talk to at the Senior Bowl, Combine or invite for private workout at their team headquarters or work out on their campus during a private workout.
Here's what we do know, the Bears have been in contact with no fewer than 12 offensive linemen from the Senior Bowl until today. Most of the prospects that we do have specifics on are later round projected players, essentially players not invited to the NFL scouting combine.
Two early round players the Bears have been in contact with are OL Vladimir Ducasse of UMass and Rodger Saffold of Indiana. Both prospects are OT to OG type prospects who could play either position successfully in the NFL filling in at the left guard spot now that we know for certain that Frank Omiyale will be moved to his more natural RT spot.
The problem with these two early round projected players is that since the time frame we know the Bears have spoken with them at the Senior Bowl, both players have since rocketed up draft boards across the league and figure to be off the board before the third round.
Specifically in the case of Rodger Saffold who was slated as a third rounder who is now possibly a late first round early second round prospect. Saffold may be the overall highest rising prospect in this draft who most likely won't get past the Indianapolis Colts and Bill Polian at 31. You can cross him off the list for the Bears is the safe bet.
So what players can you then project as possible Bears picks in the middle rounds? Offensive lineman Zane Beadles from Utah is one the Bears have targeted who played both OT and guard in college who may better fit as a guard in the NFL. 
John Asamoah a right guard for the Fighting Illini is also a player the Bears have been scouting who is one of the higher rated offensive guards in the draft. Asamoah is hard to project because he could go midway through the second round or be there at 75 when the Bears pick. If Asamoah is there at 75 he seems to be the most logical choice, because he represents high value at 75.
Asamoah represents a big bad ass guard that plays with a mean streak. He's a big ugly that Mike Tice can get behind and push to be great. No he's not that 330-pound behemoth that a lot of people prefer to see, but he plays big, he plays tough and he's quick. Asamoah's best asset is his speed in the way he can get out in front of the play he can jump to the second level or pick up those stunts or players that try to split the A-gap with quickness. I say he plays big because he plays tough and mean finishes his blocks and plays through the whistle. I think the Bears would be hard pressed to find a year one starter at offensive guard, but I feel Asamoah is the man.
Another player the Bears spoke with you hope falls as far as the third is Vladimir Ducasse, although the likelihood Ducasse would fall that far seems remote at best.
Other third round prospects Bears fans should keep an eye on that there hasn't bee a well established link to but there is interest in, OT Selivsh Capers from West Virginia, OT John Jerry from Ole Miss, OG Mitch Petrus from Arkansas and OG Mike Johnson from Alabama. Of those four prospects the player that likely fits in the best would be Jerry from Ole Miss. He's a capable tackle that projects as an even better guard, a monster left guard like Jerry is a player to keep an eye who provides immediate depth.
Prospect that scares me the most in this group Mike Johnson from Alabama who may simply be a product of the Roll Tide hype. A marginal guard prospect who can't deal with speed at all, gets beat by speed guys all the time. I don't think he has the ability to deal with the speed of NFL DTs.
The Bears are also looking keenly at some late round offensive tackle prospects, which means they'll likely be adding two offensive lineman, one as a potential starter, the other as a project who can come in and compete for depth. The Bears need depth on the offensive line because they are no where near young enough on the O-Line.
For private workout and Halas Hall visits the Bears have contacted no fewer than six late round OT prospects. Likely meaning they to plug in depth behind Chris Williams and Frank Omiyale even with Kevin Shaffer slotted to the swing man. The likely scenario is to bring in one of these late round OT prospects to see if he can out perform Shaffer in camp and make the roster. Shaffer is not getting any younger and hasn't ever been a lock to make the roster from last year and now into this year. Shaffer needs to earn his back up OT role on the roster again but the Bears also need to add youth to the O-Line.
Of the six players the Bears have targeted the one that seems to be the most likely to land in Chicago is offensive tackle Nic Richmond from Texas Christian. Richmond is like Henry Melton and Johnny Knox in that he caught the eye of the Bears' scouts at the Texas Christian versus the Nation All-Star game. The consensus coming out of this All-Star game was that Richmond was the best performer from that week on offense. Richmond is a tall lanky athletic prospect who projects as a RT prospect. The Bears could grab him the seventh round with their last pick.
One potential sleeper that most no one has heard of that has made a climb up the draft boards is from tiny Morehouse College. Ramone Harwood a 6-foot-6 341-pound OT started making noise back in the last part of March. Harwood has only played organized football for three years all in college at Morehouse. He made Scott Wright's NFL-Draft Super Sleeper team along with another player the Bears brought in for a private workout. Three years of organized football means extremely raw prospect that if drafted by the Bears is likely going to scare a lot of fans.
Projected by NFLDraftScout.com as a fifth round or sixth round level prospect. If Mike Tice likes him then he could easily fall to the Bears and be a developmental prospect that turns into something later on down the road.
Iowa State guard Reggie Stephens a 6-foot-3 314-pound guard prospect is the other prospect that made the Super Sleeper team that the Bears are targeting.
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