Transcript of Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery at 2013 NFL Combine (part 1)

Transcript, Part 1- Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery at the 2013 NFL Combine, courtesy of Sean Jensen, Chicago Sun-Times

ARE YOU GOING TO FRANCHISE TAG HENRY MELTON?

"Am I going to franchise tag Henry Melton? Way to go, Brad. Way to lead.

We'll work through that situation, obviously. We'll be talking to Henry and when we come to a conclusion everybody will know."

SEEN NEW COMBINE TEST?

"We have not. I'm excited to see the content of that. And more importantly, how it's scored, how you evaluate the test
in terms of projecting it into the athlete and his performance on the field."

GENERAL IDEA?

"I got to think it's more along the lines of a lot of different testing modes that are out there that are beyond the Wonderlic.
There are various ways that people test practical intelligence, or practical applied intelligence. We are one of the clubs that prescribes to one of those testing companies. Our's is HRT, Human Resource Testing. You know, everyone has their own mode. The most important part of it is understanding the test, understanding the content, and how to gauge the results and where it takes you.

This is the third different type of test that I've been involved with. This would be the fourth. So it would be interesting
to see how it compares to the others and what kind of content and quality you get out of it."

INAUDIBLE QUESTION

"All testing and measurable data, you're using that as a determining factor to maybe separating players. So you may have two players that are very similar, that might have the same grade. Or you might have five at any one position that have the same grade. Then that is a way to help you determine how you stack it, one through five. Those type of metrics - the psychological testing - all those things factor in terms of creating separation between players so if you pick them in the order from the highest to the lowest."

PRO AND COLLEGE?

"It helps us on both sides. Personnel period. So yes, pro and college."

STRIKE BALANCE BETWEEN INFORMING FANS AND KEEPING SECRETS?

"I want them to know about the process. I think that's important that they understand the process that we go through. There's going to be certain information that we're not going to divulge because it's a very competitive business. I think it's the most competitive business in the world, the NFL. So there's going to be certain things we're not going to talk about in terms of how we rank players, both our team, the UFA market and the college players. Be glad to talk about the content and the quality of the overall class but how we rank them, how we see them, that's going to remain in-house for those competitive reasons."

EXAMPLE OF HOW INFORMATION GOT OUT AND HURT YOU?

"I won't give you a specific year. But I have been in a draft room where way too much information was given out and we were jumped on a player we liked and we had planned on drafting. That player was drafted in front of us based on information that... there was just too much information that that was our player. So that was an uncomfortable feeling. When you focused as a staff - coaches and scouts and the building - you're excited that you've got this player you really desire and he's your guy. And you have figured out all the scenarios, that that's your guy and you don't get him, the room deflates a little. So we want to do everything we can to avoid that. We want to make sure that there may be one or two people that know who that actual guy is and that's about it.

So we don't want to give out information so that we create, ‘Hey, everybody knows that that's Chicago's right tackle. That's the guy they want.' So I'm on one of those other 31 teams, and I need a right tackle, I got to get in front of Chicago."

POSITION CARIMI PLAYING?

"Coaches are going to work through that during OTAs, during the winter, get to know Gabe, get to see what his strengths and weaknesses are. Obviously, they've seen some things on tape. I think they see upside to him as a tackle or guard. So we'll find out through the process, and that'll take all the way through camp, to find his exact position."

FLEXIBLE POSITION FOR GABE?

"I do see that he has some flexibility. Gabe had some rough moments during the year. He had some good moments during the year. And he had some really good run-blocking moments. There are areas he needs to improve as a pass blocker. But he had good moments both at guard and at tackle."

SIZE UP OVERALL DRAFT CLASS?

There are several. When I look at it, there are a number of corners in this draft class that can play and they can help teams as a 1, 2, or 3. I would say that's a strength. There's a strong safety class. In our minds, there are five or six starters in this class at safety and that's rare to me.

There's a really good number - between tackles and end - of players that can help teams and can be potential starters. The offensive line class has strength in the front end, when you look at it from tackle, guard and center, and you look all the way through. There are a number of players who would be in the mix as starters."

-Phil Emery