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Ten Thoughts on the NFL: Chicago Bears and beyond

Check out my NFL Thoughts this week and be sure to leave a few of your own in the comment section!

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

1) The NFL fined Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch for grabbing his crotch, but they were selling an image of the grab on a 2014 NFC Championship framed collage.

They have since removed the item, but what idiot made the decision to allow that particular picture to be included?

2) I'd be willing to bet that deflated balls and crotch grabs weren't what the NFL was hoping to be discussing before the Super Bowl.

3) Through his first five seasons, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is arguably one of the greatest to ever play tight end, so it's kind of odd to see this comment from Seattle corner Jeremy Lane, "I actually don't think he's that good."

Seahawk players being brash and cocky is nothing new, but saying Gronk isn't good reeks of delusion.

Lane's teammate Richard Sherman, no stranger to arrogant comments, actually went the other way on this subject.

"(Lane is) entitled to his own opinion," said cornerback Richard Sherman on Sunday, "but I think (Gronkowski) is pretty great."

I'd imagine some of Lane's teammates or coaches told him not to poke Gronk, because Gronk will smash.

3a) Speaking of Sherman, his former Seattle teammate Brandon Browner who is now with the Pats, is urging his New England teammates to intentionally hurt Sherman.

"I'm going to tell my teammates, 'Go hit that elbow, go hit that shoulder,'" Browner said. "Try to break it if you can."

What ever happened to this simple rule...

4) Time for my Super Bowl pick...

I'm calling it Patriots 27, Seattle 24.

How are you guys picking it?

5) Is it really that difficult to pass on an alcoholic beverage?

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who is [in] the NFL's substance abuse program, tested positive for alcohol and will most likely have to sit out the entire 2015 season. I get that it's "only" alcohol, but he is in the program partly because of a past DUI.

6) I didn't have an urge to watch a single snap of the Pro Bowl, nor did I catch any highlights on TV. If you watched the Pro Bowl, tell us why.

7) I did spy a few Pro Bowl related tweets on my Twitter time line. This one with Odell Beckham Jr. was crazy.

8) This is the exact moment the Superfans put down their Polish Sausages and raised their glasses of Beer in unison to toast the man that will lead the Chicago Bears back to the promised land.

9) Andrew Luck nearly passed on the Pro Bowl after his Colts were shellacked by the Pats in the AFC Title game. With Andy Dalton (64.2% completion, 3,398 yards, 19 TDs, 17 Ints, 83.5 rating) being the last QB added to the game, I wonder who the next quarterbacking option would have been?

Maybe it would have been the guy that posted these numbers, 66% completion, 3,812 yards, 28 TDs, 18 Ints, 88.6 rating.

That would have been wild.

10) The latest Mock Draft from SB Nation's Dan Kadar has the Bears making a familiar choice.

7. Chicago Bears: Dante Fowler, DE, Florida

The Bears need to go heavy on line play this offseason, on both sides of the ball. Fowler is a high-effort pass rusher the Bears can move all over the place. In Vic Fangio's defense, Fowler would play the same role Aaron Lynch does for the 49ers.

Kadar, and other mock drafters, have mocked Fowler to the Bears before, and while I like that pick, there are other aspects of his mock that intrigue me. He has Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota going one pick before the Bears at 6th overall and he has this to say about that.

It shouldn't be a surprise to see Mariota here. It also shouldn't be a surprise if we start to see him a little lower in these mock drafts.

Mariota seems like a guy that will fall down some draft boards because he's thought to be a system QB. Had he played in the Senior Bowl he could have started to erase that concern, but he passed on the All Star Game. He's also thinking about not throwing at the Combine, meaning the only time scouts will get an up close look at him will be at his Pro Day.

If you remember last year, the "bad" Pro Day for Teddy Bridgewater may have led to his slide down the draft. If Mariota does fall it wouldn't be unprecedented.

If by some chance he slips to the Bears at 7, would you want them to take him?

Or...

Would you want the Bears to try and work a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles so Mariota can reunite with his college coach Chip Kelly who, if we're to believe the rumors, desperately wants his Ducks' QB to run his offense in Philly?

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