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Ten Thoughts on the NFL: Chicago Bears and beyond

To paraphrase a great American poet, "Dropping NFL Thoughts like when Galileo dropped the orange"

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

1) Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson wants to be the highest paid player in the NFL.

I'm a fan of his and I love the way he plays the game, but I don't think his play warrants him eclipsing every other player contract in the NFL. The Seahawks are a defensive, running orientated team that happens to have an awesome game manager at the helm.

Wilson should definitely join the $100 million club, and he may even deserve to get the biggest lump of guaranteed money ever doled out by an NFL team, but from an overall dollar standpoint, I don't think he should be #1.

Then again, even if he does get the biggest deal ever, it won't last long because someone will no doubt overtake him as the top paid player sooner than later.

Kenneth Arthur over at Field Gulls has a real good take on this.

2) Sources claim that the Denver Broncos tried to trade Peyton Manning, but the team denies it.

It usually makes sense to shop veterans, just to test the waters, but this quote just makes me wonder.

"certain elements of Broncos organization wanted [Brock] Osweiler era to begin this season."

The "Osweiler era?"

I can't imagine anyone actually speaking those words with a straight face.

3) One more Peyton Manning thought...

If you're one of the people that can't stand Manning because the media seems to fawn over his every move, you need to realize the reason why the media continuously talks him up, is because he deserves it. Besides being one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, he's a genuinely nice person with a big heart.

Just last week he sent a gift to a family of a teenager that was killed by a drunk driver and that was just one of the many neat things he's done this offseason.

Our sister site, Mile High Report, has more on Manning's awesome off field stuff.

4) Can punters trash talk in the offseason?

The New York Giants' Steve Weatherford was on a New York radio station talking about the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback situation.

From NFL.com;

"I'm gonna give you a Ferrari (in reference to Sam Bradford) that maybe won't be running all the time, or I'm giving you a nice Cadillac sedan (Mark Sanchez)," Weatherford said, via ESPN.com. "It's not the fastest but you know what you're going to get out of it. Bradford can go from zero to 60 in three seconds, but you don't know if he's gonna start up some days."

Bradford is the odds on favorite to open as Philly's #1 QB, with Sanchez again backing up like he began last season.

"Chip Kelly will get himself in serious trouble if they get an extension for that guy," Weatherford said of Bradford. "And (if) he gets hurt? He's done."

Bradford is only signed through the 2015 season and he has battled injuries in 2011, 2013 and he missed all of 2014 while playing the first 5 years of his career in St. Louis.

But Weatherford didn't just take shots at the first two QBs on the depth chart, he fired away at Tim Tebow too.

"I'm the biggest Tim Tebow fan in the world," Weatherford said. "I mean, who wouldn't want their daughter to date a guy like that? I'll tell you what, I don't want him taking snaps for my team."

Some people don't consider punters "real" football players, and they believe they should know their role and shut their mouth, but I sort of agree with Weatherford.

Then again, Weatherford has already started to backtrack from his comments.

5) The NFL's supplemental draft isn't really a big deal, I mean the league hasn't even bothered to announce when it will take place yet, but every now and again you'll find a player worth drafting among the group.

This year Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle may find a team willing to spend a pick on him. Had he stayed in school (and had a good senior year), he definitely would have been drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft. He's an experienced and athletic, 6'6", 290 pounder.

The last player picked in the supplemental draft was Josh Gordon in 2012 and who can forget 2010 7th round supplemental draft pick for the Chicago Bears, Harvey Unga.

6) Former Green Bay Packers' wide out Charles Johnson, who is currently with the Minnesota Vikings, sees similarities between QBs Aaron Rodgers and Teddy Bridgewater.

"When I was with Green Bay and first went to practice and seen how [quarterback] Aaron Rodgers orchestrated the offense, it wowed me and amazed me," Johnson said. "He's one of the great quarterbacks in this league. I know Teddy looks up to him as another player to watch, and I can see Teddy growing in that aspect. I can see him having the same type of similarities that Aaron Rodgers demands when he gets to the huddle."

From a purely numbers standpoint, Bridgewater had a 85.2 passer rating as a rookie last year, with 14 TDs and 12 interceptions in 13 games. Rodgers didn't play any meaningful snaps until his 4th season, when he started all 16 games with a 93.8 passer rating, while throwing 28 TDs and 13 Ints.

7) While the Chicago Bears' Martellus Bennett claims he plans on attending training camp in July, his brother Michael, who is in the middle of his own contract dispute with the Seahawks, isn't so sure.

Martellus has two years left on the 4 year deal he signed, which makes his desire for an extension a bit oddly timed, but Michael has 3 more years on the 4 year deal he signed in 2014, which makes his demands really silly. Michael is a very good defensive lineman, but re-doing a deal that signed a year ago isn't going to happen.

8) Houston Texans' All Pro J.J. Watt is having a fun offseason.

Just last week he was skating with his Alma Mater, the University Of Wisconsin.

Then over the weekend he was moonlighting as security for The Zac Brown Band.

I have to agree with Kev's pick of J.J. Watt as the current player you wish the Chicago Bears had on their roster, from our 30 Day Challenge series.

9) Speaking of having a fun offseason...

Did you happen to catch the Chicago Bears' Matt Forte leading a team of NFC players in a game of Family Feud against some AFC players?

Yes you read that right. In a team of Matt Forte, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy, Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis and Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell, Chicago's Matt Forte was the Team Captain.

So much for Forte being underrated nationally!

Captain Forte and his crew were actually skunked by the AFC, but it's all for charity and it was a fun time for the players. Here's a snippet from the show.

10) The NFL Network counted down the top 5 players to ever wear a Bears' uniform.

Do you agree with their 5?

5 - Richard Dent

4 - Mike Singletary

3 - Gale Sayers

2 - Dick Butkus

1 - Walter Payton

Be sure to add a few of your own NFL thoughts in the comment section...

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