Windy City Gridiron, SBNation's Chicago Bears blog, asked us to exchange some questions with them regarding their new offensive tackle, former Wisconsin left tackle Gabe Carimi. They asked me some questions about his time in college and how that translates to his future in the NFL, and I asked them some questions about how they see Carimi fitting in with the Bears.
Like most Bears fans, the folks at WCG seem pretty excited about Carimi slipping to No. 29 where Chicago managed to grab their new tackle.
Our answers to their questions can be found here, but for now let's get WCG's take on Gabe Carimi.
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. was gracious enough to answer our questions and here they are:
B5Q: How surprised were you that Gabe Carimi slipped to No. 29 and how thrilled are you that the Bears got him?
WCG: I was shocked and excited he was there at 29. I did a couple mock drafts and he was gone in both. I scoured other mock drafts and he was gone in all those. I thought he was the No. 2 tackle prospect behind Anthony Castonzo. Tyron Smith and Nate Solder both have a bigger upside, but for step in right now and play, I had Carimi No. 2.
B5Q: It's no secret that the Bears need help on the offensive line. Will Carimi get a shot to start at left tackle and where do you ultimately think he will end up on the line?
WCG: I think he is a tackle for sure. He's 6'7" with a good hand punch, his kick slide is solid, and he seems to maintain good balance through his pass blocking. I think the Bears should give him a shot at left tackle, but he'll more than likely end up on the right side to start.
B5Q: Jerry Angelo has a poor track record in the draft. How worried are you that Carimi will end up being another bust for the Bears?
WCG: It's always a possibility, but I think this was as good a situation as the Bears could have hoped for. They lucked into having a safe pick fall to them at 29. I would have been worried had Nate Solder been the pick. He's a classic high ceiling low floor type player.
B5Q: We obviously have a lot of Packer fans at B5Q. What was your reaction to Carimi's comments about how being a Packer fan was "the worst decision of my life"?
WCG: I was just talking to a co-worker about this very thing today. I thought his comment was funny and showed a good sense of humor, whereas she would have liked to see him show a little loyalty to his favorite team before committing to Chicago. I thought he showed some PR savvy in his press conference with the remark.
B5Q: Carimi's mother is really good friends with Mike Tice's wife. Are you excited that Tice and Carimi already have a good relationship or are you worried that this will end up being another loyalty issue with Bears brass?
WCG: Honestly I never thought about there being a loyalty issue... but now that you mention it... Nah. I think Tice is too stubborn and old school to let something like that interfere with making a sound football decision. Now if he ends up in Lovie's doghouse, that could shelve him for a year.
But seriously, I think him knowing Carimi will allow him to dive right into it with him and their relationship should allow him to know what buttons to push from day one.