Although Lovie Smith said that this past week marked the beginning of the '08 season, I have a feeling that the roster on this year's version of the "'08" team is drasticaly different than the one of the real '08 season will be. In my opinion, the Bears aren't as far from relevance as many think they are. Here is a unit-by-unit, position-by-position breakdown of the Bears, followed with some suggested additions and subtractions.
Defense
Their defense was plagued by injuries this year and aside from safety and possibly outside linebacker, they don't have any problems.
Linebacker- I was getting increasingly worried about the performance of Brian Urlacher with each passing week, but in the last few weeks he showed he can still be a dominant force in this league. The Lance Briggs era at OLB is coming to an end, and it appears that the Bears have no problem with their replacement, Jamar Williams. Whether or not he is an adequate replacement is debatable, but what is not is that if Lance does leave, the Bears will give Jamar the job. Hunter Hillenmeyer is a smart, steady player that makes the most of what he has.
Defensive End- Mark Anderson, who was handed Alex Brown's job in training camp, showed that he is not ready to step in and be a full time defensive end. In the time Alex has had on the field, he has played very good football and has made it clear that come next year, he, not Anderson, needs to be lining up opposite Adewale Ogunleye. Wale, arguably the Bears' MVP this year, has had an excellent season and will only benefit from the return of Brown. Their second round choice this year, Dan Bazuin, hasn't even been seen and is an unknown at this point. If he becomes the player that most of Angelo's middle round picks become, he will only bolster an already strong unit.
Defensive Tackle- Tommie Harris, who has been playing on one leg this year, has showed enough to warrant unwavering confidence in his inabilities. However, his partners at tackle have been disapointing. Dusty Dvoracek was IR'd after just one game, Darwin Walker has been a bust of epic proportions and the Bears have been reduced to playing practice squad guys, who have surprised me with some solid play, considering their shape and that they have been with the team for about two weeks. Anthony Adams played well this year, but he is undersized and was IR'd a few weeks ago. If Dvoracek, Adams and one of the two newcomers can all stay relatively healthy next year, i see no reason as to why the Bears' tackles can't be a top five group.
Cornerback- Not much to say about here. Both Vasher and Tillman are upper echelon cover guys and have both proved to be durable. Vasher has missed a large chunk of this season, but his groin injury is his first significant injury in the league and is most likely the exception, not the rule. Tillman has had an excellent year and has added the ball punch and punt block to his reportoire. Moreso, the play of Truman McBride will allow the Bears to let go of the useless Ricky Manning Jr. and slide Trumane in at the Nickle slot. He plasyed well for a rookie and is already an above average nickleback.
Safety- The soft spot. Mike Brown is as injury prone as Danieal Manning is bad. Brandon McGowan has played better as of late, but he is not the answer at safety. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be an answer in the draft or free agency. Yeah, Bob Sanders is available, but he is too expensive considering his Mike Brown-like injury problems. The draft doesn't offer all that much in terms of safeties either. The Bears could try and bring back Chris Harris or some other run of the mill backup, but even if they do that, it looks like they have no choice but to rely on the Manning-Brown combo yet again, that is unless Kevin Payne emerges as a legitimate player and wrestles the starting spot away from Danieal, which is a distinct possibility. The good news is that Adam Archuletta and his 5.5 million dollar's will not have to be seen again after this season ends.
On this side of the ball, their biggest needs are at safety and OLB. The former most likely can't be adressed and the latter, in the eyes of the Bears, already has been. The Bears will go into next year with almost the same exact unit, minus Archuletta, Walker, Ricky Manning Jr. and most likely Briggs. On the other hand, those subtractions will free up quite a bit of cash for the Bears and will allow them to pursue replacements for their offense.
Offense
This is where the fun begins. Angelo will have to have a tremendous offseason to repair this unit. The problems begin with the....
Offensive Line- While the unit has been really bad this year, there are more good starters in this group than bad ones. Roberto Garza, John Tate and Olin Kreutz all will, and should, be back next year. If the Bears do go ahead and draft a tackle in the first round, which I hope they do, not only will that draftee be an upgrade over Fred Miller/John St. Clair, it will allow Tate to move to right tackle, where he is better suited to play. The other weak spot is at guard. Ruben Brown was IR'd a while back and will probably not be back next year, although he wasn't all that bad considering he might have been playing on a broken arm for a majority of the season. Still, he isn't under contract for next year, and seeing as he probably won't be back, his possible replacements are Terrance Metcalf, Anthony Oakley and Josh Beekman, all of which are unproven/bad, most likely the latter. There seems to be a lot of guards in the draft with decent skills set, and I think that if the Bears can land Radovich out of USC, Kraus out of Michigan or Young out of Tennessee, all of whom are projected to go in the middle rounds, the line would be in pretty good shape.
Quarterback- Not only are the Bears options at QB bad bad, but the options in free agency and the draft are bad as well. If the Bears do chose to go with a QB in the first round, fine, but I would rather take a lineman. However, the Bears could possibly land a second teir QB in the second round or late first round via trade.(Oh, and don't imagine for a second that McNabb will be in Chicago next year, I dont see Andy Reid letting it happen.) Still, drafting a QB wouldn't fix anything in the short term. The Bears would do best to take a lineman and go into training camp with an open competition between Orton, Greise and Grossman.
Runningback- Here the Bears have problems galore, but thankfully they have options. Michael Turner, Julius Jones, Chris Brown and Jesse Chatman will all be free agents and all of which are equal to or better to who the Bears have now. I would like to see the Bears sign Turner and either Brown or Chatman(Fargas is available, but he probably will demand close to Turner-like money, and the Bears can't affor to sign two top free agent tailbacks.). A stable of backs made up of Turner, Benson, Peterson, (Wolfe) and Chatman/Brown would be a huge upgrade for this team. Benson was a good number two and even if his struggles continue and/or he doesn't get back into shape, Peterson and Brown/Chatman are both excellent #2 backs. Wolfe is in parenthesis because he is not an NFL back, rather just a garbage time player.
Wide Reciever/Tight End- Things get really sketchy here. Bernard Berrian will probably leave and hopefully Muhsin and his juicy contract will get cut out of town. He isn't even a good #2 at this point, but seems to think he is a #1, so good riddance. Personally, i think the Bears have no choice but to resign Bernard, but i have a feeling Angelo won't see it that way. That leaves Devin Hester, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis and the glorified Mike Hass, all of which aren't good #2's even on their best day. Free agency doesn't offer much either. The only players that i like from the list of FA's are Oakland's Porter and Jacksonville's Wilford. Neither are very good. If the Bear's don't do much to improve their stable of recievers, the pressure on their tight ends will only increase. Desmond Clark has been steady and Olsen has shown flashes, but neither has stepped up as a go-to guy. Olsen could be that guy, but he hasn't done enough yet. However, if he does step out next year and the Bears make their offense more tight-end oriented, which they should absolutely do, their offense should improve. Still, I am banking on the Bears improving their running game enough to allow a barely decent passing game to "thrive." 200 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT would suffice if the Bears running game and offensive line improves as much as I think it can.
If I were Angelo, I would, for once, almost exclusively draft offensive players. The Bears, if they lose could end up with a top ten pick, but even if they win, they will probably end up with a top fifteen pick. In the first three rounds, i would take two offensive linemen and possibly a QB, if the right one is still around. I wouldn't mind trying to trade up and getting a second first rounder, but Angelo's history of trading down probably makes that highly improbable.Either way, my draft prioritees would go in the following order: Offensive Line, Quarterback, Wide Receiver, and then go with maybe a linebacker, safety or D-tackle in the last two or three rounds. Obviuosly, that order could change depending on who is available, but the Bears must address their offensive line needs first and foremost.
PS- I have read up on a certain receiver from Duquesne by the name of Bruce Hocker, and he seems to be a very good sleeper candiate in the middle-late rounds. He has a good combo of size andspeed and if anybody knows anything about him or where i can find clips of him, some info. would be highly appreciated.
What do you mean F.A. doesn't offer much in terms of WR? Patrick Crayton, Devery Henderson, D.J. Hacket to name a few. All 3 of those guys are better than what you have. How about Andre' Davis? Those guys are available and all you can get excited about is Jerry Porter? One guy whose whereabouts are just a mystery to me is Antonio Bryant. HE is easily the most talented WR in FA but the question is do the Bears really want to make a deal with the devil?
RB- Derrick Ward is the most versatile i.e. most talented (he can run and catch alah Westbrook). He can be a #1 in this league.
I still think Benson has what it takes to be a #1 but for now you can put him in a 2 back system.
1. Fred Taylor- Can show Benson how to run.
2. M. Turner- Probably the best but also most expensive option if you ar looking for a 2 back system.
3. J. Jones- He his a hot/cold type of guy.
4. T.J. Ducket- can be the best match for Benson. He is a bruiser that can wear down D's for Benson to run through.
Cedric Benson is a joke...They should have never traded T Jones.....Little AP is the Bears best bet....I'd go with Turner if he is available.....Antonio Bryant is a malcontent.
i agree that we need to get some offensive linemen and another running back like turner because i think benson is a lot better when hes in a 2 back system, like when he had jones benson did a very good job coming in..i also agree that alex brown is a better starter than anderson..i think its better that they put a fresh anderson in on passing downs to get sacks like last season when he had 12..if the bears can make their running game better with turner or someone and some new linemen then i think grossman is still the guy at qb since with the play action he can do what he does best and launch it downfield to the speedy receivers like berrian or hester..and like you said on d i think were fine and the injuries killed us but we need to get a safety to take archuletas spot or to take over browns spot if he gets injured again
Texas, I say there isn't much in FA for wide reiceivers because although there are some nice players, none are #1 type receivers and possibly not even legit #2's. I wouldn't say tat Henderson, Hackett and Crayton are better than Berrian. Personally, I don't think much of Hackett and Henderson. Crayton is a good player, but he isn't as good as Berrian. Henderson, while a bit improved in the mid-range/short passing game, is still just a deep threat, and I think Hackett won't be as good if he leaves Seattle and it's wide open passing game.
Bernard Berrian has developed into more than just a deep threat. He dropped a bunch of balls early on in the season but his hands have been much better in the second half.
Also, i mentioned Wilford and Porter because I don't see the Bears ponying up for some of the better FA receivers like Crayton.
I don't really know if Derrick Ward is ready to mentioned in the same sentence as Westbrook. He is a nice player, but i feel that Turner is a better option.
I am not so sure Benson has what it takes to be a premeir #1, but he can be a decent #1 in this league IF given a solid offensive line AND IF he gets into real game shape. Too often did I see him on the sidelines huffing and puffing after two or three consecutive two-yard carries. He's not in the Lendale White weight class but he still had too much extra meat on him.
Is Fred Taylor a FA? I didn't see his name on any of the 08 FA class lists.
While I did say that the Bears are cheap, it wouldn't surprise me if they signed Turner. The Bears love to run the ball(although it would do them some good to invest in the passing game) and Angelo will have some available funds.
I listed Julius Jones in the blog, but I don't like him all that much. WHy he is taking carries away from Barber down in Dallas is way beyond me.
I saw Duckett play this year in Detroit and he is a nice players, but I dont think he is the ideal guy to complement Benson. Both are bruisers(although Benson hasn't lived up to his "wear defenses down" potential); I would rather have a speedy guy with some shiftyness to complement Benson, who hopefully will have some fire underneath him come next season.
All of your comments are great and make perfect sense. But the truth is the McCaskeys run the Chicago Bears as a business and are only concerned about making a profit. They take advantage of the greatest fans in the world. My suggestion would be to start a movement to put a second team in the market, an AFC team. This would keep the Bears management in check. I have assembled a couple of ideas for team names.....
NW Indiana Lakers
Kankakee Riverrats
Gurnee Coasters
Dekalb Cornsnakes
Joliet Rockcrushers
The Bears need an offensive line, period. Upgrade the line, you automatically make Grossman an above-average QB. I know everybody hates Grossman, but he's not nearly as bad as everybody wants to make him. Has any other QB done better behind that line? Grossman needs one season behind a REAL O-line before we can truely say he's a bust. Look at the Texans! Carr had a miserable time there in Houston, he was sacked 80 million times... they bring in Schaub, and he doesn't do any better. They didn't upgrade their line! Meanwhile, the Browns went and got Steinbach (spelling?) and drafted Thomas, and what happens? They're a win and a Titans loss from being in the playoffs, Derek Anderson looks like a poor man's Brady, and Jamal Lewis has found his legs again. The Vikings went and snagged Hutchinson last season and turned a career backup RB into a household name with a 1,400 yard season. I said this two years ago when the Bears answer to their O-line issues was to sign Tait, they need to draft a slew of rookies for the O-line and let them get a couple years in the system so that when the time comes they'll be ready to step up. They didn't, and this is the result. I watched Grossman in his three games he started after Griese got injured... when he has time to throw, he can put up some deadly accurate passes in places most QB's wouldn't be able to. But it's hard for anybody to throw when their dropback looks like snap, step, step, sack. If you took Brady, put him in Chicago, and put Grossman in New England, Grossman would put up Brady numbers and Brady would put up Grossman numbers. A
Few comments. First: Scorpious, you are high. No way Tom Brady and Rex Grossman "switch" numbers if they switch teams. Brady has been a magnificent QB since entering the league, regardless of his RBs, receivers, etc. I know the value of an offensive line, and the Bears do need one more than anything else, but simply adding a great line will not a Tom Brady make.
Second, there are receiver options out there. Don't forget about Moss. It's highly unlikely he would come out of New England, where he is revered and has a QB more than grateful to have him after years of no-names, but he may bolt for more money. And the Bears have a huge trade-chip in Devin Hester. Let's be honest--they can't use him to his fullest potential, and they could get a lot for him.
To all, I see many comments and suggestions on improving the Bears but as much as it pains me to watch them this year losing the way they are losing, I have a question for all of you: What about the coaching staff? Lovie Smith got rid of Ron Rivera and the defense is rank at or near the bottom of every category. The offense is so predictable that even I could do a better job calling plays. Ron Turner has always been an average offensive coordinator. If most of us can predict what play he is going to call don't you think the opposing coaches do? If the offense is hurting with injuries and they are playing 2nd and 3rd stringers, how about getting a little bit more daring or a little bit more un-predictable. Now, let's get back to Lovie Smith. He shows no emotion or balls to motivate the players. His luck has finally run out so maybe it's time to let him go as well.
Scorpious, while I do, on some level, agree with you that Grossman isn't as bad as everybody sas he is, there is a serious flaw in your argument regarding his lack of protection. Just one short season ago, the Bears' offensive line was a consensus top 5 unit, allowed very few sacks and created plenty of holes for Benson and Thomas Jones. This year, everything fell apart and the line heavily regressed. Grossman had his chance last year and aside from a great September, was ot an above average quarterback.
However, he isn't a terrible quarterback, but even conceding that much, I still don't want him starting for the Bears next year.
slapNtickle- Rex has a strong arm and throws as good a deep ball as anybody in the league. Personally, i think he might throw the best deep-ball QB in the league not named Manning or Palmer. Yes, I think he throws as good a deep ball(or better) than even Tom Brady. (Brady doesn't lead his receivers very well on deep routes and has benefited greatly from Moss's jump ball abilities.) Rex's mid-range game was nonexistent last year without really good protection or scrambling, but he has improved, ever so slighly, in that department this year.
The catch with Grossman and his future with Bears is Bernard Berrian. If the Bears don't have Berrian next year, they have no receiver to best utilize Rex's greatest strength, and if Berrian leaves and Rex gets a chance, he will struggle greatly.
First as many have already said the # one priority is the O line. If I remember correctly in 2006 his first 6 games he put up outstanding #'s. Was also sacked very few times. In the games following he was pommeled. Rex I am sure could be good. However, he cannot scramble if pressured (except in to opposing teams hands) While no one has said it i think after sundays games some more things that they did should be further looked at. For one Orton did a great job behind the center. And he looked calm and collective while doing it not the OMG in gonna get sacked look that Rex gives. If we improve the O line I think that the run game will improve and the passing too. Get rid of i hurt my leg in the first 2 games of the season for the last two seasons brown.I hope they make better off season decisions than they did last year.
Packerfan, not a chance that Moss leaves New England, let alone for the Chicago Bears. Also, while I do agree with you that a revamped line won't turn Rex into Tom Brady, it will do wonders for his game.
As far as trading Hester goes, i have toyed with that idea, but the fact is that we are talking about the Bears. While you undoubtedly know about the on-field Chicago Bears, i am not sure if you are familiar with how Jerry Angelo and the Chicago Bears work. I would be amazed if the Bears did move Hester, which is a move I would seriously consider, especially when you take into account that his value only increases tenfold if he goes to New England, Indy or any other team that could force kick-offs and punts. Also, considering the Patriots' possesion of San Fransisco's deal and their ingenuity with gadget players like Hester, i am positive a deal could be worked out. But sadly, this is the Bears we are talking about.
no1maddogg, while the playcalling has been suspect on both sides of the ball, i wouldn't expect any upheaval at the coordinator positions. Bob Babich was hampered all year long by injuries and once Brown, Dvoracek(I don't wanna hear it PFG) and Vasher went down, he became more cautious in terms of blitzing, and rightfuly so. THe loss of a team's starting cornerback has immense ramifications and can cause huge problems. Throw in that the cornerback in discussion is an elite one, and the problems only magnify.
On offense, i feel for Ron Turner. He has one good receiver, two average at best tailbacks(Benson can be good with better weight management and some more weight training), a bottom-of-the-barrell offensive line and two good tight ends. The problem with having two good tight ends is that Rex, their best QB, has a hard time utilizing tight ends because of his height and where tight ends run their routes.
Before firing anybody, I would like to see them get a chance to call plays with a good and healthy roster.
So your list ammounts to: "Grossman has a good deep ball"....And no, his is not near as good as Payton, Brady, Palmer, Romo, or Todd Collins for that matter.....I know, I watched him at Florida. He's got a strong, but not accurate arm..that's it...Essentially, you have described Jeff George, with less of a personality.
So. A list with one whole thing on it...Wow. Sign him for 10 years 100 mil before somebody else snaps him up!!!!!
bearfrombirth, I thought i made it pretty clear that cutting Mike Brown is not something the Bears can afford to do, at least without pulling off a trade or if Kevin Payne turns into Mel Blount.
I would reserve judgement on Orton. He did play well on Sunday, but it was one freakin game and dont forget how bad he was in Minnesota, playing against a terrible pass defense. Rex has played well in numerous games, and so has Orton. Trust me, no decisions will be made regarding the starting QB for next year based on this year's performances. The Bears will most likely have an open competition attraining camp and as the Lovie Smith mantra goes, "we'll go from there."
slap, I in no way believe Grossman to be the QB that Scorpious made him out to be, rather i just named one of the things he does very well. There probably aren't three things he does very well at this point.
Still, i would argue that his deep ball is better than those of Romo, Brady and Todd Collins???. Brady is a hell of a QB and so is Romo, i just don't think they throw the best deep balls.
If Brown could remain healthy he would be a force to be reckoned with. However, now he is just dead weight that is draining funding much like the arch.plus who is going to trade for a safety that has played 5 games in the last 2 seasons.
Last edited by bearfrombirth on December 26th at 11:35 AM.
When i said pulling off a trade, i meant trading for a replacement and then cutting Brown, not trading Brown for a replacement. Sorry, for not being clear.
By the way, Brown cost the Bears 2.5 million this season, less than half of Archuletta.
chitowns'
With all of the problems envisaged this year for this franchise. At least I didn't see them becoming this inconsistent. One thing for sure though it comes down to what they've got at the quarterback position. And nothing there is in the least bit inspiring. That if anything has led to to the downfall of this team.
For the Bears to get stuff done in the off season they will need to cut some people and rework some contracts.
I would dump Grossman and Griese. They cost too much and do not advance the team. Orton would be my guy and then I would pick up either Flynn as an unsigned free agent (because he will get drafted) and then if they could get from free agency or amke a trade with a proven backup.
Running back... there are slew of backs on the board this year. Pick a couple.
Defensive line the Bears need a big man in the middle and some decent DE.
Offensive line they need on good guard and a good blocking and recieving tight end.
"Brady is a hell of a QB and so is Romo, i just don't think they throw the best deep balls. "
Find the teams that have the most pass plays over 30 yards....TD's over 20? Grossman isn't on the list.......It might look "pretty" in the air, but it needs to land in the hands of a WR, not a DB.
well a screen pass is a play that goes over 30 yards so you don't have to throw it deep to have plays over 30 yards..i just remember last season when jones and benson split carries the bears killed teams with the deep ball, especially in the beginning of the season with and without the playaction because rex had time to throw it deep to guys like berrian...the main things this offseason are offensive line and safety i think since brown is real good but gets injured and archuleta is awful (safety wouldnt be as much of a problem if we didnt get rid of chris harris and got just about nothing for him)..im still undecided on benson since his last 2 games before he got injured he starting getting some big gains
Bayou, Grossman hast set the Bears back very little financially and i doubt resigning him will cost too much money. I wouldn't bring in Flynn. I know he's your LSS boy and all, but come on, he hasn't shown me much of anything.
Runningback: If the Bears draft a back, their running game will improve. If they draft linemen, their running game and passing game will improve, plus there are a number of competent complementary backs in FA.
D-Line: The Bears have Dvoracek, Anthony Adams and Antonio Garay, all of which were IR'd. I doubt the same will happen next year.
Their GM isn't bad at all.... on the defensive side of the ball. He drafted Tommie Harris, Nathan Vasher, Mark Anderson, Charles Tillman, Trumane McBride, Lance Briggs, Devin Hester and Dusty Dvoracek. On offense he is incompetent. He has brought in Muhammad with an atrocious contract, drafted Mark Bradley and signed Rashied Davis. He also drafted Rex Grossman and the jury is still out on Greg Olsen. He did a nce job in signing Desmond Clark. Instead of firing him, i would lok to bring in a high profile offensive consultant.
slap, the fact that Rex doesn't have many big plays is pretty maningless. He has played in half of the team's games.
Again, let me reiterate. Rex is not anything more than a mediocre, possibly average QB. However, he does posess a mamoth arm and a very accurate deep ball. The latter is no secret, and teams gear their defense towards eliminating the big play, making Rex pretty ineffective.
In othere words, is REx one dimensional and offen innefective, Yes. Does he throw an exceptional deep ball? Yes. Sounds like i am argiung over nothing, but i still maintain that Rex throwns one of the best deep balls in the game.
thelach54 is right on. If the Bears had any semblence of a running game, they would use play-action effectively and Rex wouldn't have been as bad as he was early on; while he was terrible in his first stint of 07, he has fared pretty well in the post Greise "era."
"Does he throw an exceptional deep ball? Yes. Sounds like i am argiung over nothing, but i still maintain that Rex throwns one of the best deep balls in the game."
Fair enough....That would mean that the Bears have the little brother of Ryan Leaf at QB....FANTASTIC!!!
Cut Mushin Muhammed, Cedric Benson, Fred Miller, and Ricky Manning Jr. Waste of money from all of them and the cap hit on Muhammed Miller and Manning Jr. wont be that bad... Bensons will be 5 million but he is a cancer just take the hit we are still WAY under the cap so it wont affect my other moves.
Let Briggs walk. (Great LB but not required)
Move Jamar Williams to MLB. (Plays awesome.. fast)
Move Urlacher to OLB. (Extend his range and career)
Move McBride to Nickelback. (Has shown ability)
Start Mike Brown and Brandon McGowan at safety. (McGowan has been the best safety this year)
ReSign Bernard Berrian 4 yrs 26 Million. (I know its alot of money structure it with incentives)
ReSign Rex Grossman 2 yrs 3 Million. (He will take this deal in a heartbeat and we have him for 2 more years while the rookie develops {Below})
Sign UFA RB Derrick Ward (Wont be that expensive and has a possibility of being a good RB)
Sign UFA OT Max Starks (Not as good as Faneca but will be cheaper and solidfy the line)
Sign UFA WR Bryant Johnson (The 3rd option out of Arizona may be as good as the first two but should get this 6'3'' WR for cheap)
Sign UFA OG Floyd Womack (Can play RG or LG and will help Garza on the line with the loss of Ruben Brown)
Draft 1st round QB... Brohm, Woodson, or Brennan.
Draft 2nd round S
Draft 3rd round OT
Draft 4th round OG
Draft 5th round OT
Draft 6th round LB
Draft 7th round OG
I like alot of the moves, but some of them are a bit questionable.
Jamar Williams to MLB- The Bears play the cover2, and in that defense the play of the MLB is of the utmost importance. It would ne foolish to put Jamar Williams in such a tough spot in just his first year as starter.
Let Briggs walk- I don't understand why people think he is so expendabe. The three-time pro bowler is a top 3 OLB and is not fungible at all.
Resign Berrian- I have a feeling rosenhaus and Berrian will seek more money AND a better passing team. Berrian has been, in a sense, hel back by the stagnant offense of the Bears and could flourish in say... Dallas.
Sign Ward- I don't know if he and Adrian Peterson will be good enough to restore the running game to respectability. I do think Ward has some nice qualities, but I don't know if he is a legit #1.
Also, i think the line needs more than just a couple of veterans. I think a rookie that could hold down the line for the next ten years is a better choice than Max Starks or Floyd Womack.
Also, what safety should the bears chose in the 2nd round? I was looking at the possible choices in free agency, and aside from Sanders nobody really got me excited.
chitown, let me ask you an obvious question. SInce the GM has done well on the defensive side with drafts and free agents and Smith is a defensive minded coach who do you think is actually calling those shots? The answer is Smith.
I would take Flynn with the understanding that he is not a starter in the NFL but he wold be a great backup because he is smart and makes the guy in fron of him better. Rex STINKS as does Griese and thye cost a few million each year and you can get a good QB in this draft for that.
i still beleive is the best of what the Bears have. He can win and he fits the Bears mold of a QB.
The bears also need an offensive coordinator and dump the pin-head they have.
good article. good comments. Just to follow-up what others have said...
All of the bears real heavy duty problems (save defensive injuries) -- meaning qb and rb play -- come down to the offensive line. build an o-line to a vikings/colts/patriots level, grossman, benson, everyone will look 100 times better than they have been this year.
olsen starts looking great, hester starts looking great on offense, suddenly everything opens up and even ron turner looks smart and lovie isn't getting out-coached.
I think what they really need more than anything is to bring back the cheerleaders. It would be a guaranteed win when the Cowboys come to town because Romo would focus on them instead of the game.
bayou, I couldn't disagree more. You seem to be under the impression that Lovie Smith has been handed the keys by Angelo and that he has been calling the shots as far as player personel goes. You couldn't be more wrong. According to Bears insiders, the ony offseason in which Lovie Smith was given a say in personel was this past one, follwing a Super Bowl apearance which gave him some added input into free agency and draft choices. Furthermore, the one move that Lovi is speculated to have made is the addition of Adam Archuletta, who has been a colossal bust. Make no mistake about it, Jerry Angelo has been the one calling the shots, and also has made great choices before Lovie came to town, those beung Brian Urlacher, Alex Brown and Mike Brown. Tillman, Vasher and Briggs were also chosen either the offseason of or the offseason after Lovie joined the Bears, neither of which he would have been granted the power to make draft picks.
Flynn fits the mold of the Bears' QB??? What mold would that be? Perhaps the same one that brought us Grossman, Orton, Greise, Hutchinson, Stewart, Moreno, Quinn, Matthews, Krynzel and the other sixty no-names the Bears have used since Sid freakin Luckman. That mold would be the BAD mold.
By the way, Flynn will not make anyone in front of him better. Don't forget, Grossman, Orton, McNown, Leak, they all were excellent college players but did zilch for the Bears.
Lastly, Grossman cost the Bears $629,290.00, Greise 1.5 million. I would cut Griese and resign Rex to a Griese-like deal
Last edited by chitownsfinest on December 26th at 2:42 PM.
wabisabi, you are absolutely right. If the Bears do fix their offensive line, the entire offense will improve. However, i think you should be a bit more reserved with your hopes. Hetster didn't look bad because of the line, rather it was because he had limited knowledge of the playbook and had to be lined up by his big brother, Muhsin Muhammad. Grossman will also start looking better, but he wouldn't have looked so bad this season if his recievers had caught some balls, and Olsen is also to blame. His season has been marred by dropped passes and some disappearing acts.
O-line and Ron "antichrist" Turner, are the problems. The Bears have plenty of weapons, but do not utilize them properly. Greg Olsen is a stud. How many games this season, where they never even attempted a pass in his direction? Mark Bradley has what, 4 catches on the season? He hasn't even got on the field, yet in seasons past, when healthy, he made big plays. The playcalling geared towards getting Hester the ball was ridiculous and blatantly predictable. Until the coaching staff opens up the playbook, and quits worrying about the repercussions thereof, this offense will continue to flounder.
P.S. Am I the only one who finds it disturbing that the Bears organization re-hired Ron Turner, having previously parted ways with him? Who does that?
Juat a thought....build a dome, buy a man-made snow machine and keep it running from midnight before a game until the Bears final drive of the game. #### up the fans so that the wind is blowing at least 30 mph. It seems the Bears thrive during these conditions and no one else will.
You guys that want to count on Mike Brown are hilarious. Guy is a ball hawker and a great player, but counting on him to play a full season? You must be the same folks that have high hopes for Kerry Wood and Mark Prior every year.
You can't be serious! NEW QB, NEW QB, NEW QB, NEW QB, NEW QB. Should be the FIRST thing on Chicago's mind. A three way try out between the current three is a plan for disaster. Other than that you wrote a very solid review.
Let's all say a prayer for Mark Prior. He just signed with the Padres. Okay, you may not care, but I do. I am not holding my breath for Prior, but it would be nice to relive 2003 with him. Okay, back to Bears football, sorry for the change of topic.
Berrien is very good. In fact I think Muhsim can be good too if they both had a better passer at QB. But in the RB situation they may have to go with the Peterson/Benson combo next year. There are bigger needs on offense and I think the Bears can go with those 2 IF the rest of the needs are fixed. The team is built on the present, not the future - which means whoever steps behind center will need to perform. Therefore the O-Line will need to be the first place to start since obtaining a QB may be easier said that done. They have to strengthen the O-Line anyway.
Fix the BEARS? Lets's start with using a QB who went 10-5(?) his ROOKIE yr! did anyone see the GB game, HE WON! He can see over the line, bleeding hand in the first QTR and didn't LOSE THE BALL! Rex could be Great, If he'd study film an dreally practice, but he admittedly BLEW OFF GREEN BAY in the seasons last game.
Cedric and his $8 mil contact can hit bricks, hold the ball past the line of scrimmage in the SUPER BOWL (the game for of the ELITE)!
The line needs an infusion, namely a QB who can MANAGE an offense and a back who isn't sending the Defense out.
Now the pressure is off WR's and they can go run and catch.....
THE DEFENSE IS AMAZING for spending most of the game on the field, but they need a safety who doesn't blow the big play.
Namely a back on the screen (Harris McGowan Payne Archelta).
Brown is awesome bu tget him some help!!
Da Bears
I am college kid out of chicago and love Chicago sports aka a huge homer. My writing may contradict this, but i do care and know about sports outside of Chicago, although I may never blog about it.
