I think he traded down from #4 with NYJ to get #14 and #22.
He took Haynes at 14 and Gross at 22.
What a waste of a number 4 that was..
Seems to me taking best available OT with our 1st round pick and then using our 3rd round pick on an interior OL is the more sensible solution.
Angelo will take a LB in those bottom 3 rounds somewhere. Bet on it. If for no other reason than STs. And probably a CB or S too, for the same reason.
Pompeii is ****ing about the Bears having 5 preseason games... I say, bring 'em on.
The word was witch with a b.
Also, incredibly, this site hashes out the word "****" (rhymes with "ramble" and starts with g, people go to Vegas to do it). Seriously... are the Mormons running this site or something? Weird.
[Now, that should be banned! That's true profanity in the context used.
Jesus Christ
...“Look, fans don’t buy tickets to see Virginia or Brian McCaskey,” Gould told the Chicago Tribune. “They pay to watch Brian Urlacher, Drew Brees and all the great players. This lockout is all because of the owners’ greed. I’m sorry if that sounds cold, but it is the truth.”...
Now, that should be banned! That's true profanity in the context used.
Vulgarity is tolerable; profanity uis not.
Good for Jay. I wouldnt mind hookin up with Kristin...;)
Well, either marriage is gonna help Jay Cutler pull his sh-it together and finally be the QB he has the talent to be... or he'll get totally p-whipped and be worthless to the Bears (or anybody else).
Should be interesting to see.
Article in today's Tribune about Webb:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/cbsports-bears-excited-about-webbs-progress-20110426,0,4796585.story
I know there is a lot of (warranted) skepticism here about Webb, but I'm really pulling for the kid hard. He seems to have some skills, he definitely has the size, and after all the whiffs we've had on OL draft picks in the Angelo era it would be very satisfying to have one of them finally, actually work out.
I wonder if Asiata or Louis can play center
Well that Edwin Williams cant. Maybe we will see something from Louis this year. I sure hope so. He was supposed to be some diamond in the rough when we drafted him
Good grief:
With the addition of Gabe Camiri, the Bears have their bookend tackles for the next decade. I like the "we need to get bigger" philosophy for the O line. So, any truth to the rumors of Chris Williams playing center? I think Olin Kreutz is overrated at this point of his career; and too small. David, Oak Brook
I don't see any chance of Chris Williams starting at center this year. If the Bears did want to give Williams a new position, they would need an offseason to acclimate him. They don't have an offseason this year thanks to the labor problems. So I think their options with Williams are limited. It's possible the Bears will have Williams learn to play the position eventually and consider him as a potential successor to Kreutz, but it's not something that is going to happen soon. If this team gets its way, Kreutz is going to be snapping the ball in 2011.
Garza at C would be a 1-season stopgap at best. He is just about as used-up as Kreutz is. And I don't see this year's FA market exactly dripping with young talented centers.
We really should have picked up Kreutz' replacement in this year's draft. That 3rd round pick we spent on the project FS would have been the perfect opportunity... but since that didn't happen we'll have to either a) re-sign him and hope he's no less effective than he was last year (which was still marginal), or b) let him go and count on somebody in-house as a 1-year stopgap and then make C a top priority in next year's draft as he will need to be a guy that can start from Day One.
The centers for Oregon State (Linnenkohl?) and Oregon are both worth a look
Short arms don't bother Angelo (see Chris Williams).
Would be very surprised if Kirkpatrick, Linnenkohl or the like don't get a look by the Bears.
I expect they want to get bigger and they also want guys who can play more than one position.
I expect they want to get bigger and they also want guys who can play more than one position.
An OL that is 6'2 with short arms you can't play much more than C, TE or FB
As long as Carimi/Webb are in their best positions, I dont really care which side they play on.
And Chris Williams faced the best of the SEC for years while at Vanderbilt.
She looks like she likes being on top. I think he's OK.
Really?
Guard:
It is possible the Bears will bring in a free agent here, but don't be surprised if they don't. The fallout from the selection of Carimi means Chris Williams probably will stay at guard. So both starters from last year, Williams and Roberto Garza, are returning.
Chris Williams at center?
Can't say that I've ever seen a 6-6 center. Most of your DTs and NTs are shorter squattier types and I'd think you'd want a lineman that could get underneath them.
Matt Birk...I think he's 6-6...its just not very common to have a taller guy in there, plus I doubt Williams has any experience at any level at the position.
http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/05/16/pressure-reveals/
Check out this article with stats on pressure. Cutler was under the most pressure of any QB in the league last year.
The Bears actually played better. In fact if Cutler didn't get hurt the Bears would have won that game. If Rodgers instead of Cutler got hurt it would have been a blow out by the Bears.
The Packers are always tough on D at the beginning of games. It takes awhile to figure out what they are doing.
I still think Cutler was hurt very early in that game. He just wasnt putting it together. Even if he could have come back, I doubt he would have done much.
In the second half Woodson was out of the game. Most people don't realize just what a factor he is in Capers' system.
Glad to see the Griz wake up from his hibernation.
Urlacher's delusional. After the draft the Lions had this year, the Bears may not even be the 2nd best team in the division, much less the best.Dude I knew you'd be complaining about something with Urly or Angelo. You claim the Bears aren't even the 3rd best team in the NFC North based on players drafted that hasn't even played an NFL game yet. Like some have said here countless times the draft is a crap shoot. You can't say that the Lions are better than the Bears in your mind because of the past draft.
It's totally OK to believe you're the best team in your conference... but when there are two games in a 3-week span that clearly proved otherwise, going on record to say so just makes you look foolish.
and for the umpteenth thousandth time there would be no running lanes up the middle and the other teams' DE's would be having a field day because of pressure up the middle on Cutler...
Do you see this as being a Kreutz thing? The best we can hope is E.Williams at C.
Yes, Kreutz has been on the downside of his career for the last five seasons or so... there have not been enough running lanes up the middle, and there has been nowhere for the Bears QB's to step up to avoid the ouside pass rush.
OK was a fine player an eternity ago in NFL parlance. Last year he was supposedly healthy and got pushed around all over the place by younger, bigger, faster, stronger opponents. At one time he was an excellent pass blocke,r but that skill has eroded. He was never all that good at run blocking and now he is horrible at it.
What I have been reading indicates he may be finished in Chicago, I hope it's true.
Dumb sh-it... tried to skip out on a bar tab.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/23/garrett-wolfes-misadventures-began-with-refusal-to-pay-a-bar-bill/ (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/23/garrett-wolfes-misadventures-began-with-refusal-to-pay-a-bar-bill/)
Tryin to get NFL "star" treatment and it didn't work out... LOL.
My line: LT-Webb LOG-FA pick up Carl Nicks (NOT Williams) C-E. Williams ROG-H. Johnson RT-Carimi
Omiyale would be swing tackle, Asiata and Garza would battle it out for back up OG spot, Kruetz would be back up C- just in case, L.Louis would be TE to take Manulua spot as blocking TE. Remember Louis was TE in college. C. Williams would be cut, to help afford Nicks salary. This would leave vetern pro bowler next to Webb and E. Williams to help. I think Carimi would be above average RT in his first year. H. Johnson is wild card. But worse case scenari you go with Garza. This line would be great!
Well then maybe we keep Chris Williams as swing takle and launch Omiyale.
I hope the game scheduled in Europe is the next thing taken off the table
I hope the game scheduled in Europe is the next thing taken off the table
Agreed, total class by the rookie LB.
This is still a football team and he ultimately has to earn his keep on the field. But if it comes down to a final roster spot between him and someone else of equivalent skill, I hope this works in his favor. I'm pullin for the kid, definitely.
Class act. Keep him just for that. You know, I've been whining about all the arrests, I bet there's alot of this that goes unoticed because the kids just do it because it's right. I need to be more positive. Or more drunk, I'm not sure which. I'll have a beer and think about it.
If the price was right...?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/25/torry-holt-wants-to-keep-playing/
You really wonder if he has enough gas left in the tank. Might be a nice assistant coach
You really wonder if he has enough gas left in the tank. Might be a nice assistant coach
Yeah... I understand he could just as easily turn out to be another Orlando Pace situation.
But the reality is that our WRs have stalled on assimilating the Martz' offense, and we need some way (or someone) to help them step it up. It may be that we need more talent at the position, or it may be the talent we have just needs a little more time. Either way, at the end of last year, when it counted most, our air game wasn't working. Bringing in the WR who arguably had more success in Mad Mike's system than any other in history certainly couldn't hurt... whether that be as an active on-field contributor or in more of a player-coach role.
I can't believe Holt has anything left. While we are at it, Golden Richards is available again...
Not to disparage Hanie (who has gotten a raw deal from Martz), but I think a lot of people are forgetting that in that game where Hanie "rallied" the Bears against the Packers, Charles Woodson was on the sideline the 2nd half.
And? Woodson isn't the entire Packer defense. Give Hanie his credit. He did a hell of a job coming into the biggest game of his life.
Hanie did a good job and I would testify to my belief of that. There were a couple of other factors to consider, though. Starting CB Sam Shields also missed part of the second half and, psychologically, the Packers' motivation sagged when the Bears went to their third string QB. The lack of sharpness was apparent on a couple of plays.
Bottom line: I think Haney may eventually be a better QB than Cutler.
Mr. Haney from Green Acres: LOL. He almost always succeeded in unloading junk on Oliver Douglass at inflated prices despite his past shady dealings with them. He often took a piece of junk and called it by some outlandish name, suggesting that it has some use that it clearly does not and that it's in some way valuable.
Hmmm....sounds like Jerry Angelo to me!! ;D
Mr. Haney from Green Acres: LOL. He almost always succeeded in unloading junk on Oliver Douglass at inflated prices despite his past shady dealings with them. He often took a piece of junk and called it by some outlandish name, suggesting that it has some use that it clearly does not and that it's in some way valuable.
Hmmm....sounds like Jerry Angelo to me!! ;D
Speaking of Mr. Haney brings back fond memories of that lovable scoundel. That was a good show.
I was talking about JJ and Adam Sandler. Who I find to be pretty damn funny. Not in every single one of his movies but he has a few that are just damn funny.
Pauly shore is not someone I would say is funny.
Adam Sandler is funny as is Will Ferrell. Rosie O'Donell is a fat ugly cow who is most definately not funny.
Don't throw rocks at me but the funniest single performance that I have I have ever watched is Victor Borge and his piano recital.
c'mon- The Dick Van Dyke show had its moments. People STILL watch the Lucille Ball show (btw google her pics when she was a hoofer, ab so lute ly drop dead gorgeous). Was credited with setting up the shot angles and sets that are still used. Milton Berle, Ernie Kovacks, remember, censorship was tighter, had to read between the lines more. Bob Hope's deadpan stare at the camera, if you were of age you got it, if you weren't you didn't. Again, different world.
Ernie Kovacks was making **** jokes that only his writers and the "beats" got...
but it went out to a national audience.
And right over their heads. Nyuk!
Funniest stand up was Richard Pryor, Geroge Carlin, Eddie Murphy (Raw).
After them believe it or not Andrew Dice Clay had an HBO special that was funnier then ****. Everyone in the room watching it was crying from laughter. Sam Kinneson also very funny.
But I thought we were talking comedians in movies.
There was a dude that used to do piano and political comments while singing...
dont know who he was.
Tom Lehrer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lehrer
Steven Wright ...I prefer a comic that doesn't scream at me
JJ- My sources said it was lucy. Ricky was way to busy chasing and catching every skirt that came his way. Pryor was and still is Hysterical with his skits. They all had a bite to them, and made you remember. Grew up in Peoria btw.
The conversation has drifted to the modern comedians. I get very uncomfortable with their language and subject matter. I'll take Bob Hope and Jack Benny style.
That's a good sign! ;D
I love a good comic. Saw a guy at The Improv last month that had my wife and I in tears from laughing so hard. Darned if I can remember his name, though..having a pre-Senior brain fart.
Sam Kinison, Eddie Murphy, The Diceman, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock all make me laugh that way.
After awhile, Dice can wear you out with the vulgarity.
He sure dropped off the radar though....
Steven Wright ...I prefer a comic that doesn't scream at me
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/05/dungy-visiting-chicago-bears-staff-getting-an-education/
He was a DB
Hopefully Paea is the steal of the draft for us, but really I hope Carimi is the steal, because we desperately need an upgrade at OT more than DT.
If he could generate some push up the middle, then Peppers and Izzy suddenly become a lot more formidable, which would take some pressure off the DB's. FCOL, Nathan Vasher looked good when the Bears had a pass rush...
I guess he figures if they can't block at least there is more of them to get in the way.
Complain ? No. I like it, but the reality is that this team tends to crap its pants when the time to get to (or play in) the big dance, 85 notwithstanding.
Besides, its the offseason. Not much news (especially since the strike).
We've gotta have something to complain about other than a wretched economy and a liar/nincompoop/evil genius (take your choice) as POTUS....
Nice to see that article on Fantuz yesterday, and here's some good news on Cutler as well:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/15/teammates-say-cutler-looks-great/
Re Paea... he's smallish, but bull strong. With him and Toeiana paired up we've at least got a pair of DTs that we know will give 110% every down -- which hasn't been the case on the interior DL for quite awhile.
Jackie,
Nice to see you have found your way around the bad-word filters.
: )
No to Moss, yes to Sid Rice
I am zany...
No offense at all, I'm just glad you are still you here. My brain doesn't even register that you have placed four "k's" in "motherfukkkker" A shame you have to add this extra effort, but it is worth it, to me anyway
I'd give Plaxico a shot. I never thought what he did was that big of a deal. I look for Cutler to come back strong, we need to make sure he has an adequate line and some targets to throw the ball to.
If we can get better push up the middle on D, we could easily move into a top 5 D. D needs some work. O needs serious work..
As far as the OFFENSE goes...why is TICE collecting the biggest O-Line in NFL hstory?
I hope he knows what he's doing. BIG does not equate to TALENT.
I agree. There is a reason why big Herman didnt make it in St Louis. There is a reason Edwin Williams didnt make it in Washington. There is a reason why Webb lasted till the 7th round.
Tice built one hell of an O-line in Minny while he was there. They have gotten worse since he left.
Urlacher rips Soldier Field turf, London game, Dhani Jones’ bow tie
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 23, 2011, 12:32 PM EDT
Getty ImagesBears linebacker Brian Urlacher had plenty to say in a radio interview Thursday morning, talking about the sorry state of the sod at Soldier Field, explaining why he doesn’t want to play in London this season and firing back at criticisms leveled by Dhani Jones.
Asked on ESPN 1000 in Chicago about Bears president Ted Phillips saying the grass at Soldier Field gives the Bears a home-field advantage, Urlacher said that’s not true, and in reality the grass at Soldier Field is “a disaster.”
“The weather I think is the biggest advantage we have against teams that don’t play in our weather,” Urlacher said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “But we’re a fast defense. You put us on that FieldTurf eight home games a year? We’re going to be really fast. You put [Julius] Peppers on that turf? [Devin] Hester, with all those cuts on turf? [Johnny] Knox? All those guys. We’re going to be a little better, I think. Faster.”
The turf at Wembley Stadium in London likely won’t be in top condition for the October 23 Bears-Buccaneers game, but that’s not why Urlacher is unhappy about going there. Urlacher just seems to think it’s dumb for the NFL to play across the pond.
“No, I’m not excited to go to London,” Urlacher said. “I don’t understand why they do that. . . . I am not excited to go to London, I will say that.”
And as for the comments from Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones that Urlacher isn’t one of the 10 best linebackers in the NFL, Urlacher decided to rip Jones’ style of dress.
“I think we were drafted in the same class, right? Is he a 2000 guy? I haven’t heard anything about him since then,” Urlacher said. “I saw him on a TV show with a bow-tie on though. So I know him better for how the way he dresses than what he does on a football field. Guys are going to talk. I’ve definitely had a lot worse things said publicly from guys, so I can live with it.”
What does Green Bay use?Painstaking care by the ground crew.
We use dirt. Someone forgot to tell 'em there's supposed to be grass mixed in with the dirt. I'm glad to see Urlacher speaking out about this, huge problem..
damaged goods.
Martz likes smurfs that can run routes and catch. I hear Lance Moore's name bandied about.
Cullen Jenkins (http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110618/PKR01/110618032/Analysis-Who-ll-stay-leave-free-agency-?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|FRONTPAGE) anyone?
JJ, I agree. I would love to get a tall red zone target like Fried Rice. Jay probably misses those fun times of tossing a jump ball to Marshall and knowing it's six. But you can't deny that Martz has influence over offensive personnel decisions (LeFevour, Todd fuucking Collins, Enderle, Fat Manu, sitting Dez Clark and Aroma, etc). I was just going by what the Madman prefers (Moore, James Jones, anyone under 5'10" who can run).
I just do not see them paying a lot of money for a WR. They'll probably get a mid level veteran and hope that Knox and Bennett step up and cling to that maddening perennial blind faith that the pass pro improves. Maybe they spend more money on a Jenkins or another DT FA (http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_18382191) whether or not they sign Adams. Stocking up on DL is their MO.
A really ballsy and unlikely move is to drop a pot of gold on Asomugha or Johnathan Joseph (http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/30371742).
I bet there are plenty of under the table ready made deals just ready to be signed once the starting bell sounds. With Cutler and Peppers the last couple years, it would be fun to see the Bears splash FA headlines once again.
The post about the 12 games is wrong. Payton missed one game, and that game said he could have played.
Makes you wonder how the new kickoff rules will change things.....
Hester was truly unique in his ability to run back Kicks. The Bears have made a lot of mistakes over the years, but the worst one was to let him split his time between WR and KR. There has never been anyone like him, and there almost certainly never will be.
I find that article unbelievable for a couple of reasons. The main one is that there can be no conversation between players and management.
Heh, it's like college recruiting violations. Everyone does it. It's arbitrary and rare as to who gets caught. The agents and management are talking a ton for sure.
IMO, there really isn't a huge market for Plax because of the time off and the in season physical adjustment he would have to endure. He did have injury issues even when he played well with the Giants. FWIW, Plax did put the Bears in his top 3. But I suspect he would put any local team in his top 3 depending on who is interviewing him at the time. The Trib (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-hester-wants-bears-to-sign-santana-moss-20110712,0,5447028.story) and the Suntimes (http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/6485119-606/bears-arent-keen-on-plaxico-burress.html) are for all intents and purposes ruling it out.
The line is waaaaay more important to me. I'd rather see them sign an decent option vet who can play inside because the jury is still out on Williams and the ACL less Garza ain't gettin' any younger. They will start Webb (http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/6482990-606/bears-ot-jmarcus-webb-will-likely-be-protecting-jay-cutlers-blind-side.html) at left and Carimi at right and go from there. I would be somewhat surprised if Kruetz doesn't come back.
Plaxico is a tool and a cancer. He'd last about 2 days with Martz.
No thanks.
Plexico is the big WR that you and others have been screaming about all off season.
If the Bears sign him I would have no probs with that signing at all! Hell get Santana Moss in here too!
I doubt you'd have a problem with Charles Manson either if he could play football.
I doubt you'd have a problem with Charles Manson either if he could play football
I doubt you'd have a problem with Charles Manson either if he could take Adam Dunn's place on the White Sox.
If they can sign him, I say sign him. They aren't out anything.
Yeah I am hoping he works out but that is kind of a long shot.
Don't get me wrong I would much rather the Bears spend their considerable cap space on O-line help first and for most in free agency.
I doubt you'd have a problem with Charles Manson either if he could take Adam Dunn's place on the White Sox.
JJ, the interior still needs help. Martz even admits it. He said that when Garza came back they were able to run the ball better. Big Herman Johnson hasnt proved squat. I'd rather have a proven run blocker such as Mankins for the left side than depend on Herman to beat somebody out for LG.
TICE took a bunch of chumps and formed them into somthing which stood the test...
JJ, I'd rather not have to trust Tice to develop Herman Johnson come training camp and deal with his faults till he does develop sufficiently. You do realize that we havent had any OTAs or contact between coaches and players since March. I dont believe Herman Johnson even logged a minutes time last year. I think he was solely a PS player. With all the OG problems we had and he couldnt get on the field doesnt bode well for having to depend on him to start. We need some road graders for that interior line both to run the ball as well as pass protect. Give me a vet OG please and may he be top notch quality. We need to protect Cutler, not put him on life support. You saw what happened in the NFC championship game, you know that line needs an overhaul. Carimi is just the tip of the iceberg not the final piece to the puzzle
I would say they barely survived more than anything. If we are willing drop big money on either Mankins or Asom, I would actually rather pick Mankins...assuming we solidify our DT with or without Adams. If Asom backed up Detroit's line, obviously that would suck. IMO, it is more important for this team to protect the QB 1st, open up running lanes 2nd. As bad as the Giants game was, the Jets game was damn fun to watch. Cutler was able to 5/7 step drop, surveyed the scene and let it rip because of the great protection. Furthermore, that game also proved that even with star corners that the Jets had, they were burned because they could not pressure Cutler. The Bears need to pressure the QB especially up the middle. If that happens, Peanut and company can be adequate for this defense.
I would say they barely survived more than anything. If we are willing drop big money on either Mankins or Asom, I would actually rather pick Mankins...assuming we solidify our DT with or without Adams. If Asom backed up Detroit's line, obviously that would suck. IMO, it is more important for this team to protect the QB 1st, open up running lanes 2nd. As bad as the Giants game was, the Jets game was damn fun to watch. Cutler was able to 5/7 step drop, surveyed the scene and let it rip because of the great protection. Furthermore, that game also proved that even with star corners that the Jets had, they were burned because they could not pressure Cutler. The Bears need to pressure the QB especially up the middle. If that happens, Peanut and company can be adequate for this defense.
On the other hand, the Bears need as much work under live fire conditions as they can get -- especially the offense. And, having a game just two weeks away would definitely take the urgency level of an abbreviated training camp up quite a few notches from Lovie's usual casual vibe.
Other thoughts?
Guys like Herman Johnson are the ones that really got shafted by this lockout. He could really have used those OTAs to get up to speed on Tice's blocking schemes and the Martz offense in general.
Plus you've got to figure guys as big as he is have a hell of a time staying in shape under the best of circumstances... but left to their own devices during a prolonged offseason? Wouldn't surprise me in the least if Big Herm was tipping the scales at over 4 bills right now.
imagine if he can get out of H.Johnson what he got out of Webb.
JJ, I guess then that means you are willing to give Tice say 5 or 6 games like last year to get something out of Big Herman? See I am not willing to gam-ble from the beginning. I want to start the season with a veteran line set to kick butt. I dont want a repeat of last year
Guys like Herman Johnson are the ones that really got shafted by this lockout. He could really have used those OTAs to get up to speed on Tice's blocking schemes and the Martz offense in general.
Plus you've got to figure guys as big as he is have a hell of a time staying in shape under the best of circumstances... but left to their own devices during a prolonged offseason? Wouldn't surprise me in the least if Big Herm was tipping the scales at over 4 bills right now.
Exactly. No OTAs, no training or contact by the coaches. Laying up and taking life easy, drinking like a fish. Yup, I can see it all.
Ya year that JJ?
JJ, there is nothing going on, there are no OTAs. There has been no contact football since January. How is big Herman going to get better between January and July? And lest you forget he didnt log any time last year on the Oline. He was strictly on the practice squad as I remember it.
Why would you assume there is something going on?
As for the free agent signings I sure hope the Bears go after Mankins. We need that dude badly.
Last I saw, and unless the new CBA radically alters the compensation rules for FA signings, Mankins would cost us 2 first round draft picks. Mankins is a great player at a position of great need, but that's too much to give up.
imagine if he can get out of H.Johnson what he got out of Webb.
JJ, I guess then that means you are willing to give Tice say 5 or 6 games like last year to get something out of Big Herman? See I am not willing to gam-ble from the beginning. I want to start the season with a veteran line set to kick butt. I dont want a repeat of last year
I think the very best possible hope for the Bears is to have a repeat of last year. Get into the playoffs and hope to get lucky.
The Packers are clearly a better team than the Bears. We can hop for injuries to level the playing field a bit, but I can't look at our players, compared to theirs, and have a reasonable hope that we have the better team. And one more big guy on the line won't turn the tables. It would improve us, but not by the quantum leap that we would need.
Giving the guy throwing the ball some protection should improve all those things
There is no doubt that pass protection will improve all those things.
But in and of themselves, they are not enough to bring us up to a par with the Packers.
The Bears are a good team. Much better than average. Not not among the top 3 or 4 in the NFL. If you add one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman, they will still not be one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the NFL. Much closer, but not at the top.
How could God allow the Cahboys to not play football on his day off?
Maybe He wants us doing other things on Sundays than watching football all day. Just a thought... from someone who is guilty as charged.
Bring on the replacement players
Steve Smith (http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-harris-makes-pitch-for-panthers-smith-20110722,0,2449489.story) for a third anyone?
I'd like to thank the bears GM for drafting another good against the run DB, because everyone knows stopping the run without cover skills is a winning idea.
Thanks Jerry....from a Packer Fan.
Phil - Are you talking about going to the exhibition game when the Bears arrive? Asuuming they arrive and all. I might attend also, kind of up in the air right now, but if the price is right, I may just go.
I don't think I've ever walked into a store thinking, "where are the mittens?... they've got to be around here, maybe on an end cap?" also real hard to make a good snowball with mittens, but good for smoothing the ol' igloo.
Deer Mittens are still mittens. No grown man should ever where mittens unless the temperature is 40 below.
Plus you have a huggy on your beer. Is it cold or not? If it is cold enough to wear mittens then I am thinking you don't need the beer huggy. Am I wrong?
Hey, cut Otto some slack. At least he didn't have strings attached to keep from losing them
This will make me very unhappy. Grrrrr!
Bears to play Bucs in London
ASSOCIATED PRESS July 26, 2011 9:59AM
Reprints ShareUpdated: July 26, 2011 10:00AM
LONDON — With the lockout over, the NFL will return to London for a fifth straight year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23 in the fifth regular-season game in the British capital.
The game was in question because of the lockout. The two sides announced a 10-year labor deal Monday to end the dispute.
The Bucs will be in London for the second time in three years, having lost to the New England Patriots at Wembley in 2009. The Bears beat the Dallas Cowboys in a 1986 preseason game at the old Wembley Stadium.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Free-agent center Kreutz draws interest from other NFL teams
By Brad Biggs
Tribune reporter
10:58 a.m. CDT, July 26, 2011
Getting Olin Kreutz back in the fold will not be a slam dunk for the Chicago Bears.
When they chose not to pursue the veteran center for a contract extension before the lockout, they put themselves in a situation to potentially lose him without having a player to replace him on the roster.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Kreutz has four teams “legitimately interested” in him, a list that includes the Bears. The team is expected to discuss his status Tuesday. But talking about it and reaching terms on a contract are different things. The last time Kreutz was unrestricted in 2002, he nearly signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Kreutz has made it clear his first choice is to remain a Bear for the entirety of his career. He’s fiercely loyal but he’s also very prideful and isn’t going to accept a sub-par offer for an organization he has been a part of since he was a third-round draft pick in 1998.
The Bears created extra work for themselves in a chaotic free-agent period like no other by not taking care of the Kreutz situation six months ago. If they don’t re-sign him, they have to find someone to play the position, and getting a center up to speed in Mike Martz’s offense would be no small task.
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Another midget WR? Really?
OK, whatever. Might as well bring in as many bodies as we can. Maybe if he's really good on teams he can replace Rasheed Davis.
This is bad news. We may wind up overpaying to keep a guy who's well past his prime, simply because we have no viable replacements in the pipeline.
This is what happens when you have an imbecile managing the roster.
This will make me very unhappy. Grrrrr!
Bears to play Bucs in London
ASSOCIATED PRESS July 26, 2011 9:59AM
Reprints ShareUpdated: July 26, 2011 10:00AM
LONDON — With the lockout over, the NFL will return to London for a fifth straight year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23 in the fifth regular-season game in the British capital.
The game was in question because of the lockout. The two sides announced a 10-year labor deal Monday to end the dispute.
The Bucs will be in London for the second time in three years, having lost to the New England Patriots at Wembley in 2009. The Bears beat the Dallas Cowboys in a 1986 preseason game at the old Wembley Stadium.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I don't follow the NFL draft very much, but I have one question that perhaps someone could answer.
Each team has 7? choices in the draft. It would seem to me that any undrafted free agent would be, in the eyes of the Bears, worse than the person they drafted in the last round. If that were so, why would we be more excited about signing "X", if we didn't even think that "X" was worth drafting in the first place?
I can understand signing a number of UDCs, in the hope that one or two would be good enough to help. But for any particular UDC, the likelihood of having a better chance of helping the team would be somewhat lower than the guy they drafted last.
Dave - I understand why the Bears would sign non-drafted free agents. My question is, why would we, as fans, be more excited about a NDFA than we are about the last draft choice? It seems by definition that guys that are not drafted by ANYONE are probably not as good as those that were drafted.
I would call it strategy, rather than subterfuge. And I suppose it is neither good nor bad in and of itself, but is conditional upon it's success or failure.
I don't get excited over UDFA's.
They're undrafted for a reason.
I don't get excited over UDFA's.
They're undrafted for a reason.
I agree with Phil when he is right. I disagree with Phil when he is wrong.
And the Cows are cutting Marion Barber too!
I'd definitely sign him!!!
Roy Williams will be released by the Cows.
I wouldn't mind having him here for a try.
Roy Williams will be released by the Cows.
I wouldn't mind having him here for a try.
McNabb was in Hallas Hall today. Could he sign with the Bears to be backup QB?
Would you go for him Phill?
McNabb is not coming here and I don't want him. We have Cutler.
Hanie is a nice back up and should of been ahead of Collins period but lets not get ahead of ourselves jj.
Not speaking for Phil ... BUT ... WHO almost won us a trip to the SUPERBOWL ?
It wasnt McNabb ... and it wasnt Cutler.
Looks like a loss to me.
Tom Waddle, Brian Baschnagel, Keith Ortego, and Steve Schubert... these guys with heart never work out... sigh
Bears working quickly on Kreutz and Roach
Along with overtures to their own, they are surveying free-agent landscape and players expected to be cut
By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter
8:00 p.m. CDT, July 26, 2011
The Bears started moving fast and furiously on the 2011 season Tuesday morning but at the end of the day the only thing they had announced was the addition of 26 undrafted college free agents.
The Panthers reeled in their own defensive end Charles Johnson, getting him to agree to a $76 million contract with reportedly $32 million guaranteed so they didn't lose another pass rusher the same way Julius Peppers exited.
But for the most part it was a lot of phone calls and a little bit of action leaguewide as team executives and agents alike got a feel for the new system. The Bears began the day with coach Lovie Smith, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and linebackers coach Bob Babich having breakfast with free agent Nick Roach at Halas Hall. They expressed a strong desire for him to return, and the starting strong side position is vacant.
The club had negotiations with the representative of center Olin Kreutz, and the Bears surely took note of players being informed they will be released elsewhere such as Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams and Packers linebacker Nick Barnett. The Bears also have discussed the possibility of Jaguars linebacker Justin Durant. It's also believed the Bears checked in on the situation of special teams ace Corey Graham.
Williams hasn't performed well the last three seasons for the Cowboys, but he's extremely close with Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, who coached him at Texas. Also, Williams had his most productive year as a pro for the Lions playing under Mike Martz. Maybe the Bears will explore Williams as a bargain buy, but players cannot officially be released until Thursday.
Santana Moss won't be coming the Bears' way. He's staying with the Redskins with a $15 million, three-year deal. Interestingly, an agent may have been using the Bears as a ghost bidder with at least two prominent wide receivers in negotiations elsewhere. One of the top available offensive linemen also was locked up as the Ravens hung on to guard/tackle Marshal Yanda.
It's possible thick action won't pick up until later in the week. Veteran free agents cannot sign contracts until 5 p.m. Friday and they are prevented from participating in training camp practices until Aug. 4, the first day of the new league year and nine days before the Bears' exhibition opener against the Bills at Soldier Field.
So, agents will look at the fact teams truly cannot show a player the money until Friday — and the later start date in camp for the free agents — and shop around for the best deal.
It's not like the opening of free agency was for the Bears in March of 2010 when the club committed $55 million guaranteed in less than six hours. There are a lot of players out there and more soon could be added to the discard pile.
Like every team, the Bears played out possible scenarios months ago in preparation for this. Now, they're measuring twice, as general manager Jerry Angelo said. Agents involved said deals could come together quickly. That should be the case soon.
Tribune reporter Dan Pompei.
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Besides Forte, Gregg Olsens contract can be extended if we need to spend some cash.
I am still concerned about the OLine situation at LG particularly. We desperately need an upgrade. I see we picked up an OG as an undrafted FA
Josh Davis, 6-7, 313, Georgia, OT. This is a Mike Tice kind of player with excellent size and positional versatility. Roster chance: Fair.
Ya catch that JJ. I know ya did.
Well it say OT but he may not be athletic enough to make it outside, but watch Tice work on him, maybe move him inside.
" Henry is known for his punishing blocks and a mean streak so vicious that he has sometimes struggled to control it, even against teammates in practice.
Just the kind of nasty streak we need on our OL for quite some time.
Hilgenburg was a phenomenal smallish center that was undrafted. If one or more of these stick,I'll be happy.
Maybe Tice figures if he gets as big as possible at T and G that he can get by with a smaller center. Whether that C be Kreutz or someone else.
Bears have method to their slowness in free-agent game
NEIL HAYES ON THE BEARS July 27, 2011 10:38PM
the Bears’ general manager is taking a cool and calculated approach to this bizarre bazaar.
Translation: He's been golfing during the entire lockout and hasn't gotten his lazy azz back up to speed yet.
Another option will present itself when the Dallas Cowboys release receiver Roy Williams. The eight-year veteran enjoyed a career year with Martz when both were with the Detroit Loins in 2006. Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was the Lions’ head coach at the time. If those aren’t obvious enough connections, Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake recruited Williams to Texas and once called him one of the brightest players he had been around.
Williams never made the expected impact after the Cowboys acquired him from the Lions for three draft picks in 2009. However, at 6-4, 210 pounds, he’s the big receiver Jay Cutler hasn’t had since he left Brandon Marshall in Denver. Given Williams’ success with Martz and Drake, he might be worth the risk when Angelo decides to join the fray.
I guess that if Olsen gets traded (which I don't think will happen), the starting TE job becomes Kellen Davis' job to lose.
Even if he does get traded I have a feeling Angelo's gonna get taken to the woodshed on the deal.
hmm, wonder would Steve Smith for Olsen be a good trade?
They have a good OL and a decent receiving TE can be a young QB's best friend.
I think Smith would really open things up for us. We might have the smallest WR core in the league but we would also have one of the most explosive.
if you had Smith, Knox and Hester all on the field at the same time, someone is going to get free if the line can hold their blocks for more than 2 secs.
hmm, wonder would Steve Smith for Olsen be a good trade?
They have a good OL and a decent receiving TE can be a young QB's best friend.
I think Smith would really open things up for us. We might have the smallest WR core in the league but we would also have one of the most explosive.
I would take Floyd over Roy Dub as well.
Bears sign Matt Spaeth TE
I watched him in college. Solid pass catcher. Probably more of a blocking TE with Pitt.
I think Martz wants the guy that can go toe to toe with a DE and then occasionally slip out and catch something for 5yards and rumble for a few more.
Looks like we will have a major turnover on ST. These new UDFAs will have to step up
Bowen is a 3-4 end...effective with the Cowboys but just a part time player. You think he wants to play 4-3 DT or 4-3 end? Not a big loss.
Bears weakest part of their game was their pass offense. Run offense wasn't great but improved when Martz committed more to giving Forte the ball. So now we're supposedly getting rid of one of our few pass receiving threats in Olsen? Maybe they've seen something in Kellen Davis who had one catch during the regular season.
We'll need a big (literally) FA signing at WR to compensate for adding more predictability to our offense with the loss of Olsen.
It looks like we have cut a lot of salary when we were already over 30 Mill under the cap
Scratch this guy from somebodys want list.
Ex-Jet Brad Smith gets 4-year, $15 million deal with Bills
This is Martz last year on his contract.
I also was disgusted at how Olsen never punished tacklers and went down easily when a DB much smaller then him threw a arm out and hit his leg. He has been a the biggest wussy when it came to being tackled. He would fall down when a fly ran into his thigh. Plus he fumbled WAY too much.
That said he was a decent TE for the Bears and they better have a plan for replacing him. The Bears need a threat in the red zone.
I also was disgusted at how Olsen never punished tacklers and went down easily when a DB much smaller then him threw a arm out and hit his leg. He has been a the biggest wussy when it came to being tackled. He would fall down when a fly ran into his thigh. Plus he fumbled WAY too much.
1 31 (31) Greg Olsen TE Miami (FL)
2 30 (62) Daniel Bazuin DE Central Michigan
3 29 (93) Garrett Wolfe RB Northern Illinois
3 30 (94) Michael Okwo OLB Stanford
4 31 (130) Josh Beekman G Boston College
5 30 (167) Kevin Payne S Louisiana-Monroe
5 31 (168) Corey Graham CB New Hampshire
7 11 (221) Trumaine McBride CB Mississippi
7 31 (241) Aaron Brant T Iowa State
A 3rd for Olsen is better than I thought he was worth.
I think we will miss Mannings kick returns more than his saftey play.
Very interested to see the contract terms for Williams.
After that disaster in Dallas, anything over a couple mil a year is too much. He's a guy that definitely has a lot to prove and his compensation should reflect that.
on the Olsen trade, I like it. I doubt Olsen was coming back, either the money or Martz I think he would have chosen greener pastures and we got something for him.
Interesting comment that we offered Willie Colon $32mil but he stayed with the Steelers for $29mil. Hmmm.
but Lovie and the front office are a joke and that's known throughout the league.I know Angelo makes some stupid draft picks sometimes but I think most players really like playing for Lovie. I mean we have been able to get most FA's that we target. we have also done a pretty good job of keeping our own core players together.
he had 8 TD's in DET with Kitna throwing him the ball, I don't remember how good their line was.
Bears sign another ex Cowgirl WR Sam Hurd.
"Olsen was a committed blocker" Looks like Dallas was drinking the koolaide when he wrote this. How many blocks have you seen Olsen whiff on? I have seen more than enough. And the next time he runs over or thru a tackle will be his first. Goes down way to easy on contact. He is fast and fairly good catching the ball, but still a pu=ssy and I am glad to see him go. Some paper wrote that he and Cutler had fantastic Chemistry in River North, and less than that at Soldier Field. Agree.
Maybe they will target Zack Miller from the Raiders or the older Todd heap released by the Ravens.
I hope he can get his career back on track with the Bears but I agree with Dallasbear in thinking we would do well to keep our expectations low.
Hurd should be a definite upgrade over Rasheed. I know he's got some serious wheels... maybe he steps into the KR void created by the loss of Manning.
As a WR, he brings enough skills to put some pressure on Johnny Knox which may not be a bad thing as it appeared last year at times that Knox was giving less than maximum effort.
Sam Hurd is strictly a possession receiver and was never used by the Cowboys as a return guy...punts or kick offs. Think 5th WR who dresses on Sunday but rarely plays on offense - special teamer. Maybe even a bit of downgrade to RAshied since Rashied could come in now and then and return kicks.
I'm really concerned with our STs this season. Corey Graham was a stud...Garrett Wolfe, Rashied Davis, Brian Iwuh, and Rod Wilson - all big contributors all gone. And if Kellen Davis starts at TE he leaves STs too.
Who replaces these guys? I think we've really taken for granted this team's ability to cover kicks and punts...but there I go drinking more Kool Aid.
WTF do you let Olsen go....I a year "were need to address the TE postion".
STs is a concern but O-line is easily the biggest concern:
Webb at LT is huge? He played it in college but not the pros. Carimi at RT is another unknown. Thankfully, we have Omiyale who can competently replace either.
OG is a pile of unknowns. Aside from Garza there just a bunch of young inexperienced guys: Louis, Chris Williams, Edwin Williams, Johan Asiata, Herman Johnson and whoever else they can find off the street.
And of course Kreutz' situation.
Other concerns: starting SLB, pass rusher either at DT or DE, TE and possibly LCB and backup safety
I don't understand dealing Olson. Martz might not think highly of the tight end position but Olson was the bestplayer this team had at one of its weakest positions. Martz needs to adjust to the talent he has. If he's such a genius, he can find a way to draw a TE pattern.
FWIW, it's been reported that Roach and Forte are in camp today.
Another UDFA tackle Mike Lamphear (http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=50026&SPID=4963&DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=205214191) for a tryout. I hope his weight (http://www.goleathernecks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12000&ATCLID=788544) is a typo.
I think I read that they promised Hurd he could play WR, so I dont think he is going to be happy relegated to ST only.
dallas, to be a 6'4, 250lb TE, he went down too easy after the catch from guys much smaller than him. I think that was his biggest knock.
He was a matchup issue that we never took full advantage of but he went down too easy.
He was also usually sure handed.
While not any dominate blocker he was willing to stick his head in there and got a lot better in that department.
They are going to miss Manning on special teams. If we had never had Hester, we would be worshiping Manning's ability to return kicks.
Here you go Dallas, just for you:
Still, Hurd couldn't surpass, Patrick Crayton and eventually Miles Austin on the depth chart. Last season when the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant, it was the writing on the wall for several players including Crayton, who was eventually traded to San Diego. Hurd asked for a trade as well, but it didn't happen. Kevin Ogletree's emergence also complicated things for Hurd, who couldn't get enough playing time on offense.
The Cowboys did make Hurd an offer to stay, but the Bears made a commitment to make him a wide receiver.
I think that last sentence means they told him he could play WR. And lets not forget all the passes that hit G-reg Olsen on the hands that he dropped. The romanticizing of Olsen makes me wonder who he lived next door to.
looks like a TE to me!
boogie,
Corey Graham is a UFA. I guarentee there are going to be teams (maybe even the Bears) that will sit down with him and his agent in his living room and tell him that they want him to play cornerback.
But in their mind they are thinking...special team gunner.
We lost Aromashodu and Roy Williams takes his spot as I think Hurd takes Rashied Davis' roster spot.
Just don't think Hurd is going to make a big impact on offense - I'd love to be wrong seeing how he's an ex-Huskie like myself.
Jermichael Finley, TE
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
This was the most painful player to write about.
The potential for Jermichael Finley is absolutely stunning, but that potential will be somewhere else in 2012.
If—and this is a huge if right now—Finley can stay healthy for an entire season, he will absolutely separate himself as the best tight end in football. It won't be easy to let Finley go, but the amount of money he will want will be too much for Green Bay.
Remember that Green Bay drafted two tight ends back in April, and D.J. Williams has all the tools to be a special player.
Keep in mind, Dallas is still upset over Walt Harris..
I really do not understand the love for Greg Olsen. He was not a bad guy or TE he just was not good. He was average. We got a third round pick for an average TE who was in the last year of his contract. The Panthers are paying him 24 million dollars over 4 years. That is 6 million dollars a year. He is NOT worth 6 million dollars a year let alone 6 million dollars a year and a third round pick.
The Bears finally got value out of a guy in a trade.
Olsen was not a good blocker and did not break tackles or punish defenders. He had decent hands. He was nuetralized when DC's found out he could be defended with a DB. He still went down easy.
So why not use a big WR that will be faster then Olsen and will have better hands and moves then Olsen. You lose nothing but you gain speed, moves and hands. Plus you have another WR on the field instead of a TE that can't block any better then the big WR.
This is what Martz said last year in not so many words.
On Olsen, I have to say he was underutilized by our system last year. I agree that if he was in Indy or New England, you would be talking Pro Bowl every year - teams that utilize the TE position. I guess a 3rd rounder is the best we could do, considering we would just use him the same way this year and then he would walk anyway.
Perhaps he just seemed better to you because the Bears have been so bad at the position for so long.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/783992-greg-olsen-trade-to-panthers-hardly-a-reason-for-angelo-bashing
I think this article sums up my thoughts pretty well.
Gee, I've always wanted a punter who can run a 4.4...
Well, they do have to be quick enough to run out of the way of the loose returner before they get bowled over...
He was waived today.
Worth a look ?
Lazy
Bears offensive line* revealed (http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/29185/bears-offensive-line-revealed)
For months, we've been discussing the Chicago Bears' offensive line* with a presumed asterisk. All five of their starting positions were pending post-lockout moves. We wouldn't know their first-team lineup, it seemed, until the start of training camp. Even now, however, it's impossible to know if what the Bears trotted out during their opening practice Saturday in any way resembles their intentions for Week 1 of the regular season. For the record, here is what the used during the early portion of team drills:
Left tackle: Frank Omiyale
Left guard: Chris Williams
Center: Roberto Garza
Right guard: Lance Louis
Right tackle: J'Marcus Webb
Here's what I think we can glean from that grouping:
•The Bears aren't eager to move Webb to left tackle, as some have discussed this offseason. If they were, it stands to reason he would have opened training camp there even if the rest of the group is in flux.
•For similar reasons, it appears the Bears want Williams to be their left guard first and foremost. The could conceivably work him at left tackle or even a center, but if they wanted him to play either of those positions on Sept. 11, you would think they would have started him there right away.
•Garza is at center because Olin Kreutz remains unsigned. The Bears would much prefer to play Garza at right guard, but in the short-term it couldn't hurt them to get Garza some work as an emergency center. The real question is if he would be their answer if Kreutz pulls a surprise and signs elsewhere.
Where does this leave rookie Gabe Carimi? For the moment, it's no surprise that he wasn't working with the first team in his first NFL practice. But he will get his work at left tackle, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes, and at some point this summer he should overtake Omiyale. In that scenario, Omiyale could ultimately serve as an expensive but experienced backup at both guard and tackle positions.
I agree that is one pathetic line and better not be the line we start with in the season opener or we are going to finish behind the Vikings.
He was waived today.
My guess is it is the typical let's make Carimi earn his spot Lovie deal.
I am still hoping like hell they sign Kruetz and a couple more guys for the O-line.
OK, lets panic after one practice.
Carl Nicks was still available this morning as was another good guard. Jerry? Jerry?
Does not look like Olin will be back.
http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/6819555/olin-kreutz-chicago-bears-deal-not-likely-happen-agent-says
The fact is Williams signed a prove-it deal with the Bears, a one-year contract with a base salary of less than $2 million. There are salary incentives, but the short-term contract is designed for the 29-year-old to prove his value and get back to the bargaining table. The Bears have a low-risk **** that a former first-round pick and Pro Bowl performer for the Lions can click for them as the offense makes a transition to greater emphasis on the wide receivers.
Kreutz was old, time for a change..
And, I won't miss those damn false starts..
My quick takes on the weekend's activities:
- Corey Graham: Glad he's back. STs need some continuity and retaining him was huge.
- Marion Barber: A beast of a runner when healthy but I'm wondering if his best days aren't behind him. In which case the contract we gave him was too rich. Also wondering where that leaves Unga, the heir apparent power back who has yet to play a down for us.
- Vernon Gholston: Surprised there was so little discussion of this one. Outrageous measurables but miserable production in the pros. The guy was one of the biggest busts of all time with the Jets... hopefully we aren't repeating the Gaines Adams mistake although this one at least didn't cost us a draft pick.
- Okoye: Probably the best pickup of the weekend in terms of talent and production combined. He's only 24 and would appear to be a great fit for LoviNelli's scheme. He and Paea give us a potent young tandem at the 3-technique and we should see dramatically improved play from that position this year.
- Chris Spencer: Has been pretty widely reviled in Seattle as a "bad" Ruskell 1st round pick, but does have size and some ability. I would say in him we are getting a C that's considerably better than Kreutz the last few years but not as good as Kreutz was in his prime. Biggest issue with this kid will be how fast he can pick up the line calls in Martz' scheme on a shortened preseason.
- Herman Johnson: Sorry to see him go without even getting a shot but I'm guessing his conditioning was not up to par this offseason and the Halas Hall boys decided they didn't want to babysit him on his work ethic.
One thing that really stands out in our FA acquisitions is how many former #1 draft picks are represented in that group. There are a lot of underachievers in that group, but there is also a lot of talent to be tapped if our coaches can find the combination. The other thing that stands out is that we really haven't improved our OL (especially OG) much at all. Especially if the coaches aren't willing to get Carimi into the first five from the get-go.
I would really like to see us add a legit, big as-a-house starting OG yet. Someone like Carl Nicks or even Leonard Davis. Especially now with the Herman Johnson experiment over before it started, we still are very old (Garza), small (Lance Louis), or just plain not-good (Edwin and Chris Williams, Asiata) at that position. I foresee lots of up-the-middle pass rushing and blitzing against the current interior 3.
We have thrown a lot more bodies at our DL than I would have expected this offseason... and paid correspondingly less attention to the OL than I think any of us would have hoped... but such is SOP at Halas Hall.
Lots of one or two year contracts now. This is due to the fact they are guaranteed. I suspect there will be tons of one year contracts from now on. I am not sue that is a good thing. I prefer having the same players on a team for a bit.
Re Gholston, I think it's very possible the Bears keep 4 DEs: Peppers, Gholston, Wootton, and Izzy. I can't see the Bears giving up on Wootton after only a season, especially after that knockout sack on Favre that was arguably the defensive play of the season for the Bears last year.
And then at DT our top 4 are Adams, Toeiana, Paea and Okoye. A SIGNIFICANT upgrade from what we've had in years past, especially on the inside.
8 DL is a lot to carry on a roster but in the LoviNelli scheme if you can't rotate fresh, quality D-Linemen for 4 quarters a game your defense is toast.
Re Gholston, I think it's very possible the Bears keep 4 DEs: Peppers, Gholston, Wootton, and Izzy. I can't see the Bears giving up on Wootton after only a season, especially after that knockout sack on Favre that was arguably the defensive play of the season for the Bears last year.
And then at DT our top 4 are Adams, Toeiana, Paea and Okoye. A SIGNIFICANT upgrade from what we've had in years past, especially on the inside.
8 DL is a lot to carry on a roster but in the LoviNelli scheme if you can't rotate fresh, quality D-Linemen for 4 quarters a game your defense is toast.
The Bears needed to go after a guard like they went after Peppers last offseason...striking quickly.
Yap, Roy signed for 1 year, 2 mil and Spencer 2 year, 6 mil.
It took forever to find where your forum moved too.
I like the Marion Barber signing alot.
Before I add my own WTF post. I looked up Hargrove, he's 28 and he's a backup DE not DT. He's only 6-3 272 so somebody mistyped his position.
Had one sack last year - no starts with the Saints in 2010. 5 sacks in the Saints SB 2009 season.
He's competition for Corey Wooten and Vernon Gholstein.
Well if we judge by the numbers he isnt much competition.
We still need an OG at a minimum. I'd like to move Lance Lewis to TE
Wooten had one sack all season and Gholston had none - Hargrove is perfect competition. Good signing - let's see what he can do.
Lance Louis at TE? We can't afford to lose any more guards. After Johnson was cut and now Garza is playing center. Louis just might win the RG job.
And I don't even know how well he can catch - oh wait....Martz doesn't care about that.
My bad.
Hold off the Hargrove parade. There was no official signing as of today.WHAT ABOUT THE OFFENSIVE LINE!?!?!?!
My biggest problem with all the 1 year deals is that if some of these guys really turn it on we won't be able to keep them.
With all these changes and with 2 new players at the OT spots, I think we should let Caleb Hanie start the first PS game...
Carl Nicks, albeit an RFA, resigned with NO. Waters, Seubert, and others (http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/features/freeagents/fa.php?option=OL&y=2011) are still available. We are currently 24 mil under the cap.
I am also resigned to the fact that Angie is staying put and putting the onus on Tice to play the kids and desperately keep Williams off the bench.
So it seems we are stuck with Louis, Asiata and C. Williams to fight for a job at LG and maybe E Williams although he could be backup center. Then there is the UDFA out of Georgia who is sort of an unknown wild card.
Thats not awe inspiring to say the least
Saw some pics of Carimi from practice wtih pads. He looks the part. Thing strong legs, just what I want to see on OT. Not spindly legs like Chris Williams.
For this team to succeed early on given our O-line situation, Martz is going to have to tweek the offense and not expose Cutler to hsi pass heavy playcalling as he did in the early part of last year (and inexplicably in the finale at Green Bay).
It was hard to look at that Giant game replay.
Manu gave up 2 sacks.
Omiyale was in on 3 sacks.
Shaffer in limited play was in on 2 1/2.
Olsen had 1.
Kreutz and Louis shared one.
One coverage sack.
Lot of players look the part in training camp...let's see what he can do when has to hit opponents.
Chris Williams got exposed last season cuz he couldn't move those spindly legs quickly enough and didn't have the reach to consistently get his hands on the DEs.
It was hard to look at that Giant game replay.
Manu gave up 2 sacks.
Omiyale was in on 3 sacks.
Shaffer in limited play was in on 2 1/2.
Olsen had 1.
Kreutz and Louis shared one.
One coverage sack.
Most, not all the pressure, came from the outside.
Plus he has short arms and they can get underneath himn and get leverage on him
So why wasnt Omiyale cut too? And why wasnt Chris Williams listed?
Omiyale has been benched while the 2 youngsters prove themselves at tackle. He's the insurance policy.
Don't think Williams played that game - was probably still recovering from his injury. Omiyale was at LT, Garza was moved to LG, Lance Louis started at RG then got injured and Edwin Williams replaced him later on, and Shaffer started at RT and J'Marcus Webb replaced him during the game.
I kind of forgot about him (like the Bears did last year), but it looks like Des Clark may be coming back.
In an offseason full of questionable moves, that one would be downright stupid. They had no use for him last year, how has anything changed?
Agreed, it's Kellen Davis' time. He's done solid work on teams and shown some nice flashes in limited reps at TE. And he is just a beast of a target at 6'7, 262 (still remembering how he knocked that Seahawks DB out of the game that tried to go low on him).
For one thing we had 4 TEs last year, now we only have two. If he can still play why not? Most likely they'll give the 3rd TE spot to one of the UDFA rookies - they still need more special teams bodies.
August 1 Practice Observations
By Sean Jensen on August 1, 2011 10:30 PM|
It was a muggy night here at ONU, under the lights. Several of the players complained coming off the field, including second-round pick Stephen Paea.
THE HIGHS
* The best play I saw tonight was by Jimmy Young, a 6 foot 1, undrafted rookie receiver out of TCU. He looked over one shoulder then the other and still made the catch. Very high degree of difficulty, and he didn't bobble it at all.
* Undrafted rookie receiver Dane Sanzenbacher out of Ohio State also made a handful of catches, looking very solid out there. He also took advantage of Roy Williams and Sam Hurd not being able to practice until Thursday, running with the starters when Johnny Knox had to get worked on briefly on the sideline.
* Nickel corner D.J. Moore picked off a pass from quarterback Matt Gutierrez. Moore made the catch look routine, which makes him such an exciting player, as he showcased often last year.
* Running back Matt Forte, who is cut up like a rock, showed his explosiveness down the left sideline. It wasn't full contact, but he definitely seemed to surprise safety Major WRight with his speed.
* Receiver Devin Hester hauled in a 50-plus yard touchdown. He made it look easy.
THE LOWS
* Cornerback Tim Jennings had a forgettable evening, giving up a handful of plays in a one-on-one drill. Jennings was also beaten on Hester's 50-yard touchdown. And he also dropped a pick.
* The equipment staff might want to fit rookie offensive tackle Gabe Carimi with some new cleats. He slipped several times during two-on-two blocking drills. Or maybe it's because Israel Idonije and Corey Wootton just overwhelmed him.
* Left guard Chris Williams, who is currently running with the starters, ended up on the ground on consecutive plays during two-on-twos.
* It was a bit frustrating, since so many key players can't practice until Thursday, due to the new CBA rules. So fans -- and reporters -- who showed up didn't get to check out receiver Roy Williams jump over defenders, Adam Podlesh drop a punt inside the five, or how Chris Spencer looks snapping the ball.
* Punter Spencer Lanning looked solid, and I erred in saying he was Podlesh on a Twitter posting.
Game ball goes to... the young kid. Dane Sanzenbacher. I'm sure he'll cry when we give him the award.
Right, so Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth and an UDFA = 3 TEs.
Still not seeing where there's room for Dez. If they think bringing in a 2nd pass catching TE is necessary to "push" Kellen, then I think they are insulting and underestimating Kellen... the kid is ready for prime time if the coaches will finally just grow a pair and give him the keys.
Unless they're seeing Dez as the replacement for Manu who wasn't technically a TE although listed as one. He's a whole different player than Manu, though... albeit a better one.
I wouldnt cut Omiyale either. We do need a backup or swing tackle
Please please please pass on Bryant McKinney....
Assuming yahoo has older data - here are the old weights and (current weights):
Cutler, Jay QB 6-3 233 (220)
Davis, Kellen TE 6-7 262 (267)
Idonije, Israel LDE 6-6 270 (275)
Louis, Lance ROG 6-3 305 (320)
Melton, Henry RDT 6-3 265 (295)
Spaeth, Matt TE 6-7 270 (260)
Okoye, Amobi LDE 6-2 292 (I had seen him listed at 315 - he's the new Tommie Harris - got the same #91)
Webb, J'Marcus ROT 6-7 310 (333)
I was kind of suprised that Gabriel had such a favorable view of the Bears' moves. As Pekin said, he wasn't shy about slamming the Bears' moves in the past.
| 62 Antle, Tanner LB 6'3" 232 // 0 Tulsa 64 Baptiste, Tressor LB 6'0" 232 // 0 Texas A&M - Kingsville 58 DeCicco, Dom LB 6'3" 230 9/11/1988 0 Pittsburgh 59 Johnson, Chris LB 6'2" 230 12/10/1986 1 South Dakota State 60 Minor, Deron LB 6'0" 230 8/11/1988 0 McNeese State 96 Trahan, Patrick LB 6'2" 234 11/7/1986 1 Mississippi |
The Pittsburg kid loks the best of the lot. The rest of the lot look like ST projects. I am not sold on Roach either for a starter
What they need is more OLmen not middle linebackers
The Oline always takes longer to gel in training camp. Not worried after just a few days. Now after the third regular season game, it might be another story. ;)
Yup. Early reports out of training camp regarding our O-Linemen are NOT good. Backups like Melton and Wootton are schooling them on a daily basis. Even Carimi is struggling.
Yup. Early reports out of training camp regarding our O-Linemen are NOT good. Backups like Melton and Wootton are schooling them on a daily basis. Even Carimi is struggling.
We need a better pass rush - Peppers and Idonijie need help.
I think we can all agree on that. A better pass rush makes your corners and safetys that much better, especially against a guy like Rogers. The less time he has to pick apart your defense the better off we are whether we sack him or not.
I'm not sure he ever got up to 295 (that's pretty heavy for any player in the late 70s) but I do recall him be in that 225 range.
Hey! Nice new house you guys have here! Love what you've done to the place.
Tommie Harris signed with the Colts (yawn). Any news of the Bears getting some people for the "other" line? Maybe not calling the offensive line we can trick the Jer into getting somebody. The Jer isn't the coldest icecube in the tray don't ya know. All the other gms in the league do. Combined with his west coast "little buddy" I'm sure the Bears are in for some stellar years. Simply boffo.
Yeah, Big Herman Johnson...
Two chances on teams with bottom-5 OLs... and couldn't make it off the practice squad of either one.
Something's not right with the kid.
What will always get to me is Tice signed him and saw somthing in him.
And may be there in the future.
Yeah you never know. Maybe Big Herm was weighing 4 bills and Tice told him, "look we've got to let you go cause you're in no shape to practice... but if you can get down to X pounds by X date we'll see what we can do." The last thing the Bears want is some big guy dying on them from the heat like what happened with Korey Stringer so if Herm was badly out of shape they may have not wanted to take the chance. But who knows if they may not have left the door open at least a crack. I guess as long as no other team takes him there's a chance he could be back.
I felt the same way about Aromashodu and then Olsen. Herman's gone now. My advice...just let it go.
Herman Johnson...we hardly knew ye.
Thats a glowing article on Melton. So he went from 255 to 275 and now to 295. No wonder why he blew by Carimi. Being strong and quick sure helps. He just might make the starting lineup. We need somebody to blow up offenses and get to the QB. Looks like he has the speed and quickness that Tommy Harris had when he was a rookie.
Enderle is definitely a W-T-F pick in my book. Especially if this is Martz' last season here which is a strong possibility and a virtual lock if the offense fails again this year. He's got size but beyond that I don't see him bringing much to the table long term.
Re Melton vs. Carimi... I'm really hoping that's more a result of Melton being ready for a breakout season as opposed to Carimi being less than advertised.
He was versatile - he had 2 moves.
When he took his meds he was a very good DT with the Cowboys.
He and John Thierry were huge first round DE disappointments - can't blame Angelo for those picks.
Williams seemed to be getting more reps than Johnny Knox, but probably because the Bears are as anxious as everybody else to try to develop a passing combo Bears fans have only been able to dream about since Cade McNown-to-Marcus Robinson in 1999. Or maybe Ed Brown-to-Harlon Hill in the mid-1950s is more like it.
Re Williams v. Knox, if Williams supplants Knox as a WR I'm totally fine with that cause we're gonna need a good KR with Danieal Manning gone.
I'm not. Knox needs to be on the field WITH Roy Williams. Someone needs to learn the flanker spot. And Bennett needs to be the 3rd receiver. Bring in Hester to give a break to the other 3 and to play in 4 WR sets and return kicks and punts.
My guess is the Bears want artificial turf but part of the soldier field deal with Daley was to leave it as is to keep union employees working on the field the city destroys. So they allow the players to **** about it while management tows the line for Daley. Just a hunch.
Remember the Bears had artificial turf and Dikta got the ownership to do away with it. Back the it was a good move due to the terrible tachnology of artifical turf then. The new stuff is awesome. The Bears need what the Packers have but one generation better imo.
It would save the city and the Bears money. Occams Razor sugest the only obvious conclusion is that the mayor needs the union votes and the union wants things as they are. This is how Chicago politics works.
Why else would it not be done by now?
The oline is going to be "interesting" to say the least this season.....
Ruskell got Spencer, gave him a lotta dough, and he can't start ? Jeez.....
"I am Jerry Angelo (along with Tim Ruskell), destroyer of NFL frachises ! Look upon me and despair !"
Here's hoping the benching is just a motivational thing.......
I think if you read between the lines of what has been said over the past two years, Knox has a tendence to break off routes. This has led to interceptions. Cutler has never thrown him under the bus, but I know for a fact that Knox broke the route 2 years ago at Atlanta game on final drive. Media and everyone blamed Cutler for interception. Funny thing was their was no WR around, QB's just don't throw to unoccupied areas. WR's are suppose to follow a path...when they break that the QB can look stupid even when it is not their fault.
I think Martz and Williams recently emphasized that Williams strenght "is being were the QB expects you to be". Saying things like he doesn't like to fool the QB by breaking routes. I think the coaches told him that was a problem with some of the current WR's; that's why he emphasized it in interviews. Martz recently did the same thing in interview.
Tice didn't say that the current OL would start the season. He merely said that the current OL would start the first exhibition game. Like most coaches, he doesn't like a starter to lose his job in practice. I suspect that if anyone on the OL does poorly in the first exhibition game, he will be in dire danger of losing his job long before the season starts.
Tice didn't say that the current OL would start the season. He merely said that the current OL would start the first exhibition game. Like most coaches, he doesn't like a starter to lose his job in practice. I suspect that if anyone on the OL does poorly in the first exhibition game, he will be in dire danger of losing his job long before the season starts.
What he said was this:Tice said that unless one of his five starters “falters” what he has now is the line the team will use in five weeks when the regular season opens Sept. 11 against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field. And how long do the starters play in the preseason? One series, maybe a quarter? And how badly do they really have to play in order to lose their job? It took a couple of games into the season before the line imploded last year. Personally I hope it does implode before the season begins. I'd rather not wait till the games count before we see improvement.
What do you think the odds are that the five that start the first exhibition game will also start the season? I would say about one in ten.
What do you think the odds are that the five that start the first exhibition game will also start the season? I would say about one in ten.
Is that good?
Depends on how much the "starters" play and how hard the opposition plays during the exibition games. My guess is likely pretty good, probably better than 50-50.
Maybe defensively, but that Oline will prevent drastic improvement offensively.
I am NOT an Angelo fan...but...
He got us to the Super Bowl once and the NFC title game last year. That's a lomore than the couple guys before him.
Before their off week the OL gave up 4.5 sacks per game.
After their off week, the OL gave up 2.6 sacks per game.
And by that you are saying that 2.6 is acceptable to you? It shouldnt, by me or by the Bears
No. I am saying that the Oline showed substantial improvement as time went on. It is not unreasonable to think that that improvement will continue into this season.
Death and taxes ! :D
What guarantee do you have that you will be alive on opening day.
As far as I know, there are no guarantees of anything in this world.
What guarantee do you have that you will be alive on opening day.
As far as I know, there are no guarantees of anything in this world.
Davep, I thought you said when someone can't guarantee anything they're lying! :)
‘’Johnny’s very, very talented. He’s very young and he’s still learning how to play,’’ Martz said. ‘’Guys like Johnny just need to learn to be consistent. Consistency in his play, and that’s with players at every position but particularly at that ‘X’ position. He certainly has the ability. He just is still learning to play, adjust and do the things we ask him to do.’’
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/6993915-606/martz-lauds-kellen-davis-says-offense-ready-for-quantum-leap.html
Martz is losing it. Williams BETTER be the real deal or good bye Martz.
Ehhh ... One game away from a Superbowl.
I'd try to have more confidence.
They played the entire first half and never did get better at pass blocking. They sure as hell can run block though!
Barber was running well and picking up his blocking assignments. Taylor did not do much but perhaps will show something next game.
The Bears D line is going to be flat out nasty! They have a lot of good players and a lot of depth there.
They played the entire first half and never did get better at pass blocking. They sure as hell can run block though!
Barber was running well and picking up his blocking assignments. Taylor did not do much but perhaps will show something next game.
The Bears D line is going to be flat out nasty! They have a lot of good players and a lot of depth there.
I thought so too and making cuts will be difficult.
Forte's cameo appearance doesn't last long
Running back in for 3 snaps before calling it a night
Vaughn McClure/Chicago Tribune
August 13, 2011, 9:40 p.m. CDT
At least Matt Forte got his cleats dirty.
The Bears running back, who is seeking a five-year contract extension, considered not playing in Saturday's exhibition against the Bills because of the injury risk on the often-shoddy Soldier Field surface. But Forte suited up and played a total of three snaps before exiting. His only real action involved catching a shovel pass from Jay Cutler for no gain.
Forte considered not reporting to training camp without a new contract. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo assured the running back a new deal would come in time, so Forte deciding against holding out.
Forte is scheduled to make a base salary of $550,000 this season. With the arrival of Marion Barber at $2.5 million, it only increased the urgency to get Forte's deal done.
Power game: Speaking of Barber, the veteran running back displayed the type of power running that had fans applauding his every move in Bourbonnais.
Barber had seven carries for a game-high 45 yards in the first half of Saturday's game. His runs included a 12-yard burst during which he slapped away a couple of defenders.
The Bears, who struggled on third-and-1 and goal-line situations last season, are counting on him to be their short-yardage back.
Barber also was held by a Bills defender at the end of the first half, drawing a penalty that kept a drive alive and allowed Robbie Gould to attempt a 56-yard field goal. Gould missed.
Tough start: Defensive end Corey Wootton, one of the players the Bears were counting on in the defensive rotation, injured his knee playing special teams on the opening kickoff. It's unclear how Wootton suffered the injury, but it knocked him out for the remainder of the game.
Wootton, a second-year player from Northwestern, drew praise from defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli for reporting to camp in tremendous shape.
Wootton earned recognition during his rookie season for sacking Brett Favre and knocking Favre out of the game.
Extra points: Cornerback Zack Bowman exited the game in the third quarter with a head injury. ...
Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, signed by the Bears after being released by the Texans, had two first-half sacks wearing Tommie Harris' old No. 91. …
Fellow newcomer Vernon Gholston forced a fumble on a kickoff that was recovered by Craig Steltz, but the play was nullified by a Bears penalty. …
Nose tackle Anthony Adams, who injured his calf, did not play Saturday and is expected to be sidelined another week. Linebackers J.T. Thomas and Chris Johnson also did not play. …
Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison banged his shoulder after a collision with Gholston. …
Adam Podlesh's first punt as a Bear went 42 yards.
Damn, I really hope Wootton is okay. According to the Suntimes (http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/7057734-606/demoted-knox-makes-big-impact.html), he "was walking under his own power after the game."
Good to hear some positives on Melton and Okoye (against 2nd string, but still).
If Barbarian still has any gas left and stays healthy, he will definitely be fun to watch.
I'll reserve judgement on the OL until game 3 as well. Merriman would look pretty good in a Bears uniform though. Said the same thing about Wimbley last year. Coincidence? Nah.
Name one that was worse.
The Bears were worst last year (56) but not the worst ever (104).
I think our opening day line will be Spencer at center, Garza RG, Williams LG. As good as Carimi looked and how Webb struggled I could see them possibly switching them two. If they do they need to do it sooner rather then later. Same with Spencer and moving Garza to RT where he has excelled.
Wshful just click on his name get his e-mail address and e-mail him.
I watched a little bit of the end of the replay last night.
I liked watching Unga move the pile. Overall we ran the ball pretty well. With some game planning our line might be ok if they can keep running the ball.
I saw some quicks on 93, I think that is Harrison. I didn't see him make any plays but he got off the ball quick at times.
Paea seemed to be playing in the mud or something. Maybe it is too fast for him but I would think our D would be pretty simple for a DT most of the time, shoot this gap and hit the guy with the ball.
I don't know that it is anyone's job. If you are concerned about him you should e-mail him.
He may be busy or lost internet connection or found a new board to post on. I personally don't assume the worst when someone stops posting.
Well when I clicked his e-mail address didnt pop up but supposedly I did send him a message. I thought Administrators had all of our e-mail addresses
Go to Members at the top of the page then choose "Search for Members" and type in "yapper". Search, then you can e-mail him from there unless he has specifically marked his profile so that people can't e-mail him. Which if that is the case we should respect his privacy.
Yes I can see his e-mail address but I don't know if that is an administrator thing or everyone can see it.
As far as Carimi is concerned, someone gave the most reasonable answer a number of posts ago. If the scouts thought he could play left tackle in the pros, he would have been drafted much earlier in the first round.
I think Tice should move in to Spencers house to spoon feed him the play book until he knows it inside out. We need him at C so Garza can slide back to G. I see no need to see Lance Louis again. Lets see how he does next week, but just saying....
Carimi did just fine pass blocking as did Williams. Louis and
Webb were the two getting owned.
Tried to post a link and failed. Says the Bears kicked off from the 30, not the 35 until called and told to stop. Kinda nice to see the old and beloved Bear giving the nfl suits the finger.
Tried to post a link and failed. Says the Bears kicked off from the 30, not the 35 until called and told to stop. Kinda nice to see the old and beloved Bear giving the nfl suits the finger.
Does Enderle look like he's got what it takes for the NFL... even if just as a career backup?
He's got NFL QB size but from what I hear his arm doesn't match up to his frame, and his mobilty is below average.
I think our opening day line will be Spencer at center, Garza RG, Williams LG. As good as Carimi looked and how Webb struggled I could see them possibly switching them two. If they do they need to do it sooner rather then later. Same with Spencer and moving Garza to RT where he has excelled.
Bears may have interest in waived Bills LB Maybin (http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/newspaper/sports/ct-spt-0816-bears-bits--20110816,0,800171.story)
The Bears could be in the market for yet another reclamation project. According to multiple sources, the team has had discussions about Aaron Maybin, who was waived by the Bills on Monday. All indications are the 11th pick of the 2009 draft wants to play for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. The Bears and 30 other teams have until 3 p.m. Tuesday to consider placing a claim for Maybin. His contract for the next three years is affordable. He's owed $757,500 this season and $3.36 million through 2013.
The Bears also have seen some good things from former Jet Vernon Gholston. They want to see more.
Like Gholston, the 23-year-old Maybin has yet to register an NFL sack (27 games) despite entering the league with great expectations out of Penn State.
Yapper next time you go on vacation can you let Wshful know ahead of time? ;D
LOL!
If it was me Spencer would be C, Garza back to RG and Louis to the bench. I would give Webb one more shot at LT and if he does not get it done I would switch him and Carimi. Believe it or not Williams and Carimi looked like our best two linemen out there. Garza wasn't bad at center I just think we need to get the best 5 on the field and that means sending Louis to the bench.
I saw it posted that the #3 back has to be a ST guy as well. So Bell is setting himself up to be the #3 RB and Chester Taylor doesnt play ST. So Barber replaces Taylor who doesnt play ST which Bell does. That also pushes Unga to the taxi squad I would guess.
Bears kept FOUR HBs last season so there could be room for Unga on the 53 man roster.
I think everyone needs to just relax and let Webb and Louis go after it Monday. Webb has exactly one start at LT in his pro career and that was last week. Louis had 4 starts last year and one last weekend at RG. You can't expect these guys to just step in and play consistently... especially a LT. Neither were considered blue chip players coming out of college so they will need some time.
Which hits exactly on the point. Notice that Carimi did just fine his first time out. Could it possibly be that when you spend high draft picks on consensus "blue-chip" guys who have played dozens of games against top college competetion, you get guys who require a significantly shorter ramp-up time than bottom-round guys playing at the Division I-a level or lower (Louis and Webb)?
Of course the counter argument to that is Chris Williams, also a high 1st round pick who also played many college games against top competition and who after 3 or 4 seasons still hasn't established himself as anything better than a barely passable interior OL.
Good point. The reason is that Angelo doesnt want to spend high draft picks on OLmen. And he stonewalls going after a veteran FA because it would take reps away from his pet players that he wants the jobs to go to.
Exactly correct which is why if I were Cuttler I would be terrified and I would be angry that my GM didnt value my protection any more than what he does. How then does that make Angelo look if his QB goes down with a serious injury because the line cant protect?
True, however one of the "HBs" was really not a RB at all but a special teamer (Garrett Wolfe) labeled as a RB. I'm not sure Wolfe took a single snap with the offense in a game situation last year.
Unga can really beef-up his chances of sticking on the 53-man roster by 1) playing lights out on STs and 2) not missing any more practice or game time due to injuries, new baby or whatever.
I see that our former 2nd round pick Tank Johnson got cut by the Bengals.
Wonder if he winds up getting a 2nd look here since we seem to be interested in any D-Lineman willing to make a trip to Halas Hall right now...
Hadn't your heard? Bears will be running a 7-2-2 with 5 DTs, 2 DEs, Urlacher, Briggs, Tillman and Wright.
What would we get for Chester Taylor? A 7th? Maybe a 6th at best?
Still better than nothing though.
More likely the Texans (or some other team) just wait till we cut him.
This coming from a guy who thought the Bears had a better chance of winning in the NFC championship game with Todd Collins over Caleb Hanie.
No way in hell Hanie signs with the Bears next year...not while Martz is here.
"high-priced bid to sign Willie Colon with the idea of installing him at right guard"
Isnt Colon a T? Probably why he didnt sign with the Bears for more $.
"high-priced bid to sign Willie Colon with the idea of installing him at right guard"
Isnt Colon a T? Probably why he didnt sign with the Bears for more $.
Flozell is still available...
That and the Bears offense is not very good which means fewer opportunity's to score.
The DeAngelo deal really fuucked up the market. CJ is looking for a 5 year $58 mil with maybe mid $20 guaranteed.
I still have a feeling that a deal will get struck. Forte just seems a little smarter and forward thinking than some other players in the league. We'll see.
“We didn’t draft [Enderle] to be the third quarterback,” Martz said. “If that was the case, then there was no reason to draft a quarterback.
“You have to be good at that position to win, and one just isn’t enough. We feel really good about Caleb, but what if Nate is better? Who knows? I don’t know that he is or isn’t.”
This coming from a guy who thought the Bears had a better chance of winning in the NFC championship game with Todd Collins over Caleb Hanie.
No way in hell Hanie signs with the Bears next year...not while Martz is here.
With Fantuz not distinguishing himself and Olsen gone, the signing of Roy Williams as a hedge at the big WR spot is looking like a smart move. If Roy and Cutler can develop some chemistry that will advance this offense by quite a ways.
Dave, are you talking about Spaeth?
I think it's highly debatable that Knox is one of our two best WRs.
If you're going to apply that criteria than our two starters should be Roy Williams and Earl Bennett even though that gives us precious little downfield capability. Hester is no more than the 4th best WR and should be used very sparingly on offense but deployed on every possible return opportunity. Knox should be our #3 but with that being said we should be running a lot of 3 WR sets in order to keep the D from cheating everything up towards the LOS.
Good point on Sanzebecher or Kris Adams needing to bump off Hurd to win a roster spot and that's going to come down 100% to what they do on STs.
Actually I read an article where the coaches said after reviewing film last year they felt Hester and Bennet were their most consistent receivers. Which means Knox is the guy they felt needed upgraded. Also I saw a stat where there where more interceptions from passes thrown to Knox then any other receiver in the NFL and by a large margin.
Knox while fast simply was not where he was supposed to be way to often. They feel Williams knows the system and has had success in it before. Plus he is a big receiver.
Hopefully Knox works at it and gets better. It sounds like so far that is what he plans to do.
Reportedly Knox showed up to camp in terrific shape, and with 15 lbs more muscle than he carried last year. So yeah, that's a good start.
Our WRs coach is below average, so who knows if Knox will ever reach his full potential. But it certainly sounds like Knox is doing his part anyway.
Actually I read an article where the coaches said after reviewing film last year they felt Hester and Bennet were their most consistent receivers. Which means Knox is the guy they felt needed upgraded. Also I saw a stat where there where more interceptions from passes thrown to Knox then any other receiver in the NFL and by a large margin.
Knox while fast simply was not where he was supposed to be way to often. They feel Williams knows the system and has had success in it before. Plus he is a big receiver.
Hopefully Knox works at it and gets better. It sounds like so far that is what he plans to do.
As for Hester, he absolutely disappeared in some games. And for someone who only caught 40 balls he was in the NFLs top 25 list for most drops.
When was the last time we've seen this much supposed "angst" in preseason and training camp under the Angelo/Lovie regime ?
I was especially disappointed in what Hester did (or more accurately, didn't) do in the NFC Championship game. Granted he didn't get a lot of help from Cutler but there were plays he had a chance to make -- that could have materially turned the outcome of the game -- and he didn't get it done. Definitely not what a supposed "#1" WR is supposed to bring to the table.
Hopefully it means Angelo and Lovie are feeling the pressure as well. The last few years it certainly appeared they could not have cared less.
The starting left tackle admits he didn't match the intensity of the opponent during the game.
So we should be happy with 56? So getting sacked 56 times is acceptable? I dont think so.
And that right there is why J'Marcus Webb... who had enough athletic ability to get recruited by the University of Texas... wound up playing at Backwater U.
If J'Marcus had Gabe Carimi's intangibles, he would have been a 1st round draft pick from the U. of Texas and possibly a Pro Bowler in his rookie season.
I would like to think Knox is still acclimating to the speed and physicality of the NFL game. It's quite a transition from outrunning every CB in sight at Abilene Christian to having a future HOF CB (Charles Woodson) draped all over you. We saw Danieal Manning (also from Abilene Christian) struggle similarly although Knox arguably has developed far faster than Manning.
This is a pivotal year for Knox... his 3rd in the league (which is when a lot of players tend to break out), and his 2nd in the same system. I think this is the year he either takes it to the next level or pretty much plateaus at where he is now.
I wasn't at all thrilled to see Williams added to the team. My thinking is he'll be a one year flop and they'll find someone to replace him next season. They need to keep Sanzenbacher. 21 other teams were interested in the kid. That should def say something. We need a reliable guy who can go out and get the 4/5/6 yard balls to keep the chains moving.
Matthews will be suspended the first time they test him for HGH.
I say we set our 3 RB rotation at Forte, Barber and Bell and be done with it.
Taylor and Bell are vying for the 3rd RB position (who also has to be ST ace) so the advantage there clearly goes to Bell (along with being younger and much cheaper).
Haven't heard a peep about last year's training camp darling, Josh Asiata.
I have to think his time with the team may be short as we're not going to carry more than 7-8 OL on the active roster (Webb, the two Williams, Garza, Spencer, Omiyale, Carimi and possibly Levi Horn) and I believe his PS eligibility is about gone.
As for Carimi, most scouts had him as an NFl RT even though he played LT in college.
Haven't heard a peep about last year's training camp darling, Josh Asiata.
I have to think his time with the team may be short as we're not going to carry more than 7-8 OL on the active roster (Webb, the two Williams, Garza, Spencer, Omiyale, Carimi and possibly Levi Horn) and I believe his PS eligibility is about gone.
Man am I glad we didn't draft this assclown:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/19/report-jonathan-baldwin-hurts-wrist-in-locker-room-fight/
Pioli down there in KC must be losing his mojo. This kid had red flags all over him coming out of college. Doesn't surprise me at all that this happened.
Unless someone gets injured I am guessing Taylor gets cut or traded.
My reply to that would be a call to Angelo to go and get some vets in here. When I look at the talent on this team I can see Superbowl potential. Why jeopardize that as well as the health of your star QB just to save face? Hey suck it up and do the right thing. There are players still out there that could help us
Heck he could have drafted a guard in the draft as well but didn't.
Angelo was a dumb ass for not signing some vet O-line help when he had the chance. All that is left now is guys who have nothing left in the tank or aren't even as good as the guys we have. He screwed the pooch on the O-line yet again.
Heck he could have drafted a guard in the draft as well but didn't. Too busy drafting and signing vets and undrafted free agenst for the defense.
We would if the O-line was even NFL average.
I even see signs we could shut teams out this year with a stifling defense
I think what Wshfl is saying is that the Bears, if they stay healthy, have a potentially Super Bowl caliber defense that could allow them to "Baltimore/Tampa Bay" their way offensively to the SB if the o-line was average.
Right, it does not look like the OL is average. The Bears do not have a learning curve luxury schedule wise like they did last year to find the right combination. Therefore, the hooks on Webb and Louis will be swift depending on how much they suck on Monday.
The Texans look pretty good.
I think it is more because they think that Carimi can be an outstanding right tackle, and only a somewhat better than average left tackle. If most scouts around the league thought Carimi has the makings of a great left tackle, he would never have lasted until the Bears made their pick.
put the best 5 guys on the line and let'em play.
I think Carimi may already be a better RT than Webb was last year.
I wasn't aware that Carimi was drafted to play LT. Did Angelo say that at the time?
Uh, Carimi played LT for 4 years at Wisconsin. Does Angelo have to say what he was drafted for after that? Left tackle is the MOST important position on the oline and that's what Carimi was drafted for. Webb already had right tackle sewn up until Tice decided to tinker with that position.
So if he played LT all 4 years at Wisconsin how can anybody say he can play RT better?
I wasn't aware that Carimi was drafted to play LT. Did Angelo say that at the time?
BEAR ATTACKS WISCONSIN CHILD
(http://www.frontiernet.net/%7Epackers12/be1.jpg)
Love it! ;D ;D ;D
NFL network will show Bears/Titans game next Sunday Noon CT/1ET (http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/networkschedule?selectedDate=08/28/2011&field=selectedDate).
For the 1st 2 series (at least on defense), they looked good. When they dialed everything back, the Giants started moving the ball.....
Our vaunted "depth" on the dline just took a credibility hit.
On offense, at least Cutler didn't have his brains beat out. Roy Williams looks like crap- Plaxico would've been better :D
Special teams sucked, but since it looked like folks were shuffled around and they were experimenting a bit. Consider it a failure and move on....
The other punter Langton has good hang time on his kicks, but needs to understand the speed of the game a little more (although having an unblocked man charging you will kind of mess your concentration up)....
The only difference this year is that new kickoff rule could definitely hurt our field position more that most teams in comparison to last year.
I think Martz will keep Williams on a short leash. If he doesn't perform I expect we would see Knox in there in a hurry.
Assuming our O-line has improved (not saying much), who are the playmakers on this offense besides Forte? Just about every offense in the league has at least 2.
Roy Williams will get better...much better than what we've seen.
The mad scientist toned it down in the 2nd half (although he did have a relapse in the regular season finale at GB).
I just can't see how an OC can't take advantage of players like Aroma (who Cutler took a liking too), Olsen and now possibly Knox.
to really shine, Martz needs a good OL, something he didn't have last year.
I had hoped he at least would utilize the shot gun for Cutler.
This entire fricking mess could have been averted had Angie understood the importance of having top quality draft picks on the line and at reciever....it's very frustrating that he cannot seem to get that....over and over and over
They were trying to light a fire under Knox and it seemed to have worked. Now they are doing the same to Williams. Competition is good but one has to wonder why it takes such prodding from the coaches to get these guys to give their best effort.
They should not have named either the starter and simply said you rotate with the ones until one of you wins the job.
Just read fox sports "20 most important guys playing in the nfl". Guess one of the teams that had zeeero? Go ahead, guess. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "shuh" ends in "oh" and has a "kag" in the middle. Unbelievable.
Bears get no respect. But then, they haven't done a lot to earn it either.
Going half-azzed against the Packers the final game of the regular season last year -- and then failing to beat them in the NFC Championship game -- put a huge hit on the credibility of Lovie and the entire organization.
There really isn't a whole lot of individual talent on this team but they play well together and play hard and the weaker offense gets baled out by the top defense and special teams play.
It can be risky in Chicago commenting on a public figure's weight. The other day at a River North restaurant, singer LeAnn Rimes expressed disgust after a patron referenced her skinny frame, reports say. So it was a relief when I asked Cutler if he ever had been leaner entering a season and he politely confirmed the obvious.
"I have not been this lean,'' Cutler said. "I could tell the difference in my footwork and my ability to get up in the pocket. I don't really get as tired as much throughout camp because I'm not carrying the weight.''
they seem to win a lot of games they shouldn't by what appears to be luck.
They also lose a bunch of games that you would think they have in the bag.
I think when we start winning the games we should and then maybe get a few of the ones we shouldn't then we'll get some respect.
My main issue with Lovie is his relationship with Angelo. Somehow the talent Angelo is acquiring is not getting developed by Lovie.
How can you praise Toub and Tice and leave out Marinellli?
Bears play hard - I"ve rarely questioned their intensity, especially on defense. I think your are too critical of the players with your comments about mistakes - they're biggest problem is that they are just not as talented as some of the top teams in the league, especially on offense.
if we could build a line with late 1st or 2nd rounders, you could build a cheap line that would be solid.
We haven't been able to build a line with the 5th+ rounders we have been collecting over the years.
The media has succeeded in creating a panic - all the water and batteries are wiped out.
Some sod company must have a sweetheart deal with the Parks District.
That's the only reason I can see that Soldier Field didn't go to FieldTurf years ago.
There is a different twist to it this time. It isnt the sod company the Park District has been using. And some professor from Pa. is to consult. The guy does this for 10 other stadiums so hopefully at least some of the problems will get corrected
It's beyond me how you field one of the most popular teams in football, and put 'em on a sh!t field like they've been doing.
Everything I have read says the bears decide what the turf is made of.
Everything I've read also says for now the bears want grass because studies show it is safer and gives them a homefield advantage.
unsure the studies include soldier field though :-)
On Thursday, officials with Soldier Field said they're working with a vendor preferred by the team
Whatever happened to that other Dallas receiver we signed? He was about 5th on their depth chart but when I was talking with some co-workers from Dallas they said he had shown some flashes.
Maybe they want Chester to eat up some carries and showcase him to the league in case somebody loses a HB and needs a vet for a 7th round pick?
I see Brown is interested in coming back to the Bears..
uh - Taylors gone right? Hope so, because here in Tn they announced they signed him. I adore rooting for a team that's owned and operated by class a buffoons.
I'm not sure Robert Hughes escapes if we try to stash him on the practice squad. Dude is 5'11, 235 and runs with bad intentions.
OTOH what do we do with Unga (did he play last night)?
I wonder if we could keep 4 RBs on the 53 (Forte, Barber, Bell and Hughes), and put Unga on the Reserve / Non-Football Injury list based on whatever personal issues have been keeping him out of action this preseason.
Unga put on some reserved/retired list. Seems he just left the team.
"Also take note of Bennett’s skill at adjusting to the football thrown high and behind him and he still quickly ducks under the oncoming defender after the catch. This is starter-caliber awareness of the zone and the open field. It’s a perfect example of a player who may not have great speed, but he processes information quickly and appears as if he playing one step ahead of his opposition. I’ll take that over track speed eight days a week."
Amen.
Bears need to find a spot on the roster for Hughes. It's not often you find a back with his size and capabilities. We could use a big bruiser to get the hard yards...
10 D-linemen on the 53 is ridiculous.
I see no way the Falcons score 27 points against the Bears defense.
I see no way the Falcons score 27 points against the Bears defense.
Wow Yapper. I gotta think they can score at least 3 TDs
Gotta have an air game to do that.
What, Cutler's choice of headgear?
I think the team is better than last year.
There are a lot of question marks on this team, which prevents them from being one of the elite teams in the league.
But there DL is going to be a lot better than last year, and it is very unlikely that they OL will be nearly as bad as they were in the first half of last year protecting the passer. And they look quite good blocking for the run.
I hated to see Kreutz and Olson go, but neither of them were impact players last year, and were not likely to be so this year, in the Bear's scheme of things. It is true that Williams hasn't shown anything, but it looks like Bennett is coming into his own this season, and Cutler loves to throw to him.
I think that if they had faced a schedule like this last year, they would have been a .500 team at best. This year, I expect them to be a little over .500.
Time will tell.
If Kreutz would've come back for another year, I would've been fine with that. But the guy is truly at the end of his career, and I won't miss those false starts..
Bears now have no FBs, 3 TEs and 3 HBs. What about this new commitment to the running game?
A LB would appear to be a logical pick who knows?
It is Cutler's time to lead or fail, this will utlimately be his opportunity to step up or continue to hear the Jeff George whispers. I think so far he has responded, showing up in the best shape of his career.
I think the D really needs some contribution from the secondary. With the push up front, if we can start getting INTs from S and CB, we could really be scary good. But when we get to 3rd and 15, and then give up an easy 18 yard pass, I just pull out some more hair, and curse, and try not to spill my beer.
Griz you here the nfl forcasts on the local? Frank Wychek has the Packers winning " a layup". ****s.
Ahh-damn, you got me on that one. Should know, but don't. You sound like me on my commute. Do you know which station if any have Mike and Mike? I wish somehow I could get some Chicago sports radio, but that ain't gonna happen.
What I'm hoping for is that that whosit probowl AFC safety we got that is known as a hellacious hitter can light up some of the recievers in our Division good...ya know, let em know he's back there? Like, 'Hi! Here's your jockstrap! I'll be back here waiting for the next time you try coming my way. Nice to meet ya!' .....
Don't forget the new FB
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-sign-fullback-clutts-to-practice-squad-20110907,0,4739755.story
I doubt Clutts will be on the roster long. I also dont believe Martz had a thing to do about Tofu or Clutts. I see according to the article he was a college DE which is right up Angelo's wheelhouse. Angelo collects defensive talent, not offensive talent.
I was thinking the exact same thing. They are probably going to let Marinelli try him at DE, sheesh.
I was thinking the exact same thing. They are probably going to let Marinelli try him at DE, sheesh.
Hope Clutts works out, we've had nothing but small FBs for a while. Having a 6'2 260 lb FB is at least a step in the right direction!!!
I wouldn't call the Pack an ELITE team - weren't they the 6th seed in the playoffs last year?
Of course they have things to work on. It is the first game of the season and there was no off season. The entire team should improve as the season goes on.
If I have one big concern it is that the Falcons did not really blitz much that I noticed. They were getting enough pressure with their front four because they have a very good D-line. How will this O-line fare against the blitzes the Saints will be bringing?
The Saints were getting to Rodgers with blitzes then stopped blitzing after getting burned a few times. I am not sure if this O-line can handle blitzes or if Cutler will make good quick decisions to make them back off the blitz. I guess we find out next week!
If I have one big concern it is that the Falcons did not really blitz much that I noticed. They were getting enough pressure with their front four because they have a very good D-line. How will this O-line fare against the blitzes the Saints will be bringing?
The Bears already offered him a very fair contract and Forte turned it down. Forte wants to be payed like a top 3 RB. Why would the Bears agree to that?
They can pay him 400,000 this year then put the franchise tag on him next year. If he wants his rookie contract torn up a year early he has to give a little on his end. I do hope they find a middle ground and get it done but lets not blame this all on the Bears front office.
I'm not blaming either side, really. It's just interesting to see how much both sides are willing to gam-ble to "win" on this because right now the stakes are pretty high on either side of the table.
Obviously Forte's agent wanted to wait and see what CJ and AP got paid (even though Forte is clearly not in that caliber), but now having turned down the initial Bears offer Forte has a lot more to lose should he happen to get hurt.
OTOH, in Forte's defense, you look at his rookie contract and you can't deny the Bears have been getting the steal of the century at RB. When you look at the millions and millions of dollars Angelo has paid out to stiffs like Pace, Omiyale, Archuleta, Chris Williams, and even the last ill-advised extensions to Tommie Harris and Olin Kreutz, I can completely understand why Forte is just a bit peeved.
Claude Fallins...no
Blob Bawlins.....Hmmmmm, that's not it....Any help?
Oh I agree. But I am pretty sure this is why New England dropped him. They probably gave him a warning after the gun incident (which by the way he owned the gun legally and he was cleared of all charges) and this was the final straw.
Mmmmmmm- He'll know the D line calls. It could get ugly from that standpoint.
I expect unless it looks like she is gonna die that day that he'll be there come game time.
I think she lives on the Tx/La border so it might not be that far from where she is.
Bears are the only team not to give a defensive TD this weekend..... :D
Well, if urlacher is out it would be the perfect time for Briggs to prove that he's worth the money he's demanding. Can Lance take over a game? We'll see.
But the poor guys name....Clutts....sheesh........hope he isn't asked to catch any balls,lol...
I read something elsewhere that stated she passed away yesterday...from another fan...unsubstantiated.
IF she did pass away (and that's a big IF) funeral could be on Saturday. It would be a personal decision if Urlacher felt like he wanted to play Sunday. I'm sure he could walk on the field minutes before game time with minimal preparation and be fine. Again it would be up to him.
Just read on the tribune that Roach will man the middle with Iwuh playing SLB.
Crazy they called it "Natural causes" and she was only 51... Is a stroke considered natural?
Neighbor had a serious stroke when she was about 45 - apparently somewhat common for women in that age group
Why would it be awkward? I think these guys can seperate on the field and off.
That being said, NO might not let Kreutz off to go given the circumstances.
Not sure where the funeral will be. If it is in Mt. Pleasant that's 2 hours east of Dallas and around 7 or 8 hour drive to New Orleans. I don't think they will be renting a bus to shuttle players to the game from there.
Lost in all of this is a matchup I'm really interested to see... our young, smallish DTs against the two mammoth veteran OGs of the Saints.
Jahri Evans is 6'4 318, a 6-year vet who is one of the best in the game. Opposite him is Carl Nicks, a beast of a man at 6'5, 343 that more than a few teams had on their FA wish list. This will be a whole nother tier of players that our DTs are facing compared to the OGs on the Falcons. If our DTs' quickness can't counter their size and strength it could be a long hard day.
Both guards Evans and Nicks were named to the NFC pro bowl team last year. Their LT is no slouch either...Bushrod. I don't know their RT, Zach Strief. Looks like a journeyman type who has only 8 career starts over his 6 years in the league. And then they got this old dude at center.
Both guards Evans and Nicks were named to the NFC pro bowl team last year.
Bushrod is solid, but I could see us starting with Izzy over him in the hopes he can hold his own so Peppers can wreak havoc against Streif. It looked like Izzy was drawing some double teams against the Falcons which no doubt opened things up for Peppers and even guys like Melton and Okoye. OTOH if Izzy can't it done from the blindside we may have to flip the two.
Both guards Evans and Nicks were named to the NFC pro bowl team last year. Their LT is no slouch either...Bushrod. I don't know their RT, Zach Strief. Looks like a journeyman type who has only 8 career starts over his 6 years in the league. And then they got this old dude at center.
I think our DBs will have to work harder this week.
Paea was inactive last week and should be inactive this week
Because he is not up to speed in the pro game. He is our worst D-linemen. Of course he is inactive. He has been a terible dissapointment.
He may be player for us next year but we won't see him much this year unless someone gets hurt.
He just hasn't been getting it done. I think he got the job done in college with his awesome strength. In the NFL that is not enough. He needs to learn technique. He needs moves and counter moves. He can't just overpower the O-line at this level because they are just as strong or stronger then him.
I think he will come on later in the year and might be a force next year.
I'm surprised there aren't more players going to the funeral. Especially from the defense.
But maybe that's the way Urlacher and his family wanted it.
Anthony Adams isn't going to be around forever. And Paea is much the same type of player as Adams.
So I suspect the plan is to bring Paea along slowly this year and then plug him in for Adams next year or the year after that at the latest.
OTOH I do have to agree with Wishful... you look at Angelo going 0-for-3 on DTs taken in the 3rd round (Dvoracek, Gilbert, Harrison) and you have to wonder if the outcome with Paea will wind up being any different.
Disagree on Dvoracek. He playd pretty well until he got hurt. I don't count guys that fail because of injuries as flops unless it's a pre-existing injury that you knew about when you made the choice to draft and they never fully recovered.
Disagree on Dvoracek. He playd pretty well until he got hurt. I don't count guys that fail because of injuries as flops unless it's a pre-existing injury that you knew about when you made the choice to draft and they never fully recovered.
Didn't Dvoracek have a pretty long medical history when we took him? I thought that's why he fell to the 3rd in the first place.
Dvoracek's red flag was he busted somebody's jaw in a barroom fight and may have got tossed from the school.
Tommie Harris had a medical history going into his draft but the Bears never saw the effects of those injuries during his career.
So if and when Carimi comes back do we see if he can play LT and move Webb back to RT?
I usually wouldn't mind living with some growing pains of Webb at LT except I think we only have about 1-2 years left of the Urlacher/Peppers window. We need a trip to the dance now.
Let's see what Roy Williams can do against the Pack.
We need someone to step up from our WR corp, because this weekend we'll see the same sort of schemes except it will be executed from a more talented bunch.
I'm not on the Lions bandwagon jussst yet. I'll bet they get pounded by the two teams we just played, especially the Saints. We shall see...we've had the leagues toughest schedule starting out...it gets easier in a couple weeks.
I think the Bears have a better chance to beat Green Bay than they did the Saints.
If Martz and Tice don't get a bunch of things fixed in a big hurry, we will have a top 15 draft pick next April.
I would strongly suggest that pick be spent on either a legitimate NFL LT or a #1 WR cause until we get those pieces this offense is going nowhere.
J'Marcus Webb is hands-down the worst starting LT in the league and Cutler has NO receiving options of any size to count on except Forte.
It's also time to start putting out feelers for a new OC.
So if and when Carimi comes back do we see if he can play LT and move Webb back to RT?
We'll see. I guarantee that McCarthy and Capers were not pleased with how close those last two games against us were, and have been working on ways to beat us much more convincingly. Not to mention that when we last played the Pack they were down starters to injuries while we were as healthy as we had been all year. This year those positions are exactly reversed.
Cutler piiised and G.B. at home. This is it. >:(
Cutler piiised and G.B. at home. This is it. >:(
And the throw the ball deep...really deep once in a while...Bears haven't done that all season. The Saints sent 2 WRs at our safety Sunday and got a TD - you telling me that we can't do the same with speedsters Hester and Knox?
I mean, wow. That's a serious lack of professionalism by Fox. They've always had a definite anti-Bears bias but this takes it to new depths.
You watch, they won't even have the stones to have Buck make an apology on the air next week during the Packers game. Buck hates the Bears, it was probably his idea in the first place.
Best thing that could happen Sunday is that the Packers win the flip, take the ball and our D forces a 3-and-out or better still, gets a turnover.
Worst thing that could happen is we win the flip, take the ball and go 3-and-out or worse, turn it over.
I have a feeling this is gonna be one of those games where we'll know by the end of the 1st quarter whether we have a prayer of winning or not. By the end of the first 15 minutes we'll either be close and playing well, or the game will already be out of hand.
The reason Cutler was yelling at the QB coach is because the plays were coming in so damn late. I was ****ed too! He was getting the play with like ten seconds to call it in the huddle, get to the line and snap the ball. He had to waste two time outs due to the play call coming in late.
Good god how much must it cost each time they re-sod Soldier Field? They could have paid for FieldTurf many times over by now.
This stubbornness about the playing surface is not only foolish from a player injury perspective, it's financially irresponsible.
Coaches intend to protect Cutler
Posted: 9/21/2011 5:45:00 PM
Jay Cutler conceded Wednesday that he doesn’t know whether he would make it through the entire season if he continues to get hit like he did during last Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The quarterback’s coaches don’t intend to find out.
“If you throw the ball that much, you’re going to lose him, so you can’t do that and we won’t,” offensive coordinator Mike Martz said Wednesday after practice. “We want to be balanced.
“Anytime he throws the ball I get nervous. You get close to someone like this, you worry about him. They’re like your own kids. But he’s one of probably the most tough—physically tough, mentally tough—people I’ve ever been around. He’s incredibly tough, so from that part of it I don’t worry about it.”
Offensive line coach Mike Tice told reporters that he empathizes with Cutler and vowed that the Bears would improve their pass protection.
“I don’t know if you know this, but I played quarterback at Maryland,” Tice said. “I’ve been hit that hard before. It doesn’t feel real good.
“As blockers across the board—there’s a lot of blame to be shared around and we certainly have ours in our room—we don’t want to see him get hit like that. When you’re playing football, the guy next to you and the guy with the ball in his hand, you don’t ever want anyone to hit him because that’s like letting someone hit your brother and you don’t ever want your brother to get touched.
“So that should [tick] you off and if it doesn’t [tick] you off, then we have the wrong guys. My point right now is I don’t think we have the wrong guys. I think we have the right guys and we’ll get it fixed.”
If they don't back up the talk with action, we'll all get to see what it's like to have a franchise QB on IR for the majority of a season.
And we can start thinking about a Top 10 draft pick.
If Cutler and Urlacher both get hurt can we just start up the 2012 Draft thread?
You can add Forte to that list too. Without him this offense would be lucky to net 100 yards a game.
Like Dad always said, "Talk is cheap, its action that counts." We shall see what they do to protect Cutler. Needless to say I am not as optimistic as Dallas that the problems will get fixed with the current personnel.
I've been hoping to catch a replay of the game on NFLN all week but haven't seen it playing yet.
Personally I think the Harper hit on Bennett was more worthy of a flag than the Cutler hit. But whatever. More power to the Saints if they've got a Safety that can bring it like that, cause we certainly don't.
But as Aikman stated Sunday, they Bears don't try to fool you with their defense, they just line up and hope you make a mistake along the way.
teams that have a really good Oline with a QB that can get the ball out quickly is a nightmare for us.
Bears will need to win the TO battle to pull this one out.
Saints’ Harper: NFL admits error on Cutler hard-hit call
ASSOCIATED PRESS
September 22, 2011 1:08PM
Saints strong safety Roman Harper says the NFL has notified the team that game officials were wrong to throw a flag for Harper’s hard hit on Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler.
The flag flew moments after the quarterback threw an incomplete pass in the first half of New Orleans’ 30-13 victory over the Bears last Sunday. The call on third-and-6 extended what turned out to be Chicago’s lone touchdown drive of the game.
“When I saw the flag. I couldn’t believe it. Cutler went to begging for it and they gave it to him,” Harper said. “The bad thing is they got points off of it.”
Harper credited Saints coaches for telling him to forget about the flag and remain aggressive. The Saints continued to blitz relentlessly and wound up sacking Cutler six times, with Harper getting two sacks and a forced fumble.
“Pretty much as soon as the play was over, I think coach (Sean) Payton called timeout and really got after the ref,” Harper said. “The coaches were like, ‘Keep playing. Don’t worry about it. That was a (bad) call. Just keep balling and don’t worry about that.’”
I think the whole O stunk last week. I agree with Phil, not sure what game Dallas was watching, but Cutler was under pressure most of the game. Few more games like this past week and we'll be watching Hanie under center. Anyone still want to question Cutlers toughness? What the hell was Lovie thinking at the end of the game by leaving Cutler in, he had already took a severe beating..
Although, if he pulls Cut, does everyone start the "pouting" or "toughness" bull**** again..
My game breakdown for Sunday.
QB - Clear Packer edge with Rodgers.
WR - Packers, not one Chicago WR would start for Pack.
RB - Even, forte is a WR threat more than a run one.
OL - Packers, big.
Offensive Scheme - Packers
DB - Packers, even missing Collins
LB - Packers, youth over age
DL - Packers, they will do more damage.
Coach - Packers.
Prediction - Pack 27-9.
Ya could not run the ball. The bear line was not going to win the LOS over the Packers defense front. Begging martz to call more rushes is just giving plays away. Besides, forte is becoming a third down back. Meaning he is better suited to catching the ball out of the backfield instead of power running it.
Ya could not run the ball. The bear line was not going to win the LOS over the Packers defense front. Begging martz to call more rushes is just giving plays away. Besides, forte is becoming a third down back. Meaning he is better suited to catching the ball out of the backfield instead of power running it.
Nice glasses Homer... and that is an insult to Homer Simpson
They are deer skin mittens though...(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w37/Grizzlybear34/Otto.jpg)
Barber and RoyBoy both need to step it up yesterday. Between injuries and bad play they have both been worthless so far this season.
Both of those signings are making Angelo look very foolish right about now.
Part of Cutlers problem is, he's gun shy, but who wouldn't be?
Ted Phillips has been an unmitigated disaster even though he has flown largely under the radar in the blame game.
If we go into the bye week at 1-6 (which is not impossible), Bears fans will be standing outside Halas Hall with pitchforks and torches. Or at least they should be.
You'd like to hope it'd be that way but the McCaskets dont work that way. They arent paying money for 2 coachees or 2 GMs. It would shock me if there was any change made during the season
If we can't get Cowher next year, I'd settle for this guy too:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/29/jeff-fisher-paying-close-attention-to-nfl-this-year/
Of course its a politcal stunt. So what. You get in the oval office, and get all that cool white house swag we paid for.
There is only one, and will always be only one coach. Bless you Ditka. I can see you've mellowed a bit, but only just.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/mike-ditka-wants-to-spit-on-author-of-walter-payton-biography-093011
Maybe I'm missing something but how is this "political"? President Obama is giving probably the greatest team in NFL history the recognition they richly deserve and it's a "politcal stunt"? I'm not following the logic here.
I hope that rebel McMahon wears a Bush tee shirt.
Guess you don't recall YOUR team gave a Packers jersey to YOUR PRESIDENT at the White House. Hell the whole team shook hands with him. Do you still love the Packers? :)
http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/multimediapopup.asp?mm_file_id=2592&play_clip=Y&rn=18
Culter miked up for the last game. He sure doesn't seem as disinterested in the game as the media makes him out to be.
Based on the utter ineptitude put on display by both the Bears O and D a few nights ago, I am very comfortable predicting a Vikings win Sunday night.
Our OL will, again, get nothing done against another top-tier DL. I think it is entirely possible that at least one of the Vikings DEs has a 3-sack game on his own.
Our defense, with the safeties a total disaster and down our two best D-Linemen (Peppers and Toeiana), will get gashed wide open by Adrian Peterson.
Vikings 27, Bears 13 in a game that's close at halftime but the Vikings own in the 2nd half. Scoring even 20 points is a pipe dream for our offense, and our D is no longer able to cover for that.
Kreutz retired today.
Whew!
DJ Moore gets the game ball.
Yeah we have Marion B. to run the rock and take the punishment when we have the lead and trying to run down the clock. Martz is overrated IMO. I thought he did some nice things in Detroit, but his time as passed.
The Bears were blitzing in the first half. After they got the lead they stopped blitzing.
The safeties are playing 20 yards down field first and second half and with no pressure there are huge holes in the zones. Lots of time for a Pro QB and open holes in the zone mean easy scoring drives.
I will never undersatand why Lovie stops calling defenses that are working. Make them show you they can beat them before changing.
The Pack let the Vikes come back also. There would have been some mighty hand wringing going on here had that happened to us. Which it did. Which there has been.
Yeah that has been the thing about Lovie all along. Doesnt go for the jugular. When you have them down, keep kicking them dummy, dont let them come back and make it close. Sheesh.
The Bears will spend the money before the season is over with. They will extend some players. Wether it is Forte or not depends on his expectations.
They offered him a very fair contract before the season and he turned it down.
He wanted a HUGE contract and to have the last year of this contract torn up. You don't get both. If he continues to produce and does not get hurt he will get paid a HUGE salary. At worst he make 8 to 9 million next year if they tag him.
I understand why Forte keeps ****ing about his pay. However he has to realize he was offered a decent contract and turned it down. The Bears have no reason to give him a HUGE contract. They offered him more per year then he will make with the franchise tag on him.
He has never played as well as he has this year. Perhaps tagging him each year is the way to keep him performing the way he is. Perhaps he needs that new contract as his carrot?
Urlacher is playing up to his contract this year too, after a couple seasons when I was really questioning it.
And Briggs has had a very good season as well.
Where that really paid off was that 4th-down throw late in the game where he threw to Maclin, who had plenty of room to run but the pass was high and when Maclin came down with it he fell... a yard short and our guy tagged him down.
If Vick hits Maclin in stride on that throw, who knows?
IMHO they arent beating the Pack in Lamblow. That would be a monumental upset, so I doubt they run the table. It looks like they have a good shot at a wild card berth if they can win the rest of their games other than the Pack. They could even end up having a better record than the east champ or the west champ.
I think if the Pack are still unbeaten it puts an awful lot of additional pressure on them making them ripe for an upset. The closer they get to the unbeaten season the bigger the monkey on their back.
The Pack needs for Neal to return to action and remain healthy on defense.
Packrat
You front 7 is very average and the defense is getting bailed out by the turnovers from your DBs. I told you before the season that you'd miss Jenkins but you seem really high on this Neal kid. I guess he must have really looked good in preseason games - cuz he certainly hasn't played much in real games.
Aaron Rodgers is playing at such a high level that it may not make a difference.
I can understand not giving a 30 year old DE a new contract and giving his job to a generally unproven younger player. The salary cap forces teams to make these decisions. I just stated that Jenkins would be missed - just like he was last year in games he was out.
And I see Clay Matthews has only 3 sacks half way through the season and your leading sacker is a MLB.
Another factor contributing to your defense's problems could be that your offense is putting up so many points so quickly that your opponents are abandoning the run earlier and passing more frequently. May also explain all the picks your DBs are getting.
Yes, but that cant happen during the rest of the season. Trading deadline has passed.
yes,yes i do. you wearing a drool cup. Stop drooling. Bears need to win Sunday. need to keep all healthy too.
What is this team? Talent? Coaching? Chemistry?
To criticize Smith and gang, means Angelo has stocked the cabinet well. To criticize Angelo means that Smith and gang are outstanding coaches, coaching a pile of refuse into a consistent winner?
Interesting...
With Hanie, the Bears should end up 11-5, or 10-6. Oakland could be a win, Seattle and Minny could be losses. A win at Oakland this weekend about cinches the playoffs for us.
at Oakland L
KC W
at Denver W
Seattle W
at GB L
at Minny W
Thankfully we've got a manageable section of our schedule to deal with here. But the Chargers were no slouches and I expect the same from the Raiduhs, Horsies, et al. No game is going to be a cake walk. I like Hanie. I think he CAN win us a game or two....hopefully three. But we cannot get too crazy here. He is definately not even close to Cutler. Cutler's been making so many ridiculous plays to keep drives alive, it's impossible to ask Hanie for the same when he just isn't capable of it.
So someone else got the Ariz. State job that Martz was reportedly interested in.
Is the Chicago media finding out Martz will be gone after this year/ or is this all rumor?
I agree Enderle should know more, but he is stiff as a board, very imobile. He may not make the roster next year if Martz gets launched. Just saying.
Why did you force me to see that this time of the morning? God...
Give me a top flight left tackle, a number 1 receiver and a legit NFL QB for backup. The O would be fine. The D? Another story, they worry me. Reality will soon set in, the core of our D will soon be over the hill..
JJ, got that 30-30 ready for the draft? The SECOND Angielow opens his friggin mouth to pick another LB or safety in the first pick, nail his butt! Got it? K......
In related news, Roy Williams is being indicted for not taking "performance enhancing drugs" the last few seasons.....
Funny how the year came crashing down with 3 losses that we all thought would be 3 wins
I'm sick of hearing about Tebow. I mean c'mon!!! I give him the one long bomb that should've gone for a TD. MOst of the rest of his throws were wobbly at best and off the mark. If we were at full strength, Tebow would be an after thought..
But maybe the lack of getting a high caliber backup when Jay went down did have an effect on the players. Maybe that caused the letdown.
This is a team that has given up on its coach.
The new GM is already in house. The Jers little me. complete with bozo shoes, makeup, and clown nose. One less thing for the McCaskeys to worry about, and, the money keeps coming in.
Peyton Manning Masked a lot on that team. I always thought Dungy was OK, not some great coach that some like to make him out to be.
http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/bears-talk/post/There-shouldnt-be-any-doubt-Angelo-stays?blockID=619208&feedID=661
So reading this article it sounds like the Bears are going to be making some big free agent acquisitions. That is good because Angelo can't draft worth a damn.
I would say in free agency get a true #1 proven WR for Cutler. A big fast guy who can catch the ball! Rookie WR's usually take a few years to develop and the Bears do not have that kind of time.
I would also like a OT, CB and back up QB.
I have no problem with McCown coming back but they need someone else also. They can't let a Cutler injury implode a season again. I know no team has two starter quality QB's but you have to have a guy who can move the chains and not be a turn over machine so you can win a few games until your QB gets healthy.
Someone on another Website made what I thought was a very astute observation yesterday.
He said that the Bears late-season collapse on D shouldn't be any surprise given the age of most of our core defensive players... i.e., on the other side of the 30. And especially when they have had to play as many reps as have been required by our utterly inept offense since Cutler went down.
If you buy into that theory (which I do), then you can say that four things at minimum need to happen for our D to be competitive next year and beyond:
1) We MUST get a legitimate 3rd DE in the rotation who we can plug-in for Peppers or Izzy a few series a game without the whole DL going to crap. This needs to be a guy who is at least as good as Idonije but ideally, better, and who gives us no drop-off in either pass or run defense. Many of us hoped Wootton would be that guy but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen so add his name to the long list of Angelo busts and it's back to the well again.
2) We MUST find a big, fast CB to complement Tillman at the #2 and eventually, replace him as the #1. The big WRs that predominate in this league are eating our D-Backfield alive. Opposing QBs have simply been able to throw at will against guys like Jennings and Bowman so those guys need to give way to someone who is good enough to meet that challenge.
The challenge in addressing these first two points is that this year's draft class is not especially deep in either three-down DEs or big physical CBs. Drafting for need at one of these positions vs. Best Player Available may not be the way to go and if Angelo is making the pick you can be assured it will be the wrong guy. At least one if not both of these positions may be where Angelo needs to open up the checkbook and try to pull some good FAs while reserving the top draft picks for offensive help.
3) We MUST rework/revise our defensive scheme to somehow reduce the physical demands on our older players while at the same time masking some of the deficiencies of our younger guys. Okoye, DJ Moore, maybe Paea and possibly Conte look like players with a good future here... but the rest of the young guys have not shown much promise at all and LB in particular looks like a position that could get really bad, really fast once Urlacher and Briggs start to slip.
4) We MUST become much more effective on offense, both in time of possession and scoring points. The days of winning games with only 13 or 17 points are gone and are not coming back... at least not with our current defensive scheme and players. Victory in the NFL today is all about scoring points on demand and keeping the other team's hands off the ball. This will require significant upgrades at the WR and OT positions, as well as a new OC with a system that is in step with the times a la the Packers, Saints, etc. The big 3 bugaboos of the Martz offensive scheme -- INTs, terrible red zone performance and the inability to convert 3rd downs -- have cost us many games the last two seasons and must be remedied.
I'd bring Roy Williams back, unless we can find a true replacement. He's big and strong and gets separation, his problem (as we all know) is hanging onto the ball.
Everyone is down on Barber, not me. Yep, one dumb m'fukker, but he can pound the ball. And I sure as he!! wouldn't let Bell get away. I don't think he could handle the load of being a feature back, but the kid sure has stepped in and done a great job. I give Bell credit, kid showed he could run the ball (with some quickness), block, and catch.
I've never been much on Lovie (or Angelo for that fact). But I think it makes little sense to cut everyone lose at this point. Give 'em this next season, better make it good, or it's adios..
This part of the story is a bit unnerving though...
"Urlacher’s exam and diagnosis were done by team doctors Gordon Nuber and Michael Corcoran."
I'm guessing that Lovie was "retained" because it will be the decision of the new GM on who the HC is. "Retained"is a relative term.
Jeff Fisher will get a job in the next few weeks...might as well be for the Bears...
This is all window dressing if the job goes to butt buddy. I'm in wait and see mode.
Tice hasn't done a good job with our o-line so I don't want him calling plays on offense.
He also better not tie the new GMs hands by saying the new GM must keep Lovie. That should be up to the new GM to decide (and he will live or die with that decision)....
BTW I wonder if Jer was greated by the tune "Dixie" on his cell phone when he picked it up :D
I get that, but unfortunately, by saddling the new GM with Lovie -- if even for a year -- we may be keeping a very good GM candidate from taking the gig.
The only way I see a decent GM candidate taking this gig is if 1) Lovie is stripped from all input in the 2012 draft process, and 2) Lovie has no input into the hiriing of the next OC. As far as I can tell, Lovie will have much input into both so that reduces the appeal of the Bears GM position by many orders of magnitude.
You guys are beating this thing to death. It should be simple to solve.......and it is. A first year business major would tell you the RIGHT SOLUTION is to fire everone from George on down and bring in a real football person.....NOW!
Ted Phillips can't manage a one car funeral.
Polian has built super bowl teams.
Vincent Jackson is 6'5, 240 with 4.4 speed. He's a freak.
You might be thinking of Deshaun Jackson, who's a midget. Smaller than Knox.
And lets not forget Angelo wont be running the draft. Dare I say it if someone REALLY good was there, we MIGHT trade up for them??? Just saying.
Is he the GM of the Pack??? I thought Thompson controlled their player acquistions?? Isn't he the GM??
yea, but can any of them jump out of a swimming pool?
Yep, looks like Tice is the OC. I'm sure that part of the problem is, who the hell is going to come in with a "dead man walking" as the head coach..