Bleacher Bums Forum

Overheard joke:

Q. How can the Vikings new dome be self-cleaning ?
A. Don't let the Vikings fans in....

Honestly, not to be cold but if they signed him and started him at MLB I could see Trestman running a bunch of plays right at him. Pretty sure he doesn't have the wheels to keep up with Forte and Martellus in the passing game, and I doubt he wants to take on Slauson, Long and Webb a whole lot either.

No MLB can keep up with Forte in the open field...the problem is he doesn't get into the open field much. 

As for Urlacher fearing Slauson, Long and Webb?  Really?  Is Urlacher now down to 97lbs and using a walker?

From what I can tell, two things are gonna have to happen for Urlacher to wear an NFL uniform this year.

#1 some team that runs the Tampa 2 (or a close variant) is going to have to get really desperate at MLB.  Like, their starter goes down the last week of preseason or something.  The Vikings appeared to have fit that description but they've decided to go with one of their own (Erin Henderson) there.

#2 Urlacher is gonna have to drop his price.

While its true the old gray mare aint what he used to be, he is still a smart player. I do believe that Trestman would run plays at Urlacher. But unless Urlacher has found some magic compound to rejuvenate his wheels he isn't going to help a defense much. Being the Bears don't want him back it seems to point to other teams shying away from Urlacher because of some perceived notion that if the Bears don't want him back he must not be able to help them either.

I do believe that Trestman would run plays at Urlacher. But unless Urlacher has found some magic compound to rejuvenate his wheels he isn't going to help a defense much. Being the Bears don't want him back it seems to point to other teams shying away from Urlacher because of some perceived notion that if the Bears don't want him back he must not be able to help them either.


With Urlacher at MLB last year the Bears were 8th against the run.  Don't you think teams would tried the middle on them more frequently?  Also consider the Bears had DTs that weighed around 290lb and with no responsibility to stop the run?

The problem with anyone signing Urlacher is his salary demands and the fact that at his age there is not much of a future with him.  A team might be able to squeeze a productive year or maybe two - who knows?  It's a young man's game and if you have somebody younger/cheaper you try him first.

Plus the MLB isn't really the focus of a team's defense these days with the emphasis on the passing game.

But if he signs with someone I'll  hope he does well (when not playing the Bears) and doesn't embarrass himself.  So many guys try to squeeze another year or two out of their careers and it can get ugly.

When a great player like Urlacher reaches the end of his great career the best thing for him to do is retire gracefully to the adulation of his team and loving fans.  He is a HOFer and had nothing left to prove.

Urlacher wants to much money for where he is at at this point in his career.  This is the reason he is not a Bear or on any NFL team.  My guess is a team will lose their vet MLB in training camp and pick him up for cheap.  Either that or he will retire.

Four Downs: NFC North


by Rivers McCown

Chicago Bears

Biggest Post-Draft Hole: Wide receiver

Bears general manager Phil Emery and new head coach Marc Trestman deserve credit for attacking their weaknesses aggressively in both the draft and in free agency. While big signing Jermon Bushrod is far from an elite tackle, and his Pro Bowls should probably be viewed as a second slot the NFC used on Drew Brees, he's a definite upgrade over the dreck the Bears have been using at left tackle for years. The cascade effect of his signing is that J'Marcus Webb, part of the aforementioned dreck, will get a chance to play on the right side against pass rushers that are generally weaker than those who gave him major problems as a starter for the last couple of seasons. First-round pick Kyle Long should help right away on the interior line, new tight end Martellus Bennett will give the Bears a competent stretch tight end, albeit one who had never posted a positive qualifying DVOA until last year's 3.8%. (DVOA is Football Outsiders' defense-adjusted value over average metric, explained here.) Second-round pick Jon Bostic and fourth-round pick Khaseem Greene are athletic move linebackers who should give the Bears plenty of fallback options if D.J. Williams and James Anderson have trouble replacing Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach.





But the unpopular weakness still remains. When we pointed to wide receiver as a major flaw for the current Bears early in the offseason, it was to the consternation of a lot of Bears fans who saw the offensive line as being the larger issue. The problem is that Jay Cutler is a see-it, throw-it passer. He's still a solid quarterback, but he's never thrown receivers open on a consistent basis. That amplifies the Bears receiving problems, and while scheming can create the occasional big play for Devin Hester, Eric Weems, or Earl Bennett, they can't defeat man coverage often enough to benefit Cutler. While the jury is still out on Alshon Jeffery, he also wasn't able to beat man coverage often enough last season to help out much. That means a lot of targets are going to be headed to Brandon Marshall and Bennett. Both of them performed competently in the face of that last season, but it's certainly not the most efficient way to build an offense. Rookie Marquess Wilson is a good fit -- Football Outsiders college analyst Matt Waldman thinks he has a very bright future -- but he's not necessarily likely to play right away.

Notable Undrafted Free Agent Additions

The most well-known UDFA the Bears have brought in is Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison, who you may better know as "the other guy who denied pooping all over a hotel room with DeAndre Hopkins." Harrison is also the UDFA who has the best shot at making the Chicago roster this year, mostly for the lack of depth that we just went over. He'll need to work on his routes and releases to make that a reality. Cornerbacks Demontre Hurst (Oklahoma State) and C.J. Wilson (North Carolina State) also have a chance at cracking a roster that has a death of young talent in the secondary.