I know this off season hasn't been as dismal as others in the past, but forgive me if I'm not doing cartwheels about Chicago baseball. Hockey season is still on (if you're a Wolves fan) and the Bulls are playing some surprising basketball, but this is a Bears town, son, so yeah, I was glad Tank got out in 60 days. Yes, I'm nervous about how long he'll get suspended. There's other sports and then there's the Bears.
So there's this news that the Bears have already signed a draft pick, and the recent headline that the Bears are moving Hester to offense that need to be explored. So let's make like Christopher Walken and explore the space.
Give the Bears a lot of credit. They're focused on getting guys in and signed, and this is evidence of a disciplined front office. They're all focused and pulling in the same direction, which is getting back to that big game again. It's little things that win championships, and when an organization has this kind of focus from the top down, it carries through to the players.
On the Hester move… I don't know. I think you let the guy play defense if he wants to. Will he take less of a beating as a receiver? Maybe, but then again maybe not. I don't know that there's a long, rich history of successful moves from one side of the ball to the other. Nothing jumps out at me as being a shining example of how these moves pay off. But I'm going to trust the pros on this one and sit back and enjoy it (or criticize it, if my misgivings are validated).
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Front Office Moves
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-070502bears,1,2353719.story?coll=chi-sportstop-hed
These moves will probably get little to no attention, especially in light of the manufactured drama involving Olsen's freshman year rap song (the most inane and useless story I can remember) and the ongoing Briggs & Tank scenarios. But these re-signings are HUGE, and this is some of the best Bears news I've seen in a while.
The fact is, the Bears have positioned themselves as the top team in the NFC North for the past 2 years, and should stay there for the forseeable future. Why? A solid, cohesive front office/coaching staff and a talented team built through shrewd drafting and wise free-agent spending. While my support for Jerry Angelo has been strong throughout his tenure here, a lot of the credit for the day to day legwork has to go to Depaul & Gabriel. They have scouted well, drafted well, and signed well, and overall done a great job of identifying talented players who fit well in our salary cap structure and don't cause problems (for the most part).
This move provides front office stability for the next few years, and should lay the foundation for continued success in the draft & free agency.
These moves will probably get little to no attention, especially in light of the manufactured drama involving Olsen's freshman year rap song (the most inane and useless story I can remember) and the ongoing Briggs & Tank scenarios. But these re-signings are HUGE, and this is some of the best Bears news I've seen in a while.
The fact is, the Bears have positioned themselves as the top team in the NFC North for the past 2 years, and should stay there for the forseeable future. Why? A solid, cohesive front office/coaching staff and a talented team built through shrewd drafting and wise free-agent spending. While my support for Jerry Angelo has been strong throughout his tenure here, a lot of the credit for the day to day legwork has to go to Depaul & Gabriel. They have scouted well, drafted well, and signed well, and overall done a great job of identifying talented players who fit well in our salary cap structure and don't cause problems (for the most part).
This move provides front office stability for the next few years, and should lay the foundation for continued success in the draft & free agency.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Draft Recap
Well, really, more like "Draft Opinion" but you get the idea.
Overall, I'm neutral on the draft. I know that the Bears do a good job finding "day 1" contributors, so I'm hopeful we'll have a couple of guys fighting for starting jobs from the get-go.
Round 1: Olsen is scary fast according to this link. For a guy that size to move that fast just doesn't seem possible. Speed rules in the NFL, so he fits the mold. He probably needs a year of weight training to put on some necessary size and learn the ropes, but he'll have a good teacher in Des, so this is a pretty good pick.
Round 2: The Bears draft Dan Hampton. S'cuse me, Dan Bazuin. I like this pick, but this is my favorite type of player - a guy who plays every down like it might be his last. Might be better than the first round guy.
Round 3: Wolfe and Okwo. Okwo will probably be an immediate addition to special teams. Wolfe is sort of a gamble, but the Bears have made picks like him work, so if he winds up being a poor man's Reggie Bush, I won't mind a bit.
Later rounds: I don't note much special in the later rounds (so when one of them is starting later this year, you'll understand why I'm in Commercial Banking and not scouting), except the freakish size of this guy.
Overall, though, I'm feeling neutral on this draft. No disappointments, no gasping at genius. Not too shabby for the Super Bowl runner-up, I might add.
Overall, I'm neutral on the draft. I know that the Bears do a good job finding "day 1" contributors, so I'm hopeful we'll have a couple of guys fighting for starting jobs from the get-go.
Round 1: Olsen is scary fast according to this link. For a guy that size to move that fast just doesn't seem possible. Speed rules in the NFL, so he fits the mold. He probably needs a year of weight training to put on some necessary size and learn the ropes, but he'll have a good teacher in Des, so this is a pretty good pick.
Round 2: The Bears draft Dan Hampton. S'cuse me, Dan Bazuin. I like this pick, but this is my favorite type of player - a guy who plays every down like it might be his last. Might be better than the first round guy.
Round 3: Wolfe and Okwo. Okwo will probably be an immediate addition to special teams. Wolfe is sort of a gamble, but the Bears have made picks like him work, so if he winds up being a poor man's Reggie Bush, I won't mind a bit.
Later rounds: I don't note much special in the later rounds (so when one of them is starting later this year, you'll understand why I'm in Commercial Banking and not scouting), except the freakish size of this guy.
Overall, though, I'm feeling neutral on this draft. No disappointments, no gasping at genius. Not too shabby for the Super Bowl runner-up, I might add.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Rites of Spring
Although the last week has been completely crappy weather, spring is here. You know it, I know it, the American people know it. If only Mother Nature would get her act together, the daffodils would open up and the trees would start sprouting leaves.
But Mother Nature can't stop the NFL Draft, which is just around the corner. I get such a huge kick out of the pre-draft guess work that passes as sports journalism. I think Yahoo's expert has had something like 50 mock drafts so far. Yes, I read them, you got a problem with that?
In the meantime, Pat you should link up that YouTube rant collaboration you showed me on Easter. That was a riot.
But Mother Nature can't stop the NFL Draft, which is just around the corner. I get such a huge kick out of the pre-draft guess work that passes as sports journalism. I think Yahoo's expert has had something like 50 mock drafts so far. Yes, I read them, you got a problem with that?
In the meantime, Pat you should link up that YouTube rant collaboration you showed me on Easter. That was a riot.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Lance Briggs
Here's the thing with the Lance Briggs situation. I'm not going to go back and re-hash who said what and when - this is a blog, not a short novel.
Lance wants big money and security (read: guaranteed money). He's in a dangerous profession, not to mention the danger of working with self-policing co-workers. Remember Benson getting teed off on in training camp last year? Think there's a code among NFL players that transcends team and league-mandated rules?
The Bears, naturally, want Lance to live up to his contract. If Lance has a problem with anybody, it should be Gene Upshaw and the Players Association, not the Bears. They're playing by the rules agreed upon by the league and the union. Don't like it? Too bad.
Yes, Lance could sit out. In some respects, he'd be smart to do that; his likelihood of suffering a career-ending knee injury is much lower not playing football. Yes the Bears could trade him, although the current offer out there - swapping 1st round picks with the Redskins - doesn't seem like such a good deal. A two-time Pro Bowl player like Briggs, at his age and position, commands a first round pick, straight up, in the opinion of this fan.
Until I get the kinks worked out of this time machine I've been assembling, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm guessing that the Bears let him sit the season out, if he's so inclined. The person that needs to get smart in this chess-game is Lance Briggs. His agent is setting him up for big money... or a career image issue as a bad team mate and a guy who doesn't do what he says he's going to do. Remember, Lance: that guy works for you, not the other way around.
Lance wants big money and security (read: guaranteed money). He's in a dangerous profession, not to mention the danger of working with self-policing co-workers. Remember Benson getting teed off on in training camp last year? Think there's a code among NFL players that transcends team and league-mandated rules?
The Bears, naturally, want Lance to live up to his contract. If Lance has a problem with anybody, it should be Gene Upshaw and the Players Association, not the Bears. They're playing by the rules agreed upon by the league and the union. Don't like it? Too bad.
Yes, Lance could sit out. In some respects, he'd be smart to do that; his likelihood of suffering a career-ending knee injury is much lower not playing football. Yes the Bears could trade him, although the current offer out there - swapping 1st round picks with the Redskins - doesn't seem like such a good deal. A two-time Pro Bowl player like Briggs, at his age and position, commands a first round pick, straight up, in the opinion of this fan.
Until I get the kinks worked out of this time machine I've been assembling, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm guessing that the Bears let him sit the season out, if he's so inclined. The person that needs to get smart in this chess-game is Lance Briggs. His agent is setting him up for big money... or a career image issue as a bad team mate and a guy who doesn't do what he says he's going to do. Remember, Lance: that guy works for you, not the other way around.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Play of the year
The Bears official website has a survey out asking what was the play of 2006.
My vote goes to Hester's punt return TD against Arizona. That play extended our undefeated run, and provided the deciding points in a road game in which our offense tossed up a goose egg. It proved we could win with special teams and defense alone, on the road, in a game in which we wer clearly outplayed. It was a spectacular play, and it sent a pretty intimidating message to the rest of the league.
My runner up would be Gould's game-winner against Seattle in the Divisional game. The Bears hadn't won a playoff game in over a decade, the team and fans were still trying to get the monkey off their back from consecutive home losses in divisional playoff games, and the game had dragged on and both teams were clearly exhuasted. We neede a big play, and Gould came through with a long kick in tough conditions to clinch the victory. I was there, and it was the craziest I had ever seen Soldier Field in my 13 years of attending live games (note I used had, not have, because the Saints game the next week was off the charts).
My vote goes to Hester's punt return TD against Arizona. That play extended our undefeated run, and provided the deciding points in a road game in which our offense tossed up a goose egg. It proved we could win with special teams and defense alone, on the road, in a game in which we wer clearly outplayed. It was a spectacular play, and it sent a pretty intimidating message to the rest of the league.
My runner up would be Gould's game-winner against Seattle in the Divisional game. The Bears hadn't won a playoff game in over a decade, the team and fans were still trying to get the monkey off their back from consecutive home losses in divisional playoff games, and the game had dragged on and both teams were clearly exhuasted. We neede a big play, and Gould came through with a long kick in tough conditions to clinch the victory. I was there, and it was the craziest I had ever seen Soldier Field in my 13 years of attending live games (note I used had, not have, because the Saints game the next week was off the charts).
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Archuleta
So the Bears traded a 6th round pick for Adam Archuleta yesterday. My reaction is tentatively positive. The guy was a stud in St Louis, has experience in a cover-2 system (he played under Lovie the first 3 years of his career) and is going to come over relatively cheaply (3 years $8 million is the ballpark number).
I just hope he isn't viewed by the organization as a cure-all for our issues at the safety position.
We should still keep Mike Brown. When the guy is healthy, he is the emotional leader and backbone of the defense. Some have written that he might be cut for cap reasons, but his cap hit is only about $2.5 million, which to me is a bargain for a solid veteran on a team well under the cap like the Bears. Regardless of who starts, and how that position shakes out, he is too valuable as a presence, and too good when healthy, to cut him for a net cap savings of ~$2 million, when we're $10 million plus under the cap, and there are no premiere free agents left to spend big money on.
We still need to develop Danieal Manning. The guy is the fastest safety I can remember in a Bears uniform, he hits like a freight train when he gets a guy teed up, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I put the blame on him for his blatant blown coverage on Reggie Wayne's long TD in the Super Bowl (he double teamed a guy going over the middle and let Wayne loose deep, when he should have picked him up since the corner released him to play up). But overall, he had a pretty good season, especially considering he was a rookie from a small division II school in Texas, playing in a big, cold, northern city with a huge fan base and media following. He started almost every game, and you almost never heard his name mentioned on passing plays, which is a positive for a defensive back. He seemed to lose a little ground later in the year, but the overload of his first 16 game season plus playoffs, combined with the lack of on-field leadership at the safety position, were the main reasons for that. Hopefully, now he'll adjust well to the longer season since he's been through one, and Archuleta and Brown can provide the veteran leadership on the field that will help him continue to develop.
Chris Harris needs to be moved to special teams, where he can blossom. He has filled in nicely as a spot starter at the safety position, but the fact is he is too slow to be a truly effective free safety over the long haul, and he is too often out of position and too often misses making a sure tackle because he tries to make the highlight reel. Those hits are great the 3 times a year he connects, but the other 10 times he whiffs and gives the opposing offense an extra 5-10 yards. He is not starting NFL safety material IMO, but as a 4th safety, he's pretty good. Additionally, his wreckless, big-hitting style lends itself to action on special teams, where he will be sorely needed now that Todd Johnson and Cameron Worrell are gone, and that Adrian Peterson's role on special teams may be diminished due to his probable increased role on the offense.
So I'm glad we got 'Arch,' but I hope that Jerry Angelo keeps in perspective that this is a great signing to COMPLEMENT out current safety corps, not to replace any one of the 3 remaining parts, all of whom have an important role to play on this team.
MIKE ADDS: Arch will be a nice addition to the team, and Mike Brown is still a keeper. Here's where your man Angelo can earn his ranking on the best GMs list, Pat. He's got to draft well this year to replace the guys who've left - and there's a lot of them.
I just hope he isn't viewed by the organization as a cure-all for our issues at the safety position.
We should still keep Mike Brown. When the guy is healthy, he is the emotional leader and backbone of the defense. Some have written that he might be cut for cap reasons, but his cap hit is only about $2.5 million, which to me is a bargain for a solid veteran on a team well under the cap like the Bears. Regardless of who starts, and how that position shakes out, he is too valuable as a presence, and too good when healthy, to cut him for a net cap savings of ~$2 million, when we're $10 million plus under the cap, and there are no premiere free agents left to spend big money on.
We still need to develop Danieal Manning. The guy is the fastest safety I can remember in a Bears uniform, he hits like a freight train when he gets a guy teed up, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I put the blame on him for his blatant blown coverage on Reggie Wayne's long TD in the Super Bowl (he double teamed a guy going over the middle and let Wayne loose deep, when he should have picked him up since the corner released him to play up). But overall, he had a pretty good season, especially considering he was a rookie from a small division II school in Texas, playing in a big, cold, northern city with a huge fan base and media following. He started almost every game, and you almost never heard his name mentioned on passing plays, which is a positive for a defensive back. He seemed to lose a little ground later in the year, but the overload of his first 16 game season plus playoffs, combined with the lack of on-field leadership at the safety position, were the main reasons for that. Hopefully, now he'll adjust well to the longer season since he's been through one, and Archuleta and Brown can provide the veteran leadership on the field that will help him continue to develop.
Chris Harris needs to be moved to special teams, where he can blossom. He has filled in nicely as a spot starter at the safety position, but the fact is he is too slow to be a truly effective free safety over the long haul, and he is too often out of position and too often misses making a sure tackle because he tries to make the highlight reel. Those hits are great the 3 times a year he connects, but the other 10 times he whiffs and gives the opposing offense an extra 5-10 yards. He is not starting NFL safety material IMO, but as a 4th safety, he's pretty good. Additionally, his wreckless, big-hitting style lends itself to action on special teams, where he will be sorely needed now that Todd Johnson and Cameron Worrell are gone, and that Adrian Peterson's role on special teams may be diminished due to his probable increased role on the offense.
So I'm glad we got 'Arch,' but I hope that Jerry Angelo keeps in perspective that this is a great signing to COMPLEMENT out current safety corps, not to replace any one of the 3 remaining parts, all of whom have an important role to play on this team.
MIKE ADDS: Arch will be a nice addition to the team, and Mike Brown is still a keeper. Here's where your man Angelo can earn his ranking on the best GMs list, Pat. He's got to draft well this year to replace the guys who've left - and there's a lot of them.
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