Adam Archuleta (1 Viewer)

[kellumsboys]

Redskins S Adam Archuleta is reportedly close to being traded to the Chicago Bears to join his former coach Lovie Smith. The deal would likely involve a conditional middle-round pick in this year's draft, but the Redskins first want to restructure Archuleta's contract so as to not take on a large cap-hit once he is dealt. Smith has tried acquiring Archuleta twice in each of the last two offseasons.

after last years meltdown, could he be back among the FF studs if he joins the Bears ?

 

[jgb95]

what does this mean for Mike Brown / Chris Harris????

 

[lord_helmet]

Link ?

 

[TheGreatest]

I have heard the reports but......

If he does go to the Bears, he will be on the bench unless M. Brown gets injured again. Otherwise, expect him to be put in only in certain situations to play close to the line of scrimmage.

I would not waste my time with him. He will not be an impact player again.

 

[Beaumont]

Could Arch play WLB for the Bears ...

 

[TheGreatest]

Could Arch play WLB for the Bears ...

Well, Arch did play LB in college and the Bears do play a version of the Tampa 2 (I think) so a smaller WLB is capable of putting up some numbers.....possible I guess, but still think its unlikely.

 

[boubucarow]

what does this mean for Mike Brown / Chris Harris????

It is Mike Brown's job to lose but I didn't see the same Brown this past year before the season ending injury. If he fully recovers, he will start. But I think there is a lot of doubt in Brown's full recovery and the Bears will be looking for somebody to challenge for that job. Chris Harris is a backup safety. If he is starting, it is because the Bears do not have any other game ready options. While I do not think Arch is going to make a big impact, I also do think the Bears are not done addressing the safety position this offseason and Arch is the first new body they will throw into the mix at a very low cost.

 

[jgb95]

The trade is complete:

Bears | Team acquires Archuleta

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:33:10 -0700

John Clayton, of ESPN.com, reports the Chicago Bears have acquired FS Adam Archuleta from the Washington Redskins for a sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth-round draft pick.

 

[bcr8f]

The trade is complete:

Bears | Team acquires Archuleta

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:33:10 -0700

John Clayton, of ESPN.com, reports the Chicago Bears have acquired FS Adam Archuleta from the Washington Redskins for a sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth-round draft pick.

Lovie Smith, who was Adam Archuleta's defensive coordinator in St. Louis, has been trying to acquire the safety since becoming the head coach in Chicago.

On Tuesday, the Bears completed a trade with the Redskins for the 29-year-old. Chicago gave up a 2007 draft choice, believed to be in the sixth round.

After five seasons in St. Louis, Archuleta struggled in his first season with the Redskins in 2006 and was scheduled to be a backup this season in Washington.

To complete this complicated deal, the Bears had to rework Archuleta's contract. He had a guaranteed $5 million option bonus due last week, but with hopes of getting a trade, Archuleta delayed the execution of that payout until Wednesday.

Faced with the deadline, everyone worked on getting a deal done. The Bears will pay Archuleta $8.1 million over the next three years. The Redskins rid themselves of his $25 million contract. A total of $5 million of Archuleta's new deal in Chicago is guaranteed.

The Bears were looking for a playmaker at the safety position. Smith created defenses involving Archuleta when they were in St. Louis. In Chicago, Archuleta will have more opportunities to make plays at the line of scrimmage.

The Redskins made another move in the defensive backfield on Tuesday, reaching agreement on a one-year deal with safety Omar Stoutmire. Stoutmire, who played for Washington in 2005, has also played for the Cowboys, Jets, Giants, and Saints in his 10-year NFL career.

Senior writer John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

 

[KellysHeroes]

They can pick up Double A's 8 mill over 3 yrs... but they can't Pay Briggs

 

[trader jake]

They can pick up Double A's 8 mill over 3 yrs... but they can't Pay Briggs

Apples and oranges my friend.I posted this in the Shark Pool thread...Adam Archuleta is a hard hitting strong safety. He clearly didn't justify the large contract Dan Snyder gave to him in DC but I feel the guy can still be a solid playmaker. I like his odds of doing so a lot more playing in Chicago with all of that defensive talent around him. In St. Louis (with Lovie as DC) the guy was all over the place and thrived when he was put in the box and made plays going after the ball.Contrary to what has been said thus far in this thread I really like this pick-up for the Bears.

 

[bcr8f]

They can pick up Double A's 8 mill over 3 yrs... but they can't Pay Briggs

Apples and oranges my friend.I posted this in the Shark Pool thread...Adam Archuleta is a hard hitting strong safety. He clearly didn't justify the large contract Dan Snyder gave to him in DC but I feel the guy can still be a solid playmaker. I like his odds of doing so a lot more playing in Chicago with all of that defensive talent around him. In St. Louis (with Lovie as DC) the guy was all over the place and thrived when he was put in the box and made plays going after the ball.Contrary to what has been said thus far in this thread I really like this pick-up for the Bears.

The statement that Lovie wanted him ever since leaving St Louis says a lot.

 

[bcr8f]

They can pick up Double A's 8 mill over 3 yrs... but they can't Pay Briggs

$8M over 3 years = $2.6M perBriggs will play for that? Sign him up. That isn't a lot of money these days. Didn't Deon Grant just get $5+Million a year?

 

[Jene Bramel]

It's not exactly clear what Lovie's plans are yet, but this may be a good move for the Bears and could easily give Archuleta very nice value again.

While Archuleta may end up just being depth, he's not the useless part his 2006 season would have you believe. His benching had just as much to do with his poor handling of his unhappiness with his usage as his poor play. He's still a very good safety if used with his skill set in mind. Despite good speed, he doesn't have the cover instincts to get to plays consistently. He's primarily an in-the-box player.

Doesn't sound like a Cover-2 safety you say? True, but Lovie Smith has used Archuleta in his defensive schemes before with great success. From 2001-03, Archuleta was a stud as a roving strong safety. His best year was buoyed by the Rams needing to use him as a linebacker in some situations due to a rash of injuries, but Archuleta still averaged over 75 tackles a season with multiple sacks each year in the seasons he played with mostly safety responsibility.

Lovie runs a very aggressive form of the Tampa-2 and mixes in plenty of coverages. The Bear safeties have always finished with better statlines than the other Cover-2 safeties in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, with the exception of Bob Sanders. And Bob Sanders may in fact be the best comp for what the Bears would like to do with Archuleta. Sanders regularly cheats toward the line. He can get back in coverage if he needs to, but it's certainly not his strong suit.

Mike Brown is no lock to return after two of the most devastating lower leg injuries you can have (ruptured Achilles and Lis Franc sprain) in the past two years. If he does, he's the best cover safety on the roster currently (unless and until Danieal Manning becomes more consistent) and can play FS alongside Archuleta if need be. Chris Harris is as poor in coverage as Archuleta and isn't a threat.

If Archuleta starts in this defense, it'll be in at least a two down run support role and should give him good value. It'll be interesting to see what Lovie says and does with him.

 

[redman]

They can pick up Double A's 8 mill over 3 yrs... but they can't Pay Briggs

Apples and oranges my friend.I posted this in the Shark Pool thread...

Adam Archuleta is a hard hitting strong safety. He clearly didn't justify the large contract Dan Snyder gave to him in DC but I feel the guy can still be a solid playmaker. I like his odds of doing so a lot more playing in Chicago with all of that defensive talent around him. In St. Louis (with Lovie as DC) the guy was all over the place and thrived when he was put in the box and made plays going after the ball.

Contrary to what has been said thus far in this thread I really like this pick-up for the Bears.

Agreed with the bolded part. He has the best chance of being able to hide his weaknesses and play to his strengths in Chicago. It still doesn't change the fact that he can't cover anyone worth a damn, meaning he's a one-dimensional safety which to me is a killer in the NFL.

 

[boubucarow]

It's not exactly clear what Lovie's plans are yet, but this may be a good move for the Bears and could easily give Archuleta very nice value again.

While Archuleta may end up just being depth, he's not the useless part his 2006 season would have you believe. His benching had just as much to do with his poor handling of his unhappiness with his usage as his poor play. He's still a very good safety if used with his skill set in mind. Despite good speed, he doesn't have the cover instincts to get to plays consistently. He's primarily an in-the-box player.

Doesn't sound like a Cover-2 safety you say? True, but Lovie Smith has used Archuleta in his defensive schemes before with great success. From 2001-03, Archuleta was a stud as a roving strong safety. His best year was buoyed by the Rams needing to use him as a linebacker in some situations due to a rash of injuries, but Archuleta still averaged over 75 tackles a season with multiple sacks each year in the seasons he played with mostly safety responsibility.

Lovie runs a very aggressive form of the Tampa-2 and mixes in plenty of coverages. The Bear safeties have always finished with better statlines than the other Cover-2 safeties in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, with the exception of Bob Sanders. And Bob Sanders may in fact be the best comp for what the Bears would like to do with Archuleta. Sanders regularly cheats toward the line. He can get back in coverage if he needs to, but it's certainly not his strong suit.

Mike Brown is no lock to return after two of the most devastating lower leg injuries you can have (ruptured Achilles and Lis Franc sprain) in the past two years. If he does, he's the best cover safety on the roster currently (unless and until Danieal Manning becomes more consistent) and can play FS alongside Archuleta if need be. Chris Harris is as poor in coverage as Archuleta and isn't a threat.

If Archuleta starts in this defense, it'll be in at least a two down run support role and should give him good value. It'll be interesting to see what Lovie says and does with him.

I agree with most of this statement but a Brown/Archuleta safety tandem would be scary for Bears fans. Brown never had the speed to be center fielder and is a much better player closer to the line of scrimmage while also directing the rest of the defensive backfield. He has been able to make up for his lack of speed with smarts in the past but he looked even slower last year and pairing him up with Archuleta would invite teams to go deep on the corners as neither safety could keep up. Daniel Manning needs to be developed this offseason to be ready to be a full time FS/Center Fielder because he is the only player on the roster than can cover for Brown or Archuleta.

 

[rotorooter]

Mike Brown is no lock to return after two of the most devastating lower leg injuries you can have (ruptured Achilles and Lis Franc sprain) in the past two years. If he does, he's the best cover safety on the roster currently (unless and until Danieal Manning becomes more consistent) and can play FS alongside Archuleta if need be. Chris Harris is as poor in coverage as Archuleta and isn't a threat.

jene-- i agree with most of your comments but the "best cover safety" and the AA/brown combo comments.

brown never had the range for a safety much less a free safety to cover WRs. They used him more as a "8th man in the box " and occas. TE coverage guy BUT the Bears needed speed in the secondary to keep up with the likes of steve smith--that is why they drafted Manning. A lis franc fracture later the Bears would be in deep trouble covering the "go" routes down the sidelines with a Brown/AA tandum.

of note this is a great signing. even if AA is not a great cover man, the Bears have use urlacher to cover the TE more and more.

 

[rotorooter]

sorry basically repeated what boubucarow said.

 

[kellumsboys]

It is being reported that the recovery of Chicago Bears strong safety Mike Brown might need up to twelve months to fully recover from a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot. The injury occurred in October 2006.

 

[lions327]

Per Rotoworld March 21st 9:17am et

Bears S Mike Brown (Lisfranc surgery) may begin the season on PUP.

Adam Archuleta's arrival puts Brown's status in limbo, as Chicago was already looking for him to take a pay cut. It seems possible he'll be cut.

 

[bcr8f]

Per Rotoworld March 21st 9:17am etBears S Mike Brown (Lisfranc surgery) may begin the season on PUP.Adam Archuleta's arrival puts Brown's status in limbo, as Chicago was already looking for him to take a pay cut. It seems possible he'll be cut.

I saw that and sometimes it takes longer than a year.

 

[Jene Bramel]

rotorooter/boubacrow

Thanks for the input on the Brown/cover safety angle. I think Manning was so inconsistent in zone coverage last season that it's closer than you guys think, but you see them every week. I would clearly agree that Mike Brown would have to be nearly fully healthy to pull that role off at all, and that's far from assured as you guys have pointed out with regard to Lis Franc injuries.

Interestingly, the Chicago Sun-Times in continued discussion about the ramifications of this move, mentioned a Brown-Archuleta pairing as a viable alternative.

Signing Archuleta brings up obvious questions about the future of safety Mike Brown. Those questions were there anyway, of course, with Brown missing 31 games over three seasons because of injury. Does signing Archuleta spell the end of Brown with the Bears? No way. If healthy, Brown will have a place on the field, possibly a spot next to Archuleta.

As I posted in the Shark Pool thread, there would definitely be less Cover-2 calls in that arrangement. Really, in any arrangement with Archuleta there's going to have to be more man coverage or at least quarters zone. I doubt the Bears want to run Urlacher even further back in Tampa-2 coverage to help cover the area the safeties cannot.

Bears have enough issues elsewhere to address, but it could be that a cover safety is a priority in the early-middle rounds again this year if the talk about moving Manning to corner soon is legit.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Archuleta sats he's the starting SS.

'I'm the strong safety on this football team,'' Archuleta said Thursday when he took a physical to complete his trade to the Bears from the Redskins in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. ''At no point has anybody ever indicated that I would be a backup.''

That hints to one of two things, and maybe both. In a best-case scenario, the Bears have Archuleta on the field in the position and defensive scheme he flourished in under Lovie Smith when they were with the St. Louis Rams. Next to him will be veteran Mike Brown, who will return to his old position of free safety, the spot at which he was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2005.

But if Brown's recovery from a torn Lisfranc ligament in his right foot is delayed -- it's more than five months away, but he could be a candidate to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list -- Archuleta will play next to Danieal Manning. It's not that the team wasn't pleased with Manning's development at safety, it's that the coverage skills he displayed might ultimately suit him better to playing cornerback. Therefore, the Bears could play with the veterans, when Brown returns, at safety.

 

[bcr8f]

''I think it's a perfect fit, it's where I belong,'' said Archuleta, who underwent minor offseason ankle surgery and is running again. ''I'm looking forward to getting back to playing good football and playing like I should.''

Sounds like a slam on how he was used with the Skins. Lovie seems more able to adjust his schemes to his players than Williams. Williams needs to get players that fit his schemes. Both approaches are OK when they work.

 

[Domination]

I think that Lovie knows how to use him correctly and that he will excell in this defense.