** Official Chicago Bears Offseason thread ** (1 Viewer)

[Rounders]

Our season is over so it's time to fire up the off season thread.

Where do the Bears go from here? In a division that is getting better I fully expect it to return to the black and blue division next year. Here is a position by position breakdown:

QB - Grossman is not the answer. The FA market looks weak, the draft class looks pretty solid, but will they have a high enough pick to nab one of the elite? Will the Bears brass use the pick on a QB? I'm afraid that they will bring Grossman back, along with Griese and make it an open competition along with a rookie. Should the Bears try and trade for McNabb?

RB - Benson COULD be the answer, but has left much to be desired. His running style seems to be perfectly suited for RBBC, but he's too stubborn to accept that. A.Peterson is backup, a very solid backup, but nothing more. Wolfe is a 3rd down back at best. Too small to play every down. Do they make a run at M.Turner?

WR - What to do with Berrian? Tag him? Who knows. This is a concern for the Bears. Moose is old, and they have a lot of young talent that needs to step up (Bradley, Hester, & Davis). I'm not sure what is out there as far as FA goes, but this will be a need for the Bears

TE - This may be one of the few positions the Bears are okay at. Olsen needs to develop further and Clark is solid but getting old.

OLINE - This group is getting OLD, VERY OLD. We need an infusion of youth. F.Miller may be the worst lineman in the league, and Metcalf is a close 2nd. Kruetz is a fading All-Pro (how many years does he have left?) and same with Tait. This is the area that needs the most attention IMO. Draft and FA should focus their time here. They need to get some road graders at G and some pass protecters at T, plain and simple.

DLINE - What once was a strength is now a weakness. Injuries have decimated this group, but I think that if healthy they are an above average squad. T.Harris when healthy is a force, A.Brown is playing well, M.Anderson is a pass rusher who can get to the QB. OGun is a little overrated but generally is above average. Need some depth here.

LB - Pride and soul of team IF (big IF) Briggs returns. I have to admit coming into the season, I thought Briggs was overrated and was a system guy, but he has been the best Bear defender all year. Give him his $$, if not this group is in trouble.

DBs - Ugh, what a mess. What I don't get is why the Bears traded about C.Harris and D.Wesley in training camp. They said they did not need them, well I bet they had them now. M.Brown is headed out of town, he just can't stay healthy. D.Manning is not good, and don't get me started on Adam "I'm great at flag football" Archuleta. Our CBs seem okay with Tillman and Vasher, but again health is importatn. Manning & McBride as nickel and dime backs are solid, but the safety position is terrible!!

K - Solid Gould

P - Solid

KR/PR - Don't even need to talk about it

Coaching - Lovie is starting to wear out his welcome just 1 year removed from the Super Bowl. He doesn't make adjustments and shows zero emotion. As for the adjustments that needs to change right away. If S.Smith is destroying your secondary, double team him. If Manning is picking you apart apply some pressure, blitz, instead of sitting in a zone?

O-Coordinator - Turner must go. His play calling is brutal and there's a reason he was let go before as a Bears coach.

D-Coordinator - Babich is ??? His defense has been plagued with injuries, so he gets a pass.

Here's a good listing of free agents: http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html

Here's a good listing of draft prospects: http://www.gbnreport.com/2008prospects.html

 

[BroadwayG]

Down

 

[Statcruncher]

Our season is over so it's time to fire up the off season thread.

Where do the Bears go from here? In a division that is getting better I fully expect it to return to the black and blue division next year. Here is a position by position breakdown:

QB - Grossman is not the answer. The FA market looks weak, the draft class looks pretty solid, but will they have a high enough pick to nab one of the elite? Will the Bears brass use the pick on a QB? I'm afraid that they will bring Grossman back, along with Griese and make it an open competition along with a rookie. Should the Bears try and trade for McNabb?

Grossman or Griese would be a fine backup but they can't be the starter. McNabb would be a band-aid on an artery. I would pull the trigger on Derek Anderson. Barring that look to the draft to find some poor sap to baptize by fire.

RB - Benson COULD be the answer, but has left much to be desired. His running style seems to be perfectly suited for RBBC, but he's too stubborn to accept that. A.Peterson is backup, a very solid backup, but nothing more. Wolfe is a 3rd down back at best. Too small to play every down. Do they make a run at M.Turner?

Benson has to go. As you say he could the serviceable 2nd back in a RBBC system but not at his pricetag. I think mentally he's not good for the locker room as well. Keep AP and try to pair him up with MBIII or Derrick Ward. I really like the sizzle of Turner but I'm not 100% sold on him and he'll bring big money which the Bears keep safely in their wallet.

WR - What to do with Berrian? Tag him? Who knows. This is a concern for the Bears. Moose is old, and they have a lot of young talent that needs to step up (Bradley, Hester, & Davis). I'm not sure what is out there as far as FA goes, but this will be a need for the Bears

While I don't think Berrian is worth the franchise tag who else needs it? Axe the aging and unproductive Moose and try to bring in a drafted WR or 2nd tier FA like Drew Carter or maybe the higher risk/reward injury prone D.J. Hackett.

TE - This may be one of the few positions the Bears are okay at. Olsen needs to develop further and Clark is solid but getting old.

Leave as is, Clark needs upgrading but the losses aren't coming here.

OLINE - This group is getting OLD, VERY OLD. We need an infusion of youth. F.Miller may be the worst lineman in the league, and Metcalf is a close 2nd. Kruetz is a fading All-Pro (how many years does he have left?) and same with Tait. This is the area that needs the most attention IMO. Draft and FA should focus their time here. They need to get some road graders at G and some pass protecters at T, plain and simple.

Well said.

DLINE - What once was a strength is now a weakness. Injuries have decimated this group, but I think that if healthy they are an above average squad. T.Harris when healthy is a force, A.Brown is playing well, M.Anderson is a pass rusher who can get to the QB. OGun is a little overrated but generally is above average. Need some depth here.

Needs upgraded but other areas are more pressing right now.

LB - Pride and soul of team IF (big IF) Briggs returns. I have to admit coming into the season, I thought Briggs was overrated and was a system guy, but he has been the best Bear defender all year. Give him his $$, if not this group is in trouble.

Sign Briggs to a fat contract and hope next year to add some depth.

DBs - Ugh, what a mess. What I don't get is why the Bears traded about C.Harris and D.Wesley in training camp. They said they did not need them, well I bet they had them now. M.Brown is headed out of town, he just can't stay healthy. D.Manning is not good, and don't get me started on Adam "I'm great at flag football" Archuleta. Our CBs seem okay with Tillman and Vasher, but again health is importatn. Manning & McBride as nickel and dime backs are solid, but the safety position is terrible!!

AA has to go. I don't mind standing pat on the rest if they could just stay healthy. I don't know what to do here.

K - Solid Gould

P - Solid

KR/PR - Don't even need to talk about it

Coaching - Lovie is starting to wear out his welcome just 1 year removed from the Super Bowl. He doesn't make adjustments and shows zero emotion. As for the adjustments that needs to change right away. If S.Smith is destroying your secondary, double team him. If Manning is picking you apart apply some pressure, blitz, instead of sitting in a zone?

The honeymoon is definitely over. I'm most concerned about the inability to improve the team than anything else.

O-Coordinator - Turner must go. His play calling is brutal and there's a reason he was let go before as a Bears coach.

Agree.

D-Coordinator - Babich is ??? His defense has been plagued with injuries, so he gets a pass.

Agree. Man I'd love to see Singletary on the sideline as D-coordinator.

 

[hove]

Down

Beat me to it... was going to say the say the exact same thing. It isn't going to get better for a while.

 

[Breesisdaman]

Down

Beat me to it... was going to say the say the exact same thing. It isn't going to get better for a while.

Agree with hoveSorry Bears fans, you had your day in the sun and blew it to Payton Manning and the crew.

 

[MU Seminole]

They can't sign Rex as a FA...to give him every conceivable benefit of the doubt, they can't do it just for his durability issues, if for no other reason. IMO this team has a ton of personnel issues so I'd save the money and pass on McNabb.

I'm not overly impressed with either coordinator. Lovie is pretty close with Babich, IIRC, so probably won't let him go, instead attributing the strugges to injuries and a first year DC.

 

[boubucarow]

Needing to address quarterback, running back, o-line, both safety positions, and then possibly wide receiver, d-line, and linebacker appears to be way too much for one season and the Bears will struggle again next year.

Priority List

#1 - Offensive Line

Fred Miller must be replaced. It would be best if a LT replaced Tait and Tait moved back to his more suited position at RT. Younger talent needs to be injected across the line. A true #1 run blocking guard is surely a must as well.

#2 - Running Back

They do not need special talent here but what they have will not work. Benson goes down way too easily for someone without shiftiness. He can only expected to be a 1B or a backup. Peterson is a backup. I hope we see more of Wolfe these last few weeks to see what exactly they have in him. They need to at least get a back who can find a hole, explode through, and push the pile. No offense will be sustained until the Bears can run the ball again.

#3 - Quarterback

If the top two needs are sufficiently addressed, a serviceable QB would do here. They need to bring in someone that will be the #1. I don't think they go after the leftover QB in the middle of round one be it Ryan, Woodson, or Brohm. They need to build the running game first or that young QB will be David Carred.

#4 - Safety

There is nothing working back there right now. They need to face the fact that Mike Brown will never be healthy. They most importantly need an intelligent free safety with plus range. The strong safety spot needs to be addressed as well.

I don't think d-line or linebacker will be addressed due to the presence of Okwo, Williams, Bazuin, and Dvorcek in case players like Brown and Briggs leave. Wide Receiver could use some help but as long as they keep Berrian, other needs far outweigh this one.

In the draft, I want to see the highest rated player at o-line, free safety, or running back taken in the first three rounds at least. Free agency should bring a bit more o-line help, possibly a strong safety and they need to either sign or trade for a QB.

 

[3nOut]

Get rid of Turner as OC and sign Turner the Burner RB. I agree that Singletary would be a great D coordinator but I think he can't make a lateral move from one DC job to another. I think he would have to be given the title DC/Asst Head coach. That would also light a fire under Lovie and put Iron Mike next in line to be the next Bears coach.

At QB, Derek Anderson probably won't be available and unless McNabb becomes a FA, I don't think the Bears would make a trade for him. He might be good enough for a year or two (he would at least be an upgrade) to mentor whoever they draft this year at QB.

 

[TitusIII]

Team is still very talented/young on defense, and I expect the unit to be top-notch once again next season if they can stay relatively injury free. It's obvious the offensive line needs to be overhauled, and I hope Angelo takes at least 3 tackles/guards in the draft. Berrian appears to be a legit #1 WR, and Hester has shown flashes. I think a simple youth infusion at the tackle/guard position gets this team back to 10 wins next season.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

1) Draft an offensive line.

2) Get McNabb.

3) Get Michael Turner.

4) Get Mike Singletary to be the Defensive Coordinator.

CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!

 

[Southside Stosh]

2008 Priorities



1. O-Line

Draft a LT. Move John Tait back to RT. Fred Miller goes bye-bye. Keep Olin Kreutz, look to upgrade every position on the line, except Tait.

2. Safety

Cut Archuletta. Restructure Mike Brown to fair incentive-laden contract - otherwise it's time to move on. Draft a S to compete against D. Manning. Will Bob Sanders be available?

3. D-Line

Draft a NT to compete with Dvorak/Walker and another free agent T to add depth behind Tommy Harris.

4. QB

Draft a QB. Cut Griese, resign Rex to a multi year incentive-laden contract. Let Rex and Orton compete for the starting gig.

5. WR

Cut Moose. Resign Berrian ASAP. Find out if Hass can play.

6. LB

Resign Briggs if he agrees to a reasonable contract, otherwise let him walk.

 

[ditka311]

2008 Priorities



1. O-Line

Draft a LT. Move John Tait back to RT. Fred Miller goes bye-bye. Keep Olin Kreutz, look to upgrade every position on the line, except Tait.

2. Safety

Cut Archuletta. Restructure Mike Brown to fair incentive-laden contract - otherwise it's time to move on. Draft a S to compete against D. Manning. Will Bob Sanders be available?

3. D-Line

Draft a NT to compete with Dvorak/Walker and another free agent T to add depth behind Tommy Harris.

4. QB

Draft a QB. Cut Griese, resign Rex to a multi year incentive-laden contract. Let Rex and Orton compete for the starting gig.

5. WR

Cut Moose. Resign Berrian ASAP. Find out if Hass can play.

6. LB

Resign Briggs if he agrees to a reasonable contract, otherwise let him walk.

This post is dead on. #6 might be a little more important since Urlacher was a shell of himself this year but overall this is the correct answer. Oh, and the coordinators are brutal. Something needs to be done in some capacity in that area.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

This team is not that far away.

The first priority is the offensive line.

Tait needs to be moved back to RT, Kruetz needs to get more productive. The rest of the line is suspect. I am intrigued to see if Josh Beekman could become a guard for the Bears in the future. He has some good size and should thrive in the power running scheme. I suspect the Bears will use two of their first 4 picks(have two second round picks) on offensive lineman. They will also sign a vet to help plug a gap for the youth.

The next priority is at Saftey.

In the cover 2 scheme, Safteys have to be fast, smart, and tackle well in space. D. manning is fast, mike brown is smart and can tackle well. Not sure waht AA can do. But help here is a must, I would love to get a stud S in the first or second round of the draft.....but thats not the bears way.

Cutting Griese, Signing Grossman to an extension, and drafting a QB in the first 3 rounds is another issue.

D-line was an issue this past season. But with Dusty D and Dan Bazguin coming back from injuries....it should help the line out very much. That puts the Bears 4 deep at De with Anderson, ogunlye, brown, bazguin. and 4 deep at Dt with Tommie, Dusty, Walker, and Adams.....with Idonojie as the swing player.

Running Back

People are starting to realize that nobody can run behind that offensive line. Benson will be fine once the line can be at least average.

WR

Is actually a strength on this team. if they can resign Berrian. Team him up with Bradley/Hester with Davis in teh slot....assume Moose is gone.

Te

huge strength with Clark/Olsen

LB

Strength with Urlacher....will briggs resign?? Who cares....with two 3rd round picks behind him with experience jamar williams and michael okwo.....I trust Angelo found players(he always does on Defense).

CB

Should be solid for years with Tillman/Vasher and the two rookies plus Ricky playing the slot.

 

[ditka311]

WRIs actually a strength on this team. if they can resign Berrian. Team him up with Bradley/Hester with Davis in teh slot....assume Moose is gone.

Don't they lead the league in dropped passes? Berrian has made some amazing catches but drops a lot of the routine passes. I would like to see more of Bradley but for some reason he hasn't gotten the playing time. Moose is old. There are no real playmakers out of this bunch besides Berrian every once in awhile. He said he wants top ten WR money. IMO, he's not a top ten WR.Also, it would be nice to see Hester get more involved but he ran the wrong route (at least it looked like it) a couple of times on Thursday. While talented, he's actually pretty dumb.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

WRIs actually a strength on this team. if they can resign Berrian. Team him up with Bradley/Hester with Davis in teh slot....assume Moose is gone.

Don't they lead the league in dropped passes? Berrian has made some amazing catches but drops a lot of the routine passes. I would like to see more of Bradley but for some reason he hasn't gotten the playing time. Moose is old. There are no real playmakers out of this bunch besides Berrian every once in awhile. He said he wants top ten WR money. IMO, he's not a top ten WR.Also, it would be nice to see Hester get more involved but he ran the wrong route (at least it looked like it) a couple of times on Thursday. While talented, he's actually pretty dumb.

Like I said...on this team...not overall. Berrian is a threat, Bradley needs more playing time but is a threat as well....we know that Hester is a threat(and yes,not that intelligent....but he is only in his 2nd year) and Davis is a perfect slot guy.

 

[speedball]

I know I'm in the minority of Bear's fans, but I think they need to keep Grossman for a least another year. He is the most physically gifted QB on the roster, and, before he got injured this year, it looked like he had improved on a lot of the things that drove Bear's fans nuts in 2006 and the first three games of 2007. He was moving around more in the pocket, taking the underneath throw instead of forcing it downfield, throwing the ball away when nothing was there, and had cut down on the fumbles and interceptions. I'm not saying he suddenly turned into Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he certainily looked like a better QB to me than Grossman from late 2006 and early 2007. Sign him to a modest one or two year deal with some incentives and make it a TRUE open QB competition in training camp.

I'm also not sold on any of the possible QB's available in FA or via trade being a substantial upgrade over Grossman. McNabb is too fragile to count on for a full year and the team needs the draft picks it would cost to acquire him for other areas (offensive line and safety help, for example). Derek Anderson could be very good, but could also be a one-year wonder, and he would also cost needed draft picks. None of the other guys available - Culpepper, McCown, Gray, Lemon, etc, really seem like any kind of an upgrade over Grossman.

Ultimately, what I would like to see is the Bear's start Kyle Orton for the last three games of the year, sign Grossman to a modest one or two year deal, cut either Brian Griese or Orton based on how Orton played in the last three games, and draft a young QB. Then, make it a real, honest competition in training camp for the starters job.

 

[flapgreen]

BENSON WILL LEAD THE WAY!!!111

 

[RBM]

Just saw a list of free agents. Justin Smiley should be at the top of our shopping list.

Draft the kid from BC or the kid from Pitt, Otah I beleive. Have them play RT next year.

Thats 2 new o-line right there, should help alot.

 

[dornado]

2008 Priorities



1. O-Line

Draft a LT. Move John Tait back to RT. Fred Miller goes bye-bye. Keep Olin Kreutz, look to upgrade every position on the line, except Tait.

2. Safety

Cut Archuletta. Restructure Mike Brown to fair incentive-laden contract - otherwise it's time to move on. Draft a S to compete against D. Manning. Will Bob Sanders be available?

3. D-Line

Draft a NT to compete with Dvorak/Walker and another free agent T to add depth behind Tommy Harris.

4. QB

Draft a QB. Cut Griese, resign Rex to a multi year incentive-laden contract. Let Rex and Orton compete for the starting gig.

5. WR

Cut Moose. Resign Berrian ASAP. Find out if Hass can play.

6. LB

Resign Briggs if he agrees to a reasonable contract, otherwise let him walk.

I basically agree with this. I think Benson, if healthy, can be serviceable if we bolster the offensive line. Safety is a definite need, Archuleta is done. I still don't think we're that far away... a few competent safeties and a healthy Nathan Vasher would make a huge difference for the defense. I think we'll probably be drafting in the middle of the 1st... sounds like "best player available" territory to me.

 

[ditka311]

I know I'm in the minority of Bear's fans, but I think they need to keep Grossman for a least another year. He is the most physically gifted QB on the roster, and, before he got injured this year, it looked like he had improved on a lot of the things that drove Bear's fans nuts in 2006 and the first three games of 2007. He was moving around more in the pocket, taking the underneath throw instead of forcing it downfield, throwing the ball away when nothing was there, and had cut down on the fumbles and interceptions. I'm not saying he suddenly turned into Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he certainily looked like a better QB to me than Grossman from late 2006 and early 2007. Sign him to a modest one or two year deal with some incentives and make it a TRUE open QB competition in training camp.

I'm also not sold on any of the possible QB's available in FA or via trade being a substantial upgrade over Grossman. McNabb is too fragile to count on for a full year and the team needs the draft picks it would cost to acquire him for other areas (offensive line and safety help, for example). Derek Anderson could be very good, but could also be a one-year wonder, and he would also cost needed draft picks. None of the other guys available - Culpepper, McCown, Gray, Lemon, etc, really seem like any kind of an upgrade over Grossman.

Ultimately, what I would like to see is the Bear's start Kyle Orton for the last three games of the year, sign Grossman to a modest one or two year deal, cut either Brian Griese or Orton based on how Orton played in the last three games, and draft a young QB. Then, make it a real, honest competition in training camp for the starters job.

I'm on board with this. I don't know why they Bears would want to give up that much for Derek Anderson. Remember, he also has Braylon Edwards and Winslow. That helps. I wonder if Grossman even wants to stay considering the beating the fans and media gave him early this year. I hope he does though. Also, I would like to see what Orton has. When he started all of those games he was pretty handcuffed as to what he was allowed to do.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

A) They have to find a way to resign Berrian and Briggs. They're two of the 'playmakers' on offense and defense - and let's face it - there weren't exactly too many playmakers this year.

B) BLOW UP THE O-LINE. A new left tackle and left guard are needed - and you flip John Tait to where he rightfully belongs: right tackle.

C) Get a safety that is both durable and capable of playing the cover two.

D) Draft an offensive lineman in Rounds 1 and 3 or 4 in April.

E) Let Griese and Orton battle it out for the starting QB job - and draft a QB in Round 2 of the NFL Draft.

F) Michael Turner... paging Michael Turner. Sign this guy and make him compete with the sack of crap from Texas.

 

[Pictus Cat]

My main concern is the O-Line.

If that is the only thing they fix, I'll be a happy.

I just think it will be a process that takes longer than a year.

I don't think we will get anything better than Rex (unless we luck out Romo/Brady-style.)

Pretty much the same for the rest of the team weaknesses mentioned above.

What use is complaining if something better isn't realistic.

Could be a long road. Bear Down, Chicago Bears.

 

[NatronIsMean]

Running BackPeople are starting to realize that nobody can run behind that offensive line. Benson will be fine once the line can be at least average.

Benson is NOT the answer. I think Peterson already looks like a better option in many ways than Benson. Benson cares and was running with heart, but he just has ZERO vision, ZERO cut back ability, cannot make a defender miss, goes down at first contact, and cannot adjust when the hole moves (i.e., is not directly in the direction that he planned to run). The oline is bad, but really so is Benson. He could at best be a young Ron Dayne in an RBBC, but we need to draft or sign the main, more versatile RB as our 3rd priority behind Oline and Safety.

 

[mistersmith]

I know I'm in the minority of Bear's fans, but I think they need to keep Grossman for a least another year. He is the most physically gifted QB on the roster, and, before he got injured this year, it looked like he had improved on a lot of the things that drove Bear's fans nuts in 2006 and the first three games of 2007. He was moving around more in the pocket, taking the underneath throw instead of forcing it downfield, throwing the ball away when nothing was there, and had cut down on the fumbles and interceptions. I'm not saying he suddenly turned into Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he certainily looked like a better QB to me than Grossman from late 2006 and early 2007. Sign him to a modest one or two year deal with some incentives and make it a TRUE open QB competition in training camp.

I'm also not sold on any of the possible QB's available in FA or via trade being a substantial upgrade over Grossman. McNabb is too fragile to count on for a full year and the team needs the draft picks it would cost to acquire him for other areas (offensive line and safety help, for example). Derek Anderson could be very good, but could also be a one-year wonder, and he would also cost needed draft picks. None of the other guys available - Culpepper, McCown, Gray, Lemon, etc, really seem like any kind of an upgrade over Grossman.

Ultimately, what I would like to see is the Bear's start Kyle Orton for the last three games of the year, sign Grossman to a modest one or two year deal, cut either Brian Griese or Orton based on how Orton played in the last three games, and draft a young QB. Then, make it a real, honest competition in training camp for the starters job.

I agree with this also. Grossman has improved. Also, his wrs had a ton of drops this year. The Bears have a lot of needs, and the first priority is the oline. Giving up picks for a big name Qb only to watch him get killed in the pocket would be a huge mistake. That should be the last step only if all the other pieces are in place. The Bears should trade down and get more picks in the draft.

 

[RBM]

Hopefully we will start Orton the rest of the way. Really important to see what he can do for a few weeks. I will be extremely down on Lovie if he throws Griese out there again.

 

[ditka311]

Hopefully we will start Orton the rest of the way. Really important to see what he can do for a few weeks. I will be extremely down on Lovie if he throws Griese out there again.

"Brian is our quarterback...":lovie:

 

[Mr.Pack]

A) They have to find a way to resign Berrian and Briggs. They're two of the 'playmakers' on offense and defense - and let's face it - there weren't exactly too many playmakers this year.

B) BLOW UP THE O-LINE. A new left tackle and left guard are needed - and you flip John Tait to where he rightfully belongs: right tackle.

C) Get a safety that is both durable and capable of playing the cover two.

D) Draft an offensive lineman in Rounds 1 and 3 or 4 in April.

E) Let Griese and Orton battle it out for the starting QB job - and draft a QB in Round 2 of the NFL Draft.

F) Michael Turner... paging Michael Turner. Sign this guy and make him compete with the sack of crap from Texas.

To quote a good ifriend of mine......The Bears need to blow the whole thing up.

They've got nothing to hang their hat on - and the offensive skill position player with the most upside can only return punts and kicks.

Time to rebuild in Bearland

See my sig

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

A) They have to find a way to resign Berrian and Briggs. They're two of the 'playmakers' on offense and defense - and let's face it - there weren't exactly too many playmakers this year.

B) BLOW UP THE O-LINE. A new left tackle and left guard are needed - and you flip John Tait to where he rightfully belongs: right tackle.

C) Get a safety that is both durable and capable of playing the cover two.

D) Draft an offensive lineman in Rounds 1 and 3 or 4 in April.

E) Let Griese and Orton battle it out for the starting QB job - and draft a QB in Round 2 of the NFL Draft.

F) Michael Turner... paging Michael Turner. Sign this guy and make him compete with the sack of crap from Texas.

To quote a good ifriend of mine......The Bears need to blow the whole thing up.

They've got nothing to hang their hat on - and the offensive skill position player with the most upside can only return punts and kicks.

Time to rebuild in Bearland

See my sig

This is what I get for being kind and respectful to the Packers after the debacle down in Dallas.When's the NFL Draft. Please fast forward me to there.

 

[Mr.Pack]

A) They have to find a way to resign Berrian and Briggs. They're two of the 'playmakers' on offense and defense - and let's face it - there weren't exactly too many playmakers this year.

B) BLOW UP THE O-LINE. A new left tackle and left guard are needed - and you flip John Tait to where he rightfully belongs: right tackle.

C) Get a safety that is both durable and capable of playing the cover two.

D) Draft an offensive lineman in Rounds 1 and 3 or 4 in April.

E) Let Griese and Orton battle it out for the starting QB job - and draft a QB in Round 2 of the NFL Draft.

F) Michael Turner... paging Michael Turner. Sign this guy and make him compete with the sack of crap from Texas.

To quote a good ifriend of mine......The Bears need to blow the whole thing up.

They've got nothing to hang their hat on - and the offensive skill position player with the most upside can only return punts and kicks.

Time to rebuild in Bearland

See my sig

This is what I get for being kind and respectful to the Packers after the debacle down in Dallas.When's the NFL Draft. Please fast forward me to there.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

This team is not that far away.

The first priority is the offensive line.

I still feel that this is the greatest priority on the team. I would draft at least two Offensive lineman in the first 4 picks(3 rounds).

Tait needs to be moved back to RT, Kruetz needs to get more productive. The rest of the line is suspect. I am intrigued to see if Josh Beekman could become a guard for the Bears in the future. He has some good size and should thrive in the power running scheme. I suspect the Bears will use two of their first 4 picks(have two third round picks) on offensive lineman. They will also sign a vet to help plug a gap for the youth.

Still would like two of the first 4 players the Bears draft to be offensive lineman and then another in the 4th.

The next priority is at Saftey.

In the cover 2 scheme, Safteys have to be fast, smart, and tackle well in space. D. manning is fast, mike brown is smart and can tackle well. Not sure waht AA can do. But help here is a must, I would love to get a stud S in the first or second round of the draft.....but thats not the bears way.

Not sure how much McGowen or Kevin Payne will help next year. However, a solid S is needed in the first 3 rounds of the draft.

Cutting Griese, Signing Grossman to an extension, and drafting a QB in the first 3 rounds is another issue.

Still believe that Grossman can be the Bears QB, however with media and fans....prolly won't let him. I would draft a kid in the first 3 rounds to develop(clearly Orton is not getting it done). My favorite QB is Brian Brohm.

D-line was an issue this past season. But with Dusty D and Dan Bazguin coming back from injuries....it should help the line out very much. That puts the Bears 4 deep at De with Anderson, ogunlye, brown, bazguin. and 4 deep at Dt with Tommie, Dusty, Walker, and Adams.....with Idonojie as the swing player.

Running Back

People are starting to realize that nobody can run behind that offensive line. Benson will be fine once the line can be at least average.

Only guy I would want the Bears taking is James Davis in the 3rd/4th round.

WR

Is actually a strength on this team. if they can resign Berrian. Team him up with Bradley/Hester with Davis in teh slot....assume Moose is gone.

Te

huge strength with Clark/Olsen

LB

Strength with Urlacher....will briggs resign?? Who cares....with two 3rd round picks behind him with experience jamar williams and michael okwo.....I trust Angelo found players(he always does on Defense).

CB

Should be solid for years with Tillman/Vasher and the two rookies plus Ricky playing the slot.

Still feel the same and just wanted to update my thoughts.

 

[mbuehner]

Griese isnt going anywhere, his contract was structured too front loaded, financially it makes no sense to cut him.

Grossman has a good chance of resigning for a modest incentive laden contract... after he realizes the free agent market isnt going to pay him more than that.

If Orton shows a pulse the next two weeks its going to be hard to cut him loose. Why do you keep a guy on the roster for 3 years and then cut him when he shows improvement?

There's a real chance these three will all be back, sadly. Two out of three with a 2nd or 3rd round rookie seems likely. The question is whether the Bears will go against their convention and throw open the competition next camp.

Briggs is too expensive to keep with all the needs on this team. We almost have to let him walk. This team has too much money tied up in linebacker when they run the Tampa 2 (linebacker is overrated in this scheme). This defense relies on its safeties and that has to be the top priority on that side of the ball.

Flip Alex Brown back to every down and Anderson back to pass rushing specialist... this change had all the earmarks of a new coordinator making a change just to put his 'stamp' on the defense. Well he sure did that. A healthy Tommy Harris is an entirely different beast- this part of the team will be fine and potentially great.

Find a free safety somehow. Good luck. If you can restructure Mike Brown reasonably, keep him (on the off chance he can stay healthy he makes this team immediately MUCH better). CBs are better than fine.

Take that Briggs money and bring in a left tackle, send Tait back to the right before his groin explodes, try to find a couple of journeymen guards and see if somebody clicks.

Beg borrow or steal to get up to McFadden. I know RBs are overrated. But this offense has no team speed or explosiveness and the DESPERATELY need a playmaker. Try out Benson and McFadden in the Duce/Bush mode- if Benson doesnt show up cut him outright.

 

[Max Power]

Time for another Bump.

I was happy to See the Bears lay the wood to GB this past weekend. Team actually looked good.

QB - I still have a problem with how we are using Orton right now. Don't get me wrong, I am glad we won the Pack game, but these games are meaningless to our 2007 season. Id like to see the Bears open it up a bit more with Kyle and find out what we have instead of rolling him out there just to manage the games. We all know he can do that. But can he win them? I don't see any FA QBs worth picking up. Talk to McNabb, Pennington, & D.Anderson but don't spend much to get any of them. I am not thrilled with QB prospects in the Draft. I think Ryan will be good, but gone before the Bears pick.

WR - Moose needs to go. That drop in the endzone was it. He is no longer worth the money the Bears are paying him and wouldn't be a starter on any other team in the NFL (maybe the Vikes). Berrian is very good #2 wr, he just drops too many passes to be a solid #1. I know DJ Hackett will be available, just not sold on him. would be a nice upgrade from moose. Javon Walker might be another name to talk about assuming his knee can hold up. If the Bears are looking in the draft, I like Malcom Kelley in the mid first.

RB - Not sure what to say about this position. Considering all the chances we gave to Rex, I don't think there will be any changes at RB this offseason. I personally wouldn't mind bringing in TJ Duckett for a talk. The guy looks to be in great shape and will give the Bears a nice big back for the tough yards.

OL - Is there anything left to say? Carolina, Pitt and Indy all have 2 top notch linemen up for FA. (Gross, Wharton, Faneca, Starks, Lilja, & Scott) Hopefully we get one of these guys. Getting 2 would make my offseason. I think Faneca will be too much $$$, but he seems to fit the bill Angelo like.

DL - WE have all the talent we need here, just need to keep them healthy. (*Fantasy - Sign Haynesworth) That would be insane.

LB - Jamar Williams looked GREAT against GB. Might be time to let Briggs go. Although there are rumors that Briggs will stay at a discount. I'd still like to see if we can bring in someone to compete with Hunter for that job.

DB - CBs are fine, Mike Brown needs to go at this point. I love the guy and it pains me to say it. However IMO his best days are behind him. I have read a lot of good things about Kenny Phillips in the draft. Might be someone worth looking at. FA wise Hamlin or Gabril Wilson would be nice additions.

ST - No issues here.

A loss to NO and we might be looking at a top 10 pick. Should be an interesting Offseason. Hopefully we dont sit on our hands again.

 

[whitem0nkey]

with the QBs - we obviously have some QB issues, so at least 1 of the 3 can't return. I'm fine with Rex comnig back for the right price, and same with Orton. so Brian would be the man out. (I hate typing there words, I wish there was a better option.)

I think rex is a better option than Brian, and Brian is a bit better than Orton, but Orton has way more upside than Brian.

the O line is my biggest concern, I dont care if we fix it with FA or draft I think will need both, but that is the biggest problem with the bears.I think Pitt has a good lineman that could be had via FA, maybe draft another lineman with a high pick. And I do agree with a few postesr above with tait moving to RT.

RB- yes benson has looked bad, and soft. but an O line would help big time.I stil want a better line over a new RB

someone above said "Restructure Mike Brown to fair incentive-laden contract " The reason mike keeps on being on this team is because he is fairly cheap. it not like brown is over paid and does not play, he is slightly underpaid and barely plays. that being said, it still not a good cituation for the bears.

WR - I dont know why they have not played mike hass, I would like to see what he hass.Moose needs to take a pay cut or leave. he gets paid like a superstar, he is a captin like a superstar, he talks like a supestar. all he needs to do now is play like one, and i dont see that happening.

TE- were set, I would like for the bears to take advantge of that more on offence.

Archuleta needs to go, to bad, I was actually real happy when we signed him in the offseason.

 

[Rounders]

Curious to hear others thoughts about what to do regarding Briggs? Do the Bears attempt to re-sign him knowing that he's going to demand 20+ million guaranteed? Or do they let him walk?

 

[Statorama]

Curious to hear others thoughts about what to do regarding Briggs? Do the Bears attempt to re-sign him knowing that he's going to demand 20+ million guaranteed? Or do they let him walk?

I thought it was interesting that Briggs played the last game. Even an agent like Master P would have been begging his client to sit out the last game and not risk injury. It was like a Heavyweight fighter who is way ahead on points and goes for the knockout rather than doing what his cornermen are pleading with him to do...."STAY AWAY". I think Briggs would love to stay with the Bears, and I think the Bears would love to have him back. But just like with Rosie Colvin, someone is going to back up a money truck at Briggs' door and make him an offer he can't refuse. Is that why he played the last game? An audition for the beloved Saints? Maybe it's just my homer goggles, but I think he'd be a fabulous fit on the Saints....and they saw plenty of him at Soldier Field on Sunday.

 

[Statorama]

I usually take end of year "State of the Team" press conferences with a grain of salt, but Lovie Smith is going a little overboard with his "we're close" and "we don't need to make significant changes" talk. He did say that instability at the QB position was a cause of concern, and hinted that he'd like to see a runner in camp to challenge Ced Benson.

Michael Turner perhaps?

 

[TitusIII]

I think Briggs put on one final show for the Bears fans, and I respect him for that. That was the best I've ever seen him play, and he deserves to be paid like the top 5 linebacker he is. Unfortunately, the Bears can't pay two excellent linebackers big money with Hester/Harris/Vasher waiting for their extensions and an offensive line that needs to be fixed, asap.

 

[Max Power]

As long as player stock doesnt change too much during the combine. I think the Bears should be looking at (s) Kenny Phillips or (wr) Malcom Kelley in RD 1.

This year the OL Free Agent Market is loaded. LOADED. JA needs to make a play for one if not two top flight OL before the Draft.

The Draft has a few nice OL prospects, but I would hate to see the Bears miss out on position players if there is OL Talent to be had.

Not sure how the WR class will shake out. IIRC Kelley is the only guy worth a first rd pick. Limas Sweed will be an interesting prospect. I think if he is a guy that falls to early/mid second, the Bears should make the move to get him.

As for RB. It is not the biggest issue this offseason. Id hate to think that we wasted a third rd pick on Wolfe. Benson, Peterson, Wolfe is legit backfield if we improve the O-line.

I actually think the D is fine if Healthy. Maybe add another DT and S. Not sure what to do with Mike Brown anymore. It might be time to move on unless he wants to play for pennies.

 

[mbuehner]

Well... Orton managed to do about what I figured he would do and now the QB situation is a mess. He showed enough of a pulse that if you cut him loose now you have to wonder what the heck theyve kept him around for this long. Your 3rd string QB comes in for the last three games and posts 2 wins including Green Bay and a 73.9 QB rating (Rex was 66.4 for the season) i'm not sure how you make the argument for keeping either of the other two and letting Orton go. On the other had its not like the QB of the future suddenly emerged. He just looked.. ok. Which is an improvement mind you. Will he stop skipping some of those REALLY bad passes off the turf and get his completion percentage up near 60? If so I think he can fight for a starting spot next camp. If not, not.

Griese threw 10 TDs 12 Ints, 1 fumble

Grossman 4tds 7 ints, 3 fumbles

Orton 2 td, 1 int

If the Bears win the takeaway ration, they usually win. None of these guys looks partularly promising on that front. Im not sure who you keep and who you bring in.

 

[Rounders]

Good read in today's Tribune: Out of the ashes - GM discusses a Bears season that went up in flames

Out of the ashes

GM discusses a Bears season that went up in flames

January 11, 2008

A general manager has a unique perspective on his football team. So after the Bears went from 13-3 to 7-9, I sat down with Bears GM Jerry Angelo with the idea of asking him questions I thought he must be asking himself. What follows are excerpts of a philosophical conversation.

Do you think the Bears were self-satisfied after getting to the Super Bowl?

Obviously it's hard to put yourself in peoples' heads. In terms of the chemistry, the intangible that you look for in a team, there was nothing I personally saw that was different. We had things come up after the season that we didn't have in past years—issues that come with winning. Money is always in the equation somewhere. But nothing that would have made me say we wouldn't have had a good team.

Thomas Jones and Chris Harris, two productive players, were traded for draft picks. You talked about trading Alex Brown for draft picks. In hindsight, were you focusing enough on the opportunity of repeating as NFC champion as opposed to the long-term health of the franchise?

The one thing we want to do always is to have a good locker room and good talent. We look at that as one and the same, and when we make a decision it's based on either/or. The things we did with those players had to do with both upgrading talent and making sure we had the chemistry we needed to have a good team. I wouldn't go back and do anything different.

Does this team need to go into a transitional mode, if not a rebuilding mode?

The one thing we've seen in our league is you have windows. They close, and you create new windows. It's transitioning, a metamorphosis that happens with teams. But we have a good nucleus on our team presently. There will be some change. Maybe we won't be as good in one area, but we'll be better in another area. But I certainly feel we can compete next year.

My biggest concern is health. I'm certainly not blaming injuries as to why we didn't perform well. But when we look forward, I feel if our players stay healthy, we'll be very competitive and there is no reason as to why we can't have our goals set to where we had them last year.

You look at the consistently best teams in the league, the Patriots and the Colts, and they also are the best at overcoming injuries. Is there anything you can do to make this team more injury-proof?

I think we do as good a job as anybody in the league at creating depth on our roster. I think our roster from one to 53, year in and year out is very good. We've been able to lose certain players and not miss a beat. What is really problematic is when you have two injuries at the same position. That makes it tough when you lose Mike Brown and Kevin Payne, a young player we liked a lot and thought was ready to impact our team. When you lose a couple of corners, that's tough. I don't think anybody does that well. When you talk about Indianapolis and New England, they're a little different from most teams in the league because they have franchise quarterbacks. Franchise quarterbacks can cover up things.



Would you be comfortable with the same three quarterbacks in camp next season?

Yes. These three quarterbacks—I said this going into the season and I still say it—they give us the best situation at the position we've had since I've been here. All three of these quarterbacks have proven you can win with them. What we haven't done is gotten it 100 percent stabilized in terms of who is the guy. We'd like to see all three back and determine from there who that guy is.

You have invested three years of development in Kyle Orton. We've seen many quarterbacks like him—David Garrard and Tony Romo for instance—emerge after similar beginnings. Is there a feeling that you owe it to the organization to give him a chance to start?

It's a good point. There have been a good number of players who have been picked on the second day of the draft, who, given time, have produced and become winning starters. I felt like the last two games of the season Kyle performed very well for us. Obviously Rex [Grossman] is still involved, but he's an unrestricted free agent, and Brian [Griese]. But we certainly feel very good about Kyle.

Why has Mark Bradley failed to develop?

When you go back to his rookie year I think everybody thought the kid had a chance to be a star. Part of it has been a couple of injuries. We brought Muhsin Muhammad in, and then Bernard Berrian started to come into his own. Mark was in transition, rehabbing that ACL. This year, I thought he was ready to make his move. It's just getting him on the field. There are only so many people you can get the ball to. Mark got caught up in that. But we still feel very good about Mark. When we have had him on the field the one thing he does is get open. We like what we've seen and still feel very good about him.

So would you see him as a potential replacement if the team loses free-agent-to-be Bernard Berrian?

We certainly want Bernard back. But I would think if we lost him that Mark would be our first option and we would feel good about it. [Devin] Hester is in the mix too. And we could create competition with other options.

There were several instances in which Hester appeared to be running the wrong route or to be confused on offense. Can these problems be straightened out?

I'd like to think some of those things were straightened out as the season went on. Some of the problems we saw less of down the stretch. There were some speed bumps, but it wasn't like we ever said, "I'm not sure if he can do this."

Do you see his offensive role increasing?

I would think we would increase his role. It's how we're going to do it. How many times do we want to get his hands on the ball, in what capacities? Do you want to keep him as your punt and kickoff returner? Can you play him as a full-time wide receiver and returner? If we don't feel he can do that, we might have to cut his numbers as a returner and increase his play time as a wide receiver. These are the things we have to talk about. We need to have a really good plan for Devin.

Was it a mistake to allow the offensive line to get old?

I've heard that a lot. You look at Ruben Brown, that's a given. Fred Miller, it's not totally unheard of where he is in his career. He played good football for us this year. I think when people saw the offense sputtering, the offensive line is an easy target. But I thought they finished strong in our last two games. If we had an aging offensive line, it would be disintegrating as the season went on. We did not see that. The things that were problematic to me with the offensive line were the penalties. We didn't have any real big runs this year, and that really hurt us. That's the byproduct of a lot of things, but not necessarily the offensive line. Do we need to continue to bring in young players and develop them? Certainly.

I thought Cedric Benson ran a little differently, with more burst, just before he got hurt. That has to give you some hope.

It was surprising it didn't happen from the offset. Before he got hurt, he started to turn the corner. Maybe he was more comfortable with his reads, I really don't know. We know he has talent. I don't question his want-to, his work ethic, passion, anything like that. It just wasn't happening. He hasn't really laid the foundation he needs to in terms of being the guy. But we still believe in him.

Given the amount of missed tackles this team had last year, is it time to revisit the Bears' philosophy of always going for the strip?

I think we just have to stay with the philosophy—first man makes the tackle, second goes for the ball. When they don't do it, it's a real problem. We had our fair share of missed tackles. I brought it up to [coach Lovie Smith]. It could be what you're talking about. It could be somebody out of position. It could be not wrapping up. I know you can't play good defense without tackling well.

Could it be that Mark Anderson was miscast as an every-down player?

No. What Mark did coming off the 2006 season was pretty special. He put himself in position to be a starter. I didn't see any reason why that was out of line. I thought Alex Brown played very, very well, particularly in the latter part of the season. Could you say now that Alex should have been the starter? Maybe, but going in we felt starting Mark was a sound decision. As we get into our meetings, it will be brought up and talked about for the future.

Is Danieal Manning strictly a safety now?

I don't think we'll be seeing him at cornerback, in fairness to him. He had not played the position in college. We worked with him a lot in [organized team activities] at the position. He has the traits to play the position. It's hard when you throw somebody in a new position during the season without any real experience. It didn't go as well as what we had hoped. But our whole defense wasn't playing well at the time. He is our free safety and we feel comfortable with him there. I thought he did a nice job there, particularly in the latter part of the season—stopping big runs, making big hits, getting more comfortable at the position. I personally would like to see him make more plays on the ball from the center-field position.

Arguably the two best every-down players on the team, Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher, did not play as well as they have in the past. Can they be counted on to rebound in 2008?

I'm confident they can. There is nothing I've been told to make me believe otherwise. Individually speaking, they didn't have their best years, but they still played well. I don't want to get into the whys, but it didn't go well for a lot of guys this year on both sides of the ball. Would I say the reason we didn't play well was because of Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher? Absolutely not. It was a lot bigger than that. Guys were pressing, confidence level, a lot of things were tied into our poor play this year.

I think a few things stood out in this column. The first being the locker room comments about T.Jones and C.Harris. I knew that the organization wanted to give Benson a chance and move Jones, but including Harris with that comment was interesting.The part about M.Bradley having a chance to shine if Berrian moves on, gives some dynasty leaguers some hope for him? Also keep an eye on D.Hester he may surprise.

I thought the question about the offensive line was real interesting and got me worried. To me it sounds like Angelo does not view this as a major problem area. Big problem in my book.

 

[3nOut]

I think a few things stood out in this column. The first being the locker room comments about T.Jones and C.Harris. I knew that the organization wanted to give Benson a chance and move Jones, but including Harris with that comment was interesting.The part about M.Bradley having a chance to shine if Berrian moves on, gives some dynasty leaguers some hope for him? Also keep an eye on D.Hester he may surprise.I thought the question about the offensive line was real interesting and got me worried. To me it sounds like Angelo does not view this as a major problem area. Big problem in my book.

I think Bradley will be a start next year if/when Berrian and Mush are gone. Bradley would be one of my sleepers for next year as i think he has talent. With Bradley, Rasied Davis, Hester more involved, and some young receivers like Mike Hass stepping in, the Bears can have a surprisingly decent receiving core.

 

[Nookular Power]

It's true that Rex, Griese, and Orton give the Bears the best over-all talent they've had at the position in a while. It's also a sad, sad, sad statement to how terribly this team has failed in drafting/signing/developing a QB since McMahon. I'd really like to see improvement here, with maybe Orton the only holdover. There are so many things that need fixing, though...

I agree with those who are concerned by the apparent lack of concern by Angelo over the aging OL. Maybe he's just holding his cards close to the vest -- he's done that well in the past, when it comes to the draft. Last year I was hoping the draft would be used to re-vamp the OL. I'm hoping one way or other the OL gets an infusion of some under-30 blood, whether by FA or the draft.

The talk of Benson "showing signs" strikes me as crazy. He shows signs against crappy defenses -- he almost looks serviceable against bad teams. I'd love to see some competition brought in -- a Chris Brown or Mewelde Moore would come cheaply, and both have the talent to push Benson to the side if he doesn't pick it up. I think AP should be gone -- sure he's great on special teams, and he's a servicable back-up RB, but the Bears have lots of guys who are great on special teams...they really need guys who are great on offense and defense.

I worry about losing Berrian, 'cause I don't see his replacement on the roster. At least, not yet -- maybe Bradley or Hester have it in them, but who's ready to run with those guys?

With so many needs, I'd say the FA priorities should be: (1) get younger and better on the OL, (2) get better competition at both RB and QB (who's available this year?), (3) sign another WR to compete with or replace Berrian if the need arises. With the draft, address (1) again and get a young QB to develop. I think the defense just needs to stay healthy, and it can be near-championship caliber for a few more years.

 

[mad sweeney]

Our season is over so it's time to fire up the off season thread.

WR - What to do with Berrian? Tag him? Who knows. This is a concern for the Bears. Moose is old, and they have a lot of young talent that needs to step up (Bradley, Hester, & Davis). I'm not sure what is out there as far as FA goes, but this will be a need for the Bears

While I don't think Berrian is worth the franchise tag who else needs it? Axe the aging and unproductive Moose and try to bring in a drafted WR or 2nd tier FA like Drew Carter or maybe the higher risk/reward injury prone D.J. Hackett.

Injury prone? Dude got an ankle rolled on in week 1 and resprained it after a few games back. After the offseason it will be a complete non issue. And that's the extenet of his "injury proneness". 1 injury. Although hopefully the misnomer sticks to him and people pass on him. He's a potential top 15 WR in Seattle, and he will stay healthy.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Update my current thoughts on how the Bears should address the offseason.

Who to cut?

Fred Miller, Moose, Griese, and possibly Ricky Manning Jr.

Discussing Free Agency.

1) Resign Grossman to an incentive latent deal.

2) Bring back Marty Booker to replace Moose.

3) Only resign Berrian if it is not very costly....if he can't be resigned....perhaps Bryant Johnson or Drew Carter.

4) Let Lance Briggs go...the Bears drafted two OLB's the past two drafts to replace him in Jamar Williams and Michael Okwo.

5) Bring in one bargain Olineman....not Fanaca....but a bargain one.

The Draft

1) The Bears must draft either a LT or Kenny Phillips in the first round. Possibly trade up to #11 to grab Clady or trade down a couple and get Phillips.

2) Depending on the first round(if they get Phillips) the Bears must draft Olineman with their next 3 picks(2nd, 3rd, 3rd). If they grab Clady, then they can perhaps take a chance on Flacco. Then grab another Olineman and a Saftey.

3) In round 4, the Bears take either the best RB available or WR.

The only trade I can see the Bears pulling off is trading for Brady Quinn.

 

[BoulderBob]

Update my current thoughts on how the Bears should address the offseason.Who to cut?Fred Miller, Moose, Griese, and possibly Ricky Manning Jr.Discussing Free Agency.1) Resign Grossman to an incentive latent deal.2) Bring back Marty Booker to replace Moose.3) Only resign Berrian if it is not very costly....if he can't be resigned....perhaps Bryant Johnson or Drew Carter.4) Let Lance Briggs go...the Bears drafted two OLB's the past two drafts to replace him in Jamar Williams and Michael Okwo.5) Bring in one bargain Olineman....not Fanaca....but a bargain one.The Draft1) The Bears must draft either a LT or Kenny Phillips in the first round. Possibly trade up to #11 to grab Clady or trade down a couple and get Phillips.2) Depending on the first round(if they get Phillips) the Bears must draft Olineman with their next 3 picks(2nd, 3rd, 3rd). If they grab Clady, then they can perhaps take a chance on Flacco. Then grab another Olineman and a Saftey.3) In round 4, the Bears take either the best RB available or WR.The only trade I can see the Bears pulling off is trading for Brady Quinn.

I like...hopefully the D-Line/Secondary can stay healthy next season...if so, I see a very tight race for the NFC North title...Still think if Grossman is given proper protection, he is pretty solid...but it does need to be top-notch due to his size...

 

[Max Power]

So Grossman is back.

Berrian is pulling a power play and probably gone.

Bears are looking to trade Cedric.

Some good news is that Faneca is on the Radar

I'm not sure how the Bears are going to improve in 08. My only hope is that JA pulls off some major moves. Maybe something like Breaking the Bank on a Larry Fitz trade.

I generally like the fact that Chicago is smart with its money, but that will only take a team so far. The last couple drafts have been average at best and we haven't been grooming solid players to take over for these recent vet cuts.

 

[RBM]

Im ok with taking Grossman back. Id like to see an open competition between him and Orton, with maybe a Joe Flacco or Andre Woodson in the 2nd round.

 

[RBM]

Bears are looking to trade Cedric.

Where did you see this? Cant imagine there would be much interest.

 

[Max Power]

Bears are looking to trade Cedric.

Where did you see this? Cant imagine there would be much interest.

It was in the combine rumors thread... First post.

 

[Brutis]

Bears are looking to trade Cedric.

Where did you see this? Cant imagine there would be much interest.

I still dont think Benson is a bad RB. I would love to see him get traded to a team with a decent O Line and run wild. Bear fans would just love that.