LT2_3

I agree and disagree. I agree that Afalava regressed due to hitting the rookie wall to an extent, but think he's in Lovie's dog house because Lovie either thinks it's all mental, or he's using it as a motivational technique. Either Lovie is an idiot because he doesn't realize that some kids physically and mentally burn out at what would have been the end of the college season, or he's an idiot by holding it against the kid despite knowing it.

I like both guys. Unga is a prototypical short yardage back that can learn to lead block and be a FB that you can actually use to run and catch the ball. Wolfe is a pretty good scatback that was horribly misused in Turner's offense. DG - You talk about what he did with the opportunities he was given, but many of them were running up the middle. What kind of moron runs a scatback up the middle with an offensive line that isn't opening huge holes? I'm impressed that he actually had a 4.0 ypc under those circumstances.

On those 2 instances, he was proven right in court. This one sounds like retaliation. I mean c'mon. He was in touch with the police and all he did to get a warrant issued was to not talk to them until he could have his attorney present. I'm willing to put up $20 that this "goes away" too. It's because of those fascist bullyboy law enforcement douchebags down there that I'll never go to Texas - unless nfo is willing to bail me out.

In looking back at the FBs that Martz had in StL, they aren't generally a block first type of player. They were more apt to be more of a running/receiving threat first and a blocker second. I'm not saying that they were incompetent at blocking, I'm just saying it wasn't their primary skill. I can see him making the roster as the FB and that wouldn't affect Wolfe or Bell.

Nfo - I'm totally on the same page with you. One time in my 20s, I had bronchitis and they prescribed codeine cough syrup. Having trouble sleeping, I took the recommended dosage and did a couple of shots of Jim Beam. I ended up sitting in front of the TV watching Rocky and Bullwinkle - The Wassamata U vs. Taxidermy Tech episode (see, I made it football related for you) and laughed my ass off - which was great because it was the first time in days that I wasn't completely miserable. So, I could see making a drink out of it if I didn't realize that becoming addicted to an opium based med can turn into real problems with morphine or heroin if one is predisposed to that sort of addiction. I also don't see it as a big deal - at least no bigger than other stuff and FAR less important or dangerous than crystal meth. Oh, and, for the record, no one has ever died from an overdose of weed. That's the only thing I can think of though.

Mankins would never agree to a deal that puts off his big money to next year. That's kind of the problem he's having with the Pat's. They have offered him a REALLY big deal and he isn't impressed with either the total dollars or the structure of the deal. I'm pretty sure that a proposal to pay him his $3.28 million tender amount and then more money next year would fall on deaf ears. The next thing to worry about is that nobody knows what the cap will look like next year. They've frontloaded a great deal of the contracts for our 3 big FAs, but there is only so much leeway playing in the margins of what may or may not be. Then there is the 30% rule in effect for this year where contracts cannot increase more than 30% from year to year. That means you have to start pretty high if you want to be able to even match the Patriot's offer that averaged over $7 million per year. I think quite a bit of this has to do with the economy. I've read that Jerry Jones is paying a huge debt service on his new stadium and doesn't have the cash flow to buy every top player on the market in an uncapped year. I also think that Snyder has been having trouble too. I read something about his six flags business is near bankruptcy. On top of that, the talking heads are saying that they both had spent money in past years that pretty much maxed out their cash flow this year just paying the salaries of the deals they had already signed.

I realize that it may seem waaaaaaaaaay early for this, but Yahoo has opened Fantasy Football 2010 for entrance. I'm wondering if people are interested in joining yet. It might just give us another time waster of football related things to talk about. I've already renewed the league Talkbears 2 and set a draft time of Sept 5th at 8:00pm. Draft invites have been sent to all of last year's teams. I'm looking forward to seeing where the Bears WRs are ranked. Any thoughts?

Here are some thoughts on the cap / cash situation: 1. The cap if it existed this year: We would be WAY over it due to the cash paid this year that won't hit the cap in future years. 2. Cash this year: We've pretty much already allocated all we can to this year. In fact, I think they spent into their reserves in case of lockout on FAs already. 3. Cap next year: NOBODY knows what it will look like. That's why most big contracts for FAs this year have been more modest than expected, or they all had (what would normally be) huge cap hits this year by the use of large Roster bonuses that don't get amortized. So, in response to AZ54's suggestion that we backload the contract, that wouldn't really work because nobody knows if it would fit under the cap. Another point is that contract provisions that are guaranteed for all contingencies have to be fully funded this year at the time of signing the deal. It's kinda like putting money in escrow. In other words, we'd still have to have the cash available now anyway.

Nfo - I have a problem with your assumption that if Shaffer is competing at LG, then he is not competing at ORT. I don't see why it has to be one or the other in voluntary workouts. The news that was reported was that they were looking at Shaffer at OG. Did they also say that he was out of the running at ORT? No. They didn't. I have a feeling that they feel they know what they would have in Shaffer at ORT and they know what Omiyale would have to achieve to surpass that. I don't see how it could be anything but positive that they are trying guys at different spots to see what they might have.

That's an excellent point. When it comes to players getting back on the field too soon, I have to wonder whether an actual doctor makes that call and how much influence the coaches have over the decisions if they are only trainers in most cases.

Fair enough. I'm just curious if you believe that it's the job of the Bears' doctors to give players healthcare beyond treating their injuries or whether they should be talking to the players about potential conditions instead of the people paying them - the team. See, I'm seriously curious about the role that the Bears' doctors play. I think the Bears (more or less) pay the Doctors as technicians to run tests and report and interpret the results. They have to be Doctors to be qualified to do that, but I don't think that they are paid to go over results with the players. I think it's matter of what they are supposed to be doing. I'm going to use another computer repair analogy here, but don't intend to imply a similar level of overall importance, but simply as an example of different types of contractual situations. If a company hires me to come in and run a series of tests on all their PCs, I would do that on pre-negotiated per PC basis, run the tests, hand over the results, and leave. If they want me to diagnose further or try to fix any issues found, they would have to pay me more money. If a company hires me to keep all their PCs running and make me responsible for the proper functioning of each PC, then it encourages me to troubleshoot issues before they become more damaging problems. So, in the case of Adams, he had an enlarged heart that, from what I read at the time, would have required an echo-cardiogram which is a non-standard test that they only run if other factors suggest it. http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/mt-se...ms&limit=20 Now, we have the case of Freeman, he had an abnormal EKG at the combine at least one time. What we don't know is if it went back to normal in subsequent tests. Now what we read from the article you posted... So the time line is: Takes 2 EKGs at the combine Passes Bears, Bills, and Texans physicals that should have in theory included further testing IF "an EKG and family history indicate the need." Takes a physical with the Colts, further testing was indicated, and they found his problem. I don't see the Bears doing things any differently than any other team.

I hear ya there, but I had higher hopes for him. When it comes to players returning to the field, you have to realize that the trainers have to go by what the players tell them about what they feel. These "toughed-it-out" stories play much better after a SB win. I'm not sure I can put ALL of that on the medical staff when all they do is advise. I have a feeling that if they were more assertive, they might not stay employed. (just had a thought of House as the team doctor. ) Ok so we've kind of exonerated them for Adams. Let's talk about the other ones. Chris Williams - My understanding was that all teams had pretty much the same risk factors assigned to him, but the teams that took him off their board hadn't needed an OT that high. I think the Bears interest was a matter of need. Sure, they would have taken Long or Clady if they were there, but they liked him with his injury risk better than Cherilus, Otah, Baker, or Albert. It looked bad his first season, but since his surgery, it doesn't look so bad now. Who else? Mike Brown? He was injured here, and played a full 16 games for KC? Who else falls in this catagory?

Me neither, but I think it's a function of the Doctors hired by the league (or the teams) and their role. I see them as a qualified technician to evaluate the status of a potential player and that their role isn't as a caregiver. Those comparisons were given to point out that they don't work for the player, they work for the league. It could be something stupid like the fact that in some states, insurance companies can still refuse you health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions. If they turned something up at the combine that would prevent their playing football and told the player about it, depending on the state they live in, they could be denied health insurance because the combine doctors told them about it. In other words, I don't think it's right, but I think it's just the standard procedure. They tell the teams of the results and not the players as a general rule. You do realize the subtle point that the doctors don't work for Freeman, right? It sounds like you think the team doctors should sit down with each player and go over every single test result and explain each one to every single player they examine. If you don't believe that, then it has to be where WE think they should draw the line that we are discussing. I seriously think we don't have enough info to make that kind of evaluation. Unfortunately it reminds me of newbs would come on the board during the early days of the salary cap and made trade suggestions that were actual impossibilities because the cap acceleration of the player traded would have put the team over the cap before even considering the salary of the guy traded for. Hey it's really no big deal. I just think that your complaint is with the policies and procedures and not with the guys doing the actual work for the Bears. That's fine and I'd love to discuss it if there were a way to find the info out. Short of posing as a journalist and contacting some NFL teams to get the straight poop, I don't think there is any way to know what their policies and procedures are.

Ok - first off, let's establish some details here. From what I understand, at the combine, there are general tests that are done by the doctors that aren't aligned to any particular team. This is to eliminate the need for 32 sets of the same tests be done for each player. So, the way I'm reading this, it was the doctors that ran the tests at the combine that took the first and second EKGs. From the article: So, the doctors at the combine told him nothing and distributed the results to all 32 teams. Who would have been responsible for telling Freeman something? It sounds to me like he passed the physical or he would have never been drafted in the first place. Well no freakin duh. Ok, fine. I'll buy that. But why is the Bears doctors responsibility to tell him anything when they didn't give the tests? For that matter, what if his EKG was fine when he took his physical with the Bears? Do we know what happened then? It only adds fuel to the fire if you're already standing around with a gas can waiting to pour it on. For me, there simply isn't enough of the story to have an opinion because hey - I don't know what happened and make it a practice not to speculate about things that I don't have any information about. You're right. I shouldn't be surprised that a bunch of fans are making a mountain out of not having enough information to go on, and simply kvetch about anything they can possibly come up with whether they know wtf they are talking about or not. That's a load of crap. This is a case of people bitching because they feel like it whether there is cause or not. Face it, people are still pissed that we didn't have a 2nd rounder. I am too. However, that doesn't mean that I'm willing to accuse people of being incompetent willy nilly when we simply don't have the facts. C'mon. The Bears doctors didn't even give the tests at the combine. Why are we even talking about them?

DG - All I'm saying is that there is a major difference between an enlarged heart (Adams) and an enlarged heart valve (Freeman). I'm not a doctor either, but I'm not the one confusing the diagnosis. Again, I'm not a doctor, but what does an occasional abnormal EKG mean? Was it abnormal the second time they took it at the combine? Could it have been because he was excited? Did Freeman then go get it checked out by his own doctor? What was HIS prognosis of Freeman's condition? There are too many questions that we don't have answers to. Now, not being a doctor, it sounds to me that an abnormal EKG is probably about as informative as a "check engine" light coming on in a car. It could mean something is wrong, but if it goes out again, it probably doesn't mean that much necessarily. Most likely, like a mechanic would tell you with a car, it would take a whole bunch more tests to figure out if there was actually, if anything, wrong or whether it was a phantom reading. Again, I will state that I am not a doctor, but I repair computers for a living and know a few things about diagnosing problems. If Windows tells you that your hard drive has errors, you might be able to fix it with a scandisk. That might not work. It might get fixed by reformatting the drive and it might not. In a case like that, I ask the person how much the want to spend finding out what the problem is and recommend that they replace the drive. If they tell me not to check any further, then I don't. So, in this instance, does the doctor have any responsibility to look any further than find out that there MIGHT have been a problem? I say no. It's the player's responsibility to take care of his own health. Now, the question is whether the NFL doctors have any responsibility to follow up on whatever they find. I think it's their responsibility to tell the player to get himself fully checked out, but it's not their responsibility to diagnose the actual problem. My point is that Freeman should have had himself checked out no matter what. If they made him take an EKG a second time at the combine, then he should have gone directly to his doctor as soon as he signed his contract and was covered by health insurance. The doctors shouldn't have had to tell him anything. Now, as for the other issues, I don't know whether the doctors only check the stuff they are told to check, or whether the front office tells them to do the minimum to cover their liability or what. My point is that blindly suggesting that we need new doctors is ridiculous when we don't even understand the issues in play. Is it a money issue? Is it a liability issue? Is it the scouting department ignoring or not understanding what the doctors are telling them? I have no idea and neither do you.

I'm not saying that doctors from an employer don't have to follow their Hippocratic oath, but the players should be taking responsibility for their own healthcare.

Did you even READ the article you linked to? Freeman had an enlarged heart VALVE and not an enlarged heart. Two entirely separate conditions. The article also clearly states that it may have developed just recently since it wasn't caught by the Bills or Texans either. I think these players need to use their OWN doctors and get tested for everything under the sun. I don't think it's the teams responsibility to screen for every possible thing and from what I understand, the test that would have found Adams' issue is invasive, expensive, and not an ordinary test. I think trying to blame this stuff on the team doctors is silly. It's not their responsibility. The don't work for the players. Their role is not to be each players personal HMO. Now, if the NFLPA wants to make the team doctors responsible for more, then they can give up some money in the next CBA to pay for it. Until then, team doctors shouldn't be viewed as a player's personal physician or healthcare plan.

That's a complete BS list. He doesn't mention a whole bunch of guys that could be listed over the same time period. Obviously, the guy is biased against some teams and not others. Notice most of his choices were from teams that were bad and he glosses over teams that did decently despite their draft busts. Here are a bunch of guys that were taken over the same time period in the top 25 picks of each year that he failed to list. (BTW - How do Mike Vick, Brady Quinn, and JP Losman stay off this list?) 2000 Courtney Brown Travis Taylor Ron Dayne Sylvester Morris Chris Hovan 2001 Mike Vick Gerrard Warren Rod Gardner Willie Middlebrooks Freddie Mitchell 2002 William Green TJ Duckett Ashley Lelie 2003 Jimmy Kennedy Kyle Boller 2004 Kenchi Udeze JP Losman 2005 Braylon Edwards Cedric Benson Cadillac Williams Jason Campbell 2006 Vince Young Micheal Huff Matt Leinart Laurence Marony 2007 Gaines Adams Brady Quinn Dewayne Bowe

If you are actively shopping someone, you lose leverage. I also don't think that they wouldn't trade him under any circumstance either. If someone offered a pick in the 20-40 range, I'm pretty sure they would trade him I read that Grant was released by the new coaching regime due to his huge contract. Maybe you are confusing him with someone else. I think it all depends on who is on the board when they draft in the 3rd. If someone has a high grade, they might go that way. Chances are though that it will be a safety in the 3rd.

True that only one player has signed an offer sheet so far, however, the question is why? I think the deadline is something like April 15th for signing RFAs to offer sheets. Usually teams take their time on that because they want to see if they can fill holes with UFAs that don't require any draft pick compensation. I don't think a lack of offer sheets signed to date means anything. In fact, I think that there will be a flurry of offer sheets signed around the 15th because it's do or die time. So, he's pretty much in limbo until the April 15th date passes. If he hasn't signed it after that, then I would agree that he's being a bit of a doofus, but until then, he's doing what the system requires him to do to try and maximize his earning potential. Quite literally, hate the system, don't hate the player.

Honestly, I don't think it's so much that he was tendered instead of a long term deal, but that he was tendered at such a low level. If they tendered him at the second round level, he would make another $600k per year. If they tendered him at a 1st round level, he would make $1.4 million more than his current tender. I don't know about you, but I'd be pissed too if someone took $600k (or over 50% of your current salary) out of my pocket. I'd be looking for a new employer - which Manning can't do if he signs his tender. Also, his best negotiating tactic for getting a long term contract is to get a team to sign him to an offer sheet and have the Bears match the deal. At that point, the offer sheet would probably represent more than the Bears would normally offer because that is the mechanism that the other team uses to get the Bears not to match. Manning is just playing it smart. The only way someone could justify saying that he should just sign it and get to the offseason workouts is if they don't believe that Manning should be worried about his income for his family for the rest of his life. He's a bubble player and has no guarantee to work again after this year. Besides, it's offseason workouts and the team hasn't changed anything on defense since he was drafted. It's not like we're talking training camp here.

No, the team would have to offer an injury waiver - meaning they would offer him pay if he got injured. When rookies do that, it's based on the player being paid the equivalent of their slotted 3 year rookie contract. For a player that is an RFA, there is no standard amount that either side would agree to. The player would be stupid to sign something that only covers one year and the team wouldn't want to offer anything that covers more than 1 year. Manning is handling this exactly the right way.

Does anyone realize that he can't participate in workouts without a contract, and he can't sign an offer sheet where we get a third if he signs his tender offer? This is just a part of restricted free agency.

THAT I can agree with.

They had Shaffer/Williams at tackle and Garza/Beekman at guard with Omiyale going either way. Then Lovie had to have his buddy Pace much later which forced their decision on where to put Omiyale. The bottom line on this is that Lovie and the coaching staff screwed up the whole Oline evaluation just like they were idiots for waiting until the final 4 games of the season before getting Aromashadu on the field much.