BearFan PHX

Well, we can evaluate one part of the deal, and that was that we were not going to be able to keep TJ anyway. With benson on the book, and impossible to cut as a cap casualty, TJ threatened a holdout before the 2006-2007 season. Angelo negotiated that if TJ played unselfishly for the 2006-2007 season, then we would trade or release him prior to this last year. Angelo needs to be able to make those sorts of promises, and then follow through on them, or we will be in much worse shape via Free Agents and cap management. I think that at the beginning of this season (2007-2008) everyone in the fron office would have taken TJ over Benson if the decision was simply to choose between them for the same cost. The problem was that Benson's cap hit was too much to take, and you could not afford to sign TJ to a new deal and keep Benson on the books. In other words, the decision was made the year they drafted Benson, and at that point, we didn't know what TJ was, or for that matter what Benson would become. So you may freely question the decision to draft Benson, but you must remember that TJ was not well defined yet at that point, and benson's college career looked fantastic. But you can't look at the TJ trade as a choice between TJ and Benson in early 2007. Ity wasn't. By then, the decision had already been made a year earlier prior to the 06-07 season. That we got anything for someone who was not coming back at all is a great thing. That is a good trade.

I don't mean to pick a fight with you, but I have to disagree vehemently. Without meaning to attack you, you must not really understand football. The offensive line is what allows the skill players to do what they do. Without a stellar offensive line, Tom Brady is ot a Super Bowl Winner. Check out Adrian Peterson of the Vikings - amazing talent yes? What about Shaun Alexander - he was league MVP and now is quiet. Why? Because Steve Hutchinson left Seattle and joined Minnesota. The truth is that YES a good offensive line WOULD make Benson a top 10 rusher. The right line would make him top 5. The Walter Paytonss and Barry Sanderses of the world, who can get yardage without holes are extremely rare. On the other hand, every RB in the league, and a few that can't even make the cut could get 4 yards a carry behind a great OL, and most if not all would do diddly behind our run blocking this year. You ask about dropped balls. If a WR gets time to get open, and the QB can deliver a nice catchable ball, most NFL recivers can make the catch. Both of those things happen when the QB has time. The most important positions in football are on the line. If you don't believe me, check out the Lions for the past decade. How many great WRs did they draft? How many did they put on the field at the same time? If the NFL were sandlot football, the Lions would have been the tops. But it isn't. There are running plays and pass protection, and the Lions have done crap with only skill players. The bottom line is the line in the NFL. It isn't sexy, and there isn't any (direct) measure of it in fantasy football, but if you want to win, you need to revamp the OL this year. If you want "stars" go root for Detroit, or the earlier versions of Snyder's Redskins. If you want to win football games, open some holes, move the chains, eat clock, rest the defense, make the opposing defense play you honestly, open up the play action passsing game and protect the QB on passing downs. All those things rest on the OL. I'd like to see Angelo grab a big name OL free agent, and make 2 of the top 4 picks on OL too. that's because I want to win more than I want to buy more rookie jerseys. But that's just me.

I voted trade down, and with the two picks gleaned from the trade down and the second rounder, I'd take two on the OL and a safety. So I guess I should have said OL, but honestly, I don't think we should take OL that high unless a true stud is available. The thing is, even true stud candidates sometimes bust in the NFL, so i like Angelo's usual tactic of picking multiple players for the same position, and letting the cream rise. This would be great to do with OL. I'd like to see THREE of them taken in this draft, two from the first four picks, and one later. Also, re: RB - There are only a VERY few great RBs, and you can't tell who is going to be one from the draft (see Benson, Cedric). From the fourth best back in theleague to the fortieth, they all share a common trait: without holes they will gain nothing, and with big holes they will get yardage. Therefore, leave that skill player alone, and pick on the OL.A good Ol will make any RB servicable - certainly good enough to keep the chains moving, and that will open up the passing game. plus, good OL help there too. OL is the obvious choice - the game is won and lost in the trenches, and our DL is pretty solid. Also, unlike QBs, and WRs who come and go, break ankles and have good and bad years, if you build a great line, it will help the team for a decade to come. Like it or not, a team with this OL and Payton Manning and Joseph Addai will win fewer games than Grossman and Benson would with a good OL. Of course a good OL, AND a new QB & RB would be best, but that QB is coming from Free Agency, and not the draft, and with holes, Benson will be good enough for another year.

I'm sure you're right, and I don't mean to suggest that the current software is awful or anything - it isn't. I just know that the vBulletin software is awesome, having used it for many years now, and I wanted to bring it your attention. I'm happy here, and if this is the software, then I will use it without complaint. I just wanted to be helpful!

Hey Guys, First off I want to reiterate how awesome it is that you got the site moved, and set up and working so quickly. That is a huge favor to all of us, and I am very grateful. I'd like to offer some small advice here, and if it rubs anyone the wrong way, then I apologize ahead of time. I don't mean to throw water on such a fantastic effort or anything, only to be helpful, so please take or ignore this advice as you please. I want to say that I don't particularly like the software you've chosen for this board, and that I think there are better choices. If you do switch software, now would be a good time, since we won't lose much - so better now than later (if at all). I'd like to report that I have had great experiences with vBulletin, which is used by several audio boards that I frequent. Check out http://www.3daudioinc.com/3db/ as an example of a really easy to use board with lots of options for email notification of threads, easy options for finding threads that have been modified etc. Apparently, vBulletin is made by Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. and the website is here: http://www.vbulletin.com/ The price is $160 to own the software, and I for one would happily donate $20 to this cause (or to the hosting). I suspect other folks might be willing too. if other members would check this software out, and see if they like it, and then post here, that could be cool too. I hope this was helpful. Again, if it was not, or we are set with this software, then let me again simply congratulate our administrators for such a quick move. I'm not trying to cause trouble! I'm happy with either software, although I do think that vBulletin is superior. Thanks! Kyle aka BearFan NYC

Amazing job guys! You got this up really fast. I'm glad to be here, and I've even ported over the Avatar you guys made for me years ago on bearstalk.com The Bears may suck this year, but our board and moderators certainly don't. Nice job! I'm proud to be a part of this community. Cool!