AZ54

If we add another WR like Robinson then IMO we should go after other needs. While i would love to get Martin I would even take DeCastro if he is there and put Chris Williams back at LT. Other options for first pick are CB, DE, LB, TE, or even LB to get ready for the future. For the first time in years we are headed toward a draft where we can take best availabe in Rd 1. However expect at least one of these needs to be covered via FA very soon.

I couldn't be happier. Great way to start FA! By the way I also like the LB we signed for special teams as well as re-signing Jennings. Clearly Matt Forte liked Marshall coming on board. There is room for more and Mario Williams will have to think if he wants bigger dollars or to win a Superbowl. If we dont sign Williams then the second tier of Carr or possibly Wimbley, or Nicks, Carlson, among other options; all make us that much better. Getting Marshall opens up a lot of flexibility on draft day too.

I like this signing. Jennings was solid for us and this gives us some depth at a position of need. Sign or draft a starter and as I write this Terrance Newman just got cut. Not that I necessarily want him.

As much as we need a #1wr investing in Williams is a much safer investment than VJack based on past character issues both on and off the field. I was hoping for Colston but i just read that he has had microfracture surgery on both knees. I dont know when those surgeries were but thats a bad sign for his future. It seems the Bucs moght be the ones to offer the outrageous contract to VJack. In that case i go with plan B and grab Williams, and any combo of OG, CB, second tier WR. We will have to go WR early in the draft but this is the draft to do that.

This is typical Bears strategy with low end FA. They are willing to let the market decide value and have the agent call them to give them a chance to beat the best offer.

I'd be very happy with Williams and Colston.

No problem, I still appreciate the effort to put it together.

Yes, you need to be able to take advantage of what a defense gives you as well as forcing them to respect all possibilities. Wes Welker is a good WR but he's helped by having two good (and tall) receiving TEs who can work the middle of the field and a QB who can read defenses and get rid of the ball quickly.

In a QB driven lieague Luck represents the potential for 10 years of playoff caliber teams and that sells tickets. Keep Manning around along with a few more high draft picks and yes, you might get back to the Superbowl but consider that the team was so bad without Manning in all phases of the game and I think the owner sees the writing on the wall that it's time to start the rebuilding process. Would they make the playoffs with Manning for a couple more years? Likely. Would they be Superbowl contenders while they wait for those high picks to develop, I don't think so. If I were the owner I'd be hedging my bets the same way with the longer future of good teams versus a short but aggressive stab at one more Superbowl.

While it appears the Bears are prepared to overpay for VJack if the Redskins wants to offer him silly money like they did with Haynesworth then they will doom themselves. Between giving up so many high picks for the next couple years and if they tie up a lot of cap space on one WR then it's going to be hard to build a good team. Based on performance VJack is worth top WR money but his character problems and inconsistent play make it clear to me that he's not worth breaking the bank. If that's where his market heads then have a chat with Mario Williams and build the best Dline in the league.

I chose AZ just for the hell of it but I think they are likely 3rd on the list. I see Mia, KC, and AZ as the top prospects. If Manning is here AZ can focus on fixing OL via draft and FA. A couple pieces and their line will be alright. Plus he's got Fitz and tack on one of his Indy WRs and perhaps Clark and he'd be happy. Whisenhunt has already proven he'll allow a great QB to run the show somewhat when he allowed Warner a lot of leeway to throw throw throw. No reason he won't do it again.

If we sign VJack and Wimbley that would be a great start to the offseason. If top OT are gone in rd 1 then drop back a few spots and pick up WR Hill. Let Bennett handle the #2 role while Hill learns his craft and when you go 4 wide teams will have to defend VJack and Hill outside with Hester and Bennett working from inside.

Unless i missed him already getting cut I think Josh Moore stays on the final roster as 4th or 5th CB just can't see us replacing 4 CB in one season. We should be losing Bowman, Jennings, and Graham. He came out of college early and wasnt anywhere close to being ready physically for the NFL. This is his last chance.

If you were correct in that its hard to define what exactly Gregg Willians knew of this then yes, I'd agree, you must be innocent until found guilty. However here's the problem Gregg Williams has...he kept records and so far it seems clear he administered the program. ------------------------------------------------------------------ http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post?id=31925 This column says Williams didn’t invent the use of the bounty system, which almost certainly is true. But it says his big mistake was keeping such detailed records. No doubt about that. The NFL says it has 50,000 pages of evidence, including 18,000 emails. ------------------------------------------------------------------- For those who put up the Abu Ghraib analogy, despite all the media's best efforts to portray it as such, there was never any proof that was an official policy administered by the officers in charge. The troops in charge of the detention facility were acting on their own, however, many were involved. The officers were guilty of negligence in failing to monitor the activities of those who reported to them. In contrast it appears Gregg Williams was in charge of the bounty program and it seems clear he was running the show therefore it was an expectation of all who worked for him to participate. To follow on to your analogy if someone hires a person to kill someone else then who is more guilty? The usually go after the person who hired the assassin more aggressively although both get punished. As a former officer I can tell I know we can go to jail for implementing illegal activities such as what happened at Abu Ghraib. Since so many believe officers get off lightly I can state for a fact a coworker mine who failed a drug test spent a year in Ft. Leavenworth. No enlisted personnel on my base ever had a similar penalty for the same offense.

Aside from your smart ass remarks towards me, which by the way had nothing to do with any comments I have made on this topic as I haven't addressed what I feel would be appropriate penalties for players involved. I have simply chosen to focus on the leadership being involved because I do believe that is a bigger problem. It does not mean there should be no accountability toward players who were running the scheme as well. You assume my position is based on blameless players when in fact I never stated that. If you truly think that players are more to blame than their boss who created the expectation they participate in this then I disagree. I simply place more value on leadership. Nonetheless, since you are so sympathetic and against severely fining or penalizing the coaches because it takes away their ability to take care of their family then take the opportunity to explain how Williams' policy of intentionally injuring opponents did not impair those injured players' ability to take care of their family.

They knew he might very well be facing them twice a season. Avril was adamant he didn't want to be tagged. We'll see how this plays out over time but a hold out for the first part of the season is quite possible.

The people in the leadership position that were leading this activity are by definition more responsible. For the players to have their boss enforcing this program means they have to participate in order to, at a minimum, be in the coaches good graces. You reference that it isn't fair to take money from Williams but he put his played in a position where to take care of their families they had to participate in an illegal scheme designed to intentionally injure players on other teams. For players that are set in starters roles there is less pressure to engage in these activities but for guys looking up at their career if they don't want to participate or voice objections, then they could very well sit on the bench. Good luck getting your next contract. If this was just a scheme run by players then that's one thing and those players should get punished. It all changes when it's the DC running the scheme and the HC is aware of it and condones it via his inaction over an extended time frame. In none of my posts have I ever said the players should be absolved of responsibility. From what I'm hearing today the league is going to come down very hard on this across the board, all the way from the top of the organization (losing draft picks), HC fined, and players also fined and possibly suspended. Players around the league are coming out and talking about this. Bounties or rewards for big plays abound throughout the league. Yet many have said they've never had a coach actively encourage via financial bonuses to injure other players. OTOH I doubt Williams is alone in doing this.

No to Levi Brown! Hes not much better than Webb and despite all their Oline problems AZ fans should be glad to see him gone.

You have coaches intentionally encouraging their players to seriously injure opponents please tell me how that doesn't affect the players ability to earn a wage and take care of their family?

Yes, and I remember how Frank Omiyale was described before we signed him. I remain very cautious about any backup player that has only seen the field for a few games.

Calling Lance Louis a Tackle tells me they don't do much research. They also cite Bennett's numbers late in the season but fail to mention the horrible backup QB play we had. Same goes for sacks allowed with Hanie under center. Again, I don't think we had the worst Oline in the league and the fact Forte made the Pro Bowl despite missing 4 games means someone was blocking for him. Fixing LT is clearly the top Oline need but given that Tice stated last year Carimi would be the RT where he felt he could develop into a Pro Bowl player why do they think that will change now that Tice is our OC? Add in that Tice has already stated he wants the backs to help out the OTs with chip blocks and it seems to me he was largely talking about helping Webb. I just don't put much stock in these reports and personally I trust the analysis from the members of this board far more.

It is one thing for players to be in agreement on doing this on their own (not that I condone it) and entirely different when the coaches are involved. It is just flat out disrespectful of the game and the athletes who play it. This obviously goes for the defense side of the ball but the players union represents both sides so I'll be very anxious to hear what the union says about this.

I'd take their entire draft (they don't have a first round pick) and some heavy fines for coaches including the head coach. That would be a clear enough message to all teams and coaches in the future.

What makes you want Burfict at all even as a UDFA? Aside from some big hits, I haven't seen anything in his game the last two college seasons to make me says he can handle the NFL game.

Drafting Carimi was not a mistake at all. You just can't take a short term perspective on things when drafting and having Carimi as our RT for the next decade looks pretty good to me. IMO the Bears were wise to just put him at the best position for him, even though he'd have been better at LT than Webb. Had Carimi stayed healthy I think the Bears would have had one major weakness in blocking and that was Webb and it would have been relatively easy to shift the help (TE/RB) to that side of the line. Instead when Carimi went down we had trouble covering speed from both edges and plus Martz didn't like keeping his RB in to block or at least chip and he was allergic to 3-step drops. We hear talk of Chris Williams being moved back to LT. Tice got a good look at Spencer who I thought played well at OG, and Edwin Williams who did ok (for a backup) at OG. There is some depth in there now and if we can just solve the edge rush problem from the left side we'll be alright. I remain unconvinced Chris Williams is our answer at LT but I can see why Tice might consider it. He has to know he can't rely on Webb again.