AZ54

St Clair gave up those sacks back when we were all about 3 and 5 step drops. Now when most drops are 5 steps and Martz would like to have an Oline capable of handling 7 step drops I can't see St. Clair succeeding.

I agreed with that in the past and there's still some validity to the argument. However, after this many years we have to accept the coaches decisions that he just doesn't have it. The bottom of the roster is best stocked with a veteran who has proven they can get it done, even if for just a few games, or a young guy hungry and working hard to prove he belongs. Wolfe hasn't proven he belongs so it's time for the next guy up.

There's no doubt Knox has to fight harder to be in the right position. You see that on some deep throws as well where he doesn't always shield the defender properly. He's still young but he'll be a valuable part of our offense for years to come.

Maynard had his share of poor punts this season so the Bears need to be serious about his competition this offseason.

The only problem with replacing Taylor with a late round rookie (or any rookie) is pass protection. Unga definitely has the size to succeed in this regard and with all this time to learn the offense I would hope he has a good clue what to do. My hope is that the team has enough confidence in Unga to add a RB in the draft without the feeling they must rely on the rookie. Then we at least have a 50-50 shot at having a solid backup for Forte. The Wolfe experiment comes to an end this year.

Nobody releases a good OT like this. period.

Hmmm...slow developing plays allowing Hester time to get open....does that include good pass protection from the Oline? I think everyone agrees Hester is a valuable weapon on underneath routes but until we can get a proven deep passing game he'll always have trouble finding open space. That means a WR who can make big plays downfield and an Oline that can give Cutler time to throw.

I've been calling for that move since November. It's immediately puts our D at the top of the league. We just need to shore up our CBs a bit. I don't know what his cap hit would but this move would likely cost us a shot at one of the top WR FAs as I doubt we'd have money left to even sign S. Rice. Then it's all offense in the draft...OG, WR..OT, late round RB & CB.

It's always easy to look back and question a move, or in this case moves. Yet the Vikings finished well behind us in the standings and we got pretty deep in the playoffs. Big change and for all the complaining about Taylor's and Manu's performance (some valid reasons) given their experience level in the pro's and for Manu in Martz' offense I'm not sure we can say it didn't benefit the team overall. Does anyone know how much Manu contributed to his teammates in film study? Was Chester Taylor better prepare to handle the pass protection assignments than a rookie or other FA RB? On an individual basis it's easy to say these FA signings didn't work out but overall they were significant contributors to our team getting to the NFC Championship. Now a year into Martz' system we don't need that veteran presence as much and can move on to better skills. I agree at this point we might as well keep Taylor into training camp unless there's another offseason bonus money he's due to get. Otherwise I take this as a good sign the Bears are serious about clearing cap space to sign some players. It is also a sign that the accountability they showed with players at the end of last season might stick around this offseason. I think that's a good thing.

Out of desperation I watched quite a few CFL games this past season and saw Fantuz play several times. From what I can tell: He is good at using his body to get position and goes after the ball aggressively. Good hands, very reliable even on bad passes. Speed.. hard to tell because the first thing you notice whenever you see a CFL game is the speed difference (lack thereof). I know in one game I saw Fantuz grab a quick slant and take it all the way pulling away from the DBs. I'd guess he runs about a 4.6 forty but he needs several strides to get up to speed as he's not a quick twitch type. Route running....hard to tell again because the CFL rules are so different allowing WRs to run full speed toward the LOS so CBs are almost always 10 yards off the ball. Coverage is often so loose even the old fan favorite Henry Burris can still complete passes in the CFL. Most WRS have it easy running around on underneath routes. Fantuz has quite a battle adjusting to the crowded traffic he'll see in the NFL right off the LOS. He has the size and strength to release against press coverage but he'll have to learn the technique because his quickness is not going to allow him easy separation. Then there's the whole issue with LBs who are faster than him. INTANGIBLES: He's got this aspect down pat both on and off the field. He's by far the fan favorite and likely the most respected player in the CFL. It's his jersey you see in the stands at games. It's his stats the announcers talk about. It's him they talk about when a big play needs to be made. And yes, he has his own version of a cereal like the old Flutie Flakes. What I like most about this is that the Bears organization has already recognized the need for a big WR. I hope Fantuz is just one option we bring into camp. In essence he replaces Iglesias and I think if we still had Iglesias around we'd all still be talking about the need for a big WR.

He's earned it and he'll get it. Bye bye Tommie Harris.

Cards need a QB and I don't know why they are even inquiring about trading Fitzgerald. But if they are then the only reason I could think of is to get a good young QB on the roster. They are not in position to get one this draft. If I'm not mistaken Fitz is halfway through a 4yr contract and there were rumors this season that he might leave if the Cards can't fix their QB situation quickly. Obviously these two actions are at odds with each other (i.e. you'd lose Fitz while gaining the QB he wanted you to have). However, in the NFL it's a lot easier to find WRs than QBs and this is a good WR draft. I could see the Cards dangling Fitz now while he's at the market peak to see if he could get them some young gun in exchange plus some picks. Another bad season catching passes from Max Hall or Skelton and his trade value likely will go down plus you get into all the new contract issues. Kolb is one of the top young QBs and he is already on the market. I don't mean to imply he's what the Cards want, but he could be. They have other options as well and could look at a veteran to fill the spot for a year or two while they see if Skelton can develop. But would that satisfy Fitz? If not they could be losing him for nothing. In any case I don't see us giving up the picks it would take to get Fitz nor do I see it making sense given that we have a serviceable WR crew, other FA WR options available, and far greater needs on Oline followed by DT.

You can't get Fitz and then three OL with our first three picks because we won't have them. IMO the only reason the Cards are dangling Fitz is to see if it will help them get a QB plus another pick. It's a good year for WRs in the draft so you take a step back for a year and let your young WR develop with the new QB (Kolb?).

We have already beaten two of the top 4 teams in the NFL this season: Packers and Jets. We beat another playoff team in the Eagles who were considered the best in the league at that time. Lost to another playoff team in NE. Beat Dallas too when they were the Superbowl favorites. BearFan2000 did a great job listing all the ups and down but looking back on it now nobody can say we don't belong where we are.

It's hard to predict a Superbowl appearance much less a win but IMO Cutler taking us to the NFC championship game in his second season with us, especially with the talent level on our offense, means the trade was a success. When I get to work tomorrow I'll check in with the Broncos' fans to see how they feel about the deal and earning the #2 pick in the draft. I know there are other factors on their side but there are other factors on our side when you consider our Oline, young WR corps, etc. It hasn't been an easy path for Cutler but in Rd 2 of the NFC playoffs he put up 35 pts. That's pretty good. I'm sure even Tom Brady would admit how good it is, perhaps Peyton Manning too.

I have no clue who this guy is: Edward L. Flom once said “One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you’re perceived to be by others.” But this quote is total BS. Every good leader I've known has gone out on their own to lead the way they felt things needed to get done. To sit back and worry what others think about you and let that opinion shape who you are, how you react to things, etc. will never let you be a leader. I don't want my quarterback worried about what the media thinks of him. I want him worried about doing what it takes to win games. Bill Belicik is a total prick to the media and pretty much everyone else but I think it's fair to say he's loved and respected by all the Patriots fans.

Peppers is amazing when you slow down the film and see all the ground he covers.

I still think we go after a DT in Rd 1 then address the interior of the Oline then CB. I'd like to get Haynesworth if the price is reasonable. You have a team with a short window on defense might as well go for broke. Use the draft to improve depth on the Oline, CB, and to add a big WR.

I haven't seen Cutler be a prick to the media as much as I've seen the media be a prick to Cutler. I know he's aloof in his answers but so what. The writer is upset because Cutler refuses endorsements in Chicago. Really? Cutler has stated many times he won't do endorsements because he doesn't feel his performance on the field warrants it. He wants to focus his time on getting better on the field. That's immature? IMO doing the opposite and cultivating a fan club via twitter as some athletes do is immature. I'm not saying Cutler is perfect but I don't see him saying he's perfect either.

In your situation we are fighting to make the playoffs in the last week against GB and they are not. So they pulled out all the stops and threw everything at us while we sat back and said maybe we'll play hard but we're not showing everything in case we meet again. We don't know what happens in that scenario.

I think he needs to do this for a few more seasons and he's a lock for the HofF. As it is today he will likely get in but it won't be first ballot.

I felt we could win 9 games with 10 being the absolute high win total for this team. Looking back at the season we could have easily won 12 games. Given our schedule and all the ups and downs (mostly downs) with the Oline I'm impressed where we are and we had a tough schedule. As it stands now the season is a success for me. Like everyone else, now that we are here in the playoffs and knowing what kind of a team we are I fully expect us to be in the NFC championship game.

I have a question that I've been thinking about for a few weeks. Is Chester Taylor tipping off plays? Clearly his performance hasn't been good in the second half of the season and when you compare his numbers to Forte's they are headed in opposite directions. I definitely think Taylor himself is not running well as he doesn't seem to be hitting the hole very decisively. However, he also seems to face more tacklers in the backfield than Forte does. Seeing that everyone else out there is the same why are defenses seemingly so good at keying on Taylor's runs? Is it just his hesitation, Martz' play calling, or is his alignment pre-snap giving defenders a clue where the play is headed?

That would actually be a good move on our part. I know last year I didn't want to focus on WR given all the other needs we had. This offseason it's a little different for me because I think we need to add a big WR to compliment Knox, Hester, and Bennett. Rice shouldn't command a huge payday seeing that he's only had one good season in 2009 with Favre and he'll have to answer questions about his injury/surgery. Besides, this team is ready to compete in the playoffs and adding a rookie WR likely won't help that much so focus the early draft pick on a spot that can help...OG, DT, CB. We need someone at WR who can contribute now.

Nobody does it better: http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=7442 "In the eight games since their bye week, the Bears are the only NFL team to call more runs (238) than passes (231). It’s probably no coincidence that they’ve won seven of those eight contests, clinching both a division title and a first-round playoff bye in the process."