Alaskan Grizzly

You say Tomato, I say TomAHto. I plugged in the percentage of the actual catches to targets. I interpret that Hester did "pedestrian" compared to the other three that you showed as an example. Especially given that he didn't blow the doors off the other three in the percentages and theoretically being the #1. By the way you left out Olsen in your figures. What was his ratio? Another thing to notice was the TD production. Hester paled in that regard to two of the three you mentioned. And to Olsen, who made 8 trips to the endzone by the way. And one last thing to mention is that Aromashadu made his stats in 9 games not the 12 that Hester played in. There is almost no question in my mind that Aromashadu will (should) be #1 next year and Bennett will be the "clutch" receiver. Whatever ends up happening, I am pretty excited about the potential given that all the receivers you mentioned were either in their rookie year or first year playing full time. Olsen is the most experienced of the group and he has only been on the team for 4 years.

I know there was a post somewhere where I actually disproved that Hester was the #1 receiver. I think the only stat he led was YPG. And it was 4 not 3 games that he missed. And being "on pace" versus actually making a 1,000 yards are two different things. Ironically I find it funny that you compare Boldin - who you say is injury prone to Hester who was...injured for those 4 games. But, as I proved in my earlier post, Boldin still outproduced Hester, and he's a #2. Aromashadu did more overall with less time (9 games) and PROBABLY would have been even more meaningful to the team had Cutler been able to get him in the rotation sooner. Thusly, having someone like Aromashodu get more "looks" or catches as opposed to Hester would indeed improve the overall receiving game. I even believe that Knox and Bennett getting more looks will improve the game, especially with one full year under their belts.

There is a lot of speculative thinking in this post. A lot of "I think" and "Tice amd Martz seem..." say you not only don't know exactly how things are going to go you HOPE they do. Two things you said; "He took an ultra-talented team...and turned it into a steaming pile" which year are you referencing? The year they went to the Super Bowl or ??? That year would contradict you statemen. The second; "He (Martz) single handedly cost the Rams a SuperBowl..." Which Super Bowl was it? He did make it to two while coaching with the Rams after all. And his overall record as an HC is 56-36 (per Wikipedia) which in myh book is not a losing trend. As far as the Defensive side. Most here would agree that the Defense improved in the last two games of the season. Especially in that game against Minnesota. The Defense played inspired and seemed pretty happy when they sacked Favre, or caused Peterson to fumble. And this was despite 4-5 of their starters not being in the game. What was that again about "undeveloped talent"?. Now if the trend continues and someone like Marinelli is running the "D" with his "sis boom bah" type of coaching, who knows? They could end up being pretty darn good. I believe that Pix was being speculative too about how things are going to be in the coming year. But at least it's positive speculation. I have to agree that if your are so dissatisfied with the direction of this team and want to follow another team until the Bears rise to prominence once again, then please enjoy watching your new team. My money's on the Bears making it back to the playoffs in the next season. See you then.

Nicely done MadLith. This is the most optimistic I've seen you in awhile. What's this world coming to? I also agreed twice in one week with Terra Tor. Holy Cow. And DaBearzSox... you do know that that McCaskey's are direct decendants of #6 that MadLith referenced above right? To not have them in the mix would be like taking the apple out of the pie.

Ding, ding, ding. Now we're talkin'!!!! "Trade for Boldin or Marshall". Sounds like a great idea. And I'm not so sure that taking Hester out of the WR rotation makes things "worse". He really isn't that integral.

For what its worth: 4850-4900 yards passing. (He will scare a lot with closing in on 5,000) 35-38 TD's 19 INT's 20 +/- Sacks (which could nullify most other stats) And 10 Rushing TD's. I envision Martz doing a lot of his "greatest show on turf" but a fair amount of rollouts for Cutler. Additionally, Forte will resemble Faulk a lot. I see him doing more outside running and a lot of screens and catches out of the backfield.

The fact that I continue to agree with Terra is starting to unnerve me. In fact, I couldn't agree more. I would go as far as to say and suggest that Hester is done (or should be) as a WR, slot or otherwise. In fact, the Bears should showcase his return abilities maybe in training camp, and that he still has "it" , and trade him before the season. The Bears missed their opportunity a few years back but there is still hope on his value.

Although I don't agree wholeheartedly with TerraTor about the "useless" tag for Hester, I agree (scary in its own right) that Hester is out of place and as you agree, definitely not a #1. I did a comparison, using Rotoworld, to stats with all the other receivers for the Bears (in 09); Aromashodu, Bennett, Knox, Olsen and Hester. Hester actually rated 2nd in total yards to Bennett (682 - 690), 2nd in catches to Olsen (54 - 55) and 3rd in TD's (3 - Knox 5 - Olsen 7). He did get #1 in average yards a game (56.8 - Bennett 46). Aromashodu made his stats in only 9 games and not all the players, save Olsen, played more than 15 games. So the idea of "ASSUMING" that Hester would make the "80+ catches, over 1000 yards and 6-8 TD's" is not only an anti-sure bet but possibly would still not make him a number 1. In fact the fact that he missed those 4 games doesn't bode well for his durability. I took the numbers from Eddie Royal who is/was Denver's #2 and through 15 games in 08 he got 91 catches for 980 yards and 5 TD's whereas in '09 with 14 games he caught 37 passes for 345 yards with 0 TD's. Something you will notice is the dropoff from 08 to 09 and possibly the coincidence of Cutler not being their QB. Whereas Cutler being the QB in Chicago in 09 did not dramatically bring Hester up to loftier numbers('08- 51/665 yds for 3 TD and '09 54/682 for 3 TD). This despite his (Hester's) alleged rise to the #1 WR spot. Lastly, Boldin I believe is the more #1 the Bears need to consider. Not only is he adequate in size but that is his "natural" position. His stats for 09 and in 14 games 81/986 yards and 4 TD's. So, Hester is not really "useless" as a WR but instead he is more misplaced and missing out on his true talent at KR and PR. I fear he has passed his other value in trade value.

Right, if the Bears stayed with the Tampa 2. The premise for moving Tillman to FS was that I had recently read a suggestion of the Bears looking at the 3-4 base defense. And in that role, Tillman would be just about right for the FS. The big lure for me is having 4 LB's at the middle level, especially with as much passing that goes on and especially the "dink and dunk" type associated with the West Coast style. That is a killer for the Tampa 2, as has been evidenced over the last few years. Rhodes would still be a sweet pickup though.

As awesome as it would seem and in a word: No. He was available last year for negotiations and I don't think the Bears even sniffed that direction. I think he may need to much money, which we all know is a repellent....usually. As far as a FA that is still out there unsigned that I would really like to see come to Chitown; Derrick Brooks.

I am a fan of the highlight reel. Found one on You tube that is pretty decent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF_Z3IMwevM I know the Lovie detractors will point out the middle segment, which coincidently is where the season soured (in the middle). But I will counter with those same people who claimed that Lovie had "lost the team/locker room" with the segment of video at the end. Especially the section with the second Viking's game. Looks to me like a lot of players really wanting to win and pretty happy when they eventually did. Another positive to take away from this video. Besides all the the good things that occured over the WHOLE season (many I even forgot about) is to think about how young this team is. The possibilities are endless. Go Bears 2010.

I concede my vote Mr. Giant. Nice research and good points indeed. I guess I wasn't looking at the age factor on Atogwe. I totally missed that. You are right. And the counter on Tillman is a good point, especially if you compare him to how Mike Brown fared, however not so sure that Tillman would be exposed to nearly the damage you think he would at FS. That comes with more the SS position. FS is more like a third CB with more room to roam. Anyhow, it would be all moot if someone like Rhodes were the man that was brought in. Good choice.

As much as a supporter for Lovie that I am I could not agree more. He will have a fair number of folks around him that not only does he favor but some people that are pretty good at what they do. So who is in store for the DC job???

"One thing that the two papers agree on is that this process shouldn't take that much longer. It looks like Martz or Vikings quarterbacks' coach Kevin Rogers will get the job. Hayes says Rogers remains a "strong candidate" after an impressive interview." Of the two, if this is truly close to the end of the process, I say go with Martz. I think the key could be that Martz assured the staff that he could work around his "pass happy ways" which we all know has to be the case. Even if Cutler wants to be the first to throw 5,000 yds in a season, affording Forte the opportunity to get better and match (or better) his rookie stats is even more crucial.

Forget about any of the RFA's, especially since their current teams pretty much have first dibs on them. If they are "top candidates" in either category then that will be something difficult for the Bears to match. I consistently see many here suggest the Bears are in need of a new (or improved) FS for the defense. (IMHO - still think needs first and foremost are on Offense). But if you were to entertain the FA route then there are few here that are worth considering. Again, if the Bears were to persue this RFA (unlikely) then my money would be on someone like the Rams Otogwe. He is good, consistent and probably ready to make the move to another team as did Tinoisomoa, Pace and Archuleta (and possibly Martz) did before him. Otherwise if money was no issue (or so was reality for that matter) than I would do all I could to get someone like Darren Sharper. He was available last year and the Bears squandered their opportunity. I still like the suggestion some time back about the conversion to the the 3-4 with Tillman playing FS. This type of move allows the Bears to work with what they got. Think about the LB positon with Urlacher, Briggs, Tinoisomoa and Roach(?) all working at the "second level" of the defense. Sounds pretty intriguing.

Connor, couldn't agree with you more. This is obviously an op-ed piece written by another disgruntled Bears fan. It has as much creedance as a claim that aliens live on Pluto. Wait, Pluto isn't a planet... Anyhow, most of you will recall that Tom Coughlin was in a similarly tenuous spot as Lovie when the season ended. Jerome Bettis even came out during the end of the season saying that Cowher wanted to go to New York. What's to say he (Cowher) wasn't "assembling a staff" to go to New York? Good luck Lovie and the Bears in 2010.

Yeah since he is in Division it would only go to reason that he would not come to Chicago. But so far little has made complete sense. His long resume doesn't impress me much. If he's been around that long why not something more prestigious? Just another interview more than likely. Means he'll be the new OC.

"Yes! Although I did say it as a joke, I'll take your jab accepting full responsibility that I indeed did write that. You are also one of the "masochists" I refer to. We all are. The term is meant as strong statement (albeit maybe a bit over the top...I'm not running for office here, so I have a bit more leeway) that we seem to dismiss the pain and aguish over a poorly run franchise and keep coming back for more. Here's the definition: A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences. Sound familiar?" I think when it comes to being an actual masochist, you have to KNOW that you are going to experience unpleasantness or subject yourself to a trying experience. Why would we watch the game knowing the Bears were going to lose every time and put ourselves through that? That's not what happened 7 out of 16 games last season. Who would've thought the Bears would have won the second game against the Vikings? Or earlier in the season when they beat the defending champion Steelers? If I knew that the Bears would have lost every game, I wouldn't bother. Heck if I wanted to be a true masochist I would become a Detroit Lions fan. I don't like pain or torture. It's about the element of surprise I suppose or believing that the team will prevail. Not just Lovie, not just Angelo, not just Cutler or Urlacher even but the team. Hence why you and I and most of the other folks here are fans of the Bears. "And if wearing a burlap sack is all it took for us to get a Super Bowl win, I'd wear one every freakin' day! I'm glad your offer still stands. Not sure why you reference it in your counterpoint to my post as I'm not a season ticket holder, and I too in fact would buy someone's season tickets. I guess I just have a tendency to subject myself to unpleasant or trying experiences. But a regular game ticket, I'm not buying until there's a regime change." Good, that will allow someone like me to get a better seat at the game. And, my reference to the "season ticket holder" is not so much towards you but those that have thrown up their hands in disgust and said they can't do it anymore. Could be "steam blowing" I suppose but for me, patience.

This coming from someone who said he would wear a bag over his head. Maybe you and your fellow "masochists" should put on the burlap getup, look what it did for the Saints? Meanwhile, my offer still stands. Those of you so fed up, so peeved, so embarrassed, so disenchanted; I will be more than happy to purchase your season holder tickets. I live in Alaska and can't even make every game but I'll still buy them and try and get to Chicago whenever I can.

So long Brett. Maybe.... I was thinking about buying a new TV, which do you recommend?

Thank you. This is pretty much the same stuff that I have been saying. I like the article you included as it uses "conventional wisdom" and common sense as the approach. I totally agree about the position coaching (Tice) in that how many ways are you going to teach a grown man how to block other than maybe one or two techniques to help the process? Or maybe Tice will come along and make the linemen and TE's work harder. I mean after all he was a pretty decent TE himself. (So was Ditka right?). This idea of waiting is really not a big deal and speculation abounds that the team has no direction or idea of what its doing. The thought that the Bears could be waiting until after the SB only strengthens my belief. Like I said in another post, noone starts the real offseason until March anyhow so just chill out. Watch the Daytona 500 next month. One last point. I am at a further loss as to why the folks are concerned with Cutler having to continuously learn new schemes each time and speculate, given the tenuous situation that Lovie is in, he will have to learn another next year. Let me ask you this, what happens if Lovie and crew does better than many anticipate (see hope) and if they hire a REAL good OC, what's to say he isn't the HC this time next year if plan A doesn't work out? Then there won't be this changing Offensive strategy again as many speculate. Jay's a smart kid, he'll adapt.

"Honestly, you're right...it doesn't matter, and more likely could be a plus that Smith is backing off slightly in recruiting due to the interview. His desires have been busts and I'd rather have Jerry doing it than Smith. " Ok so we are cool here. Not sure that not having Lovie's say in the recruitment process is necessarily a bad thing. Angelo isn't always right on the money. But really, we're talking about 3rd round talent here....who could they entertain there? Just curious. "Waitng is a HUGE problem. How can it not be? The longer you take the get a staff in order, the less time you have to prepare. Als, the longer you wait, the fewer top candidates are out there. It also gives off 2 impressions. 1. They don't know what they want or know what they're doing 2. No one wants to come here with a lame duck staff The longer things take, the more fuel goes to those 2 fires. Perception isn't everything. But it's a lot." Back when Smith was hired in 2004, Nick Saban (who turned down the job), Romeo Crennel and Jim Mora Jr. were leading candidates. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=evIsA...smith&hl=en Saban, as we know moved onto Alabama after bailing on the Dolphins and well we know what happened with Crennel (fired once) and Mora Jr. (twice). Of course with Lovie as HC the Bears made the Super Bowl in '06, where did the three teams the other candidates end up? My point is, you may find a better prospect in the rough if you show more patience. I realize that most coaches may "percieve" the short term impication or lame duck or whatever, but what's to say that candidate couldn't be the next #1 next year if he does really well at leading the OC? "If I'm NO or Indy I could care less. Were in the SB! And one will win it. Deal with issues after that. It's a small price to pay for winning it all. Everyone else who lost, gets a small advantage then. I'm sorry, I just do not buy the spin that this lingering search is good. It's rationalization based on fallacy. And that fallacy is that the powers that be know what they're doing." Two thoughts here; first what's to say that the Bears might be looking at a member of either the Colts or Saints staff that interests them? I know you and I can speculate either way but see my earlier notes and think about it. Secondly, so how did things work out for Pittsburgh again after winning the Super Bowl? Where did they finish the season?

That is awesome he was chosen but my money is that he won't be able to play either. Probably wouldn't be a good idea anyhow.

First, I don't see any problem with Lovie staying in Chicago to help in the assistant search. The Senior Bowl doesn't play until this weekend anyhow, how long do you think it will take to interview they guy if he comes in tomorrow? Lovie could be at the practices by Wednesday and get updates from the scouts. Secondly, I still don't see how waiting is a problem. If it was in August I would be worried but the season isn't completely over yet. Hell, New Orleans and Indianapolis haven't even started getting ready for next year. What if they were to lose some of their coordinators after the Super Bowl? They would be that farther behind in their search. I understand the trepidation and concerns but what is the rush with all this? Teams can't even start any of the "off season" work until March. Relax. What would you guys do if the season were 18 weeks and the Super Bowl was played in March??? C'mon Man!!!

I think there could be something good from this idea. I like that Ochocinco, Houschyourmama (a 7th round pick originally eh? - hmmm...Knox), Chris Henry and the younger Laverneous Coles all flourished with this guy's coaching. Pair that with while at USC he scouted and recommended bot Palmer and Leinart (Heisman winners no doubt) probably means he knows something about QB development. Lastly he not only looks to have helped Flacco out but worked with the likes of Ray Rice, McClain and McGahee. All who have been steady smash mouth RBs. A staple to play in Chicago. Imagine what could be in store for Aromashadu, Knox, Olsen, Forte, Bell, Cutler and Boldin (thats right I said it) if they brought in a guy like this.