Alaskan Grizzly

"What have you seen out of Anquan Boldin to make you think he's a #1 WR? Last year I pointed out issues with him versus the contract he wants. I love the way he plays the game and he'd definitely fit into the Bears persona. He'd even make our WR corps better...but he's not a #1 WR. " I am not quite sure what your definition is of a "#1 receiver" but I would be willing to think that our definitions differ. If it's stats alone then I can point out another WR tandem where the definition could be skewed. New England's Welker and Moss. In 2009; Welker (who most would not consider NE's #1) made 123 receptions (2nd highest in NFL history) for 1,348 yds and 4 TD's. Whereas Moss had 83 receptions for 1,264 yds and 13 TD's. Now as far as points go then Moss clearly is the #1 but is he Brady's #1? Not sure you can think that way if you look at the receptions (123 to 83) meaning Brady looked to Welker quite a bit more. Even in Arizona and for 2009; Boldin had 84 receptions for 1,024 yards and 4 TD's where Fitzgerald had 97 catches for 1,092 yards and 13 TD's. In this case Fitz edged Boldin in receptions (by 13) but Boldin beat out Fitz in Yards by 48 yards. And this was with Boldin not playing a few games because of "injury". "He's too slow and without a true #1 deep threat opposite him those underneath routes he works aren't going to be worth too much. I haven't seen anyone struggle to keep up with him all year. He does make people miss tackles but that comes at the expense of injuries every season. He again missed the playoffs due to injury." Speaking of injury. Even with a broken jaw and his mouth wired shut in 2008 Boldin still managed to get 1,038 yards and 11 TD's. Pretty good considering the hit he took to get that broken jaw. As far as this year goes, and judging by your moniker I would bet you have a better insight, I am willing to bet that Boldin was prepared to play in more games than Whisenhunt was willing to let him play. He had some injuries but a few times stated that he was dissatisfied in the choices made at the coaching level regarding him being able to play. That tells me that he wanted to play but was not allowed to. Why? Could be contract disputes, could be attitude, could be ???? "All this puts him in the solid #2 category for me. We have enough of those guys on our roster at a much lower cap hit. I'd rather keep the upside of a young Iglesias in the mix versus the downside of Boldin at the end of his career and his $9million cap hit. That money will have a lot better effect on wins if it's spent on fixing the Oline or Dline." With Boldin, even if he is what you consider a "solid #2" he is better than the current #1 candidates on the Bears roster. He is a proven commodity versus a speculative one in Iglesias. What has Iglesias accomplished in the NFL thus far? Could he be the next Jerry Rice or could he be the next Airese Curry? Don't you think that Cutler would prefer to work with at least one receiver that has some mileage on him and is a proven stat leader than all youngsters? I know I would be at better peace knowing that someone like Boldin was on the team for the youngsters to get some pointers from. Sure the current WR's on the rosters could prove to be electrifying over time but in the meantime bringing Boldin (or someone like him) could definitely move thing faster in that direction.

"Realistically" I think the OL will pretty much stay the same, save Pace and maybe Omiyale staying on the team. I could see the Bears looking at getting one OL through either FA or draft. I still believe if a strong candidate at WR is out there then that should be the Bears first play. Having a strong veteran WR can only better the young crop of WR's currenlty on the team. As far as this FS concern, I think the article recently regarding revamping the Def to a 3-4 stance and moving Tillman to FS could and should be a thing they seriously consider. (Think Mike Brown)

I like this, for the most part. I cringe just a little about the idea of having a "Ryan" back in the mix at Chicago but then again Lovie is not Ditka. And, if Rob is anything like his brother then I think he could be just what the Bears need in someone fiery on the sidelines. And who knows, with the possibility of Lovie gone next year he (Rob) could be looking at the possibility of the lead gig. I like the idea of the Bears going to a 3-4 especially with the ideas that were listed in the article. The big draw is putting someone like Urlacher in a position where he doesn't have to cover the whole middle of the field. I also like the idea of Peanut moving to FS. He has lost a step or two on coverage but does have speed. The one idea that I am not keen on is going after someone like Sean Rogers. I feel that Anthony Adams is sufficient and would do fine as a NT. He has the size and what do you really need from a NT other than to plug the middle? Beyond that getting someone like Seymour would be nice but unlikely. Why not keep Idonije(sp?) especially that he has a lot of strength and could develop as a pass rusher? Or even Brown, Ogunleye and Anderson rotating on the Ends? I really think the money needs to be spent on the Offensive side first and foremost. I think the Bears should persue a high profile FA WR then maybe an OL before they go and start tweaking the Defense too much.

All this FA talk has gotten me thinking. Given Cutler likes Shannahan and he is now in Washington: would you be willing to trade Cutler to Washington for a 1st and/or 2nd and Jason Campbell? Campbell isn't all that a horrible QB and the Bears can get back two of the draft picks they probably will need come next year. I, for one, would not want Cutler to go anywhere but just thought I would throw that out there. Food for thought.

"Against Minny, we were moving the pocket a lot more, and using Cutler the way we should, but you can only do that so much. Final game was against Minny, who has a pass rush weaker than ours." What?? With both the Williams', Jared Allen, Jimmy Kennedy and Ray Edwards? They have a worse pass rush than the Bears?? "No, I do not think our OL is close to settled. I think Williams replacing Pace is a great start, but I am not happy with anyone we have projecting to RT at the moment. Also, while Omiyale improved, that is a very relative comment. Garza is not awful, but not good either. And Kreutz is near the end, and many thing the end was a few years ago." I am pretty sure that most here, myself included, would be ok with Omiyale being shown the door. I believe Beekman is ready to come into his own. I would be much better with leaving Garza where he is and ok with Kreutz returning. Williams is definitely the long term solution on the left (better be after the draft choice he cost) and maybe Shaffer is the answer (for now) at Right. If not then maybe one pickup for RT could do the trick. In that I would be inclined to use either the 3rd or 4th round pick and entertain other players later in the preseason for G/C. "OL played better at the end, but comments like yours exemplify my greatest concern. Just because it played well for a game or two does not mean it isn't in need of fixing. I am sure you would say the same for the WR position, but here are the differences, IMHO." Not sure why my comments "concern" you as I was only agreeing with the previous poster. And I was trying to make a point in not venturing in FA with the thought the Bears should waste money on OL when there are higher and more valuable skill players available IE: Boldin and Marshall. To me, that is where you make the money. I think the problem with the Bears' OL from last year was the inability to solidify and work as a true unit. As far as the rest, it is pretty clear you and I disagree what the Bears priorities are and again, are off topic. I still like Boldin over any other FA...RB or otherwise.

"You look at what Cutler and the WRs did the last two games. Key in those games was the protection and time Cutler had. I would take that over the span of 16 games. Wouldn't you? If you want to help the passing game, start w/ the OL. I don't care if we added Fitzgerald. If Cutler is on his back, he can't get the ball to Fitz." Ah ha, so you admit that the current OLmen could work if coached by the right person (Tice)? No need to go out to the FA market to sign another Pace or Shaffer or Omiyale? "Boldin is a hell of a WR, but once again, he showed an inability to stay healthy. We suffer through enough injuries w/o trading away players/ picks to add more injury prone players." I don't know that I would call Boldin "injury prone" unless you consider when he had his head almost removed in '08 and still managed to play again despite having his mouth wired shut....injury prone. This year he was injured a bit more than advertised and I believe held out a few games not because of injury but instead he and Whisenhunt not getting along. My money is he would have still played in those games if allowed. "Josh Reed? In 8 NFL seasons, his best season was less than what Bennett gave us this year. Why would we want him?" Ok, maybe Reed is a bit of a stretch but maybe he and the rest on the list could find themselves in a better enviornment with a QB like Cutler and the soon to be named OC. "Disagree. I don't care who we bring in. If we do not fix the OL, no system in the world is going to run well." See my earlier comments. How do you fix the OL again? Keep what you got and fix it or spend more money on other FA's?

"A quote from JA about TJ when he made the trade with the Jets was that he promised TJ he would try to accomadate him after the season when he demanded a trade after the Bears drafted Benson. When a player demands a trade it doesn't sound like he is happy with his current team. The so called rift between Cutler and Urlacher as first reported by the well-traveled Bobby Wade and then a attributed more recently to a comment heard in an interview by a player who was injured during the first half of the first game of the season( which BTW Cutler agreed with). The local media hear in Chicagoland has said that most of the players get along with each other and the fact that you mention 2 of a 53 man roster is a very low %." I think we are getting off topic but I will give your comment due diligence. I believe the above reply was to your generalization that "we have a bunch of guys that like each other" so I pointed out the top two "leaders" of the team and recalled their disagreements. I really doubt "2 out of 53" is all you would find are discontented with their current situation. "How many SB trophies do the Steeler have totally? How many this decade? If you answer these questions truthfully you realize that this is a successful franchise." As far as this microcosm with regards to the Steelers being so successful, the same could have been said had we had this discussion about the Bears in the 80's. In fact if we were to compare the franchises in whole the Bears would come out on top with 9 total Championships (since their inception in 1919) versus the Steelers 6 total championships. And this from Wikipedia: "The Bears have the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with 26 members. The Bears have also recorded more regular season and overall victories than any other NFL franchise." That seems pretty successful to me. I think realisitcally it is all in the eye of the beholder. What's done is done. Let's see how the next decade goes. I still like Boldin before any RB or any other player for that matter in FA.

"IMO if I had been JA I would have kept a pissed off TJ and Benson because it seems that animosity served the team well. Now we have a bunch of guys who supposedly like each other and they have missed the playoffs 3 straight years." Actutally, I don't think TJ was "pissed off" until he was traded away to the Jets (until he found himself one game away from returning to the Super Bowl that is). Conversely, Benson was "pissed off" before. And I don't think that there are a bunch of players that "like each other" ergo Cutler and Urlacher, on this team. "As for Bell he is what he is an undrafted free agent RB we have gotten more than we expected from him and if he gives us anything more we should be considered fortunate.The Steelers unearthed a gem like Willie Parker and still used a first round pick on Mendenhall." I'm not sure of the point here. Bell could very well be the "gem" you compare to in Willie Parker so why would you think the Bears should consider a high pick like Mendenhall if Forte is already in the mix? "This is how successful teams (Pittsburgh) operate and the Bears should start to do the same." Sorry, I didn't realize that 9-7 and out of the playoffs was considerd "successful".

"Marshall - I don't think he is going to be an UFA, and we don't have the ammo to trade for him, even if we wanted to." Actually I believe Marshall will be an RFA and regardless I hear Seattle is making a push for him. With Carroll now there, things could get challenging for a team like the Bears to go into a bidding war. And as far as "ammo" I would offer up a player like Urlacher or even Hester in trade talks and entertain whatever the team the Bears talk to in regards to other players. The Bears are most definitely in the "beggas can't be choosers" role this next year. "Cribbs - Um, not a WR. Hester is more of a WR than Cribbs. We already tries to take an elite return man and make him into something he is not. You really want to try and do this again?" Cribbs is actually listed as WR even though he played QB in college (compared to Hester's prior experience at CB). And his size (6'1" 215) versus Hester (5'11" 190) makes him a much more targetable WR. Especially given his speed and weight. He would be a great over the middle type receiver. He is more along the size of Aromashadu who I definitely hope the Bears keep around. As far as the rest; Knox - maybe one to two years left with speed being his main attribute (and depending on his later season injury), Bennett - I like him as a #3 in most cases. Beyond that they can all go. "Harrison - Seriously. His game was going downhill fast. Not a team in the league wanted him last year, and now he is simply a year older and further removed." All the more reason to consider him. The Bears won't have a lot in the way of bargaining chips to offer up so why not try him out for one year? Think Muhammad. He was a great pick up for the Bears who did OK (probably due to Orton running the offense) but when he returned to Carolina he turned out to be a pretty good utility receiver behind Steve Smith. Another few notables that I totally forgot about; Anquan Boldin will probably be looking for a new home and next to Cutler I would be willing just about to give anything to bring him in as a #1 WR. Since Angelo tried once already maybe Boldin will appreciate that fact and appreciate that he would be the man at WR if he came to Chicago. The list continues: Antonio Bryant, Steve Breaston, Braylon Edwards (probably too much money and depends on how far the Jets make it), Josh Reed and Troy Williamson - once a first rounder who recently was heard to say that he would like to "duke it out with Brad Childress". That would be fun to see especially since he could see him twice in the same year. One other notable RB to consider is Leon Washington. He will probably be the odd man out with the Jets with TJ being the perrenial 1,000 yard back and the surge of the rookie Green. Washington definitely has the game breaker ability and has shown he could play alongside another showcase RB, in this case Forte. "I am not saying that we should not even consider adding a WR, but I sure don't want to put any legit amount of money there. IMHO, there are 4 areas of top ticket need (OL, DL, FS, CB). I doubt we can afford DL or CB, as those two units are simply so expensive. I think we should be able to afford OL and FS though." Agreed. But in the long run a lot of what comes down the pike in regards to eventually signing players depends on who is chosen as the new OC.

I think (hope) the Bears learned their lesson after the Thomas Jones / Cedric Benson affair from a few years ago. If you recall, Benson was labeled the whiner as he didn't get the ball enough (especially as a number 4 overall pick) so off went TJ. Then a bit later off went Benson. I think leaving things as they are, in the RB dept, is the best course of action. Forte will get better and I think there is something there with Bell. And I believe that Wolfe offers a different angle with his size and Sproles - like ability. I think upsetting the apple cart at this point would prove detrimental, especially with a malcontent like McGahee. If it came down to it and the Bears thought they HAD to have another back then I'd say go with Taylor. He's a real decent player and person. Reminds me a lot of TJ in fact. I say the money needs to go toward a WR (Marshall, Cribbs or even Harrison) and OL.

I have to also agree. Not sure what all the excitement is about not hurrying the process. There are plenty of viable candidates out there that are on teams that are in the playoffs that could be interviewed. Leslie Frazier is one that comes to mind. He is currently the DC at Minnesota and being looked at for a few HC spots but what's to say that he wouldn't think about coming to the Bears staff as the DC knowing that Lovie may not be around after next year? He does have ties to Chicago after all. Who knows? Speaking of "who knows", what happens if Lovie does get the team into the playoffs next year? Is he a repeat of Marvin Lewis: who was in a similar status this time last year, and was just voted the AFC coach of the year? What then?? In the meantime: GO CARDINALS!!!!

I'll cut to the chase, if Warner can stay healthy it'll be Arizona vs Indianapolis in the SB this year with Peyton winning his second ring.

For some reason my vote won't register but if it did, I would go with the second pick. I am one of the few that would like to see Lovie stay where he is for one more year. I wasn't so sure a few weeks ago that would happen but have more confidence after these last few weeks. As far as the OC and DC go, I am all for the expulsion of Babich and Turner. Who instead? We shall see. However things work out I would like to congratulate Lovie and the team in these last two wins especially with the defense missing as many starters as they were. Here's to an improved 2010.

"Shoulda, coulda, didn't" is what I hear. Wasn't Turner also the one that missed an opportunity to get Cutler on the roster at University of Illinois when he was coaching there? I'm not saying he doesn't know how to judge (or use) talent but... http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/04/be..._by_m.html#more And with as much nepotism as there are in sports, makes you wonder why it is Ron's brother doesn't have him helping out in San Diego? Turner needs to go away and stop talking. HERE'S TO A SAFE AND AWESOME 2010!!!!

I'm all for keeping Tinosomoa. The few games he did play in (Preseason included) he showed some nice speed and solid hitting and tackling ability. He is the type of player that I like; one that enjoys the team he is on and is a veteran where younger players can benefit from. That and he has the skills I mentioned before. Now, if he could just stay healthy then the Bears might have something. As mentioned before, if for some reason he weren't able to make it back then I still say the Bears need to look at signing someone like Derrick Brooks as he too has a lot of potential left. And before someone assumes incorrectly, I am not advocating for the Bears to stay with the Cover 2. Especially given the advanced age of the aforementioned players and Urlacher. In fact, what seemed to be working pretty well last Monday was more the traditional 4-3 defense. Seemed to keep Favre off balance especially early on.

Consider the source first off, Huffington Post (of hotel magnate Arianna Huffington) is a place for controversial topic speak usually in the political arena. Things probably are slow in that category so this sounded like a story to follow up on. And even if he did...so what??? Was it not all that long ago that Chicago had Iron Mike pacing the sidelines cussing, spitting, grabbing himself (and occasionally players - McMahon) throwing gum at fans etc? Chicago is the city with "broad shoulders" right? As the guys on ESPN would say, "C'mon man!!!"

My best, and uneducated, guess would be that to analyze talent in "gametime" situations. That and they are "depleted" at the CB position for the one. With Basanez, I think that since he is the #3 QB they probably need to assess what sort of trade value, if any, that he may have. Remember the Bears are going into the offseason with no picks for rounds 1 and 2. Not that he would garner that type of attention but he could be a potential cog in negotiations. I mean after all who knew Denver would be willing to accept Orton part of the Cutler deal? And the last game of the season is a good time to give someone like that (Basanez) a chance to play and showcase him.

As an advocate for not necessarily "cleaning house" I think I would actually be ok with this one. I am a fan of Lovie's but have a pretty strong suspicion that his days in Chicago are numbered. (Is it possibly I am out of touch....being in Alaska and all?). I considered drawing comparisons to what would have happened to teams like Philadelphia and Cinncinati had they expunged their coaches after not instantly returning to the Super Bowl (Philly) or at all (Cincy)? Yet in both cases Reid, who was just re-signed and Lewis, who appears on resurgence have their teams showing strong signs of life after a few minor tweaks here and there. Another thing that I am really resiliant to is that "BIG NAME" especially the money that would be involved and for what? What happens in a few years if the Bears still haven't made it to a Super Bowl or *gasp* not even a playoff game? Again, this is my arguement to keep the likes of Cowher and Shannahan at bay. And I believe it was Pix that made the case for how a lot of what ills Chicago is not the fault of Angelo. In fact he has done quite a bit for the team but the other parts of the staff has been unable to use the tools provided. Believe me a few years ago I would have been great with Angelo leaving but now am glad he did not. Then I started to think about the restructuring aspect and still keeping Lovie. I mentioned a while back that I liked the idea of Fisher or Tony Dungy coming to Chicago as the HC and thought that the Bears could leave Lovie in Chicago as the DC and maybe someone like Martz as the OC. However circumstances as they are, none of that seems plausible any longer. But with this article I have restored hope. I didn't know a lot about this Heimerdinger but with this article not only do I know more about him I now am pretty satisfied he could be exactly what the Bears need. Especially given all the roots and ties he has to Cutler and Illinois. Just seems logical and right. Besides that I just got a really nice Cutler jersey for Christmas. Apparently the shop owners where my wife picked it up, who are all from Chicago, were incredulous to the fact that I really wanted one. I will probably be wearing it on Monday night when I go into work, sans the bag on head. In the meantime....Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year. Dave

I couldn't help but see the other sub-headline regarding the players "rallying around Lovie". Will have to see about that story. Meanwhile it is good if not refreshing to see someone like Hester make a candid comment regarding what he sees is ailing the Bears. That primarily being Turner and his inabilities.

Darn, here I was envisioning Kreutz at Center with Incognito and Joe Runyan (who was a FA not long ago) on one side with Williams and Garza on the other. That one side alone would be scary for sure, if not physically then psychologically. Of course there would be about 200 yards in penalties from just the OL by itself each game but Oh well....

I can only imagine a fist fight between Kreutz and Icognito, while at the range, with Kreutz getting the broken jaw this time.

Ok 'MadLith McCaskey', my first question would be what type of contract would you be offering Shannahan? You say you are going to give him not just OC but GM too. You're talking Parcell money here which I would imagine is a bit more than Lovie is making right now. Secondly, in relation to this 'contract' how long and are there incentives? I mean i would guess he would need at least three years (maybe longer) to turn things around and implement all these changes you suggest. And considering the impatience already expressed by the fans here and out there how long do you and he have to get things on the right track? A lot of what ifs??? One being what if Cutler is lost (God forbid) for part or all the season? Is Hanie a Cutler-like QB that will fit the bill for that patch? You are talking ALOT of money in FA aquisitions alone. Don't forget 2011 is looming and the do or die CBA. Just a few questions to ponder. I'm looking forward to your reply.

First I would like to recognize the class that is Pixote. He worded my sentiments exactly in how he (ergo I) feels about the team and their performance this year. I admit at times I don't feel like walking in public after some losses but not because I am ashamed but instead it's that I just don't want to hear anyone else's comments on how they think the Bears suck etc. (Alaska is full of GB and Seattle fans). Regardless, I go out after "pouting" for a little bit and look forward to watching the Bears play next week. And if they lose again and again ... Guess i'll just keep watching again and again. If the season goes in the tank I still can't wait for next season to start. I would feel the same way if the Bears won the Super Bowl this year by the way. By the by, those of you with season tickets that would like to give or sell them to a "sucker" such as myself, I'm willing to negotiate. I guarantee you that I won't be wearing a bag. Terra Tor: The only counter I have to your rant is that in the article that was cited Urlacher was mentioned to be "fiercely loyal to Lovie Smith" so in consequence could not necessarily be calling the "team" out as much as perhaps his expressing his frustration with not being able to play. And although I don't always agree with your "rants" and what is said at least I know where your loyalties lie.

It isn't that far fetched and could happen. Just ask either Cleveland and / or Pittsburgh (depending on the angle). I mean really, the Bears didn't play that badly against the Packers the last time they met. Rodgers is prone to mucho sacks and the occasional safety ( thanks Danieal) because of his own porous line. Ne'er the less the factors RME mentioned. Mad Lith: I know you want change at the end of the season and may have missed it elsewhere but what would your solution be to fixing what ills the Bears?

Sorry but you kinda contradict yourself here. You compare both Manning and Cutler in regards to tenure (past and future) not skill. With that in mind wouldn't you want instead to cater to a QB that for all intent and purpose is the new face of the Franchise? If not just for the Offense alone?