Mongo3451

I think AP gets cut. I think we keep 4. I think we keep 6. Look for a possible veteren FA. I also think Davis is a lock, unless the FA is what he is.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/07/19...ball_outsi.html For all you stat guys out there. I like the way these guys look at stats. It has a link within the article for the entire book if anyone is interested. I'm going to start trying to digest it. It looks as though it may be a good FF tool as well. They are going to post more articles on this later.

Totally agree! He may not set the world on fire this year, but he should have steady stats and a good taste of winning. As LT2_3 pointed out, Cutler has improved his pass/int ratio in each of the past 3 seasons, showing that the arrow is indeed pointing up. Throw in what you said about the ancillary units and you have a QB that can be a little more cautious. I'll also add that his primary weapons are going to be less risk than wideouts as he was using them. I mostly see a good dose of the RB's, TE routes and Hester short and deep. Sure, he'll have to throw some medium range routes to keep the D honest, but it won't be the bread and butter as it was in Denver.

That quote struck me in the forehead when I read it.

I hope you are right and wrong, at the same time. Right about the number of offensive plays we may run.(obviously) Wrong about Fortes' carries not going down. The reason I hope you are wrong is two fold. One - If KJ and Wolfe take some carries away, it means we have total effectiveness in the running game. Two- I really don't want to see Forte diminished by the time he is 27-28. He seems like the type of back that can be an all around asset for a long time and would prefer to see that maximized.

Count me in too... I really loved this off-season. Torry Holt would have been the cherry on top.

I don't know. I was just going off Nfo calling him Hub. You know what they say about assuming...

Me too. However, I would find it intriguing to play a little 3-4. If you look at our depth at LB and the flexibility at on DL we may be able to throw some surprise looks at people. It would be particularly effective against the AP and the Queens.

Nice rebuttal. I think you missed the key point of his article/commentary. 6 reasons why we won't win the SuperBowl. Now, to make a counterpoint as to why we CAN win the superBowl. You can throw in the TE's and Forte as receivers, as well as our depth at DL and corner. IMO - Hubs argument is valid as to why we won't make it. But he increasingly loses credibility with me through his negativity. He's kinda like Randy Quaid in the "Major League" movies. Big fan, just afraid to show optimism.

YES! Best post I've read in a LONG time!

Did I post the wrong video? My intent was to post the top ten D's of all time.

But this one got me.... http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-tota...Top-10-defenses Thoughts, justification???

I'll go one further. I just don't get it. They come out and say, "the commish has launched an investigation", in the last week. Does anyone aim to tell me, he doesn't already have the information he needs??? This garbage has been dragged out long enough. If the commish wants to take a tough stance, fine. But he should have been ready to do what he intended to do the day after Burress got his hearing postponed. He's jerking everyone around just to generate more publicity for his tough guy image. IMO - If Burress legal team would have known Goodell was going to break his pattern of discipline, in Burress case, they probably would have plead out by now so Plax could have at least played next year. In the meantime, Burress can't move on, fans can't move on and teams can't move on. To clarify my statement about Goodell changing his pattern, his M.O. has been to wait for players to at least go through the court process before handing out punishment. Also, I'm all for a suspension whether it be now or after court.

We were hoping for the danger of the two TE set last year, but weren't able to utilize both as recieving threats, due to our lack of OL strength. This year will be interesting, as I don't think Pace and Williams will need "chip block" help to handle their pass protection duties. Plus, Forte will have better release options. Oh, did I mention we have Jay Cutler? The entire playbook is at the ready now. I am still leary of how fast it will all come together. I'll be happy if we are 2-2 at the bye. We have a chance to go 10-2 after...

Remember, in debate, it's hard to bullshit a bullshitter. We agree on more than that my friend. I too believe our ancillary skill positions will be able to off-set and/or enhance our lack of experience at WR, as all those areas look to be better than last year. Also, I have stated elevated expectations in other posts. Here is a snippet of mine from your SD comparison post: " Our arrow is pointing more upward than theirs is though. I expect our O will be around 12th in the NFL this year, which is not bad at all. " What are your thoughts on what our NFL ranking will be? Others comment as well...

There are several things detracting teams from signing Harrison. 1st and foremost. He could have stayed with the Colts with a pay cut he declined to accept. He has a higher value of himself than the market does. 2nd - His skills have clearly eroded. Manning couldn't count on him to make plays last year. 3rd - He's become moody and distant from his team. You can see him sitting by himself during games. Lasly, he's not a big guy so he doesn't have the body to compensate for lack of speed or suddenness.

Disagree with over-rating playing together. Great teams just don't happen overnight. You use Atlanta as a measuring stick, so I'll stay with that. One area they were solid in previous years was OL play and the running game. Take into consideration that running back is the fastest position to develop in the NFL. Given that Michael Turner was not a rookie, he came out of the box blazin'. The Falcons subsequently were 2nd in the NFL in rushing. That almost always gets you in the playoffs. So they at least had cohesion in one main area, OL. BTW - Atlanta could have easily been 6-10 and nobody would have thought differently. Remember, I'm not glooming and dooming. I really think we'll be improved. Just not parallel to SD.

I got that. I'm just not a huge stat guy and don't think the teams compare well. Plus, SD's offense did not just emerge last year. With Cutler, Forte and Olsen there is hope. I just think it will take a little time. Maybe later in the season, we can start putting up those kind of numbers. I'll be happy with our offense if we can score 21 pts/gm and simply win the "Time of Possession" battle on a consistent basis. That will allow the D to remain fresh.

I think the talents of each team are very different. You may be able to pull out stats, but don't think they tell the most important part of the story. Let's start with experience. SD's experience at QB, RB, TE, WR and OL is greater than ours. Our OL may be older, but it transitions into my second point. Continuity. Though I feel Cutler is an elite talent, he is the 1st year of a system. Add to that, he is with all new players. The WR's are also looking at a potential 66% turnover in positions 1-3. RB and TE are set. But, OL is looking at a 60% change from last year. I am not so worried about the OL gelling because of the talent infusion it underwent. We could have had all the continuity in the world last year and our OL would have been below average. Pace alone significantly makes our OL better than last year. Lastly, I finish with individual talent. This is the part that makes each O look completely different. Cutler VS Rivers: You have the mobile cannon in Cutler vs the lightning realease of Rivers. Both are supremely talented in their own right, but Rivers has more tenure with his system and team mates. 2009 goes to Rivers. Forte VS LT: We've seen their individual talents; one is a sure fire Hall of Famer nd the other an up and coming stud. Forte is on the up and LT the down. 2009 goes to Forte. Sproles VS Jones: Sproles kills KJ. 2009 goes to Sproles Bears WR's VS Chargers WR's: Call Hester and Jackson a wash. Although Chambers had a down year last year, he is better than any #2 we have. (BTW - I think he had some injuries last year) Bears are on the upside, but we have nothing proven beyond Hester. 2009 goes to San Diego Bears TE's VS Chargers TE's: We have Olsen, which is widely considered the most up and coming TE in the game this year VS. Gates which is regarded as the best TE in football. Here's the rub, Gates has been hampered with foot injuries the last two seasons. Can he return to form? As of now I call Olsen V Gates a wash. Clark swings it for me. 2009 goes to Bears. OL goes to Chargers. (Tired of typing and I don't think anyone would argue the point) The Bears have an opportunity to have SD's stats this year, but I think it's unrealistic to expect us to catch or surpass them this year based on experience, continuity and availible talent. Our arrow is pointing more upward than theirs is though. I expect our O will be around 12th in the NFL this year, which is not bad at all.

I agree, but other than Hester, we have no WR's I have confidence in. Remember this post is about WR's. I understand we have other weapons, but they are not part of any original argument. Again, WR's only. The pattern is that the only way to make an argument for our WR's is to enhance them with the other skill positions. Point is our WR's will have a hard tim standing on their own merit. Again, I agree Hester can be a #1. Will he? Who knows... I don't think anyone on this board is overlooking that we have a very good set of TE's and good recieving RB. They were never part of the debate though. We are not talking about TE's because we know we are set there. I am not fearful that our offense will not be productive. The addition of Pace and Cutler are huge. I am simply defending Terra Tor's right to say he has no confidence in our WR's. I don't think so. All players mentioned are uniquely different. (even Cutler and Rivers) I actually think there is no team like us. Our WR's just need to grow up quickly or have a veteren talent infusion. The former makes for growing pains, anticipation and excitement. An upgrade like Plax, makes us a contender from the offensive standpoint.

Let's see... He was right about Grossman and Benson. Every other analyst and NFL expert says our WR's are inadequate and you ripping him for that comment? Do you need another 88? Cutler is not going to magically make our WR's starting caliber. It's going to take time and a few heartaches before this recieving corps is considered decent.

Gotta disagree here. Lovie said "trust me" when he let Rivera go. He squarely took ownership at that point

TO's killed too many locker rooms to be considered longer than a year. Marshall is a thug, in the mold of Pac-Man and Chris Henry. Plax is a lazy dumbass. All three are supremely talented and perform on Sunday. I'll take the lazy dumbass as the lesser of the evils. My order would be Plax, Marshall and T.O.