sprout

Too bad he didn't say what leads him to believe Orton has the upper hand. Sounds like speculation to me.

Yeah, hopefully nothing serious. That would be a serious bummer.

Camp starts Wed. So, he's got another day. I think they generally report tonight. 1st practice is tomorow at 3:00pm.

I don't know that Bradley has ever shown anything that would lead me to believe he could be our #1, even when healthy. He would have to make some serious progress for that to happen. He showed some flashes in the past, but that seems like a long time ago now.

He wore #25 in college, but Wolfe has that #.

Sweet. So, are we now keeping 4 backs? If Jones proves to be healthy and ready to play, are Wolfe and AP fighting for job?

Before I had season tickets, I bought single game tickets every year through Ticketmaster without problems. I would suggest: being online and ready right when they go on sale (dial-up doesn't count) don't try and get division games don't try and get warm weather games Whenever I tried to get division games or warm weather games they were always sold out, but I always found cold weather non-division games.

Sorry thought the link copied over: http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/06/23/3785/

from profootballtalk.com BENSON ORDERED TO GET BUILT-IN BREATHALYZER Posted by Mike Florio on June 23, 2008, 12:16 p.m. Free-agent running back Cedric Benson, the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft who was cut earlier this month by the Bears, has been ordered by a judge to install an ignition interlock breathalyzer in his car. Benson was arrested for DUI in the day preceding his release. In May, he was arrested for boating while intoxicated. Benson also must take alcohol counseling courses as a condition of his bail. Meanwhile, Taco Bill has chimed in on the situation with a new Pic of the Day.

Sounds like a good deal all around. Bears get him for 4 extra years and he'll still be young enough to sign another big contract if he continues to perform.

I really just think it's Lovie being Lovie and supporting "his guys". He's just trying to show them support. They may still bring someone in. I think it's way to early to say you're not bringing a rb in, which isn't really what he said. He just said they don't plan to now. Maybe when they get to training camp, Wolfe will some how be even smaller and plans will change.

Exactly. That's why I hope it was just something to say. If they are convinced by seeing guys in mini-camps without pads, then we have a problem. The ony RB on our roster that they should really know what he can do is AP. And what he can do, isn't much. I view the rest of them as unknown commodities right now.

from profootballtalk.com BEARS DON’T PLAN TO ADD A BACK Posted by Mike Florio on June 18, 2008, 11:06 p.m. With 2005 first-round draft pick Cedric Benson now having plenty of time to captain a ship under the influence of Captain Morgan, the Chicago Bears have one less running back on the roster. But they don’t plan to fill that void. More specifically, they don’t plan to fill it by signing a veteran like Shaun Alexander or Ron Dayne. “We don’t have any plans to do that,” Smith said. “From Matt [Forte’] to Adrian Peterson to Garrett Wolfe, to P.J. Pope, Matt Lawrence, we like all of our players and those are the ones that we’re going with.” Then again, if one of the guys currently on the roster blows out a tire during training camp, phones will be ringing, everywhere except on the S.S. Cedric. Sounds like normal coach speak to me. He's not going to talk about bringing other guys in even if it was in the plans.

They are similar only in that they have been disappointing. On the field they are pretty different. Jones has elite speed, can run inside and out, and can break tackles. His lack of performance issues have mainly been injury related. We probably should combine these threads.

If he is going to be ready to compete for a job by training camp, I'd bring him in. He would be legit competition for Forte. I like the idea of having someone to push him and we don't have that person now. I'd like to have more than one every down back with the potential to be above average on our roster. The key is his health. Of all the veteran free agent rb's out there, I think he has the most potential.

If I remember correctly, he had a below average rookie season (as a corner), but had a pretty solid 2nd season. I think he's considered a "good" corner, who's still young and has a lot of potential (on the field).

If they are actually having a QB competition, it is way to early to name a starter. They should already know who they want after mini-camps and ota's? You need to at least wait until you are into training camp. Maybe in training camp you can designate a #1, but even then I would imagine they will gave both guys shots with the #1 offenses and against #1 defenses in preseason. Unless one of them really sucks in training camp, I don't think we'll know who the starter is until after a couple preseason games.

According to profootballtalk.com, he showed up and the sent him home: BEARS TO BOUNCE BENSON? Posted by Mike Florio on June 9, 2008, 4:32 p.m. The initial reports were that Bears running back Cedric Benson failed to report for the continued voluntary Organized Team Activities in Chicago. As it turns out, Benson showed up, and the team sent him home. “I know that he went to practice today and [coach] Lovie [smith] told him to go home,” Benson’s lawyer, Sam Bassett, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I don’t know if it’s because of the publicity or because it’s a distraction, or if the Bears are trying to decide what to do. He’s just kind of waiting to see what they tell him and what they are going to require of him. “His agent and business manager are doing some stuff with the Bears that I am not privy to. He knows the Bears may release him. He hopes they don’t. He knows he screwed up.” The Bears are expected to comment on the matter later today. There’s a conflict between the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the standard player contract regarding whether a team may release a player who has been arrested. Under the CBA, the maximum discipline that a team may impose is a four-game suspension without pay. Under the language of the standard individual contract, however, a player who engages in actions that bring disrepute to the club may be terminated. Over the past year or so, several teams have cut players following arrests. Not a single grievance has been filed in response to these moves. Benson is under contract for two more seasons. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $820,000 in 2008. Last year, the Bears promptly cut defensive tackle Tank Johnson after Johnson was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Arizona.

I don't blame him for turning down the BAC tests. I'm just amazed that he would put himself in that situation. I don't have a problem with him being out drinking at 3:00am on a Saturday night . I do have a problem with him driving after drinking anything, considering the situation he is in. Take a cab, hire one of your buddies to be your driver, whatever. I think it really does indicate that he either doesn't get it or doesn't care.

from profootballtalk.com: BENSON CLAIMS HE ACED SOBRIETY TEST Posted by Michael David Smith on June 9, 2008, 9:13 a.m. Bears running back Cedric Benson, whose job is in jeopardy after he was arrested for drunk driving, claims that he aced the field sobriety test after a police officer pulled him over in Austin, Texas. The Chicago TV station WMAQ reported Sunday night that Benson sent a text message to one of its reporters saying, “I aced the field test, check the video.” So far no video of the incident has been released, but an Austin police spokeswoman offered a different version of events, saying Benson was arrested as a result of poor performance in the field sobriety test. Benson refused a Breathalyzer and would not provide a blood sample. Benson’s lawyer says that Benson wasn’t drunk but did consume two or three drinks. Benson is expected to participate in the Bears’ organized team activities today.

I'm hoping that some how the "Madden Curse" still strikes the Packers his season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3422418 Anyone interested?

from profootballtalk.com BEARS INK A ROOKIE Posted by Mike Florio on May 30, 2008, 9:13 a.m. The Chicago Bears have reached a contract agreement with rookie tight end Kellen Davis, a league source tells us. Per the source, it’s a four-year deal for the fifth-round pick from Michigan State. Davis is the first rookie to sign with the Bears from the 2008 draft class.

I'm in!

I'm in!