DABEARSDABOMB

I want to resign Melton and then draft a linebacker or DT in round 1. No DE's worth taking at our spot (unless we want to move down a bit). I'd also argue CB is a major need. I still want Peanut back.

I can live with this. Definitely fills a need. I'd have preferred Bennet but glad we were able to move quickly.

Well supposedly it is a done deal. Maybe the team tells a player on its team who then tells Johnson? Hell if I know.

Per Josina Anderson. Interesting since teams aren't supposed to talk numbers.

Bennett seemed like a pretty good deal. I want a pass rusher, I don't know if Houston is that guy. I would like Jared Allen on the opposite side of Houston but I don't know if that is financially possible. Sounds like Johnson is signing with Bucs.

Bennett reportedly signing 4 year deal with Seahawks.

If Peppers had 60 pressures, I'd try to renegotiate and extend him to get him more cash and us better cap treatment. I'm not getting rid of a very productive DE but I don't think Peppers is worth the cap savings (e.g., I'd rather get 10M in cap space to invest other ways then Peppers based upon last years production). If he'd renegotiate, I would be interested. I'd still be interested in Jared Allen at the right price too because we've seen veteran pass rushers can still be very productive (and often times sign for a much fairer deal). We need to improve our pass rush and I would be fully support of Allen & Bennett, letting Melton walk (and drafting a DT). I also wouldn't even be opposed to signing those guys and still taking a DE in first round. Depth is needed on the line as is a strong pass rush, no reason to not take Dline in the 1st round. However, if you can make some moves, there are also some really good CB's who might be on the board as well.

A lot can happen between now and Tuesday when it can be announced. I have my fingers cross as this would fill a major need. I hope the money is fair (for both sides; my fear is it is more fair for Michael then the Bears). I also then hope we can get the right depth to not have Bennett playing 700+ snaps like Julius has had to. I also hope we can get the 60+ pressures / year from Michael like he did last year. If we do, he'll be worth every penny!!!

If Jared Allen is available, I don't see why you don't consider him. Guy is still a hell of a pass rusher.

$2M, sign me up. I'd rather go 2-3 years with him, hope to get him a bit cheaper by showing some faith but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up on a one year deal.

I hate the idea of trading up, but i absolutely do it.

I don't believe for a second that only 8 CEO's made more then Goodell. I think maybe in base comp sure, but that can't be factoring in the absurd bonuses some of these execs of large public companies make.

All I can say is I'm not racist at all and pretty open and welcoming. Not sure what this is in relation to but I think as a whole this board is very open. People can get pissy from time to time but its all a small nit family.

I'm not sure I follow this? You say lovie is going to lose all these games because the offensive score would decrease, but then you don't highlight the fact that the other teams points should have decreased by quite a bit as well.

A pass rusher on the interior or exterior of the line. Need to make a major splash on the dline, potentially two splashes (a good vet plus a potential high impact signing) + drafting 1 within the first two rounds. I also think we look to draft another LB pretty early, depending on who is available when we pick. Either way, I think we need 2 impact starters on the dline plus at least a veteran or two. Ideally we would find a way to resign Melton + be able to get a DE (like Bennett / Orakbo), however, that will likely be at the expense of Pepp but puts us in a better place LT. Then you need to draft the best dlineman available to step in as well and probably should resign Wooten. In this passing league you need quality depth on the line and i don't think Wooten is going to break the bank. Jarius Byrd would be a pretty big get too and would certainly shore up the safety position, however, I think you could sign Tillman for a lot cheaper and stick him at safety (if you can convince him to play there and believe he'll be healthy). If we lose Peanut, I personally wouldn't be surprised if we looked to corner early as well. Emery is going to have to fill quite a few holes on the D (+ hope that Bostic / Shea / Greene step forward).

On the field, Urlacher was a tremendous player, an all time great. In my mind, I'll never put him with the likes of Singletary and others because off the field, I wasn't a major fan. I also thought he was typically very classes to the media and always seemed to be very childish. Again, on the field, nuff said, but when you act that way off the field, you need to expect repercussions to that. I will also reiterate, that Urlacher is a lot better then a lot of the people in the NFL off the filed, but he's no Tillman and he's one of my favorites because he was an all time great (maybe not a HOF'er but he certainly is one of the best corners in Bear history, if not the best) on the field and acted the same way off the field. Very much like Walter Peyton.

Off the field, Urlacher has never been much of a man. He's a pretty classless individual when compared to Tillman. To me, what a guy does off the field matters. And I'm not saying Urlacher is some skum bag or something but Tillman really is a tremendous role model and I'd want my children to look up to him. I wouldn't want them to look up to the man that is Brian Urlacher.

Or they've agreed that when he's ready to hang it up they will offer him a contract so he can retire as a bear. I really hope he's about to sign an extension.

Technically, don't we need a MLB, since the front office decided Bostic is a OLB.

Tillman is just a flat out great corner. I hope to hell he doesn't play for anyone but the Bears. And if he eventually is open for a move to safety, even better.

Even crazier as to why we haven't just fired Tucker and hired Phillips.

if it happened before I was born, it doesn't count . That is actually good to know. I always assumed Kiffin created it but I guess he just brought it back "en vogue". Completely agree on Phillips. It is just a no brainer, especially when you have a coach like Trestman who has routinely ran DC's out (see CFL era). Why not just give him a guy like Wade who flat out can run the show on the defensive side and limit what Trestman has to worry about.

I said defensive coordinator. Dom Capers is highly mediocre for a large chunk of his career. Kiffin routinely had elite defenses during his reign. yes, most of it was during the bucks but he did lead and pretty much invent the famous cover 2 D that worked extremely effectively for a long time. LeBeau is also an elite D coordinator. To me, in the past 20 years, you basically have Kiffin, Lebeau, and Wade Phillips. They have consistently proven to be elite DC's.

Kiffin is probably past his prime, but he is arguably the greatest DC in NFL history. If you are going to give anyone some slack, he'd be the guy. And to be frank, I probably would have fired him too. It would seem like he's lost it a bit (given his tenure at USC and what happened at Dallas). However, his track record vs. Tucker's track record is not even in the same stratosphere.

Lets not compare Monte Kiffin and Mel Tucker.