Points of View, May 27, 2008

[tshanno]

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=256

 

The Bears

 

*

 

Very slow news time for the NFL. So ESPN's John Clayton fills the gap by listing the top seven non-moves of the offseason. You guessed it. The Bears were near the top.

 

2. Bears don't improve passing offense

 

Coming off their 2006 Super Bowl run, the Bears naturally had to stick with Rex Grossman at quarterback. But the offense dropped to 29th in the NFL last season. Since then, what the Bears did to fix things looked like a caulking job at old Soldier Field. They invested little money to improve the offense. Grossman and Kyle Orton were re-signed for backup salaries ($3 million a year), and Brian Griese was traded to Tampa Bay. Brandon Lloyd was signed for the NFL minimum and Marty Booker came in at $1.75 million a year to challenge for starting wide receiver spots.

 

With a quarterback in transition, it's amazing Chicago selected halfback Matt Forte in the second round instead of a quarterback such as Brian Brohm or Chad Henne.

 

I simply can't argue with the first part of this. The Bears offense was among the worst in the NFL last year and having lost and not replaced their best receiver with no change at QB and a rookie left tackle, its hard to argue they

won't be as bad this year.

 

On the other hand, I can't argue with the choices the Bears made in the first and second rounds. They needed the help and they're laying a foundation for the future (which I don't think includes Cedric Benson long term).

 

The lack of a move at QB does rank pretty high on the list of non-moves. Yeah, the free agent class wasn't inspiring but GMs make a living identifying guys that don't appear to have anything left but do. That's what the good ones do. In addition, I still sonder if they won't look back at Josh Johnson and wonder what they were thinking when they passed on him.

 

What is inarguable in my mind is that the QB situation is a result of poor planning. In the end, that's where Jerry Angelo's real fault lies.

 

Elsewhere

 

*

 

From Pro Football Weekly's Whispers Column: "Chargers WR Kassim Osgood, who has asked to be traded because he’s unhappy with his primary role as a special-teams performer, failed to show up for the start of OTAs. But the way we hear it, it’s much ado about nothing. The Bolts have no intention of granting Osgood’s request, and Osgood has very little leverage since he’s buried on the WR depth chart."

 

My gut feeling is that Osgood would be much better off handling this with the same class that the Bears' Brendon Ayanbadejo did. He should play out his contract, then sign with a team where he thinks he'll have a chance to start as a position player.

 

* From Pro Football Weekly's The Way We Hear It column:

 

So much for Dolphins coach Tony Sparano inheriting a host of talented youngsters left over from Cam Cameron’s first and only draft class. During 2007 training camp, rookie OG Drew Mormino and rookie OLB Abraham Wright were two of the most pleasant surprises, with Mormino in the mix for a starting job and Wright looking as if he’d become a solid pass-rush specialist. Although neither player ended up doing anything during the season, their futures in Miami seemed to be bright. Apparently, the Dolphins’ new regime didn’t harbor the same optimism for them, as each player has recently been cut. Not that the Fins were pleased about severing ties with Mormino. He simply didn’t pass his physical after spending ’07 on injured reserve with a separated shoulder, and his absence puts the team in a considerable bind at guard. Mormino was in line to start, and Miami was forced to scramble to find a suitable starting option opposite Justin Smiley, inking lightly regarded ex-Texans OG-C Steve McKinney to fill the void.

 

I honestly can't say I'm surprised by this. The truth is that once Cam Cameron took Ted Ginn Jr., you kind of knew that he didn't know what he was doing in the draft room.

 

*

 

Titan's OC Mike Heimerdinger on reciever Mike Williams who has had a hard time keeping weight off and staying in shape, much like Cedric Benson last year:

 

But the coordinator also thinks Williams needs to stay with the team's strength coach, Steve Watterson, all summer so he can run more than two routes in a row.

 

"If he does that, then his weight will be down. If he stays with Steve all the time. It can't be a hit-and-miss thing, take a couple days off, then come back and do it. There has to be a consistent thing to it because he's very talented," Heimerdinger said.

 

He can't run two routes in a row? Man, I've really got to start cutting Benson some slack.

 

*

 

Aaron Rogers was crying the other day when he was again

asked about being injury prone, this time by Jim

Rome:

 

"The most frustrating thing is the connotation with the phrase ‘being injury prone,’” Rodgers told guest host Grant Napear, echoing what he said when he met with the media after an organized team activities practice on Wednesday.

 

"It’s almost inferring the player is a little soft,” Rodgers said from his native California. “The injuries I’ve sustained have been pretty much bad luck. It’s frustrating. There’s high expectations when you follow a guy who started over 250 straight games at quarterback, which is unbelievable and very lucky, because you see injuries all the time that players can’t avoid, like Carson Palmer (in a 2006 playoff game against Pittsburgh)."

 

Rogers has been hurt twice in the process of making 35 NFL pass attempts over 3 seasons. He has never started a game. Takes a lot of gall to ask a guy with a record like that about being injury prone.

 

Looks like I need to start cutting Rex Grossman some more slack, too.

 

*

 

Speaking of Rogers the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei

highlights the risk that the Packers are taking by going with

three QBs who haven't started an NFL game between them. He also points out that opting out of the collective bargaining agreement might create problems signing the top draft picks in the draft. Teams will not be able to fully guarantee any money in the 2012 season so teams that trditionally like to get rookies signed to six year contracts (read "the Bears") will have a more difficult time.

 

*

 

Mike Sando at ESPN's Hashmarks blog points out that with the release of Erasmus James, the Vikings have only one remaining member of thier 2005 draft class left on the team. Every other team in the league has at least two.

 

I'd be more cirtical but their classes since then have been better (see "Adrian Peterson").

 

*

 

Think the owners aren't serious about a 17th game? You might want to get used to the idea that it might happen. The 2012 Super Bowl is being planned for both Feb. 5 and Feb. 12.

 

One Last Thought

 

*

 

Saints DE Charles Grant has been indicted on charges of involuntary

manslaughter after a woman died as a result of a fight outside of a

bar which Grant was involved in. In claiming that he won't be found

guilty he went on what was at times a somewhat odd rant:

 

"I worked 29 years to get to where I'm at; at 29 years old, that came with a lot of ups and downs. I have a lot of stuff that has been on my shoulders. Like I said before, I'm a warrior. Warriors are born. Some people, you have to turn them into that. I stand for something. . . . "

 

Death?

[Mongo3451]

name='Tom Shannon' date='May 27 2008, 07:53 AM' post='39567']

http://chicagobearsfanforum.com/blog/?p=256

 

The Bears

 

*

 

Very slow news time for the NFL. So ESPN's John Clayton fills the gap by listing the top seven non-moves of the offseason. You guessed it. The Bears were near the top.

 

2. Bears don't improve passing offense

 

Coming off their 2006 Super Bowl run, the Bears naturally had to stick with Rex Grossman at quarterback. But the offense dropped to 29th in the NFL last season. Since then, what the Bears did to fix things looked like a caulking job at old Soldier Field. They invested little money to improve the offense. Grossman and Kyle Orton were re-signed for backup salaries ($3 million a year), and Brian Griese was traded to Tampa Bay. Brandon Lloyd was signed for the NFL minimum and Marty Booker came in at $1.75 million a year to challenge for starting wide receiver spots.

 

With a quarterback in transition, it's amazing Chicago selected halfback Matt Forte in the second round instead of a quarterback such as Brian Brohm or Chad Henne.

 

I simply can't argue with the first part of this. The Bears offense was among the worst in the NFL last year and having lost and not replaced their best receiver with no change at QB and a rookie left tackle, its hard to argue they

won't be as bad this year.

 

On the other hand, I can't argue with the choices the Bears made in the first and second rounds. They needed the help and they're laying a foundation for the future (which I don't think includes Cedric Benson long term).

 

The lack of a move at QB does rank pretty high on the list of non-moves. Yeah, the free agent class wasn't inspiring but GMs make a living identifying guys that don't appear to have anything left but do. That's what the good ones do. In addition, I still sonder if they won't look back at Josh Johnson and wonder what they were thinking when they passed on him.

 

What is inarguable in my mind is that the QB situation is a result of poor planning. In the end, that's where Jerry Angelo's real fault lies.

 

Our greatest weakness is not the QB position. It is at WR.

 

That being said, I can't find any reason to argue against what Clayton is saying. I also understand why our off-season has played out as it has. One thing I do know is Angelo really missed the boat the year he could/should have signed Brees. IMO - this is his great failed opus. Other than that, JA has made attempts to solidify the position. He has just failed. One thing I know, is if the plan shows no promise this season. QB will be on the frontburner once again and JA's neck will be on the block. I really think they believe with an improved OL and better Benson and Forte that everything else will come into play. I think it will only help validate where the true problem lies by process of elimination. Is it arrogance or blindness that is causing the staff to have faith in our passing game after losing our top two recievers?

 

Our offense will not contribute above league average. If our D and special teams can be at top form, we will have a playoff shot.

[Wesson44]

IMHO its not the QB,RB or Oline that has problems for the Bears. Its the OC and the run first mentalitity. Sure you can blame the players but consider this. They do or run the plays called. The problem with the line is that we are playing guys that can't block and don't block to the next level, that's coaching. We want our QB to throw passes to guys who drop the ball more often than not. We have a running back who can't block, or is not fast enough to get to the outside. I can go on and on, but the bottom line is our coaches are not playing to win with the talent that we have.

 

You want to have a passing game? Use Olsen more in the middle of the feild and the red zone. Now that we have Booker,Lloyd, Monk,Bennett,Davis,Bradley,and Hester put them in mismatches against the defense. Speed guys Hester,Bradley and Davis on the outside and hands guys in the slot to move the chains (Bennett and Booker), and Monk/Hass .Since we have two 6'5' and up TE'S they should be use in the red zone along with Monk at 6'4 and in the middle of the field too by the way.......who can at 5'9 to 5'11 cover a 6'4' to 6'7' WR/TE? Advantage Bears. We don't have to go down the field deep all the time, control throws to big targets will move the chains too........ if not better.

 

Now in the running game we need to stop running the ball right into the middle of the line where our blockers can't block. Misdirection plays, cutback sweeps, pitchout will work since we now have Forte and Wolfe. You can even use Hester on a toss sweep....I would love to see the speed and moves he has break one lose to the house and leave the other players reaching for the air..

 

But I feel the greatest need for this team is for someone to teach the Oline how to block and stay with that block and the release and go block someone else down field. I'm not sorry to say this...but Kreutz can't block, Garza can't block and Metcalf....has no clue, and this is up the middle where we need it the most. I think moving Tait to RT and Williams to the LT spot will help some but we need help at RG and LG

[AZ54]

I think Kreutz can still block well enough but he's not good enough to do his job and help others as well as he used to years ago. I'd hate to be in his spot knowing I've got to assist Metcalf and Garza on every play (and Miller is gonna get beat around the outside every pass play as well).

[nfoligno]

Agreed. I think the biggest issue for Kreutz is who he is playing w/. Kreutz is the leader on the OL, and I think is expected to compensate for the weaker OGs he has often had to play w/, or at least that is his impression. I think he often tries to compensate, and ends up looking like the fool.

 

W/ that said, there are two areas I do question him.

 

One. Big DT/NTs who are more than just space eaters, but big boys w/ some athleticism seem to give Kreutz fits. At 290, he uses quickness and athleticism more than pure power to beat his man. Problem is when he faces DTs w/ considerable size advantages, who also have some athleticism of their own. He has to really try to get low and use leverage to win the battle, but that also puts him at a disadvantage to quick moves. But if he tries to simply match the quickness, he gets bulled over. There are only a few DTs that fit this description, but on those occasions, he really seems to get exposed.

 

Two. I am not sure how much it has ever been talked about, but I wonder about his calling on the line. I think it is his job to call line audibles and adjustments, as well as spot potential blitzes. As this is such a problem area of ours, should we not be looking at Kreutz as part of the problem? Too many times he blocks left or right after the snap, only to have a LB blitz free up the middle. Kreutz has to be able to recognize that blitzer, and not get out of position.

[AZ54]

It would be nice if our OGs can occasionally help the center too. Really if the strength of a team is a DT then you have 5 guys and you should be double teaming him. Likewise our coaches should be preparing for this as they game plan and practice during the week. Perhaps Kreutz is not making the right calls but then again when I see Metcalf stumble coming out of his stance while guys blow past him on both sides it's difficult for me to think that was a bad call on Kreutz' part. Or when Miller constantly gets beat on the outside? How do you protect against that? Of course you do it with the RB but then if they blitz up the middle what's the RB assignment? IMO there were just too many holes to plug on our line last year and no matter what call you made one of those holes was getting exposed.