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[madlithuanian]

Welcome your new DC...

 

ROD MARINELLI!

 

...and we just wait out Lovie's contract and press restart. (For that matter, Angelo too...)

 

It's so bittersweet being a Bears fan...

 

The highest of highs, the lowest of lows.

[balta1701-A]

Man, I still scratch my head on why this club didn't go after Faneca...

 

Henceforth why were are at where we're at...

Would an upgrade on the O-Line really be the key thing to help the Bears right now?

[nfoligno]

Right now? No. But long term?

 

Upgrading the OL could "help" the defense now, as it "could" keep the offense on the field longer and thus the D on the sidelines and help put more points on the board, which helps any offense.

 

But my point was for the future as much as present. We have (or believe we have) our franchise RB in Forte. We have (or pray we have) our QB of the future in Orton. IMHO, when you get your QB/RB positions filled out, it is incredibly important to build the OL to protect those investments.

 

As good as Forte and Orton have played this year, imagine if we actually had a good OL, rather than simply an OL which has done better than expected based on VERY low expectations.

 

Would an upgrade on the O-Line really be the key thing to help the Bears right now?

[balta1701-A]

Right now? No. But long term?

 

Upgrading the OL could "help" the defense now, as it "could" keep the offense on the field longer and thus the D on the sidelines and help put more points on the board, which helps any offense.

 

But my point was for the future as much as present. We have (or believe we have) our franchise RB in Forte. We have (or pray we have) our QB of the future in Orton. IMHO, when you get your QB/RB positions filled out, it is incredibly important to build the OL to protect those investments.

 

As good as Forte and Orton have played this year, imagine if we actually had a good OL, rather than simply an OL which has done better than expected based on VERY low expectations.

I agree with your idea that continuing to build up the Offensive line is a solid thing for the Bears to do and probably should still be their main target in this offseason's draft, regardless of their problems on defense.

 

But I disagree with your idea that signing Faneca is the way to do it, especially for the long term. Alan Faneca turns 32 in about 3 weeks. To expect him to last to the point where he will be a major factor for the future or even for the time that he's taking up big chunks of cap room is probably a mistake. If you were signing him, you were signing him for 2008 and 2009.

 

For comparison, Olin Kreutz is actually 6 months younger than Faneca. His decline has been called by several people for over a year now, and we've been talking about his replacement for a while now also.

[nfoligno]

First, while Kreutz has been on the decline, I am not sure it can be written off as simple as saying age. I think there is more to it than just age. Also, I would point out that while Kreutz has shown levels of decline, Faneca has not. In fact, many have said Faneca has seemed to improve his play in recent years.

 

Second, while some positions see a fairly hard wall at age 30 or so, other positions play well into their 30s, and I think OL is one of them. This goes back to the later part fo the 1st point. You can't just look at the birth date of a player and assume to know. Some players fade early, while others continue to play at a high level long after the norm. I think there are things you can look at better than just birth dates. For example, looking at a WR, I have seen where a factor many GMs look at is their YPC average which seems to be a solid indicator of a player on the decline. At RB, you can look at, among other things, his yard per carry average. For OL, it is a bit more difficult, but from everything I have read, he has shown none of the signs of decline.

 

I don't recall the deal Faneca received, but lets say it was a 5 year deal. Will he play that out? If he does, what level will he be at when all is said and done. I don't know the answers. But I'll throw out the following.

 

One, I think he has more than a year or two left under the belt. 5 would be on the high side, but I don honestly believe he has a solid 3 to 4 years in him. That isn't to say he can't play 5 years, or even more, but I am talking more about the high level of play.

 

Two, I would also argue the first couple years of the deal could be considered the most crucial, as in the first 3 years, he would be helping develop our LT (Williams) and potentially a new center (I think Kreutz is a FA in 2010). After that point, you may see his play decline a bit, but if things worked out and the LT and Center were developed, then I think the dropoff in his play would be less noticable.

 

Understand. If we went out and signed a stud LT, I would not have been calling to sign a stud LG, much less one who has seen so many years. But we have made a big investment (money and 1st round pick) in our LT, and I think adding a player like Faneca would have done wonders to help that young LT develop.

 

There are other routes you can go, but (a) a younger OG of his caliber is going to cost a ton more (see Hutchinson) ( an OG of lesser ability is not going to improve the OL as much, and may not help the development of your young LT as much and © you can always go the draft route, which is fine, but how difficult is it to develop two young OL who lineup next to each other.

 

I understand all the arguments against, and worked through them myself a year ago, but I simply believe the benefits out-weight the negatives. Faneca is gone, but I think we are going to be in a similar situation next year, as Williams will essentially be a rookie starter.

 

I agree with your idea that continuing to build up the Offensive line is a solid thing for the Bears to do and probably should still be their main target in this offseason's draft, regardless of their problems on defense.

 

But I disagree with your idea that signing Faneca is the way to do it, especially for the long term. Alan Faneca turns 32 in about 3 weeks. To expect him to last to the point where he will be a major factor for the future or even for the time that he's taking up big chunks of cap room is probably a mistake. If you were signing him, you were signing him for 2008 and 2009.

 

For comparison, Olin Kreutz is actually 6 months younger than Faneca. His decline has been called by several people for over a year now, and we've been talking about his replacement for a while now also.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

I'll just say 1 thing- I think JA will trade down like he does. We have plenty of holes to fill (S, DE, OG, OT, LB, FB, maybe a WR) with not enough picks. Then, I think we'll see him go DE and S in the 2nd, and OG, LB, and best athlete there in the 3rd. This, however, means, in my view, that the OG might be just a so-so prospect, like Trevor Canfield, out of Cincinnati. I watched Cincinnati on ESPN the other night and I didn't see him, whether it was because of injury or performance.

 

I'm not sure. I'd love to see him go after Taylor Mays in the 1st because he's a favorite of mine, and he might if he's on the board, but we have to build a good OL for Forte to run behind. He has almost 1100 total yards behind a solid OG, a medicore OG, a good OT, a solid OT, and an aging OC.

 

So maybe something like:

1. Mays

2. English, DE, Oklahoma

3. Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

3 (C4B). Beckwith, LB, LSU

4. Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati

 

Or.

 

2. English, DE, Oklahoma

2. Chung, S, Oregon

3. Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

3. Beckwith, LB, LSU

3. Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon

4. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson

 

 

Something like that.

[madlithuanian]

It couldn't hurt...

 

But, yeah...it would help. But it's not the entire solution. Upgrades are needed in a lot of other places too. Most maddeningly in the coaching staff...

 

Would an upgrade on the O-Line really be the key thing to help the Bears right now?

[jason]

Here's a question for you. If you or I were GM, we would go heavy OL, but we both know that is not Angelo's way. So lets just say, for argument sake, we are only going to add one stud OL, whether it be draft or FA. Assume for a moment, even if it is a rookie, he is a stud prospect. So the question is, if you can only add one player to the OL, what position would it be?

 

Part of me would love to say LT, as I have never been sold on Williams, but we just spent a 1st rounder there, so I have to simply hope he pans out. I can not see him playing RT or moving inside, thus I have to leave him at LT and pray. That leaves 4 positions.

 

Kreutz has slid a ton, and I think this is an area we need to consider, but if I have only one player to add, I'll keep Kreutz. That leaves 3 spots to consider.

 

Of those 3, I think OG is the biggest problem. Tait has been far from spectacular, but I think he is okay enough, and having moved to RT, could be acceptible for another year or two.

 

If I had only one spot to add a stud, it would be LG. Williams is going to be essentially a rookie next year. IMHO, we are doing him a dis-service lining him up next to Beekman, Metcalf, St. Clair, or anyone currently on our roster. If we could add a stud LG, I think it would have ripple effects on the OL as a whole. I think we could see a quicker development from Williams, and potentially have a very good left side. Further, I think if we added a stud LG, we could see a bit of resurgence from Kreutz. Finally, while we would have done nothing to improve the right side of our line, if we improved the left side enough, it could force defenses to focus on the left, thus making life easier for the rigth.

 

So if I could only add one stud, for me, it would be LG. Of course, that is why I so wanted Faneca, who I believe is looking very good for NY, but that option is gone. Still, I think this could be a position we (a) realistically look to address and ( would have the greatest impact.

 

Basically, yeah...agreed. Adding a stud LG is like adding three players, because it'll make the transition to Williams easier, and make him better, as well as symbiotic relationship which would be built between the rookie and Olin (rook learns, Olin gets reinvigorated).

 

With that said (and it's completely dependent upon where the Bears draft): Duke Robinson sounds like a great Bear name.

[BearSox]

Man, I still scratch my head on why this club didn't go after Faneca...

 

Henceforth why were are at where we're at...

Yeah, overpaying big time for a 32 year old Guard doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

Then again, those contracts we gave to Harris and Hester aren't making a ton of sense either right now.

[jason]

Would an upgrade on the O-Line really be the key thing to help the Bears right now?

 

The key to your question is the "key thing". I don't know if the OL is the "key thing" that turns the Bears around. I don't think it's that simple.

 

The QB, RB, WR, and TE depend on the OL. None of the offensive players are blowing my socks off right now, despite the fact that Forte is having a nice rookie season. No matter which is upgraded, there is a decent chance there won't be a significant improvement because the OL is still going to be bad.

 

IF I had to choose ONE position, then I'd say you always start with the QB. In the Bears case this is particularly true. But the key "things" that would help the Bears right now is fixing the OL, IMHO.

[jason]

I'll just say 1 thing- I think JA will trade down like he does. We have plenty of holes to fill (S, DE, OG, OT, LB, FB, maybe a WR) with not enough picks. Then, I think we'll see him go DE and S in the 2nd, and OG, LB, and best athlete there in the 3rd. This, however, means, in my view, that the OG might be just a so-so prospect, like Trevor Canfield, out of Cincinnati. I watched Cincinnati on ESPN the other night and I didn't see him, whether it was because of injury or performance.

 

I'm not sure. I'd love to see him go after Taylor Mays in the 1st because he's a favorite of mine, and he might if he's on the board, but we have to build a good OL for Forte to run behind. He has almost 1100 total yards behind a solid OG, a medicore OG, a good OT, a solid OT, and an aging OC.

 

So maybe something like:

1. Mays

2. English, DE, Oklahoma

3. Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

3 (C4B). Beckwith, LB, LSU

4. Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati

 

Or.

 

2. English, DE, Oklahoma

2. Chung, S, Oregon

3. Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

3. Beckwith, LB, LSU

3. Fenuki Tupou, OT, Oregon

4. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson

 

 

Something like that.

 

If the Bears do not address the OL before the 3rd round, I'll be furious. At that point the talent is diminished with this year's draft class (according to the "experts"). Not to mention the fact I consider it the #1 weakness. As for your last statement...are my guesses accurate?

 

solid OG(Beekman?), a medicore OG (Garza?), a good OT(Tait?), a solid OT(St. Clair?), and an aging OC(Kreutz)

 

I'd say:

Beekman = Solid (#3 OL priority)

Garza = Below average (#1 OL priority)

Tait = Solid (#4 OL priority)

St. Clair = Average (#2 OL priority)

Kreutz = Solid (#5 OL priority)

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

If the Bears do not address the OL before the 3rd round, I'll be furious. At that point the talent is diminished with this year's draft class (according to the "experts"). Not to mention the fact I consider it the #1 weakness. As for your last statement...are my guesses accurate?

 

solid OG(Beekman?), a medicore OG (Garza?), a good OT(Tait?), a solid OT(St. Clair?), and an aging OC(Kreutz)

 

I'd say:

Beekman = Solid (#3 OL priority)

Garza = Below average (#1 OL priority)

Tait = Solid (#4 OL priority)

St. Clair = Average (#2 OL priority)

Kreutz = Solid (#5 OL priority)

St. Clair is good. Week in, week out, he goes up against the opponents' best DE, and the Bears have only been sacked 17 or 18 times as a team this year, which is good in my book. He has been up against Freeney, Abraham, Allen, Smith (Detroit, 6 sacks), Peppers, etc., so that means he's only given up probably single digits. Everyone else- yes.

 

And I feel your pain on the OL. I just think JA will go after a "can't miss" S or DE before OG, unfortunately. In the first, we have to go Johnson (DE, Georgia Tech), Mays (S, USC), or Robinson (OG, Oklahoma), and hopefully it's Robinson because we need to improve our OL for all the reasons all covered, and Mays will probably be off the board in the 5-8 range.

[nfoligno]

Avoiding the question. I know how you feel about Orton, and our QB situation, but that is beside the point, or at least the point of this question.

 

Assume we are going to go w/ Orton. Further assume we are going to go w/ Forte. I think both of these are valid assumptions. I believe I know you well enough to know you would want a stud OL added over a stud WR.

 

Okay, so we are going to add OL. Sure, you want a bunch, but when has Angelo added a bunch? He spent a 1st one year on an OT, and then quit. He spent a lot of money on an OT one year, and that was it. He drafted another OT this past year, and that was it. So I think it fair to assume we might see one significant upgrade, but not a ton.

 

So off these assumptions, we have one OL position we can upgrade next year. What position/player on the OL are you going to focus on?

 

The key to your question is the "key thing". I don't know if the OL is the "key thing" that turns the Bears around. I don't think it's that simple.

 

The QB, RB, WR, and TE depend on the OL. None of the offensive players are blowing my socks off right now, despite the fact that Forte is having a nice rookie season. No matter which is upgraded, there is a decent chance there won't be a significant improvement because the OL is still going to be bad.

 

IF I had to choose ONE position, then I'd say you always start with the QB. In the Bears case this is particularly true. But the key "things" that would help the Bears right now is fixing the OL, IMHO.

[madlithuanian]

Fanaca's playing like a beast in NY.

 

Harris in Hester aren't...

 

Age isn't everything. It's the individual player.

 

 

 

Yeah, overpaying big time for a 32 year old Guard doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

Then again, those contracts we gave to Harris and Hester aren't making a ton of sense either right now.

[nfoligno]

I do not agree that St. Clair has been good. From what I have seen, we often roll extra protection to the left side to help him. Thus, his man doesn't cream Orton, but at the same time, it isn't because St. Clair played well but more due to our game planning to provide him help. Further, I think he has been pretty poor on run downs.

 

St. Clair is good. Week in, week out, he goes up against the opponents' best DE, and the Bears have only been sacked 17 or 18 times as a team this year, which is good in my book. He has been up against Freeney, Abraham, Allen, Smith (Detroit, 6 sacks), Peppers, etc., so that means he's only given up probably single digits. Everyone else- yes.

 

And I feel your pain on the OL. I just think JA will go after a "can't miss" S or DE before OG, unfortunately. In the first, we have to go Johnson (DE, Georgia Tech), Mays (S, USC), or Robinson (OG, Oklahoma), and hopefully it's Robinson because we need to improve our OL for all the reasons all covered, and Mays will probably be off the board in the 5-8 range.

[madlithuanian]

Also add that Orton has done a better job of handling pressure...

 

Maybe if Rex were in full time, more sacks happen.

 

I do not agree that St. Clair has been good. From what I have seen, we often roll extra protection to the left side to help him. Thus, his man doesn't cream Orton, but at the same time, it isn't because St. Clair played well but more due to our game planning to provide him help. Further, I think he has been pretty poor on run downs.

[artbest]

A few thoughts:

 

1. Jerry Angelo ignored the offensive line in the first 3 rounds for 5 consecutive seasons - something that's unheard of for teams that have General Managers. Sometimes, when a head coach runs the draft, we see this kind of irresponsible drafting and player procurement, but rarely with a GM. Few GM's in recent memory have been as negligent in this area as Jerry Angelo. With that said,

 

2. Knowing his m.o., the MOST he'll do next April is consider a right tackle prospect in the third or fourth round. Tait's age and atrophy may compel him to try to find an heir apparent. As far as the guards are concerned, knowing how Angelo approaches the offensive line, he'll view Buenning as a significant acquisition and competition for either Beekman or Garza. He'll also draft someone who isn't even on most draft boards (Reed, Anderson come immediately to mind) in the 6th or 7th round to spend a couple of years on the Bears' practice squad.

 

3. What SHOULD the Bears do this off-season? Well...

 

A. Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers. If the Bears believe Kyle Orton to be their franchise QB, they can't afford to handicap his development by saddling him with garbage like Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis and (even) Devin Hester. They need REAL front line NFL wideouts.

 

B. Offensive line. The current group has overachieved, given their age, lack of talent and lack of power. They are not exceptional run blockers but, overall, they've done a decent job of pass blocking. Williams will be the left tackle, but the Bears need a right tackle and a front-line guard.

 

C. Defensive line. They need a legit pass rushing DE and should also be on the market for a legit nose tackle and possibly another "3-technique" to pair with Marcus Harrison as replacements for the pathetic Tommie Harris

 

D. Free safety. The Bear safeties are awful - but their free safeties are non-existent. They simply don't have one. Steltz? Too slow to be a FS. Could be a solid SS one day. Kevin Payne? Can be "ok" in the box but is lost in pass coverage. Danneal Manning? If he's not returning kicks, he doesn't belong on the field

 

E. Coaching. Babich, Haley, Wilks and Drake should be fired immediately after the last game the Bears play. These clowns have no business being in the jobs they're in today.

 

4. Will the Bears address all of these areas? Doubtful. They may be a BIT more aggressive in free agency after their strategy of "paying their own" backfired. I could see them being suitor for a FA WR. Peppers? IF he's not franchised, I don't see the Bears being major players - but not because of the scheme (Brown and Ogun aren't fast enough to truly be considered Lovie's-kind of DE's) but because of the money. I expect the Bears to draft defense early and often - what we have to hope is that Angelo doesn't tab stiffs like Bazuin and Okwo.

 

I do agree with the "Lithuanian" on one thing - the franchise seems to be slowly spiraling downward. We're starting to see that last year wasn't a complete abheration. Jerry Angelo's failed drafts are starting to catch up to the Bears and Lovie Smith's ill-advised egomaniacal power play after signing the big contact are starting to rot-out the franchise.

[madlithuanian]

I'm glad we agree on at least one thing!

 

Overall, I think all your points are solid artbest!

 

Angelo seems now to be paying the price for bad decisions. For every Hester (and is he good now?), there's an Okwo. He started off botching paperwork and losing a pick, and now he just makes some bum picks. And while many of us are hoping Williams becomes a foundation, I don't think there's one fan here that isn't at least concerned about either his health or his poor play in his first NFL downs. Angelo's really been getting a free pass on all this criticism, but I thinkhe's also to blame.

 

I really couldn't agree more with your off-seson plan. I too worry, it won't be followed by Bears brass.

 

I think Benson set us back a year. I think relying on Grossman so much set us back a year. I think settling for Smith will set us back at least 2 years. That means, under Jerry's watch, we've regressed 4 years. 2006 was an anomoly. 1985 was not. I know we'll never see a 1985 again, but can we shoot somewhere in the middle? Build solid lines and have coaches that are actually good at thier job. We already have a good RB, a servicable QB (At least I hope), a promising TE, a few good defenders...all we need are some impact players on the lines, a legit WR stud and an upgrade in the secondary.

 

Dang...that is asking for a lot from this franchise. I think we'll have to settle for Rod Marinelli and a 6 pack of Old Style.

 

A few thoughts:

 

1. Jerry Angelo ignored the offensive line in the first 3 rounds for 5 consecutive seasons - something that's unheard of for teams that have General Managers. Sometimes, when a head coach runs the draft, we see this kind of irresponsible drafting and player procurement, but rarely with a GM. Few GM's in recent memory have been as negligent in this area as Jerry Angelo. With that said,

 

2. Knowing his m.o., the MOST he'll do next April is consider a right tackle prospect in the third or fourth round. Tait's age and atrophy may compel him to try to find an heir apparent. As far as the guards are concerned, knowing how Angelo approaches the offensive line, he'll view Buenning as a significant acquisition and competition for either Beekman or Garza. He'll also draft someone who isn't even on most draft boards (Reed, Anderson come immediately to mind) in the 6th or 7th round to spend a couple of years on the Bears' practice squad.

 

3. What SHOULD the Bears do this off-season? Well...

 

A. Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers. If the Bears believe Kyle Orton to be their franchise QB, they can't afford to handicap his development by saddling him with garbage like Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis and (even) Devin Hester. They need REAL front line NFL wideouts.

 

B. Offensive line. The current group has overachieved, given their age, lack of talent and lack of power. They are not exceptional run blockers but, overall, they've done a decent job of pass blocking. Williams will be the left tackle, but the Bears need a right tackle and a front-line guard.

 

C. Defensive line. They need a legit pass rushing DE and should also be on the market for a legit nose tackle and possibly another "3-technique" to pair with Marcus Harrison as replacements for the pathetic Tommie Harris

 

D. Free safety. The Bear safeties are awful - but their free safeties are non-existent. They simply don't have one. Steltz? Too slow to be a FS. Could be a solid SS one day. Kevin Payne? Can be "ok" in the box but is lost in pass coverage. Danneal Manning? If he's not returning kicks, he doesn't belong on the field

 

E. Coaching. Babich, Haley, Wilks and Drake should be fired immediately after the last game the Bears play. These clowns have no business being in the jobs they're in today.

 

4. Will the Bears address all of these areas? Doubtful. They may be a BIT more aggressive in free agency after their strategy of "paying their own" backfired. I could see them being suitor for a FA WR. Peppers? IF he's not franchised, I don't see the Bears being major players - but not because of the scheme (Brown and Ogun aren't fast enough to truly be considered Lovie's-kind of DE's) but because of the money. I expect the Bears to draft defense early and often - what we have to hope is that Angelo doesn't tab stiffs like Bazuin and Okwo.

 

I do agree with the "Lithuanian" on one thing - the franchise seems to be slowly spiraling downward. We're starting to see that last year wasn't a complete abheration. Jerry Angelo's failed drafts are starting to catch up to the Bears and Lovie Smith's ill-advised egomaniacal power play after signing the big contact are starting to rot-out the franchise.

[nfoligno]

IMHO, if Rex were our starter this year, we would be screaming how the entire OL is crap, how we do not have a WR that belongs in the NFL, how old Clark looks and what sort of bust Olsen looks, and why did we draft this Forte guy.

 

Before Bears88 rains down fire, allow me to point out that I think our OL is poor, and our WRs are sad. I simply believe Orton does a better job of masking how below average the talent on offense we have is.

 

Also add that Orton has done a better job of handling pressure...

 

Maybe if Rex were in full time, more sacks happen.

[artbest]

Old style? These are the McCaskey's...we're talking Welch's and Wonder Bread at Ginny's kitchen table in Des Plaines.

 

By the way, you live in L.A.? My sister lives there and goes to a "Bear Bar" in Burbank, CA to watch the Bears - she's there religiously...

 

 

 

I'm glad we agree on at least one thing!

 

Overall, I think all your points are solid artbest!

 

Angelo seems now to be paying the price for bad decisions. For every Hester (and is he good now?), there's an Okwo. He started off botching paperwork and losing a pick, and now he just makes some bum picks. And while many of us are hoping Williams becomes a foundation, I don't think there's one fan here that isn't at least concerned about either his health or his poor play in his first NFL downs. Angelo's really been getting a free pass on all this criticism, but I thinkhe's also to blame.

 

I really couldn't agree more with your off-seson plan. I too worry, it won't be followed by Bears brass.

 

I think Benson set us back a year. I think relying on Grossman so much set us back a year. I think settling for Smith will set us back at least 2 years. That means, under Jerry's watch, we've regressed 4 years. 2006 was an anomoly. 1985 was not. I know we'll never see a 1985 again, but can we shoot somewhere in the middle? Build solid lines and have coaches that are actually good at thier job. We already have a good RB, a servicable QB (At least I hope), a promising TE, a few good defenders...all we need are some impact players on the lines, a legit WR stud and an upgrade in the secondary.

 

Dang...that is asking for a lot from this franchise. I think we'll have to settle for Rod Marinelli and a 6 pack of Old Style.

[nfoligno]

1. Jerry Angelo ignored the offensive line in the first 3 rounds for 5 consecutive seasons - something that's unheard of for teams that have General Managers. Sometimes, when a head coach runs the draft, we see this kind of irresponsible drafting and player procurement, but rarely with a GM. Few GM's in recent memory have been as negligent in this area as Jerry Angelo. With that said,

 

No argument what-so-ever, but I would like to point something out. Angelo is on record saying he prefers veteran OL. He has talked about how he believes the OL is one of those areas which is difficult for a rookie to pickup, and where it takes 2, 3 or more years to develop into a good starter. Thus, he has always sought OL in FA. That was fine when, other than LT, most of your OL were simply not very expensive. RTs were just this side of dime-a-dozen, and OGs were bought for even less. Unfortunately, in more recent years, the price for OL has gone up. Way up. I would say that first centers began to see bigger contracts. Then RTs began to see the bigger deals as more and more LDEs were solid against the pass, whereas they were once just run blocking bull rushers. But then you have the Hutchinson deal, which I think was the one to pretty much break the ice for OGs. Now OGs are making big contracts, and it is simply too expensive to "buy" your OL. Angelo admitted as much prior to the draft.

 

So while I disagree w/ Angelo's philosophy in the past, I did at least understand it. Further, while I wish he would have been a little more forward thinking and seen the trend in OL pay sooner, he at least now seems to realize he can't buy an OL, and thus may be more prone to using more of the draft than in the past. At least, that is what I hope.

 

2. Knowing his m.o., the MOST he'll do next April is consider a right tackle prospect in the third or fourth round. Tait's age and atrophy may compel him to try to find an heir apparent. As far as the guards are concerned, knowing how Angelo approaches the offensive line, he'll view Buenning as a significant acquisition and competition for either Beekman or Garza. He'll also draft someone who isn't even on most draft boards (Reed, Anderson come immediately to mind) in the 6th or 7th round to spend a couple of years on the Bears' practice squad.

 

I agree we should not expect much, at least in quantity, but I disagree we should write off his drafting an OG fairly high. It was one thing when he could buy OGs for relatively cheap prices, but now he can't. I think OG will be viewed as a target heading into next year.

 

I do agree we can expect him to draft a player or two for the OL (is sign after the draft) which elicits a board response of, "Huh? Who?".

 

3. What SHOULD the Bears do this off-season? Well...

 

A. Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers. If the Bears believe Kyle Orton to be their franchise QB, they can't afford to handicap his development by saddling him with garbage like Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis and (even) Devin Hester. They need REAL front line NFL wideouts.

 

Agreed they need to improve their WR corp, but the question I think will be what sort of WR do they seek. While Boldin and Housyourmama are the favorites around here, I just don't see it happening. I am a fan of both WRs, but at the same time, the cost to sign one in FA is simply obscene. Further, how many of these top tier paid WRs actually live up to their reps w/ their new teams? Not many. I think we will be looking at a middle of the road tier WR who has potential.

 

B. Offensive line. The current group has overachieved, given their age, lack of talent and lack of power. They are not exceptional run blockers but, overall, they've done a decent job of pass blocking. Williams will be the left tackle, but the Bears need a right tackle and a front-line guard.

 

IMHO, the bears need to replace 4 positions on the OL, but that will take a couple years. I think next year, we should look to add one front line OL (my preference is to get a LG) and then use a top 3 round pick on another OL. Adding a stud WR sounds great, but if the QB doesn't have time to throw, then that WR will struggle to make an impact.

 

C. Defensive line. They need a legit pass rushing DE and should also be on the market for a legit nose tackle and possibly another "3-technique" to pair with Marcus Harrison as replacements for the pathetic Tommie Harris

 

I think Harris is fine. Frankly, I think our talent on the DL is by and large fine. I think a coaching change would be the biggest lift possible to this unit. Most every team would love to add a legit pass rushing DE, and we are no different. The one position I do believe we need to find is a NT, as Dusty just does not appear to be it. At the same time, why can Harrison not play NT? The two are nearly identical is size (Harrison is actually a few pounds heavier) and I thought Harrison was supposed to be very strong too.

 

I am sure we will draft DL, Angelo ALWAYS does, but at some point, I think we really need to look at other areas. We have devoted a very large amount of money and picks to DL. My preference would be to make a coaching change and give the players we have a chance.

 

D. Free safety. The Bear safeties are awful - but their free safeties are non-existent. They simply don't have one. Steltz? Too slow to be a FS. Could be a solid SS one day. Kevin Payne? Can be "ok" in the box but is lost in pass coverage. Danneal Manning? If he's not returning kicks, he doesn't belong on the field

 

Agreed, but one of the problems (IMHO) is the assinine, stupid, mother@#$%^&* belief that our two safeties are interchangable. Seriously, how many times have you heard our coaches say that? The two safety positions are NOT interchangable. One safety needs to excel in coverage. He needs to excel in reading and breaking on a route. He needs speed and quickness. We continue to draft a bunch of SS', and then wonder why we don't have a safety that can play coverage. Think about it? Look at the safeties we have drafted: Steltz, Payne, Harris, Todd Johnson, Gray. Every safety Angelo has drafted has been in the SS mold. They were in-the-box safeties. I think Angelo looked at Mike Brown, and how well he played FS, even though he was not a prototypical FS, and felt anyone similar would do. Mike Brown is the exception, and not the rule.

 

E. Coaching. Babich, Haley, Wilks and Drake should be fired immediately after the last game the Bears play. These clowns have no business being in the jobs they're in today.

 

Babich - Hell yes.

Haley - Hell yes.

Drake - Hell yes. What WR has developed under Drake. In fact, if you look at how much our Wrs seem to excel after leaving chicago, I think it should be an indictment on Drake.

 

Wilks - Hell no. No way. When looking at position players, the A#1 thing I look at is development. IMHO, few positions have shown development as well as CB. McBride looked solid as a rookie when forced to start. Graham looked solid after a red shirt rookie season when forced to start. Heck, freaking Bowman looked good for his one game appearance prior to injury. While Vasher has stunk this year, he was a 2nd day pick that developed into a starter. I think Wilks has done a solid job developing our players. How they lineup or how they play within our scheme is not on him, but on Babich/Lovie. I think Wilks has done a solid job, and feel the problems we see in the secondary are far more the fault of babich/lovie for scheme and playcalling and Angelo (w/ regard to S) for drafting a bunch of in-the-box safeties and expecting them to play centerfield.

 

4. Will the Bears address all of these areas? Doubtful. They may be a BIT more aggressive in free agency after their strategy of "paying their own" backfired. I could see them being suitor for a FA WR. Peppers? IF he's not franchised, I don't see the Bears being major players - but not because of the scheme (Brown and Ogun aren't fast enough to truly be considered Lovie's-kind of DE's) but because of the money. I expect the Bears to draft defense early and often - what we have to hope is that Angelo doesn't tab stiffs like Bazuin and Okwo.

 

You mention how Brown and Wale are not really Lovie's type of DEs, but neither is Peppers. While he is an awesome DE, he is not really a cover two DE. While I do not know where it will be, I think we will see one area where Angelo will spend big. Most off-seasons, he does add at least one big contract player, and I think that will hold true again next year. I think OL and WR are the most likely, but who knows. I agree we will most likely see a lot of defense in the draft, though I hope there will be an early sprinkle of OL too.

 

I do agree with the "Lithuanian" on one thing - the franchise seems to be slowly spiraling downward. We're starting to see that last year wasn't a complete abheration. Jerry Angelo's failed drafts are starting to catch up to the Bears and Lovie Smith's ill-advised egomaniacal power play after signing the big contact are starting to rot-out the franchise.

 

Agreed on Lovie. On Angelo, I have traditionally been one of his loudest critics, but more and more, I think the problem lies more in our coaching than in players. I disagree w/ Angelo in terms of philosophy, but also wonder if players he adds are not better than what we often see, but due to poor coaching, we never see that development until they are wearing a different uniform.

[artbest]

All good, interesting points...just a few additional thoughts on this...

 

1. Regarding Jerry Angelo. The emperical evidence points to a decidedly spotty resume. When one considers Roosevelt Williams, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes, Terrance Metcalf, Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley, Dan Bazuin and Michael Okwo, you paint a picture of a GM who is not especially adept at judging collegiate talent. We may soon have to add Danneal Manning and Dusty Dvoracek (who looks incredibly weak at the point of attack) to this list as well. There are certainly some signficant successes for Angelo on draft day, but he has blown WAY too many picks in rounds 1-3. A quality, results oriented franchise would not tolerate this. Speaking of not tolerating...

 

2. Angelo's philosophy on the oline was flawed in that it guaranteed that the Bears would be on borrowed time. Additionally, the acquisitions of Ruben Brown and Fred Miller were necessary because Mark Columbo got hurt and Terrance Metcalf was a bust. Those stop-gap measures meant that, if Angelo didn't act responsibility and draft some developmental linemen OTHER than the no-talent stiffs he tabbed in the 6th and 7th round - players who had no business being drafted at all btw - the team would be in trouble. Now, the Bears have a rag-tag group pieced together with duct tape. Hopefully, the damaged goods he drafted - Chris Williams - will turn out to be the goods. When it's an Angelo draft pick, the best we can hope for is 50/50.

 

3. Peppers is stronger and arguably quicker than either Brown or Ogun - he's in a completely different class as an athlete and could adapt to most any system save for a pure 3-4. The Bears WON'T go after him, but he's be an instant upgrade.

 

4. Wish you were right about Tommie Harris, but I don't think so. He's couldn't be further from "fine." He's the highest paid player on defense yet he's being manhandled week in and week out. In addition to his terrible play, he doesn't know when to shut up. When Warren Sapp, a player who represents everything Tommie Harris was SUPPOSED to be, calls him out, I tend to listen.

 

5. None of this exonerates the coaching staff. Jerry Angelo mis-scouted his defense and paid some too much $$, but they should still better than THIS. They don't have the talent to dominate, but they shouldn't give up 41 points to Minnesota, they shouldn't allow a rookie QB to butcher them for 300 yards, they shouldn't allow Brian Griese to torch them for 400 yards and they shouldn't allow Dan Orlovsky to have a career day against them. THIS is where coaching, scheme and game planning come in. Spagnolo in NY has shown how a team with smaller, quicker linemen can be very successful in this modern age. Creativity and adaptability - things that Lovie and Babich lack - are needed for this defense to return to respectability.

 

6. Have to disagree on Wilks - COMPLETELY. Trumaine McBride plays hard, tries hard, but he's far from a "solid corner." In fact, arguably, Bowman should have made the 53 man roster and the small, slow McBride should have been released. He can't cover a bed 1:1, let alone an NFL wide receiver. The Bear corners are being coached to give up inside leverage time and again - Wilks has to accept some accountability for this. Marcus Hamilton's mental gaffe at the end of the Atlanta game has to fall to some extent on Wilks, who should have implored him to FORGET THE BACK IN THE FLAT. No one tells Hamilton this and, being the typical idiot DB that Angelo picks up, he bites on the shorter route and the rest is misery

 

The organization has alot of problems. The NFL is a funny theater, however...things CAN be fixed sooner rather than later...IF the right men are doing the fixing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Jerry Angelo ignored the offensive line in the first 3 rounds for 5 consecutive seasons - something that's unheard of for teams that have General Managers. Sometimes, when a head coach runs the draft, we see this kind of irresponsible drafting and player procurement, but rarely with a GM. Few GM's in recent memory have been as negligent in this area as Jerry Angelo. With that said,

 

No argument what-so-ever, but I would like to point something out. Angelo is on record saying he prefers veteran OL. He has talked about how he believes the OL is one of those areas which is difficult for a rookie to pickup, and where it takes 2, 3 or more years to develop into a good starter. Thus, he has always sought OL in FA. That was fine when, other than LT, most of your OL were simply not very expensive. RTs were just this side of dime-a-dozen, and OGs were bought for even less. Unfortunately, in more recent years, the price for OL has gone up. Way up. I would say that first centers began to see bigger contracts. Then RTs began to see the bigger deals as more and more LDEs were solid against the pass, whereas they were once just run blocking bull rushers. But then you have the Hutchinson deal, which I think was the one to pretty much break the ice for OGs. Now OGs are making big contracts, and it is simply too expensive to "buy" your OL. Angelo admitted as much prior to the draft.

 

So while I disagree w/ Angelo's philosophy in the past, I did at least understand it. Further, while I wish he would have been a little more forward thinking and seen the trend in OL pay sooner, he at least now seems to realize he can't buy an OL, and thus may be more prone to using more of the draft than in the past. At least, that is what I hope.

 

2. Knowing his m.o., the MOST he'll do next April is consider a right tackle prospect in the third or fourth round. Tait's age and atrophy may compel him to try to find an heir apparent. As far as the guards are concerned, knowing how Angelo approaches the offensive line, he'll view Buenning as a significant acquisition and competition for either Beekman or Garza. He'll also draft someone who isn't even on most draft boards (Reed, Anderson come immediately to mind) in the 6th or 7th round to spend a couple of years on the Bears' practice squad.

 

I agree we should not expect much, at least in quantity, but I disagree we should write off his drafting an OG fairly high. It was one thing when he could buy OGs for relatively cheap prices, but now he can't. I think OG will be viewed as a target heading into next year.

 

I do agree we can expect him to draft a player or two for the OL (is sign after the draft) which elicits a board response of, "Huh? Who?".

 

3. What SHOULD the Bears do this off-season? Well...

 

A. Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers. If the Bears believe Kyle Orton to be their franchise QB, they can't afford to handicap his development by saddling him with garbage like Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis and (even) Devin Hester. They need REAL front line NFL wideouts.

 

Agreed they need to improve their WR corp, but the question I think will be what sort of WR do they seek. While Boldin and Housyourmama are the favorites around here, I just don't see it happening. I am a fan of both WRs, but at the same time, the cost to sign one in FA is simply obscene. Further, how many of these top tier paid WRs actually live up to their reps w/ their new teams? Not many. I think we will be looking at a middle of the road tier WR who has potential.

 

B. Offensive line. The current group has overachieved, given their age, lack of talent and lack of power. They are not exceptional run blockers but, overall, they've done a decent job of pass blocking. Williams will be the left tackle, but the Bears need a right tackle and a front-line guard.

 

IMHO, the bears need to replace 4 positions on the OL, but that will take a couple years. I think next year, we should look to add one front line OL (my preference is to get a LG) and then use a top 3 round pick on another OL. Adding a stud WR sounds great, but if the QB doesn't have time to throw, then that WR will struggle to make an impact.

 

C. Defensive line. They need a legit pass rushing DE and should also be on the market for a legit nose tackle and possibly another "3-technique" to pair with Marcus Harrison as replacements for the pathetic Tommie Harris

 

I think Harris is fine. Frankly, I think our talent on the DL is by and large fine. I think a coaching change would be the biggest lift possible to this unit. Most every team would love to add a legit pass rushing DE, and we are no different. The one position I do believe we need to find is a NT, as Dusty just does not appear to be it. At the same time, why can Harrison not play NT? The two are nearly identical is size (Harrison is actually a few pounds heavier) and I thought Harrison was supposed to be very strong too.

 

I am sure we will draft DL, Angelo ALWAYS does, but at some point, I think we really need to look at other areas. We have devoted a very large amount of money and picks to DL. My preference would be to make a coaching change and give the players we have a chance.

 

D. Free safety. The Bear safeties are awful - but their free safeties are non-existent. They simply don't have one. Steltz? Too slow to be a FS. Could be a solid SS one day. Kevin Payne? Can be "ok" in the box but is lost in pass coverage. Danneal Manning? If he's not returning kicks, he doesn't belong on the field

 

Agreed, but one of the problems (IMHO) is the assinine, stupid, mother@#$%^&* belief that our two safeties are interchangable. Seriously, how many times have you heard our coaches say that? The two safety positions are NOT interchangable. One safety needs to excel in coverage. He needs to excel in reading and breaking on a route. He needs speed and quickness. We continue to draft a bunch of SS', and then wonder why we don't have a safety that can play coverage. Think about it? Look at the safeties we have drafted: Steltz, Payne, Harris, Todd Johnson, Gray. Every safety Angelo has drafted has been in the SS mold. They were in-the-box safeties. I think Angelo looked at Mike Brown, and how well he played FS, even though he was not a prototypical FS, and felt anyone similar would do. Mike Brown is the exception, and not the rule.

 

E. Coaching. Babich, Haley, Wilks and Drake should be fired immediately after the last game the Bears play. These clowns have no business being in the jobs they're in today.

 

Babich - Hell yes.

Haley - Hell yes.

Drake - Hell yes. What WR has developed under Drake. In fact, if you look at how much our Wrs seem to excel after leaving chicago, I think it should be an indictment on Drake.

 

Wilks - Hell no. No way. When looking at position players, the A#1 thing I look at is development. IMHO, few positions have shown development as well as CB. McBride looked solid as a rookie when forced to start. Graham looked solid after a red shirt rookie season when forced to start. Heck, freaking Bowman looked good for his one game appearance prior to injury. While Vasher has stunk this year, he was a 2nd day pick that developed into a starter. I think Wilks has done a solid job developing our players. How they lineup or how they play within our scheme is not on him, but on Babich/Lovie. I think Wilks has done a solid job, and feel the problems we see in the secondary are far more the fault of babich/lovie for scheme and playcalling and Angelo (w/ regard to S) for drafting a bunch of in-the-box safeties and expecting them to play centerfield.

 

4. Will the Bears address all of these areas? Doubtful. They may be a BIT more aggressive in free agency after their strategy of "paying their own" backfired. I could see them being suitor for a FA WR. Peppers? IF he's not franchised, I don't see the Bears being major players - but not because of the scheme (Brown and Ogun aren't fast enough to truly be considered Lovie's-kind of DE's) but because of the money. I expect the Bears to draft defense early and often - what we have to hope is that Angelo doesn't tab stiffs like Bazuin and Okwo.

 

You mention how Brown and Wale are not really Lovie's type of DEs, but neither is Peppers. While he is an awesome DE, he is not really a cover two DE. While I do not know where it will be, I think we will see one area where Angelo will spend big. Most off-seasons, he does add at least one big contract player, and I think that will hold true again next year. I think OL and WR are the most likely, but who knows. I agree we will most likely see a lot of defense in the draft, though I hope there will be an early sprinkle of OL too.

 

I do agree with the "Lithuanian" on one thing - the franchise seems to be slowly spiraling downward. We're starting to see that last year wasn't a complete abheration. Jerry Angelo's failed drafts are starting to catch up to the Bears and Lovie Smith's ill-advised egomaniacal power play after signing the big contact are starting to rot-out the franchise.

 

Agreed on Lovie. On Angelo, I have traditionally been one of his loudest critics, but more and more, I think the problem lies more in our coaching than in players. I disagree w/ Angelo in terms of philosophy, but also wonder if players he adds are not better than what we often see, but due to poor coaching, we never see that development until they are wearing a different uniform.

[madlithuanian]

Ha! True enough!

 

Yeah...I'm in the South Bay, so it's about 30 miles or 2 hours from the valley! I did used to live in Burbank for a while, and know the Tinhorn Flats! Once I got Direct Ticket, I stopped going because my bar tab would always be too high! It was the Wanny years, so I had to drink heavily. I now am oddly finding my grocery bill to be increasing in that area recently...

 

Old style? These are the McCaskey's...we're talking Welch's and Wonder Bread at Ginny's kitchen table in Des Plaines.

 

By the way, you live in L.A.? My sister lives there and goes to a "Bear Bar" in Burbank, CA to watch the Bears - she's there religiously...

[madlithuanian]

That's a pretty darn big "IF"...

 

...IF the right men are doing the fixing.

[nfoligno]

1. Regarding Jerry Angelo. The emperical evidence points to a decidedly spotty resume. When one considers Roosevelt Williams, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes, Terrance Metcalf, Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley, Dan Bazuin and Michael Okwo, you paint a picture of a GM who is not especially adept at judging collegiate talent. We may soon have to add Danneal Manning and Dusty Dvoracek (who looks incredibly weak at the point of attack) to this list as well. There are certainly some signficant successes for Angelo on draft day, but he has blown WAY too many picks in rounds 1-3. A quality, results oriented franchise would not tolerate this. Speaking of not tolerating...

 

I am not going to get into a debate where I am in the position of defending Angelo. I have been his critic for too many years. My only point is that, while there is no question he has drafted many busts, I would also argue that (a) he has had quite a few solid picks and ( some of the players he drafted that didn't pan out w/ us have seemed to look better elsewhere, which makes me wonder how much of the problem is our coaching staff's ability to develop the talent brought in. Evaluating prospects prior to the draft is only part of the process. From there, you must rely on your staff to develop those prospects. When I look at, for example, WRs we drafted like Wade, Gage and Bradley having a greater level of success after leaving the team, it simply begs the question whether the issue is in pre-draft talent evaluation, or in our ability to develop the talent brought in.

 

2. Angelo's philosophy on the oline was flawed in that it guaranteed that the Bears would be on borrowed time. Additionally, the acquisitions of Ruben Brown and Fred Miller were necessary because Mark Columbo got hurt and Terrance Metcalf was a bust. Those stop-gap measures meant that, if Angelo didn't act responsibility and draft some developmental linemen OTHER than the no-talent stiffs he tabbed in the 6th and 7th round - players who had no business being drafted at all btw - the team would be in trouble. Now, the Bears have a rag-tag group pieced together with duct tape. Hopefully, the damaged goods he drafted - Chris Williams - will turn out to be the goods. When it's an Angelo draft pick, the best we can hope for is 50/50.

 

Hey, I basically agree. I said I disagreed w/ his philosophy, and have for a long time. My only comment is that I understand what his philosophy was, not that I agreed w/ it. I have no problem signing veteran OL. That's fine. Where I think he really blew it was in drafting so few OL (last round or two doesn't count) to develop and eventually take over for the older, average OL you sign in FA. For example, I loved the signing of R. Brown, but not then drafting an OG earlier than the late 2nd day to develop and eventually replace Brown was a mistake.

 

3. Peppers is stronger and arguably quicker than either Brown or Ogun - he's in a completely different class as an athlete and could adapt to most any system save for a pure 3-4. The Bears WON'T go after him, but he's be an instant upgrade.

 

Understand. That is NO argument Peppers is an absolute upgrade over what we have. I agree he is faster, and far stronger, and simply better. But if you are talking about the traditional cover two DE, and arguing Brown and Wale are not Lovie's style DE, then I would have to argue Peppers is not either. Freeney, Little, and even our own Anderson. Those are the style DEs that Lovie covets for his system.

 

Now, you can argue Peppers is so good that he trancends systems, and I wouldn't put up much of an argument against this. But if you are talking about getting the prototypical DE for Lovie's system, I simply do not buy that Peppers would be it. Further, I believe our scheme would kill Peppers. He uses a lot of stunts and mis-direction in his game and would go nuts being told to just attack the edge.

 

4. Wish you were right about Tommie Harris, but I don't think so. He's couldn't be further from "fine." He's the highest paid player on defense yet he's being manhandled week in and week out. In addition to his terrible play, he doesn't know when to shut up. When Warren Sapp, a player who represents everything Tommie Harris was SUPPOSED to be, calls him out, I tend to listen.

 

Sorry, but I listened to the Sapp interview, and have heard him talk numerous times w/ the guys on the Score. He is a huge fan of Harris' and has said he believe Harris is the only guy on the DL giving 100%. He FAR from calls out Harris, and in fact says the problem lies in how poorly other players have looked. He really rips the NT, and even pointed out a time when our NT knocks Harris down. He has said also that our DEs look like they are standing around waiting for Harris to do something. So if you are going to put a lot of faith in what Warren Sapp says, I am not sure how you can attack Harris. Sapp seems to believe our problems lie w/ the other 3 spots on the DL, particularly the NT position, and believes harris is one of the elite DTs in the game.

 

5. None of this exonerates the coaching staff. Jerry Angelo mis-scouted his defense and paid some too much $$, but they should still better than THIS. They don't have the talent to dominate, but they shouldn't give up 41 points to Minnesota, they shouldn't allow a rookie QB to butcher them for 300 yards, they shouldn't allow Brian Griese to torch them for 400 yards and they shouldn't allow Dan Orlovsky to have a career day against them. THIS is where coaching, scheme and game planning come in. Spagnolo in NY has shown how a team with smaller, quicker linemen can be very successful in this modern age. Creativity and adaptability - things that Lovie and Babich lack - are needed for this defense to return to respectability.

 

The only area you and I disagree here is when you say, "they don't have the talent to dominate". Two years ago, we had nearly identical talent, and did in fact dominate. I am of the opinion that our talent hasn't across the board gotten old and bad suddenly, but that changes in coaching staff have destroyed this group. I truly believe that if we had a change in coaching, we could in fact dominate w/ the personnel we have on the roster now.

 

6. Have to disagree on Wilks - COMPLETELY. Trumaine McBride plays hard, tries hard, but he's far from a "solid corner." In fact, arguably, Bowman should have made the 53 man roster and the small, slow McBride should have been released. He can't cover a bed 1:1, let alone an NFL wide receiver. The Bear corners are being coached to give up inside leverage time and again - Wilks has to accept some accountability for this. Marcus Hamilton's mental gaffe at the end of the Atlanta game has to fall to some extent on Wilks, who should have implored him to FORGET THE BACK IN THE FLAT. No one tells Hamilton this and, being the typical idiot DB that Angelo picks up, he bites on the shorter route and the rest is misery

 

One. McBride looked solid last year as a rookie, and I have to give Wilks credit for that. You talk about Bowman, but he too looked good when he got a chance. And how about Graham? My point is, in the 2 1/2 seasons Wilks has been here, we have seen development from CBs on a pretty solid level. I would further argue that it has been 2nd day draft pick CBs that have shown development, which further is a credit to Wilks. He isn't just developing 1st round players.

 

Two. You want to blame Wilks for the CBs to "giving up the inside", but Vasher himself has said that is the scheme. Wilks does not decide what scheme to run. That is on Babich and Lovie.

 

Three. Regarding Hamilton, I can go either way here. He was w/ the team what, a week? Problem I have w/ shredding Wilks for this is, you and I have no idea what the position coaches are expected to do. I can see where Wilks should have said something, but so should have Babich.

 

We can talk about this potential responsibility or that, but the one area I know is the responsibility of the position coach is to develop talent, and IMHO, he has done a better job in that area than maybe any other position coach on the team.