Wesson44 Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Bears | Not worried about sophomore slump for Forte Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:52:15 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said he would like to see second-year RB Matt Forte improve on his yards per carry and yards per catch. Spencer believes both will improve for Forte this season. Spencer said he is not concerned about a sophomore slump. "He's going to do well," Spencer added. "We have some new players and we've improved on our offensive line. I see no reason why Matt shouldn't improve this season." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Larger workload coming for K. Jones? Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:51:43 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said the team has to use RB Kevin Jones more this year to make sure both he and RB Matt Forte are as healthy as they can be by the end of the season. Spencer said Jones is now 100 percent healthy and is back to where he was before suffering a torn ACL. "He knows our system and he knows what we're trying to do," Spencer noted on Jones. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Wolfe working on improving Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:36:20 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said RB Garrett Wolfe has worked hard on improving his game. Wolfe, who also plays special teams, can do pretty much anything for the Bears, according to Spencer. Spencer said Wolfe is capable of carrying the football 20 times a game for the team, but it's unlikely that will happen. "He's going to have his work cut out for him, but we've definitely got to get him on the field also," Spender said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Cutler has offense down Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:35:50 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler has worked very hard in the classroom this offseason to pick up the team's system. Not only has he been able to grasp it, he is also able to execute the offense on the field. Some of the verbiage and reads in the offense are the same as they were with the Denver Broncos, allowing him to pick things up quicker. Quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton has been impressed with his arm strength. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Olsen wowing others Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:35:20 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said TE Greg Olsen has continually progressed during the offseason. He is wowing everybody with his physical stature and athleticism. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Looking to work the deep passing game? Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:34:43 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said he wouldn't be surprised to see the team try to utilize QB Jay Cutler's strong arm and WR Devin Hester's game-breaking speed together this season by trying to get Hester behind the secondary on deep routes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Hanie still working away in backup role Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:34:23 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said backup QB Caleb Hanie has done a lot of good things during the offseason. Hamilton noted Hanie is still working at it and training camp is going to be important for him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Basanez putting in extra time Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:33:48 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said backup QB Brett Basanez is always staying after hours at Halas Hall studying game film and critiquing his on-field performance. He has also shown some mobility on the field and the ability to make the throws required of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Larry Mayer's been busy! Thanks for the updates! Bears | Not worried about sophomore slump for Forte Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:52:15 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said he would like to see second-year RB Matt Forte improve on his yards per carry and yards per catch. Spencer believes both will improve for Forte this season. Spencer said he is not concerned about a sophomore slump. "He's going to do well," Spencer added. "We have some new players and we've improved on our offensive line. I see no reason why Matt shouldn't improve this season." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Larger workload coming for K. Jones? Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:51:43 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said the team has to use RB Kevin Jones more this year to make sure both he and RB Matt Forte are as healthy as they can be by the end of the season. Spencer said Jones is now 100 percent healthy and is back to where he was before suffering a torn ACL. "He knows our system and he knows what we're trying to do," Spencer noted on Jones. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Wolfe working on improving Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:36:20 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears RBs coach Tim Spencer said RB Garrett Wolfe has worked hard on improving his game. Wolfe, who also plays special teams, can do pretty much anything for the Bears, according to Spencer. Spencer said Wolfe is capable of carrying the football 20 times a game for the team, but it's unlikely that will happen. "He's going to have his work cut out for him, but we've definitely got to get him on the field also," Spender said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Cutler has offense down Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:35:50 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler has worked very hard in the classroom this offseason to pick up the team's system. Not only has he been able to grasp it, he is also able to execute the offense on the field. Some of the verbiage and reads in the offense are the same as they were with the Denver Broncos, allowing him to pick things up quicker. Quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton has been impressed with his arm strength. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Olsen wowing others Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:35:20 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said TE Greg Olsen has continually progressed during the offseason. He is wowing everybody with his physical stature and athleticism. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Looking to work the deep passing game? Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:34:43 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said he wouldn't be surprised to see the team try to utilize QB Jay Cutler's strong arm and WR Devin Hester's game-breaking speed together this season by trying to get Hester behind the secondary on deep routes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Hanie still working away in backup role Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:34:23 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said backup QB Caleb Hanie has done a lot of good things during the offseason. Hamilton noted Hanie is still working at it and training camp is going to be important for him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bears | Basanez putting in extra time Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:33:48 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said backup QB Brett Basanez is always staying after hours at Halas Hall studying game film and critiquing his on-field performance. He has also shown some mobility on the field and the ability to make the throws required of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmahaBear Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Bears | Looking to work the deep passing game? Comment (0) Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:34:43 -0700 Larry Mayer, of ChicagoBears.com, reports Chicago Bears QBs coach Pep Hamilton said he wouldn't be surprised to see the team try to utilize QB Jay Cutler's strong arm and WR Devin Hester's game-breaking speed together this season by trying to get Hester behind the secondary on deep routes. I know it's slow news this time of year.. but that has got to be the dumbest thing I've heard... Isn't that the reason they traded for him.. good lord... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 It's the middle of July and our RB coach comes out and states that our Oline is improved over last year? I have to wonder what he's already seeing (with no contact) or hearing from the Oline coach? It's early to read too much into this but I tend to give some credibility to tidbits of info like this. We know the new guys haven't had enough time to work well as a team but on the other hand the coaches likely already know that the new guys are stronger than those they replaced. Maybe we will be able to move some DTs around this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Yeah, I don't know how much credence to give these quotes. I mean, it's nice to have them, but it all kind of sounds like the party line, and having Bears coaches interviewed by a Chicago Bears employee adds to that impression. I mean, there's not one negative comment about any player in there, or even any constructive criticism. If there were one "so-and-so needs to work on his blocking assignments" or something, it would lend the whole thing a lot more credibility. That said, I do agree with some of it. I think Forte will be improved this season. He'll be running behind a better line, and he's no longer the only threat on our offense, so he should see a lot fewer 8-man fronts. I think he'll crack 4 yards a carry, and he should approach his total yardage from last season on significantly fewer carries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Everyone assumes Forte will have fewer carries, but I kind of wonder about that. Everyone assumes (as do I) K.Jones will get more carries, and thus Forte will get fewer. But at the same time, that seems to assume we will run the ball (in total) a similar number of times as in past seasons. I am not sure that will be the case. One. We were one of the worst teams in the league when looking at 3rd down conversions and 1st downs overall. Most expect our offense to be better and more effecient this year, which logically should result in more overall snaps. Not all those snaps will be passes, and thus I think we will have more total carries. Two. Last year, our defense sucked. I think most would agree with that. Due to our defense last year, we were often forced into passing situations. I think many/most expect our defense to be better this year, the result of which likely means a run/pass ratio that slides back toward the run. a Three. Continuing the assumptions, if our offense is better and our defense is better, not only will we be in fewer come from behind situations, but we should actually see more situations where we have a lead, and thus run the ball more to eat up clock. Take a look at our stats in 2005 and 2006. In 2005, TJ had 314 carries, only 2 fewer than Forte had as a rookie. But while TJ was the lead back, he also shared duties w/ AP getting 76 carries and Benson getting 67. In 2006, Benson's role expanded, and he received 157 carries, but TJ still had 296 carries, only 18 fewer than Forte. The key difference is, in 2005 and 2006, 488 carries (418 passes) and 503 carries (513 passes), compared to last year when we had 434 carries to 528 passes. So, in general, I think we will have more total snaps next year than last, when we had 962 total plays. Further, as we will have an improved defense, I think we will have a greater percentage of runs than last year. Thus, Forte may still have in the 310 carries range, while KJ has maybe 150, which would be similar to TJ and Benson our SB season. I agree Forte will have a better ypc average. I just question the automatic assumption that Forte will have significantly fewer carries, as most seem to assume we will have the same number of carries this year, but simply split between he and Jones. Yeah, I don't know how much credence to give these quotes. I mean, it's nice to have them, but it all kind of sounds like the party line, and having Bears coaches interviewed by a Chicago Bears employee adds to that impression. I mean, there's not one negative comment about any player in there, or even any constructive criticism. If there were one "so-and-so needs to work on his blocking assignments" or something, it would lend the whole thing a lot more credibility. That said, I do agree with some of it. I think Forte will be improved this season. He'll be running behind a better line, and he's no longer the only threat on our offense, so he should see a lot fewer 8-man fronts. I think he'll crack 4 yards a carry, and he should approach his total yardage from last season on significantly fewer carries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Everyone assumes Forte will have fewer carries, but I kind of wonder about that. Everyone assumes (as do I) K.Jones will get more carries, and thus Forte will get fewer. But at the same time, that seems to assume we will run the ball (in total) a similar number of times as in past seasons. I am not sure that will be the case. So, in general, I think we will have more total snaps next year than last, when we had 962 total plays. Further, as we will have an improved defense, I think we will have a greater percentage of runs than last year. Thus, Forte may still have in the 310 carries range, while KJ has maybe 150, which would be similar to TJ and Benson our SB season. I agree Forte will have a better ypc average. I just question the automatic assumption that Forte will have significantly fewer carries, as most seem to assume we will have the same number of carries this year, but simply split between he and Jones. 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 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. Yeah, I feel the same way. I don't want to see Forte turn into Anthony Thomas and have one great season before injuries gradually ruin him. How many carries a back can take (before he starts to break down) varies significantly from individual to individual. Guys like Clinton Portis and LaDanian Tomlinson can take season after season in the mid-300s, but a lot of other great backs can't handle that many carries without getting nicked up. I think the end of last season showed us what Forte's limits are like: he started to break down by the last couple of games, even after they had been scaling back his touches somewhat. That's not a bad thing, we just need to know what Forte's ceiling is in terms of carries, then make sure we have other backs capable of shouldering the rest of the load. Look at Thomas Jones: he's a great back, but he's usually been kept around 290-310 carries as a feature back, with a quality #2 (Leon Washington or the 2005-2006 edition Cedric Benson) picking up the rest. I'd much rather that Chicago limit Forte to 290 or 300 touches, if doing so means that he can stay productive for the next 6 or 7 seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 That really isn't different from what I said. The way Forte carried the load for us last year, I think some believe he had in the upper 300's in terms of carries. He had 318. We simply didn't have a great number of total snaps, and our overall run/pass ratio was more skewed to passing than usual. Thus, it seems like Forte had more carries than he did. My point is, I think some (when creating projections) are figuring Forte's carries drop closer to the 250 range. They look at his 318 carries, figure KJ eats into that, and drop his total carries. My argument is, while Forte's percentage of total snaps may well reduce, his total carries by the end of the year may not, or not nearly what many are thinking. Regarding the "wear down" issue, two things. One, he began to wear down last year, but that is very common for a rookie, who is not used to a 16 game season, not to mention the preseason. For the most part, the rookies I see who do not wear down toward the end of the year (particularly RBs) are the ones who didn't start the year. Two, I would argue a better OL lessens the wear and tear. Look at Emmit Smith as a prime example. Emmitt Smith was not a special RB, but behind those pro bowl OLs? The wear and tear factor really goes down w/ more and more of the tackles are made by LBs and DBs, rather than DL. W/ our OL last year, Forte was taking plenty of shots from the DL. The hope is, w/ a better OL, more holes are created and more tackles are made by the guys who weigh 200-250lbs, rather than those weighing over 300lbs. Yeah, I feel the same way. I don't want to see Forte turn into Anthony Thomas and have one great season before injuries gradually ruin him. How many carries a back can take (before he starts to break down) varies significantly from individual to individual. Guys like Clinton Portis and LaDanian Tomlinson can take season after season in the mid-300s, but a lot of other great backs can't handle that many carries without getting nicked up. I think the end of last season showed us what Forte's limits are like: he started to break down by the last couple of games, even after they had been scaling back his touches somewhat. That's not a bad thing, we just need to know what Forte's ceiling is in terms of carries, then make sure we have other backs capable of shouldering the rest of the load. Look at Thomas Jones: he's a great back, but he's usually been kept around 290-310 carries as a feature back, with a quality #2 (Leon Washington or the 2005-2006 edition Cedric Benson) picking up the rest. I'd much rather that Chicago limit Forte to 290 or 300 touches, if doing so means that he can stay productive for the next 6 or 7 seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiantgiant Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 That really isn't different from what I said. The way Forte carried the load for us last year, I think some believe he had in the upper 300's in terms of carries. He had 318. We simply didn't have a great number of total snaps, and our overall run/pass ratio was more skewed to passing than usual. Thus, it seems like Forte had more carries than he did. My point is, I think some (when creating projections) are figuring Forte's carries drop closer to the 250 range. They look at his 318 carries, figure KJ eats into that, and drop his total carries. My argument is, while Forte's percentage of total snaps may well reduce, his total carries by the end of the year may not, or not nearly what many are thinking. Regarding the "wear down" issue, two things. One, he began to wear down last year, but that is very common for a rookie, who is not used to a 16 game season, not to mention the preseason. For the most part, the rookies I see who do not wear down toward the end of the year (particularly RBs) are the ones who didn't start the year. Two, I would argue a better OL lessens the wear and tear. Look at Emmit Smith as a prime example. Emmitt Smith was not a special RB, but behind those pro bowl OLs? The wear and tear factor really goes down w/ more and more of the tackles are made by LBs and DBs, rather than DL. W/ our OL last year, Forte was taking plenty of shots from the DL. The hope is, w/ a better OL, more holes are created and more tackles are made by the guys who weigh 200-250lbs, rather than those weighing over 300lbs. I agree on just about every point. I'm not talking about taking Forte down to 250 touches or something like that; he's the feature guy, and I don't want to see the Bears going with a committee approach. That said, Forte touched the ball 379 times last season (316 rushes and 63 receptions) and was on the field for 850 plays total. Between the rushes, the pass plays, and the blocking assignments when he wasn't getting the ball, that's a very big workload. I agree that a lot of rookies have to adjust to the 16-game season, and you usually see their conditioning improve by the second year, but I'd still hate to see Forte get overworked in 2009. Basically, all I'm saying is this: Ron Turner admitted that it was very hard to take Forte off the field last season because he was so productive. Turner basically stopped just short of saying that he gave Forte too much of a workload. With a better surrounding cast (better QB, improved Hester, healthy Kevin Jones, improved o-line like you mentioned) in 2009, I really hope that Chicago can find some opportunities to rest him a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 No argument here. I think the percentage of plays Forte is in for goes down as KJ gets a greater role, and to a lesser extent, maybe Wolfe. I still think he may finish the year w/ similar snap numbers, but it just won't feel the same. I see Forte getting more breathers and more rest, but as I think we will have more offensive plays, his number of carries still ends up high. I do think his catches goes down. I think a big reason he caught as many as he did was our weak ass OL. W/ a better OL, we will be able to have more passes going to WRs and TEs. Forte will still be a weapon, but I think he will have closer to 40 than 60 this season. I agree on just about every point. I'm not talking about taking Forte down to 250 touches or something like that; he's the feature guy, and I don't want to see the Bears going with a committee approach. That said, Forte touched the ball 379 times last season (316 rushes and 63 receptions) and was on the field for 850 plays total. Between the rushes, the pass plays, and the blocking assignments when he wasn't getting the ball, that's a very big workload. I agree that a lot of rookies have to adjust to the 16-game season, and you usually see their conditioning improve by the second year, but I'd still hate to see Forte get overworked in 2009. Basically, all I'm saying is this: Ron Turner admitted that it was very hard to take Forte off the field last season because he was so productive. Turner basically stopped just short of saying that he gave Forte too much of a workload. With a better surrounding cast (better QB, improved Hester, healthy Kevin Jones, improved o-line like you mentioned) in 2009, I really hope that Chicago can find some opportunities to rest him a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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