WR ran the wrong route

[jason]

I have no defensive suggestions for this year.

 

I do. Make the CBs start pressing our WRs at the LOS more. If they get beat, so what. they are anyway. See if they can play more physical and prevent the dinks and dumks all day long. Start playing Gaines Adams and Gilbert more. Gave up a 2nd for Adams and a 3rd for Gilbert. Also, try to get Jamar Williams and DJ Moore playing time. All young players who have any potential future need to get playing time and increased looks. I am not saying we bench Briggs to start Williams. Pick your spots. Move him around between LB positions, but get him on the field more often.

 

This is the most infuriating aspect of the season right now. We know it's over. They know it's over. So why not give the younger guys, the guys with potential, more time in the game?

 

Jamar Williams, Gaines Adams, Jarron Gilbert, DJ Moore, Juaquin Iglesias, Devin Aromashodu

 

All of these guys need to get more playing time. Doing otherwise doesn't make sense.

 

And the changes to the OL you suggested are common sense...too bad they won't happen.

Williams is a LT...why not play him there?

Omilaye is a RT...why not play him there?

Beekman is a C...why not play him there?

 

This staff pisses me off.

[nfoligno]

Adams and Harrison both weigh in at 310 or above. That isn't that much less than Hampton (Pitt) or Wilfork (NE) who play the NT position. Now, whether either would be capable, I don't know, but I do think both would be candidates.

 

Would could also be interesting is, Harris might actually fit as a 3-4 DE. As might Gilbert.

 

Brown would likely have to move to OLB. But I'll say this. This would be a bit interesting.

 

DL: Gilbert - Harrison - Harris

 

LB: Brown - Briggs - Urlacher - Jamar Williams.

 

Not saying this would work, but it would be interesting

 

 

Completely agree. However if we bring in Cowher we will more than likely be converting to a 3-4. With that in mind we would need a "plug" at nose tackle. The tackles that we have aren't right for that system. O-line has to be a priority.

 

[nfoligno]

Yup.

 

On the OL, could it really be worse? Williams to LT is just the absolutely most obvious. Omiyale to RT makes sense. He has experience at OT, and w/ Williams moving, there would be a hole. Beekman to center is touchy. Kreutz is such a leader, despite his play, that it could backfire. I know how you feel, but the staff would have to really approach that one carefully. Playing him would be essentially telling Kreutz, "We want to see if Beekman can replace you next year, or if we have to find a guy in the offseason to replace you in 2011". Doubt that goes over well, and could cause more harm then good. Still makes sense, but just not as easily done was other moves.

 

Jamar Williams should be on the field a lot. It isn't like Hunter or Roach are so good you can't sit them.

 

Adams? The only bad thing here is, when I have seen him on the field, wow has he looked awful. Still, we need to get him out there. Frankly, as Anderson is due to hit FA, we should simply give Anderson's reps to Adams.

 

We need to decide whether Gilbert is a DT or a DE, but whatever he is, he needs to see the field a lot more.

 

For Moore and Iglesias, a good start would their being active on game day.

 

DA needs to get on the field a lot more. I think he has only two catches, but wow were both of those catches athletic.

 

With that said, I expect to see very little. I think Williams to LT is a possibility, though only because Pace has suffered injury of late, giving the staff an excuse to do what they otherwise don't have the guts to do. Beekman to OG again is possible, though the staff went the opposite direction this past week. I think we may see more of DA and Gaines Adams, but for the rest, I expect to see little.

 

This is the most infuriating aspect of the season right now. We know it's over. They know it's over. So why not give the younger guys, the guys with potential, more time in the game?

 

Jamar Williams, Gaines Adams, Jarron Gilbert, DJ Moore, Juaquin Iglesias, Devin Aromashodu

 

All of these guys need to get more playing time. Doing otherwise doesn't make sense.

 

And the changes to the OL you suggested are common sense...too bad they won't happen.

Williams is a LT...why not play him there?

Omilaye is a RT...why not play him there?

Beekman is a C...why not play him there?

 

This staff pisses me off.

 

[defiantgiant]

I see a lot of people in this thread talking about Chicago being very, VERY active in free agency this offseason. The problem with that is that there isn't going to be much of a FA class this year. Without a new CBA, only guys with 6 years in the league can become UFAs. Guys with less than six years aren't eligible, and usually a six-year vet who's any good has already been locked up. That means that it'll be a much smaller, older, less-talented year for free agency. At the same time, the likelihood that this will be the last draft class without a rookie pay scale means that you could easily get a bumper crop of underclassmen declaring. This is a year to draft rookies, not a year to go shopping for vets.

 

The advantage of the whole situation is this: with a shortage of vets on the FA market, teams might be more willing to trade for players. That means it could be easier than normal for the Bears to move a couple of guys and get some draft picks back. I think we could probably get a 3rd for Alex Brown from a team like the Seahawks, who need some help on the DL. Also, Nick Roach should have some value: he's a young guy, has plenty of starting experience at two spots, and has played well enough to start for several teams. We might be able to package Roach with that 3rd in exchange for a mid-2nd. If we could do both of those moves, we could have two picks between 50-100. If we could package Vasher and a 6th for a 4th, then we could maybe do something like this:

 

2nd - Mike Iupati, OG or Jon Asamoah, OG

3rd - Jerrell Powe, DT or Dan Williams, DT

4th - Micah Johnson, ILB

4th - Kyle Calloway, RT or Chris Scott, RT or Vladimir Ducasse, RT

5th - Brian Jackson, CB

7th - Brandon Deaderick, DE

UDFA - Kevin Matthews, G/C

 

EDIT: I'm not saying we have to be totally silent in free agency. Kevin Walter from the Texans is going to be an unrestricted FA even without a new CBA. He's a big wideout (6'3" 215) with extremely reliable hands. He's good catching in traffic and in the red zone, and he'd give us a safety-valve type of target across from Hester. He's also younger than a lot of the 6-year vets: he's only 28. If the Texans let him hit free agency, the Bears should be on the phone immediately.

[nfoligno]

Personally, I just do not believe we enter next year w/o a new CBA. I think a new CBA will be signed by then. I think the owners will eventually give in to the players in terms of the big picture dollars, but force the players to concede to many smaller aspects, like draft slotting, player conduct, etc. But football is simply too much of a golden goose that I just do not see either side taking it to the level they talk about.

 

And if it does get there, I think we have a lockout, rather than an uncapped season.

 

So in my eyes, either there is a new CBA and thus normal FA, or there is no new CBA, and thus a lockout, and thus no offseason so all talks are moot.

 

I see a lot of people in this thread talking about Chicago being very, VERY active in free agency this offseason. The problem with that is that there isn't going to be much of a FA class this year. Without a new CBA, only guys with 6 years in the league can become UFAs. Guys with less than six years aren't eligible, and usually a six-year vet who's any good has already been locked up. That means that it'll be a much smaller, older, less-talented year for free agency. At the same time, the likelihood that this will be the last draft class without a rookie pay scale means that you could easily get a bumper crop of underclassmen declaring. This is a year to draft rookies, not a year to go shopping for vets.

 

The advantage of the whole situation is this: with a shortage of vets on the FA market, teams might be more willing to trade for players. That means it could be easier than normal for the Bears to move a couple of guys and get some draft picks back. I think we could probably get a 3rd for Alex Brown from a team like the Seahawks, who need some help on the DL. Also, Nick Roach should have some value: he's a young guy, has plenty of starting experience at two spots, and has played well enough to start for several teams. We might be able to package Roach with that 3rd in exchange for a mid-2nd. If we could do both of those moves, we could have two picks between 50-100. If we could package Vasher and a 6th for a 4th, then we could maybe do something like this:

 

2nd - Mike Iupati, OG or Jon Asamoah, OG

3rd - Jerrell Powe, DT or Dan Williams, DT

4th - Micah Johnson, ILB

4th - Kyle Calloway, RT or Chris Scott, RT or Vladimir Ducasse, RT

5th - Brian Jackson, CB

7th - Brandon Deaderick, DE

UDFA - Kevin Matthews, G/C

 

EDIT: I'm not saying we have to be totally silent in free agency. Kevin Walter from the Texans is going to be an unrestricted FA even without a new CBA. He's a big wideout (6'3" 215) with extremely reliable hands. He's good catching in traffic and in the red zone, and he'd give us a safety-valve type of target across from Hester. He's also younger than a lot of the 6-year vets: he's only 28. If the Texans let him hit free agency, the Bears should be on the phone immediately.

 

[jason]

Adams and Harrison both weigh in at 310 or above. That isn't that much less than Hampton (Pitt) or Wilfork (NE) who play the NT position. Now, whether either would be capable, I don't know, but I do think both would be candidates.

 

Would could also be interesting is, Harris might actually fit as a 3-4 DE. As might Gilbert.

 

Brown would likely have to move to OLB. But I'll say this. This would be a bit interesting.

 

DL: Gilbert - Harrison - Harris

 

LB: Brown - Briggs - Urlacher - Jamar Williams.

 

Not saying this would work, but it would be interesting

 

Just for the record, I said YEARS ago that the Bears should use the 3-4. It would not only be beneficial because most teams don't see it consistently, but it would also help with the Bears strengths (i.e. LBs). Your idea of Brown at LB is intriguing, as would the idea of Anderson lining up there. I don't see why it couldn't work.

[bowlingtwig]

Just for the record, I said YEARS ago that the Bears should use the 3-4. It would not only be beneficial because most teams don't see it consistently, but it would also help with the Bears strengths (i.e. LBs). Your idea of Brown at LB is intriguing, as would the idea of Anderson lining up there. I don't see why it couldn't work.

I like the 3-4 but we don't have a NT that can command a constant double team. We do have the LB's but we need something on the Line.

[bowlingtwig]

Personally, I just do not believe we enter next year w/o a new CBA. I think a new CBA will be signed by then. I think the owners will eventually give in to the players in terms of the big picture dollars, but force the players to concede to many smaller aspects, like draft slotting, player conduct, etc. But football is simply too much of a golden goose that I just do not see either side taking it to the level they talk about.

 

And if it does get there, I think we have a lockout, rather than an uncapped season.

 

So in my eyes, either there is a new CBA and thus normal FA, or there is no new CBA, and thus a lockout, and thus no offseason so all talks are moot.

I agree. I just can not see either the players or the owners really wanting a no cap season.

[nfoligno]

I agree we don't have a NT that would command a double team, but then again, do we have anyone on the DL in our current 4-3 that commands a double team?

 

The reality is, whether we change to a 3-4, a bigger body 4-3, or even if we stick w/ the cover 2 D, we need to add and upgrade on the DL. Not a player on our DL today consistently requires a double team. Not one! So while I realize we lack a NT, I could also argue we lack a player (or multiple) for any scheme we want to run.

 

If we were to consider a jump to a 3-4 though...

 

Brown and Melton would be interesting from the OLB position. I would add that Anderson could be re-signed cheap, and w/ his athleticism, he too could be a very interesting OLB.

 

I really don't know enough about Gaines Adams to know whether he would be better off adding weight to stay at DE, or moving to OLB.

 

Idonije could play DE in a 3-4. Harris and Gilbert would be interesting looking 3-4 DEs too. Heck, if the dude could stay healthy, Dusty would make an interesting 3-4 DE.

 

That's the thing about going from a scheme like ours to a 3-4. In our scheme, your DL is already lighter, thus your DTs could play DE and your DEs would have the right size and athleticism to play OLB. I am not saying all of the players could make the transition, but when you talk about what you look for in a 3-4 scheme at DT and OLB, I think there is a fit.

 

Yes, we would lack a NT, but as I said, we lack DE and DT now for our current scheme, and would be lacking for any scheme we change too.

 

I didn't mention Wale only because he is due to hit FA, and I think he may have played well enough this year to be outside our price range.

 

I like the 3-4 but we don't have a NT that can command a constant double team. We do have the LB's but we need something on the Line.

 

[nfoligno]

I don't see owners in any way wanting a no cap season, and think they would rather a lockout. And frankly, this would be stupid as well. The NFL has become such a big thing, it simply is not smart to mess w/ such a good product. Baseball has, several times, and the result was the National Pastime really losing a lot of fans.

 

For the players, they too would really hurt themselves. As often talked about, only players w/ 6+ years of experience would be FAs, and that means a lot of players planning on a big payday would be RFAs, and would miss out on the big payday. Further, I believe each team would be allowed not one, but two franchise tags, and thus again, fewer still players hit the FA market and get their big payday. Lower level players could miss out as well. While the cap would be gone, so would the minimum. Thus the lower level players would no longer find themselves being offered what is the current veteran minimum.

 

Seriously, everyone would lose all around, and it just would not make sense. That is why, despite the chest thumping and puffing, I just can not see the two sides drawing a line and not coming to an agreement. I think both sides will give.

 

I agree. I just can not see either the players or the owners really wanting a no cap season.

 

[bowlingtwig]

I agree we don't have a NT that would command a double team, but then again, do we have anyone on the DL in our current 4-3 that commands a double team?

 

The reality is, whether we change to a 3-4, a bigger body 4-3, or even if we stick w/ the cover 2 D, we need to add and upgrade on the DL. Not a player on our DL today consistently requires a double team. Not one! So while I realize we lack a NT, I could also argue we lack a player (or multiple) for any scheme we want to run.

 

If we were to consider a jump to a 3-4 though...

 

Brown and Melton would be interesting from the OLB position. I would add that Anderson could be re-signed cheap, and w/ his athleticism, he too could be a very interesting OLB.

 

I really don't know enough about Gaines Adams to know whether he would be better off adding weight to stay at DE, or moving to OLB.

 

Idonije could play DE in a 3-4. Harris and Gilbert would be interesting looking 3-4 DEs too. Heck, if the dude could stay healthy, Dusty would make an interesting 3-4 DE.

 

That's the thing about going from a scheme like ours to a 3-4. In our scheme, your DL is already lighter, thus your DTs could play DE and your DEs would have the right size and athleticism to play OLB. I am not saying all of the players could make the transition, but when you talk about what you look for in a 3-4 scheme at DT and OLB, I think there is a fit.

 

Yes, we would lack a NT, but as I said, we lack DE and DT now for our current scheme, and would be lacking for any scheme we change too.

 

I didn't mention Wale only because he is due to hit FA, and I think he may have played well enough this year to be outside our price range.

I see your thinking on that lol. Sad, extremely sad. Gilbert would be REALLY interesting considering his athleticism. I wish we would use him so we can see what he could possibly bring to the table.