Gotta admit...

[Guest TerraTor]

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Westbrook would love to play in Chicago

Feb

26

2/26/2010 2:53:32 PM | More

 

 

ESPNChicago.com reports former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said Friday he would love to play for the Chicago Bears, and he's not concerned about potential concussion issues.

 

"I would love to play in Chicago; I would love to play anywhere," Westbrook said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000. "They have a pretty good quarterback there [in Jay Cutler]; great defense.

 

"There's no question that I would love to definitely play in Chicago."

 

And Westbrook wasn't deterred by the fact the Bears consider Matt Forte to be their No. 1 running back.

 

"I've admired Matt's game from afar," Westbrook said. "He's a young guy, very talented. I like the way he runs. I like the way he plays the game. He plays with a passion. He runs hard.

 

 

 

Id love to know what defense hes referring to as being great, but other than that. Living in PHiladelphia the past 6 years, ive watched him murder many teams. Think hed be a great supplement and hell, can even start.

[SoxFan1]

I love Westbrook and in a lot of ways, he similar to Forte as a dual-threat to run and pass. He would certainly give us a legit backup and would help keep Forte healthy.

[Boston Boxer]

he said we have a great defense...obviously he is still suffering from post concussion syndrome. I would pass on him, he has had way too many head injuries for my liking.

[defiantgiant]

I wouldn't mind Westbrook if they can sign him cheap and short-term. That said, the Chargers apparently aren't going to tender an offer to Darren Sproles, so he's going to hit the open market. If we're looking for a change-of-pace behind Forte, I'd be much more interested in signing Sproles than Westbrook.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

I wouldn't mind Westbrook if they can sign him cheap and short-term. That said, the Chargers apparently aren't going to tender an offer to Darren Sproles, so he's going to hit the open market. If we're looking for a change-of-pace behind Forte, I'd be much more interested in signing Sproles than Westbrook.

 

If Sproles became available, at a reasonale amount, then he would be a good option. What the heck is San Diego up to? Who are they gonna have at RB next year?

 

As far as Westbrook, no thanks. Like I said earlier, he is a great guy but really can't contribute especially given his injury history.

 

I do find it ironic that some would consider Westbrook, with his injuries and being a more "seasoned" vet but when players like Holt (older vet) and Boldin ("injury-prone") are mentioned they are both dismissed for the same reasons. Hmm....

 

 

[defiantgiant]

If Sproles became available, at a reasonale amount, then he would be a good option. What the heck is San Diego up to? Who are they gonna have at RB next year?

Apparently they'd have to pay him $7 million for a year to use an RFA tender, and I guess they're probably already planning to draft a back pretty high now that LT's gone. Still, I have no idea why they're not trying harder to hang onto Sproles. They must be really confident that they can beat whatever offers he gets as one of the top FA running backs.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Apparently they'd have to pay him $7 million for a year to use an RFA tender, and I guess they're probably already planning to draft a back pretty high now that LT's gone. Still, I have no idea why they're not trying harder to hang onto Sproles. They must be really confident that they can beat whatever offers he gets as one of the top FA running backs.

 

Yeah that confidence is blinding them to the future. Why not just offer him the contract ahead of time (or perhaps they already did and he refused) and go with someone they know can perform rather than pin hopes on a "high draft"?

[defiantgiant]

Yeah that confidence is blinding them to the future. Why not just offer him the contract ahead of time (or perhaps they already did and he refused) and go with someone they know can perform rather than pin hopes on a "high draft"?

Well, I'm not entirely sure if I've got this right, but since Sproles is an RFA, I think that they can still match whatever offer sheet he might get from another team. So this could just be their way of finding out what his market value is, before they decide whether they want to pay that. It's still kind of a risky strategy, I think: if somebody decides they value him a little higher, San Diego's out two running backs.

[jason]

I wouldn't mind Westbrook if they can sign him cheap and short-term. That said, the Chargers apparently aren't going to tender an offer to Darren Sproles, so he's going to hit the open market. If we're looking for a change-of-pace behind Forte, I'd be much more interested in signing Sproles than Westbrook.

 

I can't believe anyone is even considering Sproles when the Bears have a Sproles-type back on the roster who has never been given a real shot to show what he can do. Signing Sproles would be stupid, IMO. Money would be much better spent giving the carries to Wolfe.

 

Westbrook, on the other hand, is a different story since he's a taller, bigger back, and a vet. Of course, everyone knows his concussion problems could scare the team away.

[BearsFan]

Sproles fumbles too much. Put him behind Forte, who also has way too much trouble holding onto the ball, and it's going to cost the Bears games. JMO

 

.

[Guest TerraTor]

I can't believe anyone is even considering Sproles when the Bears have a Sproles-type back on the roster who has never been given a real shot to show what he can do. Signing Sproles would be stupid, IMO. Money would be much better spent giving the carries to Wolfe.

 

Westbrook, on the other hand, is a different story since he's a taller, bigger back, and a vet. Of course, everyone knows his concussion problems could scare the team away.

 

 

Haha, taller. Hes 5'9

[defiantgiant]

I can't believe anyone is even considering Sproles when the Bears have a Sproles-type back on the roster who has never been given a real shot to show what he can do.

"Sproles-type back" is a pretty major stretch for Wolfe. Sproles had more yards last season than Wolfe has in his entire career.

 

Signing Sproles would be stupid, IMO. Money would be much better spent giving the carries to Wolfe.

I don't think Wolfe has earned more carries: he doesn't make guys miss and can't break tackles. And when he does get carries, he's WAY too inconsistent. He'll break 30 on a gadget play about once a season, then the next game he'll be under 3.0 a carry.

[jason]

Haha, taller. Hes 5'9

 

Sproles is 5'6". Google is your friend.

[jason]

"Sproles-type back" is a pretty major stretch for Wolfe. Sproles had more yards last season than Wolfe has in his entire career.

 

I don't think Wolfe has earned more carries: he doesn't make guys miss and can't break tackles. And when he does get carries, he's WAY too inconsistent. He'll break 30 on a gadget play about once a season, then the next game he'll be under 3.0 a carry.

 

I'd say the yards gained has a lot to do with the fact that:

1) The Chargers have an offense, and the Bears do not

2) The Chargers had/have an OC that knows how to use a RB like the two, and the Bears have had that idiot Turner

3) The Chargers had/have a good OL, and the Bears have had a below average OL for several years

 

As for earning carries, who can really say with this coaching staff? Hard to make people miss tackles when most the runs are up the pipe. Hard to break more big plays when you don't get the ball more than one or two times a game...which is what he has gotten.

 

And, oh by the way, the inconsistency can't be proven if not given the carries, which kind of makes your two comments contradictory. How can he have the yards to compete with Sproles' yards if he doesn't have the carries? And vice versa? He can't. What I do know is, he averaged 4.6 a rush in 2008, and 5.5 in 2009. With a team that has struggled on offense for longer than I can remember, and especially a team that was horrible rushing last year, there is no excuse for not using him more often when considering his production during limited playing time.

 

It would make much more sense to give Wolfe some carries to see if he can keep up production with more playing time, than it would to pay huge money for Sproles.

[nfoligno]

Jason,

 

I am with you in that we don't need to spend the sort of money it would take to sign Sproles, but I really think it a reach to say we already have (basically) Sproles on the roster. One, I know size is a big part of why you say that. Other analyists have point out. Just because a RB has similar height and weight doesn't mean they are actually similar. Sproles, and MDJ I believe, are small RBs but have a tremendous amount of muscle/build, whatever, in their lower bodies. Wolfe doesn't.

 

Honestly, I am not sure why you are such a Wolfe fan. Wolfe was an over-rated reach the day we drafted him. I have even argued that we never really viewed him so much as a NFL RB but a special teams player. Coming off the SB, management felt they could make picks like this, and I have argued the belief we drafted him w/ the intention of making him the "up" return man to prevent squib kicks avoiding Hester. But in his rookie camp, he was just terrible in the return game, and they gave up.

 

Has the team best used him? No. I would agree with you there. However, w/ the RB issues we have, I see no reason to put so much faith in him. Forte struggled last year, and behind Forte we had nothing. Say whatever you want about Turner, but he is gone. Time to move on. We need better depth behind Forte. I have no problem with the idea of wanting to get better looks at Wolfe, but I don't want to rely or count on him.

 

Many want to make a move at WR, and I argue against it. Not just because we have young WRs, but because I believe we have young WRs who have already proven worthy of our trust. You can argue it isn't Wolfe's fault, but that is really beside the point. We can not afford to enter another season w/ no RB depth. That doesn't mean Wolfe is gone, but it does mean we need to add another RB who we can count on.

 

Hey, you know I want OL. But there is no reason we can't add OL and a RB. I am not saying Sproles. Too much money. But I do believe we need to look to add a RB.

 

I'd say the yards gained has a lot to do with the fact that:

1) The Chargers have an offense, and the Bears do not

2) The Chargers had/have an OC that knows how to use a RB like the two, and the Bears have had that idiot Turner

3) The Chargers had/have a good OL, and the Bears have had a below average OL for several years

 

As for earning carries, who can really say with this coaching staff? Hard to make people miss tackles when most the runs are up the pipe. Hard to break more big plays when you don't get the ball more than one or two times a game...which is what he has gotten.

 

And, oh by the way, the inconsistency can't be proven if not given the carries, which kind of makes your two comments contradictory. How can he have the yards to compete with Sproles' yards if he doesn't have the carries? And vice versa? He can't. What I do know is, he averaged 4.6 a rush in 2008, and 5.5 in 2009. With a team that has struggled on offense for longer than I can remember, and especially a team that was horrible rushing last year, there is no excuse for not using him more often when considering his production during limited playing time.

 

It would make much more sense to give Wolfe some carries to see if he can keep up production with more playing time, than it would to pay huge money for Sproles.

 

[defiantgiant]

And, oh by the way, the inconsistency can't be proven if not given the carries, which kind of makes your two comments contradictory. How can he have the yards to compete with Sproles' yards if he doesn't have the carries? And vice versa? He can't. What I do know is, he averaged 4.6 a rush in 2008, and 5.5 in 2009. With a team that has struggled on offense for longer than I can remember, and especially a team that was horrible rushing last year, there is no excuse for not using him more often when considering his production during limited playing time.

You're being just as contradictory. If a guy doesn't get very many carries, his average is less useful as a statistic. If a back gets one carry and it goes for eight yards, can you really point to his 8.0 YPC as evidence that he should get more carries? There's a reason that YPC tends to go down as workload goes up: it can be misleadingly high when the sample size is too small. By way of a for-instance, Wolfe's 5.5 YPC in 2009 is largely due to a single gadget play: a fake punt where they direct-snapped to Wolfe, and it went for 36 yards. How often are they really going to run that fake punt if they give him more carries? If you look at the remainder of his plays, the actual rushing plays, he got 84 yards on 21 carries, for an even 4 yards per carry, not 5.5. To me, Sproles' 343 yards on 93 rushing carries is much more impressive performance than Wolfe's 84 on 21, even if Wolfe's average is higher.

 

The stats are bad enough, but they're really just backing up what I've seen from Wolfe every time he's played. He just can't do in the pros what he did in college. He tries to juke every defender and it NEVER works. I have literally never seen him make a tackler miss or break a tackle. He's not incredibly fast in a straight line compared to successful scatbacks, he's not quick enough laterally, and anyone who gets a hand on him can get him to the ground. I would love for Wolfe to emerge as a legit change-of-pace, but nothing I've seen in any of the carries he's gotten has made it look like he will.

[jason]

Jason,

 

I am with you in that we don't need to spend the sort of money it would take to sign Sproles, but I really think it a reach to say we already have (basically) Sproles on the roster. One, I know size is a big part of why you say that. Other analyists have point out. Just because a RB has similar height and weight doesn't mean they are actually similar. Sproles, and MDJ I believe, are small RBs but have a tremendous amount of muscle/build, whatever, in their lower bodies. Wolfe doesn't.

 

Honestly, I am not sure why you are such a Wolfe fan. Wolfe was an over-rated reach the day we drafted him. I have even argued that we never really viewed him so much as a NFL RB but a special teams player. Coming off the SB, management felt they could make picks like this, and I have argued the belief we drafted him w/ the intention of making him the "up" return man to prevent squib kicks avoiding Hester. But in his rookie camp, he was just terrible in the return game, and they gave up.

 

Has the team best used him? No. I would agree with you there. However, w/ the RB issues we have, I see no reason to put so much faith in him. Forte struggled last year, and behind Forte we had nothing. Say whatever you want about Turner, but he is gone. Time to move on. We need better depth behind Forte. I have no problem with the idea of wanting to get better looks at Wolfe, but I don't want to rely or count on him.

 

Many want to make a move at WR, and I argue against it. Not just because we have young WRs, but because I believe we have young WRs who have already proven worthy of our trust. You can argue it isn't Wolfe's fault, but that is really beside the point. We can not afford to enter another season w/ no RB depth. That doesn't mean Wolfe is gone, but it does mean we need to add another RB who we can count on.

 

Hey, you know I want OL. But there is no reason we can't add OL and a RB. I am not saying Sproles. Too much money. But I do believe we need to look to add a RB.

 

Why am I such a Wolfe fan? Because I think he can be what Sproles has been for SD.

Unfortunately, we'll never know if he never gets a legit chance to play.

[jason]

You're being just as contradictory. If a guy doesn't get very many carries, his average is less useful as a statistic. If a back gets one carry and it goes for eight yards, can you really point to his 8.0 YPC as evidence that he should get more carries? There's a reason that YPC tends to go down as workload goes up: it can be misleadingly high when the sample size is too small. By way of a for-instance, Wolfe's 5.5 YPC in 2009 is largely due to a single gadget play: a fake punt where they direct-snapped to Wolfe, and it went for 36 yards. How often are they really going to run that fake punt if they give him more carries? If you look at the remainder of his plays, the actual rushing plays, he got 84 yards on 21 carries, for an even 4 yards per carry, not 5.5. To me, Sproles' 343 yards on 93 rushing carries is much more impressive performance than Wolfe's 84 on 21, even if Wolfe's average is higher.

 

The stats are bad enough, but they're really just backing up what I've seen from Wolfe every time he's played. He just can't do in the pros what he did in college. He tries to juke every defender and it NEVER works. I have literally never seen him make a tackler miss or break a tackle. He's not incredibly fast in a straight line compared to successful scatbacks, he's not quick enough laterally, and anyone who gets a hand on him can get him to the ground. I would love for Wolfe to emerge as a legit change-of-pace, but nothing I've seen in any of the carries he's gotten has made it look like he will.

 

I agree that YPC can be misleading when the number of carries are low, but that's the point: We just don't know. And until Wolfe gets some more carries, instead of garbage carries going to our AP and/or Kevin Jones without much production, then we will never know if he could turn into a change of pace guy who can juke LBs and explode for big plays. The limited opportunities point to the very real probability that he can break big plays more frequently than most, and is easily as much of a weapon as the other backups who have gotten carries.

[bradjock]

I agree that YPC can be misleading when the number of carries are low, but that's the point: We just don't know. And until Wolfe gets some more carries, instead of garbage carries going to our AP and/or Kevin Jones without much production, then we will never know if he could turn into a change of pace guy who can juke LBs and explode for big plays. The limited opportunities point to the very real probability that he can break big plays more frequently than most, and is easily as much of a weapon as the other backups who have gotten carries.

 

Maybe, but wouldn't you feel better with Westbrook, LT, or TJ on the roster? I'm just asking.

[Mongo3451]

Maybe, but wouldn't you feel better with Westbrook, LT, or TJ on the roster? I'm just asking.

I would like to have a stable of Forte, Westbrook, Bell and Wolfe. Dump McKie. He was avg to below in every aspect of his game.

[nfoligno]

But why do you think that. I realize they are of similar size, if you just look at a stat sheet, but everything I have ever heard about the comparison stops when you look away from the paper. The two are simply built very different.

 

In college, Wolfe has great speed, and used it to great effect. But while he had great speed for college, it is a bit different in the NFL. Reggie Bush has better speed and quickness, but that hasn't been enough in the NFL either, and Wolfe has less. In college, I don't believe Wolfe was known for making tacklers miss w/ juke moves or breaking tackles. He was more of a north/south runner. He would take advantage of a whole, or catch a toss to the outside and turn the corner. But the NFL is simply faster than college, and players who simply win w/ speed and little more in college don't always translate to the NFL.

 

I have no problem, and never did, w/ the concept of giving Wolfe more opportunities. I have no problem w/ the concept of better utilizing him. At times I think the staff thought to use him more like Warrick Dunn, another small back, but one who could actually run up the middle. Dunn would use his short height to advantage by essentially hiding behind the OL and then slipping through a hole, but I don't think Wolfe has that ability. Wolfe could be more effective if used on the outside, but the problem is, he is not a #2 RB. If Forte goes down, I just can't see Wolfe stepping up and taking over.

 

I don't think many believe we need to get rid of Wolfe. That isn't the issue. Wolfe as our #3 is fine. He could be a good change of pace back, especially if you use him properly. He is also a tremendous special teams player. But he is not a #2 RB. He is not a RB many feel confident can carry the load if Forte goes down, or simply struggles for a 2nd year. It is the #2 role we need to fill.

 

 

 

Why am I such a Wolfe fan? Because I think he can be what Sproles has been for SD.

Unfortunately, we'll never know if he never gets a legit chance to play.

 

[nfoligno]

Westbrook - I would not feel better. Forte struggles in power running, due in large part to his upright running style which just doesn't translate well on 3rd and 1, for example. I would not feel real confident in Westbrook in this regard either, especially w/ the concussions and overall weaker running game of late.

 

TJ - I just don't see the point in talking about TJ. He is likely the top RB on the market due to still being relatively young and healthy. He is coming off a big year, and will be seeking a #1 role, not one he would have to share. He will be seeking big money, and simply does not seem a good fit for us, unless we were going to essentially give up on Forte and simply choose TJ as our stud, which I just can't see happening.

 

LT - If he came cheap and accepting of a #2 role, he could be interesting, but I just don't see that happening.

 

Honestly, I just don't feel there is a need here to go after one of the big names. One, if we improve our OL, I think that will have the biggest effect on our run game. Two, we need depth, not a starter, and we don't have to go after a big name to get depth.

 

Maybe, but wouldn't you feel better with Westbrook, LT, or TJ on the roster? I'm just asking.

 

[madlithuanian]

Jason, I'm with you there. I feel this guy has never been utilized appripriately. Maybe Martz will. He's the best mind we've had soe far in years...

 

Why am I such a Wolfe fan? Because I think he can be what Sproles has been for SD.

Unfortunately, we'll never know if he never gets a legit chance to play.

 

[jason]

But why do you think that. I realize they are of similar size, if you just look at a stat sheet, but everything I have ever heard about the comparison stops when you look away from the paper. The two are simply built very different. In college, Wolfe has great speed, and used it to great effect. But while he had great speed for college, it is a bit different in the NFL. Reggie Bush has better speed and quickness, but that hasn't been enough in the NFL either, and Wolfe has less. In college, I don't believe Wolfe was known for making tacklers miss w/ juke moves or breaking tackles. He was more of a north/south runner. He would take advantage of a whole, or catch a toss to the outside and turn the corner. But the NFL is simply faster than college, and players who simply win w/ speed and little more in college don't always translate to the NFL. I have no problem, and never did, w/ the concept of giving Wolfe more opportunities. I have no problem w/ the concept of better utilizing him. At times I think the staff thought to use him more like Warrick Dunn, another small back, but one who could actually run up the middle. Dunn would use his short height to advantage by essentially hiding behind the OL and then slipping through a hole, but I don't think Wolfe has that ability. Wolfe could be more effective if used on the outside, but the problem is, he is not a #2 RB. If Forte goes down, I just can't see Wolfe stepping up and taking over. I don't think many believe we need to get rid of Wolfe. That isn't the issue. Wolfe as our #3 is fine. He could be a good change of pace back, especially if you use him properly. He is also a tremendous special teams player. But he is not a #2 RB. He is not a RB many feel confident can carry the load if Forte goes down, or simply struggles for a 2nd year. It is the #2 role we need to fill.

Until he gets the carries, we'll never really know. What I have seen from him in very limited time has been borderline explosive. He has only had a few carries and receptions, yet there have been multiple WOW plays where he just breaks off a LB or someone else.I think you need to look the guy up on youtube to refresh the memory. He's much faster than you think. Better vision than you remember. Can cut on half a dime. He didn't just barely beat out people in college; he blew people away, ran away from them, spun off them. Besides, the leading rusher in NFL history (admittedly with the best OL ever) didn't have great measurables. Shows strength and speed

 

Shows great cutting ability and speed

 

Watch him destroy this LB and get Ditka's shorts in a bunch

 

I haven't tried, but I'm willing to bet that finding three equally sick plays from Forte might prove difficult. I know it sounds blasphemous, but other than a few rookie year plays versus the Rams and Lions, I can't think of too many plays where I was wow'd by Forte. When he doesn't get blocks, he does nearly nothing. And when he gets blocks, he nearly never outruns anyone. Hell, his pathetic 09 stats are the reason this thread was even started, and if it weren't for gimme games against Cleveland, St. Louis, and two versus Detroit, he'd be getting destroyed by some on this board.

[jason]

Maybe, but wouldn't you feel better with Westbrook, LT, or TJ on the roster? I'm just asking.

 

Clearly, yes. But I don't think RB is a position of need considering that Forte was obviously off his game this past year, Wolfe has never been used, and Bell showed a bit of spark.

 

I always loved TJ, and never thought we should have gotten rid of him...let alone drafted Benson. But adding Westbrook or LT would obviously be an upgrade. Adding Sproles, however, I'd have a problem with.